| |
| |
|
Cooking Tips Information |
|
|
|
Perfect Picnics - Frugal Food Safety Tips
Summer is finally here and for a lot of us that means heading out to the lake or to the park for a picnic with friends or family. Unfortunately, if we're not careful when we plan, transport and serve that picnic, our outing might not end up happily. Here are some tips to remember when planning an outdoor meal: 1. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Bacteria multiply quickly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees. Foods that have been kept at unsafe temperatures are a prime source of foodborne illnesses. 2. Plan ahead and try to take foods that don't spoil so quickly. At any rate, don't eat anything that's been sitting out for more than an hour, especially if the temperature is over 80. 3. Try to take only the amount of food that will be eaten, so there will be no leftovers. 4. Pack your food with ice or cold packs in an insulated cooler. Place foods that will be eaten last in the bottom. You can make your own blocks of ice by freezing water in milk cartons or other plastic containers. Place ice blocks or cold packs between containers of food, never just place containers of food on top of ice. 5. You might want to bring 2 coolers -- 1 for drinks, because it will be opened more often, and 1 for the food, that can be set in the shade and kept closed until needed. 6. If you're planning to cook hamburgers at the picnic site, shape your meat into patties and freeze before putting into the cooler. Take along a meat thermometer to be sure you cook the meat to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees. 7. An extra zip-top bag full of ice can be placed in the top of the cooler. The extra ice will come in handy for the trip home. If your day is a long one, and the ice melts the cold water can come in handy, also. 8. Carry your cooler inside your car, instead of in your hot trunk and be sure to place it in a shady spot and maybe even cover it with a blanket when you reach your destination. Open it only when necessary. 9. Instead of bringing whole jars of condiments, pack what you will need into smaller plastic containers. 10. Bring lots of clean utensils for serving as well as eating. Pack pre-moistened towelettes and paper towels for easy cleanup. 11. And remember this rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding leftovers: When in doubt, throw it out! About The Author Cyndi Roberts has been happily married to her best friend for 34 years and is a proud mother of 3. In her newsletter, "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another" she uses her years of experience as a wife, mother and chief budget officer to help others learn how to "live the good life...on a budget!" To subscribe, visit her online at http://www.cynroberts.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Cooking-Tips - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Eating Healthy with a Meat Grinder While it may be surprising, owning your own meat grinder can help you in your pursuit to live a healthier life. According to the USDA, the average American in 2000 consumed 300 more calories than the average American in 1985, a 12% increase, including a 24% increase of fat calories. How to Choose the Right Smoke for the Right BBQ Dish BBQ smoke is one of the easiest ways to add a nice touch of flavor to a grilled dish. You'll be amazed at how many different flavors there are! Knowing which smoke is the best match for different BBQ flavors can be a challenge though. Grilling Tips - Safety Comes First at the Barbecue You're standing at the gas grill in the hot sun, wiping the sweat from your brow, and having your favorite cool drink. You are making one of your favorite grill recipes for the neighbors that are coming over in a few minutes for a home and garden party. Substitutions for Commonly Called for Ingredients What should you do if you are in the middle of a recipe and realize you are out of an ingredient? You could send your child to the local convenience store for cream cheese and end up having to serve your caviar with Velveeta because to a 13 year old they are both soft cheeses. This really happened when my Mother sent me for cream cheese. Is Cooked Food Really All That Good For Us? In nature all animals eat living foods as yielded up by Nature. Only humans cook their foods and only humans suffer widespread sicknesses and ailments. High Altitude Baking - A Cooks Guide High altitude baking can be a real adventure for the cook, with a number of challenges to keep you on your toes. The higher you are in elevation, the less pressure there will be. Peppercorns & Ways To Use Them New and exciting varieties of peppercorns are becoming available to chefs everywhere. Pre-ground pepper out of the tin no longer provides the complex flavors and versatility that great cooks everywhere are looking for. Barbequing, a Fun and Convenient Way to Make Dinner "There's nothing more enjoyable than having friends and family gathered around amidst the wonderful smells of charcoal-grilled prawns, vegetables and selected favorites. Barbecuing is one of those time- honored rituals that go hand in hand with summertime. Emergency Bread: Can you Bake Bread Without an Oven? What would you eat if you were stranded without power? It could happen; it does happen. A natural disaster, a breakdown in the delivery system as the Northeast experienced recently, or a terrorist strike against the infrastructure could leave you without power. Two for One Dinners: Eggplant If you find leftovers boring, uninviting or downright "yuck," then here are some ideas to put the "zing" back into mealtime. With a little creativity your home-cooked meal can easily become a delicious meal another night. 10 Mind-Easing Ways To Make Sure Your Childs Bag Lunch Is Safe Perishable food must be kept cold while commuting via bus, bicycle, on foot, in a car, or on the subway. After arriving at school or work, perishable food must be kept cold until lunchtime. Bread in the Woods We really like fresh bread while we're camping. There is something about bread products that just seems especially good in the woods. Season Your Pans for Non Stick Cooking Nothing is more frustrating than trying to cook a delicious meal and having it stick to the bottom of the pan. A well season or cured pan will make cooking more fun, easier to clean and create better tasting food. Cooking Filet Mignon Filet mignon is French, of course, with filet meaning "thick slice" and mignon meaning "dainty." Filet mignon comes from the small end of the tenderloin (called the short loin) which is found on the back rib cage of the animal. The Joys of Refrigerator Cookies Baking cookies seem to fill the house with a sense of well being and peace. Perhaps it is the smell of butter, vanilla, and spices emanating from the hot oven. 10 Simple Kitchen Organizing Tips A lot of the times we mean to get in there and finally organize the kitchen, but once things get out of control the job can seem so daunting and you just don't know where to start. These top 10 kitchen organizing tips will help make your kitchen pleasant and welcoming. Microwave Ovens and the Healthfulness of Microwaved Food Microwave ovens do have benefits. They are certainly convenient. 50% Less Cooking 50% Less Cookingwithout hitting the fast food button! Don't you just cringe when some clever kitchen type tells you what you could be doing with the leftovers in the fridge, when it's plainly obvious the leftovers will stay there until they walk out by themselves!More often than not, saving money with leftovers, although a great idea, takes a lot of time in preparation and relies on many other ingredients being available. So. The Wonderful Wok: Stir Frying Basics Want to enjoy the tantalizing taste of Asian food at home? Invest in a wok! Stir-frying is one of the easiest ways to create a delicious, healthy dinner in minutes. Learn to prepare meals the Asian way: light on meat, heavy on the vegetables, and quick-cooked on high heat to retain vitamins and flavors. Old-Fashioned Taffy Pull Party--How to Host Your Own Want a unique party idea for your child's birthday-or even her next weekend sleepover with friends? Try hosting your own taffy pull. It can get pretty messy, but kids absolutely love it.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
