[mountaineer]

And now for the all-important safety message:
*Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. At temperatures of 50 to 125 F, most bacteria can grow and some produce poisons that may cause illness.
* In preparing chicken, egg, or meat salad, refrigerate it as soon as possible. Try to prepare it as close to picnic time as you can. Then, keep these foods cold right up until the time you serve them.
* For foods that are to be served cold, such as meat or poultry salads, make sure you prepare them with cold ingredients. For example, the cooked chicken for chicken salad should be allowed to cool before it's added to the salad.
* Thermos bottles can keep stews or drinks at the right temperature for hours. If foods are poured boiling hot into sterilized bottles, there shouldn't be any problem. Coolers, insulated containers and styrofoam chests are perfect for keeping food cold when teamed with ice cubes, dry ice or reusable gel cold packs. Small, airtight containers and aluminum foil will keep foods fresh inside the larger containers.
* For packing the food to take outdoors, put foods in the cooler in the order opposite to using them. This means that the food you'll need last will be packed first, at the bottom. Take out the food only as you need it. Repack the container carefully and keep it in a shady spot to keep the chest cool.
* Try to have plenty of ice on hand and in the cooler to keep your food cold and safe all day.
_______________

Recipes and picnic suggestions are welcomed today. Allrighty, then, let's celebrate our nation's birthday!

PREVIOUS THREADS

[mountaineer]

Good morning and happy July 2 to all.

[The Energizer]

From today's Washington Times:

Laura and lipstick

"One of the first personal details most Americans learned about Laura Bush was that she wore Cover Girl makeup. Surely, with all that old Bush money, she could afford to buy up the entire contents of the Neiman Marcus cosmetics department. But in a show of solidarity with less fiscally robust voters, she proved that she knew a good deal, by golly, when she saw one.

"But not everyone is as secure as Mrs. Bush. 'Most celebrities don't like to see cheap makeup in a pro's kit,' admits New York makeup artist Gucci Westman. 'People think the more money they spend, the more beautiful they'll be.' Indeed, before a recent public appearance, one famously high-maintenance actress balked at the sight of the classic pink-and-green tube of mascara in her makeup artist's hand. 'She asked if I had a more expensive mascara, so I used Shu Uemura,' says the pro, who requested anonymity. 'But I still think Great Lash is the best.'

"While it's true that a high price tag may reflect rare and costly ingredients, a low price tag doesn't imply the product was made by convicts with materials found in a Dumpster. While the First Lady will pay dearly for a camera-ready haircut and a hand-beaded inaugural gown, she still knows how to balance the budget."

—Christine Shea in "Dollars and Sense" in the June issue of Allure

[NYpeanut]

Thank you for the tips! We don't need no stinking Martha!

But no one has mentioned deviled eggs yet...

[lodwick]

Good morning and thank you for the grilling thread - super.

[anniegetyourgun]

Love your opening pics, but if it were here in WA state - you would need to show the rain. Happens every year....

Oh well. It's still one of my favorite holidays!

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Great thread. Thanks for starting it. Betty and I were discussing having BBQ for today's topic. She has to call to wake me up since the power company thinks we all want to sleep in the heat.

[Timeout]

WOW!!! Cool thread opening!

We always do a variety of kabobs for the 4th. Beef, chicken and shrimp skewered and grilled with bell pepper, cherry tomato, new potatoes, onion and pineapple. Served with either corn on the cob or Rice O'Brien. All followed by ice cold watermelon. Mmmmmmm, my mouth is already watering.

I love the 4th. If for no other reason than all the cooking done outside, so not too much mess in the kitchen. My kind of holiday!

[SuziQ]

I'll have to wait until tomorrow for all my preparations. I'm wearing a Holter Monitor for the next 24 hrs., though my EKG was normal yesterday. The Doc wants a good look at what's going on. It is cumbersome, but I can take it off about 8:00 am tomorrow and take it back up to the Doc's office. Then I'll be free to do all my shopping.

We're doing burgers and chicken breasts on the grill. It is just NOT the 4th without grilling your dinner! And I will HAVE to get some watermelon!

[Fintan]

Don't ever forget...

[Fintan]

Have a burger...