Okay, so your eyes were a bit bigger than your stomach. Now you've got leftovers from your trip to the fast food joint. Guess you've wasted money on food that will be thrown away. Guess again. Some fast food leftovers can be stored and reheated the next day.

Fried Fast Food

Chicken, appetizers and even French fries can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated the next day in the oven. The key is to preheat the oven between 425 to 450 degrees, spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and then also spray the food. This ensures that the foods crisp back up instead of remaining soggy. The exact baking time will depend on the fast food. Bone-in chicken will take around 20 to 30 minutes where smaller foods, such as French fries, will only take around 10 to 15 minutes.

Pizza

First of all, it's important to note that any person that loves pizza should own a pizza stone. A pizza stone is not only great for making pizza from scratch, but also works great when reheating leftover pizza. You'll need to preheat the oven to 325 degrees and then place the leftover pizza directly on the pizza stone. Bake for 15 minutes and that nasty leftover pizza will be almost as fresh as when you ordered it.

Sandwiches

Many sandwiches survive a trip to the refrigerator pretty well. The key is choosing toppings that won't get soggy when exposed to condiments for too long. For example, a tuna salad sandwich without vegetables will be perfectly fine. A Veggie Delight from Subway is another story. Once you add mayonnaise and other condiments, the veggies are more likely to get soggy. One way you can avoid a soggy sandwich is to ask for condiments on the side or add your own once you get home. Just remember to tightly wrap your sandwich in aluminum foil or place in a zip top bag. This will help prevent the bread from drying out.

Burritos and Soft Shelled Tacos

These items are easily heated in the microwave, but it is advisable to remove lettuce from the tacos because it will be soggy the next day. Also, wrap burritos and soft shelled tacos in a wet paper towel before heating. This helps keep the tortilla moist and prevents it from getting tough. You can also use plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.…

LEARNING ABOUT FOOD The purpose of fat camp is not to drop the pounds off quickly. A good fat camp is planning ahead by helping your child tame the monster called food for the rest of their lives. If they are not taught nutrition, portion control and fat control then they have gained nothing from attending fat camp. EMPOWERING THE CHILDREN WITH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FOOD In order to eat well the kids need to learn about food. Camps will have mandatory classroom work on food. They will be taught how to read labels and learn that a portion size is not the eating or drinking the entire amount at one sitting. In the find print on packaging they will be shown how to look at portion size. The intent is not to keep the child from foods they enjoy but teaching them to enjoy all types of foods but still within limits. Much of our lives center around food and it is the same for the kids. They will be taught what to eat when out with their friends. They will be encouraged to stay within the calorie count for each day even when they go home. Fat content is stressed. Some camps will target fat content as the culprit to content with and will teach your child the same. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CAMPERS GO HOME If you chose a good fat camp for your child, they will be prepared for eating at home. They are not fed "diet foods" at camp but the same food they like prepared differently. Instead of fried chicken nuggets they will have baked chicken nuggets. Food education on what to eat with the proper cooking method will be taught. Your child will learn how to cook at the camp. They will actually prepare meals in small groups and eat together. Once they are at home, they will know how to prepare food that is tasty yet good for them. They will learn how to prepare all their favorites foods by a chef who will teach them the cooking methods such as steam, baked or broiled cooking. He will also teach them how to flavor their food. Your kids will want to eat healthy because it tastes good, not because it is "diet food". Good camps will give your child regular food. They will have lasagna, pizza, macaroni and cheese but a cooked with less calories and definitely healthier.…

My fast food addiction began when I got married. I married a man who had always had a fast food addiction, but prior to getting married I almost never ate at fast food places. Once I got married, however, my mother was no longer cooking for me, and his habits quickly became my habits. Eating fast food was a daily thing. It didn't only happen when I was already out and needed something to eat. Daily, we would get dressed and leave the house to go to grab a chicken sandwich. The Breaking Point I went to the doctor for my yearly exam, and he informed me that I was over 230lbs, a gain of 70lbs since my army days, and on the cusp of developing diabetes. In addition, my liver function was not great. Around the same time, I realized I had no spare money at all. Clearly, the fast food needed to go, and I needed to replace it with healthy foods that would help me lose weight. My Method The first thing I did was to limit myself. I didn't outlaw fast food all together, but rather said, "I will not get dressed to get fast food." If I was out and about and it was a mealtime, I could have fast food. Otherwise, I had to find something in my house, or drive to a grocery store. My next step was to budget. I had $10 a week to eat at fast food places. I could, technically, eat off a dollar menu ten times in a week, but let's face it, the best part of eating fast food is the fries that go with it, and those are not typically on the dollar menu. I continued eating out, but usually only once a week because that was all I had the budget to do. Step three was to realize that I could eat a chicken sandwich and frozen fries at home, and I would know that the chicken hadn't been deep fried in fat. Even the fries were likely less unhealthy than those at the fast food places. I could still eat the foods I was used to eating; I just had to take the time to make them. Finally, I decided that if I was already taking the time to make food, I might as well make different foods, and find something healthy that I liked to eat. This took a bit of research, but my sister introduced me to the Hungry Girl cookbooks, which I have enjoyed.…

Here's a great recipe for when you're having the gang over to watch a game, a season finale program, at pool parties, or anytime you have a gathering of family and/or friends. It's an excellent way to treat them with something special.

You will need:

1/2 cup of softened cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream

1 small to medium jar of picante sauce

1 1/2 cups grated marble cheese
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup diced green peppers
1 tin of medium sized shrimp

Blend together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream in a bowl and then spread evenly onto a regular sized pie plate.

Next, pour on a generous layer of picante sauce (hot, medium or mild, depending upon your own taste)
Garnish with grated marble cheese, diced tomatoes and diced green peppers.
Finally, top with one tin of medium shrimp (well drained)

* tip: I find that the canned shrimp works best, as the remaining juices left in the shrimp add extra flavor throughout the dip.

This dip goes great with either potato chips, Ritz or gourmet crackers or even nacho chips.

You may need to double your recipe, depending on how large your crowd is. I absolutely guarantee that this dip will be a hit with your guests that they'll be coming back for more.…