Surviving Holiday Bacteria

If you are cooking for a holiday gathering or are offered leftover treats, take food safety into consideration.

A holiday celebration without food just isn’t as jolly. After planning the menu for your festive feast, considering food safety while prepping and storing is imperative. Below are a few tips to help keep your holidays happy, healthy and bacteria-free.

When prepping your meals, here are a few things to keep in mind:

· Always wash hands before handling food

· Wash and sanitize all food prep surface areas

· Wash all fruits and vegetables

· When cooking, make sure most meats reach up to 165 degrees Fahrenheit

· Use separate cutting boards for meat and produce

· Do not thaw or marinate food at room temperature

· Only store fresh meats up to 2 days in the refrigerator

Not sure how long to cook your creation? Check out the cooking chart below:

Category	Food	Temperature (°F)	Rest Time
Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures	Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb	160	None
	Turkey, Chicken	165	None
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb	Steaks, roasts, chops	145	3 minutes
Poultry	Chicken & Turkey, whole	165	None
	Poultry breasts, roasts	165	None
	Poultry thighs, legs, wings	165	None
	Duck & Goose	165	None
	Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird)	165	None
Pork and Ham	Fresh pork	145	3 minutes
	Fresh ham (raw)	145	3 minutes
	Precooked ham (to reheat)	140	None
Eggs & Egg Dishes	Eggs	Cook until yolk and white are firm	None
	Egg dishes	160	None
Leftovers & Casseroles	Leftovers	165	None
	Casseroles	165	None
Seafood	Fin Fish	145 or cook until flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.	None
	Shrimp, lobster, and crabs	Cook until flesh is pearly and opaque.	None
	Clams, oysters, and mussels	Cook until shells open during cooking.	None
	Scallops	Cook until flesh is milky white or opaque and firm. Chart courtesy of foodsafety.gov	None

When serving food, be aware of these facts:

· Try not to leave food out for no more than 2 hours

· Keep cold foods such as a macaroni salad by nesting serving dishes in ice

· Keep hot foods hot by using chafing dishes or slow cookers.

· Replace empty used platters or wash thoroughly before adding fresh food

Do you have leftovers? Here’s a great chart that shows how long food can be stored:

Category	Food	Refrigerator (40 °F or below)	Freezer (0 °F or below)
Salads	Egg, chicken, ham, tuna & macaroni salads	3 to 5 days	Does not freeze well
Hot dogs	opened package	1 week	1 to 2 months
	unopened package	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Luncheon meat	opened package or deli sliced	3 to 5 days	1 to 2 months
	unopened package	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Bacon & Sausage	Bacon	7 days	1 month
	Sausage, raw — from chicken, turkey, pork, beef	1 to 2 days	1 to 2 months
Hamburger & Other Ground Meats	Hamburger, ground beef, turkey, veal, pork, lamb, & mixtures of them	1 to 2 days	3 to 4 months
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb & Pork	Steaks	3 to 5 days	6 to 12 months
	Chops	3 to 5 days	4 to 6 months
	Roasts	3 to 5 days	4 to 12 months
Fresh Poultry	Chicken or turkey, whole	1 to 2 days	1 year
	Chicken or turkey, pieces	1 to 2 days	9 months
Soups & Stews	Vegetable or meat added	3 to 4 days	2 to 3 months
Leftovers	Cooked meat or poultry	3 to 4 days	2 to 6 months
	Chicken nuggets or patties	3 to 4 days	1 to 3 months
	Pizza	3 to 4 days	1 to 2 months

Chart courtesy of foodsaftey.gov

Do you have any other comments or suggestions on this blog? Let us know!

Here’s to a happy and healthy holiday season!

~ Charlene Marie

Tips for Surviving the Cold

What to do when the weather outside is frightful

If you have even been in chilly situation, you know it isn’t too comfortable. Extremities can freeze, frostbite can set in and even death can occur. Weather you get stranded on the road while driving, your heat and electricity goes out or your camping trip ended up being in colder temperatures than usual, here are a few tips for keeping safe from the bone-chilling elements of Mother Nature’s fury.

Be prepared for winter storms

It’s always a great idea to be prepared in every situation, even the chilly ones. Here are a few supplies to check off your preparedness list when power and heat goes out or you just happen to be camping outdoors during a harsh winter storm:

· Candles

· Waterproof matches

· Oil lantern

· Weather or space blanket

· Extra blankets

· Gloves

· Hats

· Warm socks

· Thermal clothing

· Heavy coats

· Portable grill

· Gas-powered generator

· Extra gas

· Canned and non-perishable goods

· Bottled water

· Flashlights

· Batteries

· Battery powered radio

· Non-electric can opener

· Scarf

· Earmuffs

· GPS device (camping)

· High-quality, artic snow tent (camping)

· Hand and foot warmers

Another good tip is to fill your bathtub with water beforehand, just in case the water stops running. Also if food starts to thaw in the fridge or freezer, stick it outside in the snow.

If you are out camping, be sure to let someone else know where and how long you will be away for.

Be prepared on the chilly road

It never hurts to have extra equipment with you in case of emergencies. Here are a few things to carry in your trunk on those cold wintery days:

· Weather blanket

· Portable shovel

· Tire traction device, such as a Go Treads tire mat

· Gloves

· Extra sweater or sweatshirt

· Boots

· Car adaptor charger for cell phones

· Road flares

· Jumper cables

· GPS device

Other advice

Here are a few other things to keep in mind when it comes to the cold:

· Don’t stop moving; a higher heart rate keeps the body warmer

· Hug someone; body heat can help

· Stay out of the wind

· Drink a warm beverage

· Drink a caffeinated beverage

· Stay dry

Have any other tips for keeping warm? Let us know!

~Charlene Marie