The One Item In Your Purse Covered With Germs & Bacteria

The one item in your purse that has the most Germs and Bacteria is:

Your Car Keys!

Do not let your Baby chew on them!

Be sure to sanitize them regularly! Think about it. Where have your keys been? When was the last time they had a bath?

Happy Cooking!

Tip Of The Day: Non Stick Cookware Safety

Spending an arm and leg on non-stick cookware only for it to not last long. Here are some simple helpful tips to maintain the life of your cookware and to keep them safe.

• When cooking with non-stick cookware never heat the pan on a heat higher than medium with out having any food in it.
• Purchase a higher quality cookware line that has a guarantee not to peel.
• Do not use metal utensils of any kind to flip or stir food! Do not even use a metal spoon to stir pasta thinking you will not touch the pan because you usually do :( One tiny scratch will lead to peeling.
• Do not use harsh cleaners on your cookware or scrubbing sponges that will scratch the cookware's surface.
• If your pans have little flakes from the pan peeling, throw it out! These will end up in your food and in you or your family.

Taking care of your cookware with prolong the life and keep them safe for you and your family.

Happy Cooking!

Food Safety Tips Prevent Illness In your Kitchen No Swine Flu Here!

With the Swine Flu running around the world it does bring attention to how we handle cleanliness. I have decided along time ago to make an effort to protect my family from the flu and food borne illnesses. My guess is that it came to me the day my first child was born.

For years I have used bleach to keep the restaurant sanitized as well as my home. Needless to say I have lost count of how many articles of clothing I have ruined due to the bleach spattering out of control while trying to clean.

It is very important to make sure you keep your cutting boards clean and sanitized! I watched a show the other day and was horrified on how new and old cutting boards grew bacteria from chicken even after they were washed. The boards were rubbed with raw chicken, let set a few minutes, then washed with hot water and soap. After that samples were taken with a swab for several days after. Even on the new board there was significant bacteria growth!

The older wood cutting boards did show less bacteria growth due to the wood soaking in the moisture and bacteria away from the surface. That creeped me out knowing that the inside of the board was filled with who knows what!

To keep your cutting boards and work areas safe here are a few tips to protect you and your family from unwanted bacteria.

• Wash all cutting boards with hot water, soap and then sanitize.
• If wood boards have deep knife cuts replace or sand down the surface.
• Do use separate boards for raw meats and vegetables.
• You can put most plastic boards in the dishwasher, but they still need sanitizing.

Sanitizing:

You can sanitize kitchen utensils and cutting boards with bleach diluted with water or white vinegar and water. I keep vinegar and water in a plastic spray bottle on the counter next to the sink at all times. I prefer the vinegar over the bleach (it doesn't ruin clothing, wash rags, towels etc.).

For every one cup of water I add 2 tablespoons White Vinegar. This is also environmentally safe! Safe to use around children and pets!

You can take your cleaned boards, spray them down with sanitizer and let them sit for a while, then rinse.

Happy Cooking :)

Torch Lake Prep said...
Thanks for the tips. I too have ruined many a thing due to bleach. I like the spray bottle w/vinegar mix idea.
April 29, 2009 4:04 PM