Dear Heloise: I bought a chicken at the store that was encased in clear plastic wrap. I removed the plastic wrap and was about to start dinner when my husband walked in and said that my son and his new wife invited us for dinner that evening. He forgot to tell me two days ago. So, I placed the chicken in the refrigerator and cooked it the following night.

But my husband refused to eat it because he said it had probably gone bad after being stored overnight in the refrigerator unwrapped. Is this true? Frankly I don’t believe it. What is your verdict on this chicken debacle? — Fay L., in Arcadia, Florida

Fay, storing an unwrapped chicken overnight shouldn’t be a problem as long as your chicken was kept cold the whole time. It might be a little drier, but it’s not dangerous to consume. However, if you store it longer than one day, it needs to be wrapped. The sooner it’s cooked and eaten, the better. Never refreeze meats, fowl or seafood after they have been thawed out. — Heloise

COOKING FOR TWO

Dear Heloise: Now that both my husband and I are retired, and our four children are married and living in different cities or states, I have to cook for two, and it’s not as easy as you might think.

On Monday, I made chili, and it was very good. There was a lot leftover, so I thought I’d prepare chili dogs and other fixings for dinner on Saturday. My husband has started to become a very picky eater. He announced that he wouldn’t eat chili that had been stored in the refrigerator two days. (I’m not trying to kill him with two-day-old chili!)

Now he wants me to make smaller meals so that he won’t have to eat leftovers. It’s a nice idea, but often there are leftovers. How do I get him to eat the leftovers? — Tearing My Hair Out, in Delaware

Tearing My Hair Out, you’re not alone. I get many letters about this subject. It’s really easier to cook for a gang than only two people. One woman wrote to say that she placed a cooked TV dinner in front of her husband and said, “I don’t want to see any leftovers.”

Remind him that many men wish their wives would make a warm meal made from scratch. Perhaps not every day, but maybe once or twice a week would be appreciated.

Women cook for their families as an expression of their love for them, but maybe it’s time to switch roles! Let him make dinner three times a week, and you can cook the other three days. On the seventh day, you two can go out to dinner. Let’s see if leftovers still bother him when he has to cook. — Heloise

DESTINATION WEDDINGS

Dear Heloise: Nancy in Waterbury, Connecticut, wrote in about destination weddings becoming so popular, but unfortunately most people can’t attend a wedding that is thousands of miles away. I totally agree with her and the bride and groom’s parents. If the couple want to go to Hawaii, then maybe they should have their wedding at home and go there on their honeymoon instead.

I agree that it’s totally selfish to expect everyday folks to shell out this kind of money for the flight, lodging and food. I’m not a fan and haven’t attended two destination weddings because of the cost. — Peggy, in New Jersey

Peggy, I agree. For most of us, flying to another part of the country for a wedding is too expensive and time-consuming. It also begs the question, “Why?” If the bride and groom want to go away to get married, fine. Goodbye and the very best of luck to both of them! But please don’t be angry if the rest of us can’t be there on your special day. — Heloise

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