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Blake Shelton Details Holiday Cooking Tradition With Gwen Stefani

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Cooking for Christmas! Blake Shelton revealed some of his and Gwen Stefani‘s favorite holiday traditions — and the couple are big proponents of the culinary arts.

“Gwen and I, our cooking tradition has become during Christmas — and not just like your normal, typical [dishes],” the country singer, 46, explained in Us Weekly‘s exclusive clip from NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center special. “But we always challenge ourselves and try to come up with a different, weird, complicated, difficult thing to cook every year. It started one year [when] she wanted to do a beef Wellington, which is not easy, by the way.”

The Oklahoma native explained that he and the No Doubt frontwoman, 53, try to do “something weird and new” every year. “Gwen’s family, there’s a lot of Italian blood in her family,” Shelton added. “And so there’s tons of pasta and there’s a reason that I have a chin like a stork the last five years. It’s because I’m hanging out with the Stefanis now.”

Blake Shelton Details Christmas Cooking Traditions With Gwen Stefani- 'We Always Challenge Ourselves' 317 NYWICI's Matrix Awards, Arrivals, New York, USA - Oct 26 2022

Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton.

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Although the couple — who tied the knot in July 2021 — collaborated on several duets, the “God’s Country” singer revealed that cooking with his wife is much easier than making music together. “Singing with Gwen is way harder than cooking with her,” he explained. “Cooking is easy for us because neither one of us really knows what we’re doing, and all we do is laugh the whole time. With music, we actually take [it] serious.”

Fans can catch the duo’s latest collaboration on Christmas in Rockefeller Centerwhich airs on NBC Wednesday, November 30. The twosome are scheduled to perform alongside musicians including Jimmie Allen, Katharine McPheeDan + Shay, Mickey Guyton, Alicia Keys and more. The two-hour special — co-hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin and Mario López — will also include a performance by the Radio City Rockettes and a bit by Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph.

In between the musical numbers, the performers will share some of their favorite holiday traditions and explain what Christmas means to them. Stefani, for her part, asked her husband what Christmas felt like to him, and he had an adorable response: “You.”

The “Hollaback Girl” singer revealed that she and Shelton “bonded over” Christmas music earlier in their romance. “You make it feel like Christmas,” the Voices the judge joked, referencing their duet “You Make It Feel Like Christmas.” He quipped: “It’s not even Christmas tonight, but you make it feel like it is. … How cheesy is this bit?”

Christmas in Rockefeller Center airs on NBC Wednesday, November 30, at 8 p.m. ET.

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How long are they safe to keep and eat?

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  • Most leftovers shouldn’t stay in the fridge for longer than three to four days, the federal food and health agencies say.
  • Leftovers that are stored in the freezer can last much longer. The USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service pointing three to four months as a good limit.
  • When reheating leftovers, make sure the food reaches 165 degrees.

If you cooked a Thanksgiving feast last week, chances are you have plenty of leftovers. But don’t wait too long to eat or freeze them.

Cooked turkey and other leftovers can be kept in the fridge safely for about three to four days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FoodSafety.gov say.

But after that time, “the risk of food poisoning goes up,” the Mayo Clinic notes, pointing to the growth of bacteria in refrigerated leftovers.

This means that the Monday after Thanksgiving marks a “‘use or freeze’ deadline,” FoodSafety.gov says. If you don’t eat or freeze your leftovers by then, it’s safest to throw them away.

Here’s what you need to know.

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How long can leftovers stay in the fridge?

Again, most leftovers shouldn’t stay in the fridge for more than three to four days, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service notes.

For more specifics, the USDA’s FSIS launched the FoodKeeper app, which consumers can consult and use to set reminders when navigating if food is still safe to eat.

How long can leftovers be frozen?

If you store leftovers in the freezer, they will last longer. According to FoodSafety.gov, frozen leftovers “will be of best quality within 2-6 months.” USDA’s FSIS says three to four months is a good limit for frozen food.

“Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer,” USDA’s FSIS writes.

You might want to throw those leftovers:What to know about storing rice, noodles

Can I tell if refrigerated food is spoiled?

If food is left longer in the fridge than it should, sometimes it will develop a strange taste or smell from spoilage bacteria, FoodSafety.gov says. But it’s not always possible to tell.

Bacteria often don’t change a food’s appearance, taste or smell, the Mayo Clinic notes – making it hard to tell if food is safe to eat.

How soon should I store my food after eating it?

There’s not just a deadline for how long food lasts in the fridge. After cooking and eating your holiday meal, it’s best to store it as soon as possible.

Leftovers should be refrigerated or frozen within two hours of cooking food, the CDC and FoodSafety.gov say.

“Seventy-six percent of respondents in a recent USDA study said they would refrigerate leftovers after letting them cool to room temperature first. This is not necessary and could actually make your food unsafe,” FoodSafety.gov wrote. “Leftovers should be placed in the refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible, even if they still have steam or heat coming off of them.”

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While it’s not necessary to wait for food to cool completely, there are some tips to help your food cool faster. When storing large dishes like a roast turkey, for example, The USDA’s FSIS recommends dividing the leftovers into smaller portions across shallow containers.

What about re-heating leftovers?

Make sure to reheat leftovers to 165 degrees before eating them, the USDA notes. You can check the temperature using a food thermometer.

Frozen leftovers need to be thawed before cooking – but don’t just leave them to thaw on the counter, notes the Mayo Clinic. You can thaw leftovers in the fridge, microwave, or with a leakproof container under cold water.

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And again, after thawing, you have three to four days to eat or refreeze your food, the USDA notes.

Contributing: Marina Pitofsky, USA TODAY.

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