Food Safety Tips

The same techniques that you normally follow are all that is needed to ensure proper food handling. Basic reminders include:

• Hand washing. It is always important to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and warm water before and after handling raw meat, poultry or eggs.
• Fruits and vegetables should be rinsed before eating.
• Cook burgers to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure bacteria is no longer present.
• Hot foods should be kept hot and cold foods cold.
• Make sure raw and uncooked meat does not come in contact with other foods. Use separate plates for raw and cooked meats.
• Foods that contain eggs, meat, milk and other dairy products should not be un-refrigerated for longer than an hour.
• Make sure you know and are able to recognize the signs of food poisoning. They include severe cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. These symptoms can appear within half an hour of eating contaminated food. People who suspect they have food poisoning  should seek medical treatment if the symptoms become severe or last longer than two days.

Alcohol Safety Tips

Beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages are often found at Memorial Day celebrations. Just like any other time of the year, certain precautions must be taken if you or someone you know is going to be drinking alcohol.

• It is illegal for people under the age of 21 to consume alcoholic beverages. There are no exceptions made for family picnics, parties or celebrations regardless of the adult supervision in place. In fact if you provide alcohol or even allow a person under age to consume alcohol at a party both the adult and minor can face legal consequences.
• Never drink and drive. Again, this is common sense advice that is necessary all year long to ensure the safety of everyone involved. If you are hosting a party, make sure anyone who is drinking has a designated driver or be willing to let them stay until they are able to drive.
• Moderation is key. There are many celebrations which have a bad ending due to excessive consumption of alcohol. There is nothing wrong with having a few drinks and having fun with friends. People drinking alcohol may find it difficult to know when the line has been crossed, so it is important to have someone responsible for “keeping an eye” out for potential problems.

Always make sure there is an adult or parent responsible for watching their children. Accidents are always a possibility and it only takes one second for a party to turn into a tragedy if children are left unattended.

Have a great time and enjoy getting together with friends and family this weekend, and remember to pay your respects to those who have given so much so that we can enjoy the liberties we have today.

Memorial Day Safety Tips was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The trick is to find sources of entertainment that you enjoy but that do not break the bank. Going to see a movie these days is expensive- with tickets around the $9 mark per person, and outrageous prices on snacks, you could easily drop $50 on a date to a two hour movie! If you love watching movies, why not consider Netflix or Blockbuster’s movie-in-the-mail plans? For about $20 a month, you can watch several movies, and you won’t pay late fees if you aren’t able to watch the movies right away. (Keep in mind though, the longer you have the movies, the less movies you’ll be able to watch in the month because of mail-times). Very soon, you’ll be able to rent movies online and watch them on your computer, as well, according to Apple Computers.

If you’re trying to take control of your unnecessary spending and your friends are going out for a night on the town- you shouldn’t stay home to avoid spending money! This is the fastest way to give up on a budget. Just take a few dollars with you so you aren’t tempted to spend more, and instead of ordering a full dinner- get an inexpensive appetizer and a glass of water. You still get to enjoy socializing time with your friends and at the same time you’re keeping your expenses to a minimum to keep your financial commitments as well.

Finally- not all good times have to cost money. You can get creative with your entertainment; why not take your date on a romantic walk around the park, and end with a picnic for two that you’ve packed from home on a blanket overlooking a scenic area? If you enjoy dancing, there is no rule that says to go to a club to dance with your friends you have to buy $5 drinks all night to enjoy a good time! Go for the dancing and the socializing, drink water to stay hydrated and skip the expensive drinks from the bar!

Fun Don’t Cost a Thing was created by and is property of American Consumer News.