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Superbowl Entertaining!

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:43:06 +0000

Just a few days to Superbowl Sunday! I’m actually in Miami this week and it is quite a spectacle! Even if you are not a football fan, the atmosphere is as festive as any holiday. So on that note, maybe you are having people over for a party of your own! If so, I thought you might be interested in this article. Enjoy your weekend either way!

USDA: ‘Referee a Safe Super Bowl Party’

Donna Karlsons (301) 344-4764
Cathy Cochran (202) 720-9113WASHINGTON, February 2, 2010—When planning a Super Bowl XLIV party, hosts should have a defensive strategy against foodborne illness for their guests. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends closely refereeing the following food safety violations so every partygoer returns home a winner.Illegal use of hands
Avoid penalties for “illegal use of hands.” Unclean hands are one of the biggest culprits for spreading bacteria, and finger foods at parties are especially vulnerable. Chefs and guests should wash their hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling food. Also, be sure to clean surfaces often, and wash platters before replenishing them with fresh food.Offside
Think of your party fare as two different teams—uncooked and ready-to-eat foods. Prevent “encroachment” at all costs and keep each team in its own zone. The juices from raw meat can contain harmful bacteria that cross-contaminate other food. Use one cutting board for raw meat and poultry and another one for cutting veggies. If you use only one cutting board, wash it with hot soapy water after preparing each food item.

Equipment violations and holding
Call a “time out” and use a food thermometer to be sure meat and poultry are safely cooked. Remember that internal temperature, not meat color, indicates doneness. Steaks should be cooked to 145 °F, ground beef should be cooked to 160 °F, and all poultry should be cooked to 165 °F.

“Holding” may be one of the most likely offenses your referee encounters if your Super Bowl party lasts late into the night. Never hold foods for more than two hours at room temperature, or between 40 °F and 140 °F. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly to block offensive bacteria from multiplying. The same rules apply for cold foods. If cold food has been sitting out for more than two hours, do not eat it. When in doubt, throw it out.

False start
When it comes to foodborne illness, there is no opportunity for an instant replay. To avoid these infractions, make sure you understand the rules completely. One of the best resources available before kickoff is USDA’s virtual representative, “Ask Karen,” a feature that also allows you to ask food safety-related questions 24 hours a day.

Visit “Ask Karen” at AskKaren.gov. Food safety coaches are available on the “Ask Karen Chat” and by phone at the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotlineby calling 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854). Recorded messages are available 24 hours a day and the Hotline is staffed with food safety experts, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time.

You can call the year-round hotline Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST (English or Spanish). Listen to timely recorded food safety messages at the same number 24 hours a day. Check out the FSIS Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov. E-mail questions can be answered by MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.

www.fsis.usda.gov

Food Safety Questions? Ask Karen!
FSIS’ automated response system can provide food safety information 24/7Follow FSIS on Twitter at @usdafoodsafety

Last Modified: February 2, 2010

Charities for Haiti

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:46:28 +0000

I wanted to pass on some information to you about donating money to Haiti. I’m the first to admit that I donate more when I have the money. This year, I’m feeling the pinch like many people. I lost my job about a year ago and my savings are pretty depleted.

This disaster in Haiti is beyond belief. Feeling sorry for the Haitian people is not enough. So I did a little research and found a list of charities and donated some money. If you are interested in donating yourself, there is a list of charities below:

Abandoned Children’s Fund http://www.abandonedchildrensfund.org/
Donate directly above or call 1-888-884-0567.

American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/
You can text “Haiti” to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross, call 1-800-REDCROSS or donate directly at the link above.

CARE http://www.care.org/index.asp?
Donate online above or call 1-800-521-CARE from the U.S. or +1-404-681-2552 from outside the U.S.

Catholic Relief Services http://crs.org/
Donate online by clicking the link above, text RELIEF to 30644, or call 1-800-736-3467.

Children’s Hunger Relief Fund http://www.chrf.org/
Donate directly above or call 1-888-781-1585 from the U.S. or +1-707-528-8000 from outside the U.S.

Doctors Without Borders
http://doctorswithoutborders.org/

International Medical Corps http://www.imcworldwide.org/Page.aspx?pid=183

International Rescue Committee http://www.theirc.org/
Donate directly above or call 1-877-REFUGEE

Mercy Corps http://www.mercycorps.org/
Donate directly above or call 1-888-256-1900

Oxfam http://www.oxfam.org/. They do not seem to offer the ability to donate directly to the Haiti situation.

Partners in Health http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti
Donate online through the link above, or donate by mail by sending a check with “Haiti Earthquake Relief” in the memo line to:
Partners In Health
P.O. Box 845578
Boston, MA 02284-5578

Save the Children http://www.savethechildren.org/
Donate directly above or make checks out to “Save the Children” and send to:
Save the Children Income Processing Department
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880

UNICEF USA http://www.unicefusa.org
Donate directly above or call 1-800-4UNICEF. Canadians can donate directly to UNICEF Canada.

World Emergency Relief http://wer-us.org/index.html
Donate directly above or call 1-888-484-4543 from the U.S. or +1-760-930-8001 from outside the U.S.

Are the Holiday Calories Worth it?

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:18:55 +0000

A post holiday dinner walk is tradition for lots of families. But a marathon? Before you gorge on that 3,000 calorie holiday feast- yes, the average holiday meal is 3,000 calories(!)y, think about the aftermath first. You might be shocked to find out the calorie and fat breakdown, and then how much exercise it will take to work each tasty serving off. http://shine.yahoo.com/event/holiday/are-the-holiday-calories-worth-it-552791/

Tis the Season to Gain Weight and Increase Your Risk

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:37:19 +0000

What arrives with New Years? All the little bulges and swellings that testify that we have eaten more treats and sweets that we should have. On average, a woman gains 5 to 6 pounds during this window of holiday time. Ugh! And double-ugh!–since increasing your weight also means increasing your breast-cancer risk. How can we keep this spreading of our waistlines under some control? Here are some tips: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/breastcancer/

The 7 foods experts won’t eat

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:06:24 +0000

How healthy (or not) certain foods are—for us, for the environment—is a hotly debated topic among experts and consumers alike, and there are no easy answers. But when Prevention talked to the people at the forefront of food safety and asked them one simple question—“What foods do you avoid?”—we got some pretty interesting answers.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/the-7-foods-experts-wont-eat-547963/