The holidays are a wonderful time to spend time with family and friends. There is plenty of food to share at these events, but don’t let the uninvited guests of food-borne illness dampen holiday parties. Use these tips to avoid getting sick from unwanted bacteria and germs.
- Always wash your hands with warm water and soap before and after handling food. Be sure to lather your hands; back, front, between finger, and under your fingernails. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds and then rinse well under warm water. Use a clean towel or air-dry your hands.
- Keep your kitchen, dishes, and utensils clean. Never reuse any utensil that has touched raw meat without properly washing between uses.
- Serve food on clean plates; never use the same plate that has previously held raw meat with properly washing first.
- Bacteria can grow in foods left unrefrigerated for more than two hours, especially foods containing eggs, milk, cream cheese, and meats. Always leave refrigerated until ready to eat and refrigerate again after two hours. (Helpful hint: Place the amount you expect to use in a smaller platter, while leaving the remaining portion in the refrigerator until ready to use. For meats, leave in the oven at a temperature of 140° or higher.)
On a side note, here is a Deliciously Lite Pumpkin Pie recipe for you to enjoy:
Makes: 8 servings (1/8 pie equals one serving)
Per serving: calories 180, fat 2.5 g, sat fat 1 g, sodium 170 mg, carbohydrates 34 g
Ingredients:
- 1 cup ginger snap cookies
- 4 egg whites (or ½ cup)
- 16 ounces can pumpkin
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, cloves)
- 12 ounces can evaporated fat-free milk
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grind the cookies in a food processor. Lightly spray a 9″ glass pie pan with vegetable cooking spray. Pat the cookie crumbs into the pan evenly.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Pour into the crust and bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean (about 45 minutes.)
- Store in the refrigerator. Allow to cool and slice in 8 wedges.
