Take one pint mason jar of leftover lentil/lamb/mushroom soup (made from leftover lamb braised with mushrooms), one pyrex half-pint dish of leftover braised cabbage/onion/carrot/tomato, and one of Matt’s Meat’s good homemade German sausages. Dump them all in a pot, stir, add enough water to bring to a soupy consistency and simmer until the frozen sausage is cooked. Chop up the sausage into smaller pieces, make some toast, and you have a delicious lunch that will last for several days.

When we were kids, Monday was Garbage Dinner night, a name we found hilarious in that way that kids love a verbal mashup. Garbage soup was one of my mother’s staples, especially during those years when we were really broke. And I have to admit, it’s a habit I’ve carried into adulthood. When in doubt, make a soup out of what’s lurking around in your fridge. And considering this morning’s piece in the NY Times about foodies and fat bellies, a nice lunch of soup and a piece of toast — well, it’s not only a good way to keep yourself from thowing leftovers out, but it’s a good way to keep your waistline in trim.

So, Garbage Soup it is … yum.

(Another handy hint: if you put the leftover hot soup in a mason jar, then put a lid on it while it’s still hot, the seal will help keep the soup from spoiling in your fridge. It’s not the kind of seal you’d want to trust at room temperature, but it prolongs the length of time you can keep it in the fridge.)