Dangerous Food Safety Mistakes to Avoid

Make sure your kitchen is clean, safe and ready for summer picnics, cook-outs and other family meals by knowing and avoiding dangerous food safety mistakes. Sometimes a simple mistake can have very dangerous consequences. What may seem like a small food safety mistake can cause serious and sometimes long-term illness. When it comes to some germs, such as Salmonella, all it takes is 15 to-20 cells in undercooked food to cause food poisoning. And just a bite of food with botulism toxin can cause paralysis and even death.

So what are some of the most common food safety mistakes? The federal food safety website, http://www.foodsafety.gov , shares 10 common food safety mistakes that have been proven to cause serious illness.

• Mistake #1: Tasting food to see if it’s still good. Remember you can’t taste (or smell or see) the bacteria that cause food poisoning. Tasting only a tiny amount can cause serious illness. Throw food out before harmful bacteria grows.

• Mistake #2: Putting cooked meat back on a plate that held raw meat. Germs from the raw meat can spread to the cooked meat. Always use separate plates for raw meat and cooked beef. This also applies to poultry and seafood.

• Mistake #3: Thawing food on the counter. Germs can multiply quickly at room temperature. Thaw food safely in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave.

• Mistake #4: Washing meat and poultry. Washing raw meat or poultry can spread bacteria to your sink, countertops, and other surfaces in your kitchen. Don’t wash meat, poultry, or eggs.

• Mistake #5: Letting food cool before putting it in the fridge. Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours or within 1 hour if the temperature is over 90°F.

• Mistake #6: Eating raw cookie dough (or other foods with uncooked eggs). Uncooked eggs may contain Salmonella or other harmful bacteria. Always cook eggs thoroughly. Avoid foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs.

• Mistake #7: Marinating meat or seafood on the counter. Don’t give harmful bacteria the chance to multiply, marinate meat or seafood in the refrigerator.

• Mistake #8: Using raw meat, marinade on cooked food. Because germs from the raw meat can spread to the cooked food, you should always bring marinade to a boil if you plan to reuse.

• Mistake #9: Undercooking meat, poultry, seafood or eggs. Cooked food is safe only after it has been cooked to a high enough temperature. The only way to be sure foods have reached a safe temperature is to use a food thermometer.

• Mistake # 10: Not washing hands. Germs on your hands can get into the food that you and others eat. Wash our hands before handling and eating food. Hands should be washed 20 seconds with soap and running water.

Read more on this and other food safety topics at: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/mistakes/index.html

Stop Eating! Recycle Halloween Candy

As I sit here looking at the bowl of candy ready for trick or treating, trying to convince myself I will only eat “one”. I decide to take action by moving the candy so it is not wearing on my self control. By “Storing” (hiding) it in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight until ready to “use”. Most candy will easily keep four to six months. Check the best if used by dates on packaging to be sure. To take my mind off eating candy I have decided to share some creative ways to recycle Halloween candy. I sometimes even buy half price candy after Halloween for holiday baking. Many types of small individual candies such as M&M ® can replace chocolate chips or nuts in your favorite recipes that incorporate ingredient as mix-ins.

The traditional chocolate bar (dark or milk) is great for drizzle or icing on many different items such as ice cream, cakes, cookies, or fresh berries. Simply replace the chocolate chips with candy bars chopped into chuck size pieces. CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE 1/4 cup Chocolate Chips 1-1/2 teaspoons shortening (do not use spread or oil) 1. In small microwave-safe bowl microwave chocolate and butter at MEDIUM (50%) for 30 seconds; stir. 2. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Other candy bars with filling such as nugget, nuts, mint crème or caramel can all be used as filling or topping for different types of cookies. I have shared a new recipe my children love.

EASY CANDY BAR COOKIES Dough Base 1 cup Granulated Sugar ¾ cup Butter 1 tsp vanilla 1 egg 2 cups all purpose flour 1. Heat oven to 350⁰F. Spray sides and bottom of 9x13x1 inch pan with baking spay. 2. In large bowl, combine sugar and butter beat until light and fluffy. 3. Add vanilla and egg; blend well. 4. Add flour mix well. Spread half dough in bottom of pan and ½ inch up the sides. 5. Cut unwrapped candy in half lengthwise then arrange single layer candy on top of dough in bottom of pan. 6. Roll out remainder of dough and cover candy making sure candy is sealed inside dough. 7. Place pan on baking sheet in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. 8. Cool cut into bars. Gummy candy works well for decorating gingerbread houses or, making sand or dirt cup desserts. Stained glass cookies are a great creative way to use hard candy many recipes are readily available online. That leaves us with one of my favorites Tootsie® rolls. Pastry chefs refer to this product as molding chocolate with its main ingredients consisting of heavy corn syrup and melted chocolate. These ingredients enable this product to be molded and shaped with your hands to use as decorations on cakes, gingerbread houses or individual shaped candies think hearts. I saved you this time from eating all the Halloween candy, so you have time to either build up your will power or give the joy away to others as gifts. Enjoy.

Organizing the Kitchen Part II

On the heels of my successful freezer organizing project, I was motivated to continue on and tackle my pantry. Realizing effort put in to organizing the pantry would later save time, money and stress. I gathered my tools and went to work. Here is the process I used, I hope it helps you.

Tools required to do this include: labels, permanent markers, baskets, and air tight storage containers (preferably square or rectangular—saves space).

1. Empty all shelves, wiping them down with a bleach solution. To make a 1:10 solution, you need 1 part bleach for every 9 parts water. A good amount to start with is:
                               ¼ cup bleach 2 ¼ cup water
2. Sort out the items into different categories such as: breakfast items, snacks, and baking goods.
3. Check use by dates and expiration dates. Discard expired items. This also a good time to take stock and plan meals to use up some overstocked items.
4. Create sub-groups, it save time during meal time. Canned fruits, canned soups, ethnic ingredients and vegetables can be an example of the various sub-groups.
5. Labeled baskets are a handy storage system for maintaining a clutter-free pantry for food and seasoning packets.
6. Store dry goods such as flour, pasta, teabags, sugar, and cereal in labeled air tight containers.
7. Label shelves into categories (condiments, ethnic, beverages etc.). Frequently used items should be kept in front. Place items you want children to get for themselves within arm's reach. Reserve high and back shelves for items used less often.
8. Lastly, implement FIFO (first in/first out) system. When stocking shelves keep oldest in the front to be used first.

I found such satisfaction to see my pantry neat, tidy and clutter-free. Using the above system took about two hours for me to complete. Best of all, my organized pantry has saved time with planning meals, tracking food choices for shopping and has minimized my spending. Got ideas, please share what works for you!

Is it Still Good to Eat?

Many people call asking about specific foods and whether they are still safe to consume. One way to judge is by checking the food product dating. Understanding the types of dates can help you make a decision. The following terms may appear on products you buy: “Sell by” date – indicates how long the store should display the product. Buy foods before this date has passed. The food may still be good to eat at home. Milk, for example, will usually still be good for at least a week beyond that date if properly refrigerated. “Best if used by” – this indicates when the quality and freshness is best. Foods are safe to purchase and consume after this date. “Use by” date – the manufacturer recommends consuming by this date for best quality. It is not a food safety date, but would be best used by this date. “Expiration date”-- If you haven't used the product by this date, toss it out. “Coded dates” – these packing numbers are used by stores to allow them to rotate stock and respond to recalls. Each manufacturer determines their own system of coding. Some use letters of the alphabet to indicate months, some use the Julian calendar for days of the year. Unless you know the coding system, trying to figure out when a product was packaged can be like trying to solve a Chinese puzzle. Products that are past their expiration date may still be safe to eat. A local food bank calls the companies and asks them how far past the expiration date their food is safe to eat. Brand-name manufacturers often have a toll-free number on the package, which makes it convenient and cost-free to call and ask how to decode the packing number or how long it is safe to eat. For in-depth information on figuring out code dating and how to contact manufacturer’s, go to http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftjan05.htm A general guideline for canned goods is: Low-acid canned goods like canned meats, poultry, stew, soups (except tomato) and most vegetables are best used within 2-5 years. High-acid canned goods like fruit, tomato products, sauerkraut or pickled products are suggested to be used within 12-18 months. Never use baby food or formula that is past the expiration date. Babies and infants are especially vulnerable to food-borne illness because their immune systems are not fully developed. Keep in mind that foods can go bad before their expiration date if not stored properly and protected from contamination. Also, some specially packaged foods like vacuum-sealed products have one date listed for “use by” that may be weeks or months in the future, but, once opened, are suggested to be consumed within a few days to a week. Shelf-stable packaged goods that contain foods with natural or added oils can become rancid, especially if stored in above-average temperatures for a period of time. Check crackers, whole grain products, nuts, seeds and snack foods that contain fat periodically by smelling the contents. If rancid, they will have an off-odor and usually a bitter taste. Discard these products. To minimize spoilage or loss of quality of food products before they are eaten, follow these guidelines: Always store new product behind older goods so foods are rotated and used before they deteriorate. Use a marker to date products that have no other dating information on them. Only buy economy sizes of products you can use up while still of good quality.