Thanksgiving Leftovers = Mother of Invention

It's a cold, dreary day so we kept ourselves busy inside doing renovation work.  Jason agreed to let me demo the "master" bathroom (quotations necessary since it's a 5x7 foot space), so long as I have the project done in 8 days and it's kept tidy enough that he can still take a shower.  Demanding guy! 


Here are a couple "before" pics...

Don't look too long. That wallpaper could induce seizures! 

What's with the (wallpapered) soffits all over this house?!? They must have been tres chic in 1978.


You know how when you start a renovation or even just redecorating one thing leads to another? Our bathroom sink was really, really grody and no matter how well you cleaned it it never looked clean.  It's an integrated sink/vanity countertop and when I went to the Big Box yesterday to look for a replacement I found out it was a specialty size.  The cheapest (non-formica) countertop I could order would set us back $757.  So I opted for a new vanity/sink combo ($379), which necessitated a new wideset faucet ($89).  Brought it home, and started ripping out the existing cabinet....

only to find that (no surprise here), the ceramic tile didn't extend under the cabinet. So I had to rip up the tile (of course)...

I got up early this morning to go to Big Box again (remember, 8 day deadline on this project and I work full-time).  When I got back to the house, tile in tow, I found Jason up on a ladder hammering away at the soffit.  "I knew you hated it, so I thought I'd rip it out.  Hey, guess what?! There's no drywall behind the soffit."


So.... now we're ripping out the drywall and the ceiling, rather than patching the  part that he tore down.  Even Olivia's getting in on the action. Need some demo?!? She's your girl.

By the time dinner rolled 'round tonight I could barely move and while a dinner of Chocolate Oatmeal Stout and Advil sounded perfectly reasonable to me, had to think about the kid. So we whipped up one of our favorites from Nana:


Ingredients & Directions (it's that easy) for Turkey Casserole 


Line a dutch oven or 9x13 baking dish with leftover turkey and 10 oz frozen broccoli (thawed & drained). Cover with  leftover (or newly prepared) stuffing.  Mix 1 can cream of chicken & 2/3 cups milk and spread over turkey/stuffing.  top with 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Baked at 350 for 30 minutes or until warmed through and serve with Sister Schubert's dinner rolls (also leftover). Good comfort food for a cold, dreary day (and a sore, weary body).

What's your most unusual leftover reinvention??