top food poisoning source

Study says leafy greens top food poisoning source

NEW YORK (AP) — A big government study has fingered leafy greens like lettuce and spinach as the leading source of food poisoning, a perhaps uncomfortable conclusion for health officials who want us to eat our vegetables.

 

"Most meals are safe," said Dr. Patricia Griffin, a government researcher and one of the study's authors who said the finding shouldn't discourage people from eating produce. Experts repeated often-heard advice: Be sure to wash those foods or cook them thoroughly.

 

While more people may have gotten sick from plants, more died from contaminated poultry, the study also found. The results were released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

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Food Safety - Eggs

Do you know how to spot when good food goes bad? It's always a good idea to stay in-the-know about food safety and handling to ensure every bite is a healthy, tasty one.  

Eggs:

Knowing how to safely buy, store, handle, and cook eggs - and the foods that contain them - is important. Follow these guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure the best and safest product for you and your family.

Avoid eating raw eggs.

• Be sure not to eat raw eggs and foods containing raw eggs.
• Avoid eating homemade Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, ice cream, eggnog, and mayonnaise. Commercial forms of these products are safe to serve.
• Don't eat dough or batter that includes raw eggs.

Cook eggs thoroughly.

• Cook yolks and whites until firm, not runny.
• Use a thermometer to make sure eggs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
• Some recipes containing raw eggs (soft custards, homemade ice cream, eggnog) may require higher temperatures. Use a thermometer to be sure you have cooked these products correctly.

Use grade AA or A eggs.

• Choose grade AA or A eggs with clean, uncracked shells.
• After buying eggs stored in a refrigerated case, check eggs for cracks and cleanliness.

Refrigerate eggs in original carton.

• Store eggs at a temperature no higher than 40 degrees F.
• Moving eggs from their carton to the refrigerator increases the chances of accidentally cracking the shells. You may also transfer bacteria between your hands and the shells.

Don't wash eggs.

• Most eggs sold commercially have been washed, sanitized, and sprayed to preserve quality and wholesomeness. Washing eggs at home increases the chance for bacteria to be drawn into the eggs through pores in the shells.
• Extra handling increases the chance of accidentally cracking the shells.

Use eggs within a reasonable amount of time.

• Refrigerate raw eggs in the shell for up to 3 weeks after purchase.
• Refrigerate separated egg whites and yolks in tightly covered containers and use within four days.
• Cover the yolks with cold water before storing and pour the water off before use.
• Eat hard-cooked eggs, in the shell or peeled, within five days after cooking.

Be cautious when serving eggs.

• Keep eggs out of the refrigerator no more than two hours total, not including cooking time.
• If serving time is more than two hours, as for a buffet, serve these foods from small dishes that are frequently replenished directly from the range or refrigerator.
• To serve eggs and egg-rich foods hot, serve immediately after cooking, or hold for serving at 140 degrees F or higher for no longer than one hour.
• To serve eggs cold, put them into shallow containers and refrigerate them immediately after cooking to cool quickly.

Refrigerate leftovers immediately.

• Don't mix leftovers from the serving table with food that's still on the range or in the refrigerator.
• Use leftovers within four days.
• To quickly cool large amounts of a hot egg-rich dish or leftover food contents quickly, refrigerate leftovers in small, shallow containers within two hours after cooking.
• Leave airspace around containers to help ensure rapid, even cooling.

Be hygienic when preparing eggs.

• Wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after they come in contact with eggs and egg-rich foods.
• Avoid using wooden utensils (spoons, salad bowls, wooden cutting boards) with items that contain eggs

Money Saving Tips

here are some tips I use when shopping at the Grocery Store:

20. List it. Instead of listing everything you THINK you need, first plan your meals for the week and then buy the ingredients you’ll ACTUALLY need to make them. By doing so, experts say you just might save up to 41% on your grocery bill.

19. Eat first. This tried and true hint bears repeating, as going to the grocery story hungry is the primary reason we buy on impulse.

18. Skip the processed food. Not only are they not good for you, they cost more than unprocessed foods.
17. Grate your own. Like processed foods, pre-grated cheese, carrots and the like, cost more.

16. No toiletries, please. If you can, buy only groceries at the grocery store. Make a separate list of toiletries and paper products for the discount stores, where they’ll cost 20 to 40 percent LESS.

15. Skip the pre-cuts. Like #17, cutting meat and produce will save you money, BUT it’s also safer to eat, as ‘many of the incidents of food-borne illness linked to fresh produce are traced to processing,’ as per The Times-Picayune.

14. Beware of the aisle maze. Grocery stores put dairy products and meat in the back of the store for a reason: they want to force you to walk through all those aisle of temptation to get there. So, if you’re making a quick trip for milk, keep this in mind to avoid manipulation.

13. Beware of the end-caps. And speaking of manipulation, just because items are displayed on an ‘end-cap’ doesn’t mean they’re on sale. Note: manufacturers of those items often times PAY for those prime display locations. BTW: the same goes for end caps in book stores. Just because a book is displayed on an end cap, doesn’t mean it’s good!

12. Toast your bread. Consider by-passing the more expensive fresh-baked bread and reaching for the day old selection, which you can keep in the freezer for toasting. Also, many–if not all–bagel shops discount drastically as the end of the day nears. Keep a look out for these fabulous deals the next time you’re hankering for an afternoon schmear.

11. Beware of bulk. Buying in bulk, when the price is right, is tempting, but only buy groceries that you know you’ll use before they’ll perish. Non-perishables, of course, are the safest to buy in bulk.

10. Beware of bulk part 2, or why you should take a calculator to the supermarket. Just because an item is available in a larger size/amount, doesn’t mean it’s cheaper. To make sure you’re not getting swindled, check the unit price.

9. Back to the tap. Bottled water is big business and big news, as of late. According to an August 1, 2007 New York Times editorial, "Almost all municipal water in America is so good that nobody needs to import a single bottle from Italy or France or the Fiji Islands. Meanwhile, if you choose to get your recommended eight glasses a day from bottled water, you could spend up to $1,400 annually. The same amount of tap water would cost you about 49 cents." And let’s not get started with all those plastic bottles heading to the landfills.

8. Freeze your dairy. When on sale, consider stocking up on milk and freezing it. Keep in mind that whole or 2% freezes better than skim. Of course, you’ll want to use the top inch or two of the milk before you freeze the container so it doesn’t explode when it expands.

7. And speaking of dairy.... Although manufacturers often print on the packaging of cheese that it’s not recommended for freezing, I do it all the time, as did my mother. Especially those kinds of cheeses, like mozzarella, that I use primarily in cooking.

6. Be flexible. Just because you have a list, doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of store specials you might come across.

5. Make a coupon file. A lot of people who dislike using coupons do so because they can be inconvenient. They get lost or you forget to use them. Consider making a coupon file to make the experience more ‘enjoyable’. You can buy files made especially for coupon organization, but how about rescuing an appropriately sized food canister and making a few file dividers out of index cards for your most popular product categories?

4. Make your own mixes. Pre-made mixes are expensive. Check out cdkitchen for some low cost and interesting alternatives.

3. Note what you have and have not. Besides keeping track of what you DON’T have, keep track of what you DO have, thus avoiding unnecessary purchases. (I remember a time when we had 3 bottles of ketchup in the pantry because we kept forgetting we already had it!)

2. Eat more beans! Beans are inexpensive, tasty and provide all kinds of nutrition. So, the next time you balk at the price of ground round, consider the almighty legume!!!

And the number 1 way to save money at the grocery store....

Keep an eye on the scanner. According to Robyn Moreno of Woman's Day, 'Grocery stores are not always reset with current sale prices. Your chances of being charged the full price on a sale item are high.' Robyn suggests to speak up immediately when you see an error. Think an error or two is no big deal? Americans lose anywhere from 1 to 3 BILLION DOLLARS a year on scanning discrepancies. 

Generations have gone to Guy's for meat

Ran across this on the Houston Chronicle Website this morning and thought "WOW....over 60 yrs is a long time for a meat market to be open". just goes to show that if you do something right you will say in business. funny how some places done get this.

Generations have gone to Guy's for meat

When Adelle Sandler got off work downtown in the early 1950s, she often made a stop at Guy's Market on Scott Street before heading home.

When the owner opened Guy's Meat Market on Old Spanish Trail a few years later, Sandler started doing her shopping over there.

Nearly 60 years later, the Meyerland resident is still a regular customer.
"If I lived in Galveston, I'd still buy my meat there," Sandler said.

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Faux pas! Food fraud on the rise

Ran across this article on CNN about food fraud, to be honest I had no idea what that was until I read the article. so give it a read and you will see some of the foods you buy in a whole new light. here are some excerpts from the article:

Food fraud, as defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is the adulteration, dilution or mislabeling of goods. USP further defines food fraud in the study as "the fraudulent addition of nonauthentic substances or removal or replacement of authentic

Tea, fish, clouding agents (used in fruit juices, like lemon, to make products look freshly squeezed), maple syrup and spices (turmeric, black pepper and chili pepper) were also top imposters

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New world record set for largest Fritos Chili Pie

well looks like there is a new record for Fritos PieL

Frito-Lay

PLANO, Texas -

Sure it can feed 5,000, but a Fritos Chili Pie that was cooked up in Texas this week did more than just kick up some snack cravings. It also managed to set a Guinness World Record weighing in at 1,325 pounds.

According to a news release, the mega-sized pie effort was in celebration of Fritos corn chips' 80th anniversary, which was marked during the opening weekend of the State Fair of Texas in Plano.

 

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Beef Vegetable Soup

this weekend with all the cold weather we have been having in Houston I got the craving for soup. so I ran to the big box store and got all the items I need to make a big o pot of beef vegetable soup. with in a few hours I had a filling bowl or two of my home made beef vegetable soup.

I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did:

Beef Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

3-4 lbs beef roast
2 tablespoons oil
Salt & Pepper
2 Cans Beef Broth
1 can large whole tomatoes
2 cans cut green beans
2 cans cut carrots
2 cans diced potatoes
1 beef bouillon cube
1 tablespoon hot sauce
½ small cabbage
10 cups water

Dice beef roast in ½-1 inch cubes (cutting is easier if the roast is still partly frozen)

Place 2 tablespoons oil in pan and heat med-high, once oil is hot add diced beef roast, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper then cook 10-15 minutes or unit beef is brown on all sides

Place cooked beef in stock pot and cover with 10 cups of water and add 2 cans of beef broth, then cook for 1-2 hours until beef is fork tender

Add juice from canned whole tomatoes then cut tomatoes in half and added to stock pot

Add ½ of the small cabbage or remaining depending on how much cabbage you want in your soup
Add 2 cans of cut green beans (drained)
Add 2 cans of diced potatoes (drained)
Add 2 cans of sliced carrots (drained)
Add 1 tablespoon hot sauce (this can be increased or decreased depending on your taste)
Add 1 beef bouillon cube

Season with salt and pepper to taste

Cook for another 1-2 hours until cabbage tender

Server in big bowl with bread and enjoy

Cooking tips

Here are a few simple cooking tips that will help in the kitchen, some are a no brainer but I have found just like everyone else I do tend to forget to do them from time to time.

1. If you're cooking for someone important — whether it's your boss or a date — never try a new recipe and a new ingredient at the same time.
2. When chopping herbs, toss a little salt onto the cutting board; it will keep the herbs from flying around.
3. Do not use oil in the water when boiling pasta: It will keep the sauce from sticking to the cooked pasta.
4. Smash garlic cloves inside a resealable plastic bag with the back of a knife. That way, your cutting board and knife won't smell.
5.  When you grill, pull your steaks out of the refrigerator one hour ahead of time so they can come to room temperature.
6.  To optimize the juice you get from a lemon or lime, roll it hard under your palm for a minute before juicing.
7. Clean as you go. (I swear it really helps.)
8. Want to know if your oil is hot enough for frying? Stick a wooden skewer or spoon in the oil. If bubbles form around the wood, then you are good to go.
9. Reduce the heat of chiles by removing the seeds.
10. Use a apron to keep your clothes from getting dirty also if you have long hair remember to tie it back.

Happy New Year

I want to wish everyone a happy new year and hope that the coming year is filled with love for friends and family.