Courtesy:
Rob Steen, Albertson's Store Director at Ten Mile & Cherry Lane

Picnic advice:

• Plan your menu with an eye to safe food handling.
• Cook foods in plenty of time to thoroughly chill them in shallow containers in the refrigerator.
• Have enough coolers with ice or frozen gel packs in which to store the perishable foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs and salads.
• You want to keep the food at 40 degrees f.
• Pack foods right from the refrigerator into the coolers.
• Don't put the cooler in the car trunk; carry it inside an air-conditioned car.
• At picnics, keep the cooler in the shade and keep the lid closed.
• Replenish the ice if it melts.
• Use a separate cooler for drinks so the one containing the food won't constantly be opened and closed.
• Find out if there's a source of 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 food borne illness.
• If you are packing raw meats, poultry, or seafood-- keep them on the bottom of the cooler.
• This will reduce the risk of them dripping on other foods.
• Pack coolers until they are full.
• A full cooler will stay cold longer than one that is partially full.
• If you plan on getting takeout foods such as fried chicken, eat them within an hour of pick up.
• Chances are, picnic leftovers have been sitting out for more than an hour or two.
• Discard these leftovers.
• Cold food that were kept in a cooler that still has ice may be safe.
• If the ice has melted, the food should be discarded.
• Keep melons out of the "danger zone!"
• Melons can pose a risk for food borne illness if not prepared or stored properly.
• Before cutting into a melon, wash the outer surface with water thoroughly to remove surface dirt - even if the melon looks clean!
• Once a melon has been cut, you must keep it chilled in ice or refrigerated at 45 degrees or less.
• Cut melons can be served without refrigeration for a maximum of 4 hours.
• "safety on the side!" never keep side food items out for longer than two hours that are prepared with mayonnaise or are considered high in protein.
• Bacteria can multiply in moist foods including salads and desserts.
• Keep your cold side dishes chilled and away from the sun at all times!
• Iced cold refreshments to beat the heat are a must at any get together!
• Try these quick and easy drinks to please the kids and the adults.
• These can be easily put into plastic containers and stored in the cooler. Also - freezing them first will add the slush effect!

Sparkling cranberry cooler:

2 cups of each:
o Fruit-sweetened cranberry juice (not cranberry cocktail), unsweetened pineapple and grapefruit juices.
o Right before serving, add 2 cups sparkling apple juice.

Honeydew ice:

Puree 1 cup frozen honeydew and 1 cup frozen diced cucumber with the juice of 1 lime and sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

Broccoli - bacon salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups finely chopped broccoli crowns (see tip)
• 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
• 3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and sugar in a large bowl.

Add broccoli, water chestnuts, bacon, cranberries and pepper; stir to coat with the dressing.

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