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So I have a confession – from time to time, my guests would leave us leftover food (we tell them not to throw food waste into the garbage since we compost). I’m curious as to what standards other hosts have in terms of eating the leftovers, so here’s a poll to see what people’s limits are And yes I have answered true to all of the above for the poll – can’t waste good food right???
I have/wouldn’t mind eating whole fresh fruits that my guests left behind
I have/wouldn’t mind eating leftover take out pizza my guests left behind
I have/wouldn’t mind eating a half eaten tub of ice cream my guests left behind
I have/wouldn’t mind eating half eaten chinese take out my guests left behind
My guests leave a lot of unused packets of pasta, half full cereal boxes and half full bottles of wine. I usually use these myself. I’m a bit squeamish with tubs of leftover butter and jam, those I throw away.
That looks totally edible! Now if there was a big bite mark on the cake, then that’s a different story - we would cut out the bite mark with a knife first
Our weekend guests (mom & daughter) left FOUR halves of Mellow Mushroom calzones. I was a bit horrified by the waste, but was ultimately thankful they left them out on the counter before they left so I was not faced with this potentially difficult decision. Conflict over leftovers is one thing; potential food poisoning is quite another…
I never pass up wine—I use it for cooking most often, and I’m always happy to see this “gift”.
Eating something left in the freezer or refrigerator is completely different from fishing it out of the trash. Still, I suppose something could have been left out on the counter and then put into the freezer. If I were that afraid of getting sick from eating I’d never eat anything that I hadn’t cooked myself.
My self-respect is above eating Chinese takeout, mostly because it’s not clear whether they ate directly from the carton. (As I type this, I wonder how this differs from pint of half-eaten Chubby Hubby, but I think all the germs must have been rendered inert from their time in the freezer) But I have eaten from the “doggy bags” my guests brought back from the super-fancy-get-reservations-a-month-in-advance place.
(My Mom asked for a doggy bag for her leftovers at a Parisian restaurant; their French friend, horrified, said “Americans, they have no shame!”)
Nachos are best when they’re homemade by a long shot. I make the tortilla chips and the refried pinto beans myself. I layer them with Mexican crema, sliced olives, cotija cheese and sliced pickled jalepenos. Then I bake it until the chips are nice and crisp. I serve guacamole on the side as I think avocados taste nasty when they’ve been heated. They are delicious.
I won’t touch the leftovers, but fair game for the cleaning crew. They usually discard them. (They used to take it all, but they’re making good money from me. $25k in cleaning fees from my units this year alone.) Anything unopened (Usually beer or water), I leave for the next guest.
I’m the one who always tosses food if the expiration date is even close, while my husband scolds me and tells me it will be okay. So, um, no, no way will I touch a guest’s leftover stuff. I’ll still feel guilty tossing it…(unless my husband eats it before I can get my hands on it to throw away)
My chickens love guest left overs. They recognise the bucket and I have 25 excited hens at my feet just waiting for the largess. I figure it is fair as the guests get their eggs!
And yes I have answered true to all of the above for the poll 
