DIY Tips and Assistance Programs to Help You Save on Home Heating

From the USA.gov Blog:
As the cold weather firmly takes hold in most parts of the country, you might notice a steep spike in your utility bills as your heating system works to keep your house warm.
If you’re trying to keep your heating bill in check, there are some assistance programs and DIY-tips that might help.
See if you qualify for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Families who meet the qualification standards are eligible for assistance with their heating bills. You must apply for LIHEAP benefits through your state. Some states also offer assistance to help you weatherize your home. If you need additional help applying for LIHEAP benefits you can call 1-866-674-6327.
If your heating system is in need of improvements, you might qualify for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). This program helps low-income families lower their utility bills by making their homes more energy efficient. The weatherization program also provides a safety check to major energy systems to ensure everyone who lives in the home stays safe. Each state has different eligibility requirements. Find out if you qualify, what forms and documentation you need and how to apply for assistance.
If you don’t qualify for LIHEAP or WAP, there are plenty of steps you can take on your own to weatherize your home and help keep your energy bills lower this winter.

• Air leaks in your house let warm air escape. A quick and easy way to save money is to seal all cracks and openings. Learn how you can caulk and weatherstrip areas of your home to prevent air leaks.
• Let natural light from the sun into your house during the day by opening your curtains. Sunlight will naturally help heat your home.
• Install a programmable thermostat or set your current thermostat about 10 to 15 degrees lower than normal for the hours when you won’t be in your home.
• Turn down the temperature on your water heater. Heating your water can make up 14 to 25 percent of your energy bill. By dropping the temperature you’ll save money.

You can find more tips for saving money and energy at home in the Energy Savers Guide.

Save Energy and Money This Summer

Save Energy and Money This Summer: From the USA.gov Blog:
"The average American family spends $1,900 a year on household utilities; however, a large portion of that is spent on wasted energy. Not only does wasting energy cost you more money, but it releases extra carbon dioxide into the air, slowly deteriorating the environment. Luckily, there are small, simple steps you can take to minimize your energy use.

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs with the ENERGY STAR label.
• Air dry dishes instead of using the dry cycle on your dishwasher
• Only wash full loads of dishes and clothes
• Turn off electronics, such as your computer, when you they are not in use
• Use power strips for your electronics, and turn them off when they are not in use

These are just a few options for saving energy in your home. There are also longer term energy savers you can try that could reduce your energy use by up to 25%.

Check to see if your utility company offers energy audits. For a small fee, they will determine how well your home uses energy and compare the results of the analysis to your monthly bill. Once you learn how energy is being used in your home, you can learn how to make changes to minimize your use and save money.

Learn more about how you can save energy in the short and long term at www.energysavers.gov."

Organizing for 2011 – Paperwork

Organizing for 2011 – Paperwork: "
This is a two-part blog on getting better organized for the New Year. Part 1 is on getting paperwork organized. Part 2 will be on clearing out the clutter.


As I head into 2011 and I look at the stacks of paperwork from 2010 (receipts, warranties, insurance documents, copies of bills, and a host of other bits of paper), I am very tempted to purchase a flame thrower. Instead of dealing with my paper mess, I would rather risk burning down my home while toasting marshmallows
in the flames generated from all of those receipts, than to actually sit down and go through each piece of paper.


At the beginning of every year I have this epiphany that all of this paper clutter stresses me and that I need to bring order to the paper chaos in my life. It makes me feel anxious and out of control when I look at the stacks of unfiled stuff. Every year, I vow that this will be the year I get my act together and get organized.
I buy new filing bins and with great energy, I start sifting through stacks of accumulated paperwork. Then I get bored and frustrated. I run out of enthusiasm for my organizing project and I end up shoving it all in a corner of my office. Sometimes I even cover it with a table cloth and pretend that it is
a sculpture that I am working on.


When it comes to organizing, instead of rushing in and just tossing everything in a massive purge, a plan should be in place. Here is a little guidance on what records and documents to keep readily available, which things to store, and which things are safe to toss. It is especially important to get things in order with tax season coming up. The Internal Revenue Service has some helpful suggestions about record keeping to reduce stress at tax time.


All those purchase receipts are something that I am inundated with, so I am considering going paperless by purchasing a portable scanner that I can use to scan receipts. Some scanners have character recognition capabilities that can catalog and classify your purchases for you. Another option is to reduce the amount of paper coming into your home. Many companies are now offering paperless bill paying where you can make arrangements to receive electronic bills, instead of paper bills. Check with companies that you do regular business with to see if they offer this option.


There is lots of advice and tips on the Internet about getting your paperwork organized. There are also many companies out there with products and services that can help you get organized. If you are having trouble doing it yourself, you may wish to look into getting assistance. If you are going to work with a professional organizer, be sure to research companies carefully. Also keep in mind that while organizers are helping you clean-up, they may encounter paperwork with personal information.


Do you have any tips or tricks to help me get my paper jungle under control? Feel free to leave
a comment.
"

Save Money by Weatherizing Your Home

Save Money by Weatherizing Your Home: From GovGab: "A few years ago, we replaced half the windows in our house and we saved about $500 in heating oil that winter and got a tax credit. When you’re a homeowner it can be hard to find the money to make improvements to the weatherization of your home, but it really does pay off in the long run. Our house is about 100 years old, so there’s no end to our list of home improvement projects, but whenever anything is replaced, I make sure that I consider energy efficiency.
Our appliances must all be ENERGY STAR rated, and I did my research to be sure that I was buying really efficient windows. I find that good quality, energy-efficient products can be a little more expensive to buy, but they pay you back in so many ways, and there are government programs that will help you pay for them.
The Residential Energy Property Credit offers tax credits if you made energy-efficient improvements to your home in 2009 and 2010. You could get a credit up to $1,500 for adding insulation, energy-efficient exterior windows, and energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems. You can also get a tax credit when you install alternative energy equipment, like solar hot water heaters, geothermal heat pumps and wind turbines.
Weatherization assistance programs are available to low income families, to help permanently reduce energy bills. These programs provide free services like weather-stripping doors and windows, and improvements to heating and cooling systems. Offices in your state administer the programs, so check with your state offices to find services available in your area and to apply for assistance."

Home Heating Costs Will Stay the Same or Drop Slightly This Winter

Home Heating Costs Will Stay the Same or Drop Slightly This Winter: From the RedTape Blog: "Heating bills for most Michigan households will stay the same or drop slightly this winter.

For the full article, see Melissa Burden, 'Michigan residents to spend less to keep warm this winter', Detroit News, November 9, 2010.


For more information, check out the Winter 2010 Michigan Energy Appraisal, Michigan Public Service Commission.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

"

Free Tax Filing

Free Tax Filing: From GovGab: "I got my W2 in the mail the other day, which meant only one thing: A quick phone call to my mom the accountant to ask her to help me with my taxes.

But mom, being the smart person that she is, decided I should probably try to do my taxes myself, so she told me about www.irs.gov/freefile, a website that helps people file their taxes for free if they meet certain income requirements.

There's a little quiz that asks you some questions such as age, estimated gross annual income, whether or not you're married, and then it suggests a list of possible free software tools that will help you fill out your federal taxes forms.

For someone like me, fairly new to the work world and a complete newbie at filing taxes, an option like this is really helpful.

For more information about filing your taxes, including information on the new rules that will let you claim Haiti donations on your 2009 returns, you can check the IRS website.

How do you prepare your taxes? Do you use a software program, an accountant, or file by hand?"

Thank You Notes

Thank You Notes: From GovGab:
"If I've said it once, I'll say it again. I can't adequately express how grateful I am to be the youngest child in my family. Some of the benefits of the position include.

• Always knowing the scoop about all my teachers before starting class
• Being "too young to know better" until I was about 12
• Having a double wardrobe until my sister went to college

But even better was just having to sign my name to the thank you note written by my sister until I was out of elementary school. My mom is the Queen of etiquette. I was probably the only six-year-old who knew the difference between a salad, dinner, and dessert fork. And my napkin? Always on my lap. Mom also stressed the importance of showing proper appreciation. Therefore, thank-you notes were made a part of my routine from an early age. As a kid (and well, an adult) my handwriting bordered on being hieroglyphics, so my sister always listened to my dictation and wrote the note, and afterwards I'd provide my John Hancock.

I'm actually surprised about how few people provide thank you notes now. I've been in or been to countless weddings and showers in the past five years and I'd say only a handful have sent a note thanking me for the gift.

Besides just gifts it's important to let people know you appreciate their time. For example, after an interview for a job, you should always send a handwritten thank you note to the interviewer. It shows you think their time is valuable and it also leaves a good impression.

It's not even time consuming to send a note now. Use this website to send a note to our troops for their efforts.

Do you write thank you notes regularly? What situations do you think require them?"

Humidify Your Home for Increased Winter Comfort [Health]

Humidify Your Home for Increased Winter Comfort [Health]: From LifeHacker


"If it seems like your skin is dryer, you get zapped with static shocks more often, and you wake up frequently with a stuffy nose, you're not just imagining things—you're experiencing the effects of low humidity.
Photo by dolapo.

Even if you live in an area that has hot and humid summers the drop in temperature that accompanies winter sucks the moisture right out of the air. Decreased moisture has a host of negative side effects ranging from increasing your chances of getting a cold or sinus infection—dry respiratory tissue is more susceptible to irritation and infection—to the paint and wood work in your home cracking from lack of moisture.

Over at the home-centered blog Re-Nest they've put together a guide to identifying whether your home is too dry, just right, or overly humid and what you can do to remedy a deficiency or excess of moisture. For those of you in a winter climate right now you can add moisture back into your homes in methods ranging from free and sort-of-effective to pricier an quite effective. The cheapest method they highlight is simple evaporation:

Adding moisture to the air is as simple as placing a vessel of water on top of, or next to, a radiator (or other air heating system). Leaving wet towels and clothes out to dry are other ways to introduce moisture into the air. This is a very low-tech and low power method, however the strength and humidity controls are limited, and available moisture is dependent on the size of the vessel used, and must be frequently refilled.

If you've ever looked at a vase of flowers in January and sworn you just filled it up with water and it needs a refill again, you're seeing just how thirsty the dry winter air in your home really is. More effective are stand alone and whole house humidifiers that mechanically inject moisturized air into individual rooms and the entire heating system of a home, respectively.

If you're debating whether or not it's worth investing effort into increasing the humidity of your home I recently repaired the whole-house humidifier attached to my furnace and fired it up. Using it raised the humidity levels in my home from around 28-30%—as measured by the hydrometers I placed throughout the house—to a nice comfortable 42-45%. The difference is noticeable in everything from how the air feels when you breathe it in to how you don't get shocked petting the cats or getting dressed anymore.

For more information humidifying your home check out the full article at Re-Nest, if you have a tip for inexpensively humidifying your living space, let's hear about it in the comments.

Controlling Humidity Levels at Home [Re-Nest]

"

Organizing for 2010

Organizing for 2010: From GovGab:
"Did hell freeze over and someone forgot to tell me? I didn't notice, but was the moon in the 7^th house and Jupiter aligned with Mars? (Age
of Aquarius? Doesn't ring a bell? Never mind.) I don't know what rare event occurred, but something influenced me last weekend, because I did something that I never do... I organized my paperwork! Just last week, in my blog, I mentioned my total lack of interest in organizing, but on Saturday, something compelled me to sit down to
sift through the mounds of paper.


My first inclination was to take all of my paper crap (technical term) and, without sorting through any of it, just dump it in a plastic bin to be stashed in the garage attic, never to see the light of day. I resisted that urge and sorted
through it. I discovered that quite a bit of it could be thrown away. I organized and filed everything in the expandable folder I had purchased a year ago. I labeled the folder “2009 Crap” (again with the technical jargon). Then I went to an office supply store and purchased another folder for my 2010 paperwork.


I learned 3 things from this organizing activity:

1. I feel better when I don't have all of that clutter surrounding me. It was actually making me feel stressed to see it;
2. I already have most of my stuff pulled together for the upcoming tax season. I am practically giddy with the thought that I won't be scrambling at the last minute this year; and
3. My desk is pretty. It is made of a lovely cherry wood. Who knew?

Am I turning over a new leaf, and will I permanently stay organized? Probably not. Hopefully, another celestial event will drive me to organize again next year, but for now I am feeling very pleased with myself..


If you are like me, you may need a little inspiration to get your office and home life more organized and ready for 2010. Here are some resources that offer some organizational tips and tricks, helpful guidance on what to keep, and where to get copies of
important documents:

• Creating Your Home Filing System
• Get
  Organized Blog
• Getting Organized with Julie Morgenstern
• Organizing Paperwork and Cutting Paper Files
• Organizing Your Paperwork
• Real Simple: Home Office
• State Vital Records Offices

Now, if only someone could send some inspiration my way to get me motivated to organize and put away my Christmas stuff! My goal is to have it all stowed away by Easter....maybe! LOL.
"

How Can I Defog My Car Windows Quicker? [Ask Lifehacker]

How Can I Defog My Car Windows Quicker? [Ask Lifehacker]: From LifeHacker
"Dear Lifehacker,
I hate when my car windows fog up. Is there a trick to defogging them as quickly as possible?
Signed,
Can't See the Street
Photo by Muffet.
Dear Can't See the Street,
Depending on the temperature and the situation you'll want to attack the condensation on your windows with different methods.
It's chilly in most of the US right now, so we'll assume you're worried about the interior of the window fogging up. The fogging occurs because of the temperature and moisture differential between the inside of the car and the outside of the car. Outside it's cold and dry—it might not seem dry with all the snow and slush but winter air has very low humidity—and inside it's warmer and moister thanks to your body heat and the moisture from your breath being trapped inside.
In an emergency, when you need the window defogged right now, the fastest way to do so is to rapidly lower the inside temperature so that the moisture stops condensing on the glass. Turning the defrost vent on without heat or opening the windows is the fastest way to dissipate the fog on the window. While fast, it isn't very comfortable for the occupants of the car so it's best reserved for times where you find the window suddenly fogging up and you need to see out in a hurry.
It's significantly more comfortable to use your heater and employ other tricks to manage the moisture than it is to keep your car freezing cold. Warming the inside of the car and blowing warm air across the windshield using the defrost setting will evaporate the moisture. Skip using the recirculate feature if your car has it, you want to push the humid air out of the car and bring dry air in from the outside. You might be conditioned to use the recirculate feature to make the most of your AC in the summer but in the winter it doesn't matter—your engine has more than enough excess heat to go around.
While we're on the topic of summer time, in particularly humid weather you have to deal with the opposite problem. High humidity and temperature on the outside of the car and low humidity and temperature on the inside of the car—thanks to the AC!—make it necessary to reverse your technique. You can use your wipers to constantly clean away the fog from the exterior but that's a bit of a hassle. You can turn the AC down or off entirely, or you can turn the heat on low and warm the inside of the glass to stop the moisture from condensing on the outside. You won't often encounter the fog-on-the-outside situation, compared to the winter effect of fog-on-the-inside, but when you do it can be a real pain.
Our final tip: keep your windows extra clean. Not only do clean windows help with visibility even when you're not dealing with fog, clean windows are less prone to fogging.
Keeping it Between the Navigational Beacons,
Lifehacker

"

How Can I Remember Annual Maintenance Chores Around the House? [Ask Lifehacker]

How Can I Remember Annual Maintenance Chores Around the House? [Ask Lifehacker]: From Lifehacker
Dear Lifehacker,
How do I know what maintenance chores I need to do around my house each month, and how can I remember to actually do them?
Signed,
Curious Homeowner
Dear Curious,
Great question! You're smart to stay on top of maintenance around your home. It helps you catch issues before before they become huge or costly repair problems, and keeps your home and appliances running smoothly.
A great resource for figuring out what needs to be done regularly around the house is the home maintenance and repair site Demesne. It's packed with checklists broken down by month. Here's some of the chores Demesne recommends you tackle in January, for example:

* Wander the house with a screwdriver and make a list of minor household repairs that can be done in a weekend. Tighten screws on drawers, doors, and furniture. Make a list of broken electrical face plates, missing pulls or knobs, locks that need lubrication, and spots that need caulking around sinks and tubs. Go to the home improvement store and buy everything you need to make all of your little repairs at once.
* Call the utility company to do an energy audit. By now you'll have received your first big winter heating bill, and unless you live in Phoenix, you may be motivated to see how you can improve your home's energy efficiency. While you're at it, ask the utility if they can also test for radon gas—especially important if you don't know if it's ever been done.

Each checklist also reminds you to watch for seasonal sales—in this case, post-holiday specials on Christmas trees and wrapping paper. It also make monthly suggestions for kits you might want to put together, like a first-aid box or an emergency winter survival kit for your car.
Once you've figured out what needs to be done around the house each month, head over and grab a free account from home management web site Homespot. After providing a little info on what type of home you have, Homespot generates a maintenance list of things that you need to attend to, like replacing HVAC filters and draining your hot water heater. The list also helps you prepare for big maintenance projects by providing space to add a shopping list, details on how to make repairs, and more.
Homespot's maintenance list feature comes pre-populated with the most common household chores, but you're free to add your own as well. It would be great if Homespot had options to email task lists or connect to users' calendars but, since those aren't options right now, you'll need to remember to check the web site to figure out what you need to do when.
These are only two ideas that tackle your question, Curious, but there's undoubtedly many more ways to skin this particular cat. We'd love to hear how other readers keep track of household maintenance chores. Share your ideas in the comments.
Love,
Lifehacker

TurboTax Offering One Free Tax Answer Through Jan. 31 [Taxes]

TurboTax Offering One Free Tax Answer Through Jan. 31 [Taxes]: From Lifehacker
"Tax season—it's coming up sooner than you think. If you've got any questions on your personal, federal income taxes, the folks behind TurboTax will once again call you back with a free answer between now and Jan. 31.
Just as with last year, actual humans affiliated with Intuit's TurboTax software and web applications will answer questions left on their FreeTaxQuestion.com site, calling back within 24 hours. There's a limit of one question per person during the promotion, running through Jan. 31, and it only applies to federal taxes, not state—specifically Forms 1040 (personal) and 1065, 1120, or 1120S (business). You can leave your question from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time.
You will, of course, likely get a soft push toward TurboTax services, and questions beyond specific, technical issues should probably go to an accountant. That said, it's still a nice little freebie for a little piece of mind, and a good number of commenters were pleasantly surprised with their results last year."

Ask a Tax Expert Promotion

Help With Bills

Help With Bills: From Gov
"Last week I wrote about help for people struggling with their mortgages and it got me thinking that there’s a lot of financial struggle that goes on before you lose the house. The evening news gives us the big stories of foreclosures and credit card debt, but those stories don’t mention the other necessities like the electric bill, or that tank of oil you need to heat the house.
Did you know that there’s a government program that will help pay for your heating costs? It’s called the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP for short. It’s a federal program administered by an office in your state.
Many states offer programs that might be able to help you with your utility bills. Contact your state utility commission to learn more about the programs available to you. Did you know that there’s even assistance to help you pay your telephone bill? Well there is.
And lastly, if you’re having trouble making ends meet, contact your
state social service agency. They’ll know about all the benefits and assistance that are available to you in your state."

Holiday Mailing Tips

Holiday Mailing Tips: From GovGab

"The United States Postal Service estimates that roughly 97 million customers visit the post office during the holidays. Are you going to be one of the many standing in line this year to buy your Christmas stamps, purchase your boxes, or mail your gifts to your loved ones?

Well, you don't have to! The USPS Holiday page is organized to help you streamline your holiday postal tasks. Unless you have decided to send an alpaca from the Andes to your Aunt Agatha in Anchorage (try saying that fast 3 times), almost everything that you need to do can be done online.


My husband does a lot of shipping, so he ordered multiple-sizes of the free flat rate boxes and had them delivered to our home. With the flat rate boxes, you choose the proper size box to mail your item for one flat rate, regardless of the weight. I suppose if you were shipping very heavy gold bricks, there might be a problem, but as the USPS says, “If it fits, it ships.” Two days ago, hubby wanted to ship a gift, so he went online to print the postage and scheduled the package pickup. The next day, our postal carrier came to the door to pick up the package.
That is how easy it was.


The USPS has some Mailing Tips to Avoid Holiday Glitches and Quick Tips for Holiday Mailing that will ensure your
package makes the journey smoothly. If you are sending a gift to a
loved one in the military, the USPS has a Shipping Gifts to Military Addresses page that has some helpful guidance and USA.gov Search has links to additional resources when sending gifts to military personnel.


Did you know that the USPS has a Letters to Santa Program? Every year the USPS gets
many letters from children that are addressed to Santa. In 1912 the Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized a program called Operation Santa that allows local postal employees and citizens to respond to the letters. Today, postal facilities in cities around the country allow charitable organizations, major corporations, local businesses and individuals to adopt letters to Santa.


Although the Postal Service Mailing Statistics page doesn't have
any statistics about how many Andean alpacas have been sent to Anchorage during the holidays (a statistic that I was very curious about), it does have some other amazing numbers. Let's just say there is a whole lot of activity for the USPS during the holidays, so be smart and take care of your holiday mailing early.


P.S., here is a bonus photo of the Andean alpaca. His name? Albert, of course!

"

Find the Cheapest and Fastest Way to Ship Holiday Packages [Shipping]

Find the Cheapest and Fastest Way to Ship Holiday Packages [Shipping]: From LifeHacker
"With the holiday season officially underway, many are looking to start shipping gifts to family and friends across the country. So what service ships for less, and which will get your package there the fastest: UPS, FedEx, or the good-old Post Office?
Photo by uzbeckistan
Recently the Kansas City NBC news team put cross-country shipping and pricing to the test. No one wants to overpay for shipping, especially around the holidays, and we always want our gifts and goodies there as fast as possible, without damage. They compared rates and times of the three major shipping companies, FedEx, UPS, and USPS.
The news team shipped goods from multiple locations throughout the U.S. and from all three competitors, each time varying the weight and contents of each package.
In the end, lighter items had relatively the same shipping price across the board (all within $0.60 of each other), while heavier items saw a price difference of as much as $3 across vendors. Their final assessment was that Flat Rate shipping from the USPS was the way to get your holiday gifts to their recipients as quickly as possible and for the least amount of money spent. They were also able to provide the quickest shipping time outside of overnight delivery, which comes with a hefty fee from all 3 carriers. Hit up NBC News for the full report on their adventures in shipping.
Do you have a favorite, trusted carrier you rely on to get your gifts there on time? Sound off in the comments.

Holiday Packages: Who ships fastest and cheapest? [NBC Action News Kansas City]

"

Maximize Your Thanksgiving Leftovers with Leftover Recipes [Recipes]

Maximize Your Thanksgiving Leftovers with Leftover Recipes [Recipes]: From LifeHacker

It's the day after Thanksgiving, and you've got a pile of leftovers. It's time to take a look at how you can maximize the meals you can make from your leftovers, preferably with the least amount of effort.
Photo by Roland.
Last year we shared a few leftover recipes and now we're back to share a few more. The absolute easiest method of course is to simply throw servings of your leftovers on the plate and heat them back up. If you love a good Thanksgiving meal you can't go wrong with a basic reheat. That said, we've gathered up a few basic recipes here for you to mix up your left overs.
Open-Face Turkey Sandwiches: The open-face turkey sandwich is a staple in the leftover playbook. Take a thick slice of bread—some people put a light layer of mayonnaise with a sprinkling of salt and pepper here—mound it up with turkey, pour some gravy over it, and heat the whole thing up in a microwave or toaster oven. You can always go easy on the gravy to minimize the mess and slap another piece on top if you've got a deep seated distrust of an open-face sandwich.
Turkey Dumplings: Dumplings are filling and the recipe is about as simple as it gets. You'll need cooked turkey, all purpose flour, and a package of biscuit dough. Cook the turkey in water until a broth forms, drop in some hunks of biscuit dough, and you're done. You can check out the recipe here.
Pilgrim Pie: Rene Lynch, experimenting with her leftovers, saw that she had almost all the ingredients for a shepherd pie. All the ingredients save for the crust, that is. With a little kitchen ingenuity and some sautéd onions and flour she made a simple dish out of leftover cooked vegetables, diced turkey, and mashed potatoes. You can read more about it here.
Turkey Soup: Turkey soup has a moderate number of ingredients but if you already prepared a Thanksgiving meal the chances of you having all of them on hand is pretty high. Prep for the soup is a bunch of chopping and dicing and then tossing it all in a pot. With enough leftover turkey and a big enough pot you can make quite a batch. You can check out the recipe here.
Turkey, Chestnut, and Barley Soup: If you're in the mood for a heartier soup than a simple turkey broth and turkey mix can provide, this turkey and barley soup is plenty hearty. You can make it using a can of broth or use the carcass leftover from yesterday's festivities. You can check out the recipe here.
Grilled Turkey and Apple Sandwiches: The recipe is actually for chicken sandwiches but turkey is a great stand in. You can grill it in a skillet but it cooks great in a grill press. Flavorful and easy to make, it's a nice way to make leftovers seem less like leftovers. See the recipe here.
Our suggestions should get you started on mixing up your leftovers, but it's certainly not a conclusive list of ways to turn your turkey day leftovers into something fresh and tasty. Let's hear about your favorite leftover recipes in the comments below.