Follow the 2:4 Rule to Store and Enjoy Leftovers Safely [Food]

 Cooking a large meal and then saving the leftovers is a great way to save time and hassle cooking and preparing lunches and dinners, but if stored improperly and not enjoyed promptly, they can also be a health hazard. Thankfully, the 2:4 rule can keep your leftovers safe to eat: Package and store your leftovers within two hours of cooking, and eat them within four days.

There's a longer version of the rule—that leftovers should be stored within two hours, stored no more than two inches deep for quick and even cooling, and then eaten within four days, but the shorter version is a little easier to remember, and since the middle rule is a bit more subjective, it's a bit more universally applicable. Either way, remembering to get your food into the fridge quickly after serving and adopting the first-in, first-out approach to managing your leftovers will make sure your next-day masterpieces are stored and eaten safely. If you're still worried and you aren't sure whether your leftovers are good, there's always previously mentioned StillTasty, a great reference for shelf and storage-life for all types of food.

Are you familiar with the 2:4 rule? How do you make sure your leftovers are stored and eaten before they turn south? Share your tips in the comments below.

Follow the 2:4 Rule for Leftovers | Real Simple via the Center for Science in the Public Interest

Follow Lifehacker and Our Writers on Twitter to See All Of Our Stories As Soon As They’re Live [Announcements]

 One of the best things about Twitter is that it's a great source of information. Follow your favorite sites and writers, and you'll usually be notified of great new articles as soon as those articles are ready for you to read. We're no different! If Twitter is one of your favorite ways to get news, consider following the official @Lifehacker account to see when a new story goes live so you can hop over and take a look.

If you have a favorite Lifehacker writer, why not follow them on Twitter too? Many of us talk often with our readers, and most of us ask our Twitter friends first if we're looking for help or opinions on an upcoming story. If you'd like to check us out, here's where you can follow us individually:

If Twitter isn't your thing, or you only want a selection of our top stories of the day instead of everything, head on over to Facebook and like the Lifehacker Facebook page (or subscribe to us individually) for a slimmer selection. If you hang out over at Google+, add the Lifehacker Google+ page to your circles to keep up with us there (or circle us individually.)

Rather to keep your news out of your social networks, or just don't have time to hang out on social networks all day? No worries! If old-fashioned email is up your alley, subscribe to our newsletter for a daily digest of our top stores, install the Lifehacker Notifier for Chrome to be notified when we post a new article, or just add our RSS feed to your favorite newsreader. However you choose to keep up with us, we're glad you choose to stay with us, so thank you!

Star and Label Gmail Messages Before You Hit Send to Help Remember to Follow Up [Gmail]

Sometimes it's a bit difficult to remember to follow up on important emails. You send out an email, forget about it, and hope your recipient replies back with the information you need. A new feature in Gmail now allows you to star or add a label to outgoing emails to help you remember to follow up.

The labels and starring works the exact same way it does in your inbox. Before you hit send, you can assign a label or add a star. The feature works retroactively too, so if you just sent a couple important emails you can go back and star them quickly by browsing your sent folder or clicking the email and adding a label. If you happen to know a person who is always forgetting to reply or you're sending out an important email you don't want to get lost, this is a handy new feature.

Star and label messages before you send them | Official Gmail Blog

Follow HackCollege on Facebook’s Interest Lists

Facebook has launched their Interest Lists feature in the past 24 hours, which brings yet another Twitter-esque feature to the social networking site. It allows users to subscribe to lists of people and pages that encompass different interests and topics – from video games to politicians to fitness.

At HackCollege, we didn’t want to miss the current – so you can follow our updates, current writers, and former writers here on Facebook. The list is still in progress – so you might not see your favorite writer there yet but now you can see we’re people too!