Picnics are the way to go! However, foods can spoil easily and faster than you think in the hot summer outdoors, where bacteria tend to flourish. Some tips on how to keep your food and yourself healthy and safe.

1. Keep all perishable food in the refrigerator or freezer at no more than 40°F prior to leaving on your trip. The last thing you should do before leaving on your trip is to pack up the foods, directly from the refrigerator and freezer, into the coolers. Keep the meat, poultry, and seafood frozen so that they stay colder longer.
2. The best way to pack your cooler is to place the raw meat, poultry and seafood at the bottom of the cooler, wrapped in bags or in sealed containers, to avoid juices from spilling on other foods.
3. Never place cooler in the trunk of a car since trunk temperatures can climb up to 150°F or higher on a hot summer day. Make sure to place coolers in an air-conditioned area of the car or van.
4. Once at your picnic area, ensure that your coolers are kept in the shade at all times. Limit the amount of times that the cooler is being opened. It would be best to have two separate coolers, one for the drinks and snacks, and the second for the real food so that the one holding the food isn’t constantly being opened and closed, allowing the hot air into the cooler. ...continue reading
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When planning a picnic, we all like to have the perfect picnic picture in mind. The fantasy picnic package includes beautiful scenery with a gentle breeze, ice-cold drinks and delicious food, with smiling care-free faces. The reality picnic, however, can meet us with muggy weather, soggy sandwiches, get-me-outta-here faces, not to mention the unwanted bugs. Although we are not in control of the weather and some other variables, there are some things we can do to make our picnic as perfect as possible.

Picnic food is meant to be simple and easy. Make sure to pack food that will not need a fork and knife to be eaten. That’s where sandwiches come in. They also make the least of a mess. Less mess = less ants and bugs. Other foods that work well for picnics are cut up fruits and vegetables, crackers, and other finger foods. Foods such as chocolates and salads do not do well in heat. Do make sure that you have an adequate amount of food to go around since people tend to be hungry at picnic time.

Although most of us do just fine with a wicker basket and checkered tablecloth, some picnic goers are looking for more. If you can’t leave home without your trusty cooler, but have a hard time carrying it around, then the cooler on wheels would make a great addition to your picnic. ...continue reading

Picnic time is here again! Throw the salad together.  Prepare the dressing before leaving for the picnic and put it all together at the park. I have yet to come across somebody who does not enjoy these Caesar Pockets. All it takes is 10 minutes and you have a picnic winner!

Ingredients:

4 pita breads, cut in half

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1/2 cup chopped cold cuts

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/4 cup red onion, sliced

  ...continue reading