Play it Safe when Picnicking

With nice weather and summertime holidays many people head outside for a picnic. We can deal with those mosquitoes and ants but what about those little organisms you can't see? You know that bacteria that thrives when food is not kept at the proper temperature.... with a little prevention and care you can take some steps to make sure they don't get you.

Bacteria grows rapidly and multiplies from 40°F to 140°F. This means that food transported without ice, or food left out in the sun soon becomes dangerous for us to eat. Some tips to make your picnic safe for your family and friends are:

1. Use 2 coolers to pack food. One for drinks and beverages - they tend to be opened frequently and thus warm up quickly and another for foods. Replenish ice if it melts. Place coolers in the car, not the trunk to transport, car trunks can get to 150°F in the summer. Place coolers in the shade when you get to your location.

2. Don't just put food on top of ice and expect that will do the job. Use jell packs and surround the food with them. Foods cooked ahead need to be cooked in plenty time to thoroughly chill in the refrigerator. Use an insulated cooler with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep the food at 40°F. Pack food from the refrigerator right into the cooler. Overwrap raw meat packages, or place in plastic bags and pack in a cooler separately from ready-to-eat foods to prevent cross-contamination.

3. If you're planning on take-out foods such as fried chicken or barbecued beef, eat them within two hours of pick-up or buy ahead of time and chill before packing the foods into the cooler.

4. Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters for separately handling the raw foods and food after cooking. Don't use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Any bacteria present in raw meat or juices can contaminate the safely cooked meat. This is a prime cause of summer food borne illness.

5. Find out if there's a source of potable (safe drinking) water at your destination. If not, bring water for preparation and cleaning; or pack clean, wet, disposable cloths or moist towelettes and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces. Cross-contamination during preparation, grilling, and serving food is a prime cause of foodborne illness.

6. Always wash your hands before and after handling food, and don’t use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Soap and water are essential to cleanliness, so if you are going somewhere that will not have potable water, bring it with you. Even disposable wipes will do. Include lots of clean utensils, not only for eating but also for serving the safely cooked food.

7. Put perishable foods back in the cooler or refrigerator as soon as you finish eating. Don't leave them out while you go for a swim or a hike, and don't leave them out all afternoon to nibble on. Follow the two-hour rule: don't leave perishable food unrefrigerated for more than two hours. 

Observing these few guidelines can make your cook-out a more enjoyable experience by significantly reducing the chances of contracting foodborne illness.

Spiced Iced Tea

5 tea bags
4 cups boiling water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice 
juice of 3 lemons
juice of 3 oranges
orange or lemon slices
fresh mint leaves

Pour the boiling water over the tea bags and cinnamon sticks. Steep for 20 minutes. Strain into gallon container. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the fruit juices and 8 c. cold water. Refrigerate until serving time. Serve over ice cubes with mint and fruit slices.

Makes 3-4 quarts

Oven-Baked Buttermilk Chicken

1 envelope Golden Onion Soup Mix
1 cup flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk*
3 lb chicken - cut into pieces
1/4 cup butter - melted

*If you don't have buttermilk just blend 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice with enough milk to equal 1/2 cup; let stand for about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine golden onion recipe soup mix with flour; set aside.

Beat eggs with buttermilk. Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk mixture, then flour mixture, coating well.

Place in large shallow baking pan, on rack, and chill 30 minutes.

Drizzle with butter, then bake 45 minutes or until well done.

Refrigerate chicken overnight so it's totally cold when you're ready to pack up your cooler.

Pineapple Picnic Salad

20 oz. pineapple - crushed
8 oz. cream cheese - softened
4 oz. instant vanilla pudding
20 oz. pineapple chunks - drained
8 oz. whipped desert topping - thawed

In a large bowl, gradually stir the undrained pineapple into the cream cheese. Stir in the pudding mix.

Fold in the pineapple chunks and whipped topping. Cover and chill until serving time.

12 Servings

Written by Mary Ellen at That's My Home

Source for some of this information is the USDA