A “turkey dinner sandwich” (photo © J. Java | Fotolia).

If you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner, the odds are that you’re going to have lots of leftovers.

Some of them are easy to deal with: Just store cranberry sauce, potatoes and gravy in airtight containers and use them up within the week.

But what about the bird?

The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (1.800.535.4555) wants you to have these tips for storing turkey leftovers.

 
 
HOW TO USE LEFTOVER TURKEY

Our two favorite uses are a “turkey dinner sandwich”—with stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce—and a turkey BLT with cranberry mayonnaise (mix cranberry sauce into mayo). For a bit more work, we enjoy a turkey pot pie.

Frozen cooked turkey can be added to casseroles, soups, pastas and other cooked dishes.

Here’s a recipe from De Cecco pasta, which uses its angel hair nests to create a special dish with either refrigerated or frozen-and-thawed cooked turkey. If you can’t find angel hair nests, you can use regular angel hair, linguine or spaghetti and use tongs to create nest-like shapes.

Prep time is 25 minutes; total time is 45 minutes.

Ingredients For 8 Servings

1. CUT cooked, skinless turkey into bite-size pieces or shreds; set aside.

2. ADD 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Reduce heat to medium, and add leeks. Cook 7 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring frequently. Add water, 1/2 cup green onions and wine; cook, covered, 10 minutes or until leeks are soft. Transfer mixture to a blender. Cover and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons of oil. Cover and keep warm.

3. BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in 3 batches, gently lower pasta into boiling water. Cook 6 minutes or until al dente. Carefully remove pasta with a large slotted spoon, gently shaking to remove excess liquid. Repeat procedure with remaining pasta.

4. ARRANGE cooked pasta nests on a large rimmed platter. Spoon sauce evenly over each nest. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese, and top with turkey. Garnish with remaining 1/4 cup green onions.
 
 
ABOUT DE CECCO PASTA

Founded in 1886 by the De Cecco brothers in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, De Cecco makes 160 pasta varieties using only the heart of durum wheat to produce premium semolina. The water mixed with the flour is from a mountain spring. The semolina dough is extruded through bronze dies and the pasta is dried very slowly at low temperature.

The company, which is the world’s third largest manufacturer of pasta, was recently inducted to the Italian Trade Commission’s Hall of Fame. Find more recipes at DeCeccoUSA.com.

Here’s a fun project that adults and kids alike will enjoy: replacing the holiday gingerbread house with with a mini house of cookies, gummy bears and other candies.

We’ve developed an adult fascination with gummy candies—especially since we discovered the sugar free*, guilt-free line.

The first gummy candies, Gummi Bears, were produced in 1922 by Haribo, a Bonn, Germany, confectioner. Founder Hans Riegel invented the Dancing Bear, a fruit gum made in the shape of a bear. In 1967 the Dancing Bears became Gummi Bears, and spawned an entire zoo of gummi animals.

Worms are not zoo creatures, however, and Haribo did not invent the Gummi Worm. Gummi Worms were introduced by another German gummi candy manufacturer, Trolli (named for forest trolls), in 1981. America choose the more familiar spelling, Gummy Worms. National Gummy Worm Day is July 15th; there’s no National Gummy Bear Day—yet. (Earth to Haribo: What’s up?)

Instead of constructing an elaborate ginger bread house, how about a gingerbread crèche?

All you need are

Here’s the complete recipe.

Beyond snacking, bring out the gummies for parties:

 
MORE HOLIDAY GUMMY USES

 
WHAT’S IN GUMMY CANDY?

Haribo Gummies are made from corn syrup, sugar, gelatin, dextrose, citric acid, corn starch, artificial and natural flavors, fractionated coconut oil, carnauba wax, beeswax coating, artificial colors Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1. Trolli ingredients are similar.

If you’re a vegetarian, vegan or all-natural food consumer, there’s Goody Good Stuff, launched in 2010. This all-natural gummy candy line is made with a plant derived bio-gum technology: no gelatin, no carnauba or beeswax. There are no artificial colors or flavors. You can buy it on Amazon.com.

There are also Goody Good Stuff gummy fruits, sour fruits and cola bottles.
  

Big coffee sellers have expanded their offerings over the years.

 
Some people don’t like flavored coffee, so our strategy is:

HOW TO FLAVOR YOUR OWN COFFEE

You don’t have to buy flavored coffee: You can make your own from regular whole beans or ground coffee. While flavored coffee is typically made by soaking the beans in flavored extracts, the home approach takes the old-fashioned route with real spices.

Whole Bean Technique

Mix crushed cinnamon sticks and a few optional cloves with whole beans at a 1/2 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons ratio of spice to coffee). Store in a tightly capped jar for 2-3 days to allow the flavors to infuse. Grind together and brew.

Ground Coffee Technique

Mix 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice per 1 tablespoon ground coffee. Stir and brew. Add a splash of vanilla or rum extract and serve.