Lookout for 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

Saving Money During the Holidays

Fabulous frugal tips for surviving the holiday season

Photo by Charlene Marie

The holidays are right around the corner and you’ve found the perfect gift for that special someone. One problem; the perfect gift is out of your budget. “If I only didn’t buy that caramel, expensive-chino and chive-wondrous bagel the other day,” you mutter. Instead of worrying about past expenses, Sunglasses Avant Garde uncovered a few things you can do to stay within your economic means this holiday season.

Shopping

You can shop till you drop with these penny pinching suggestions:

· Use coupons

· Take advantage of Buy One, Get One (BOGO) deals

· Drop into the nearest dollar store

· Stop at a garage sale

· Check out a thrift store

· Browse Craig’s List

· Seek out weekly sales flyers

· Swap an item with a buddy

· Download the ShopSavvy app on a smart phone and scan barcodes for lower prices while out shopping

· Buy generic or store-brand products

Dining

Dine on a dime with these tips:

· Go out for lunch instead of dinner

· Eat at home more often

· Bring a bagged lunch to work or school

· Make your coffee at home

· Don’t let leftovers go to waste

· Check for restaurant specials or coupons online

· Grow your own food

Driving

Dive into savings this way:

· Carpool

· Plan routes ahead, so there’s no backtracking

· Keep up on your engine maintenance, oil changes, etc.

· Find the cheapest gas prices in your area at gasbuddy.com

· Maintain proper tire air pressure

· Fix small car problems yourself

In General

Generally speaking try to:

· Shut off lights, TVs and electronics that aren’t in use

· Use energy efficient products

· Fix or patch up leaky faucets or sinks

· Reuse items

· Turn down the heat or air-conditioning when gone

· Plug up or seal drafty windows or doors

· Make your own home repairs, if possible

· Change out old light bulbs to money-saving OttLite bulbs

Hope these tips help and if you have any other thrifty tips, let us know!

Happy savings!

~ Charlene Marie