Day 18

Well, the past week flew by. Thursday Kali had her 3-year check up, which we celebrated with a dinner out. That night she had a reaction to the shots and we were both up all night. Needless to say, we weren't up for work or much else on Friday. Saturday morning we packed up and headed west of the mountains to visit family in Kalispell. We were also able to check in on the status of our home remodel project. Thankfully a good friend is helping us finish things up. During our stay, we came face to face with why eating good food is so vital. Salmonella. My hubby and his folks ate some bad chicken, and all three ended up violently ill. Ryan rarely gets sick, and this bout threw him for a loop. So crazy how an improperly cooked, old, or tainted piece of food can literally chew up your insides. We ruled out the flu, because Kali and I didn't get it. We also didn't eat the bad chicken. Ryan read that the majority of food poisoning is salmonella.

Now more than ever I am feeling like diligent scratch cooking and eating is a must, as is eating up leftovers quickly. My new motto is "3 strikes (days) it's out"! Regarding leftovers, here are some good guidelines from whatscookingamerica.net:

Storing Leftovers

All cooked foods should be reheated to 165° F, refrigerated, or frozen within 2 hours after cooking. In hot weather, that time limit is only 1 hour. Remember that the "safe" period starts after the food is cooked. It includes the time that the food sits before being served and the time it sits on the table while the meal is being eaten. This period lasts until the food is actually in the refrigerator or freezer.

Remember to wash your hands with soap and water before handling any cooked food, especially food you store to eat later. Use clean utensils to handle the food, and store it in clean containers. Do not put food back into the same container it was in before it was cooked, unless you have carefully cleaned the container with soap and water. Do not place food on a counter or cutting board before refrigerating or freezing, unless you have carefully cleaned the surface beforehand.

You should place foods to be refrigerated or frozen in small, shallow containers, 3 inches tall or less, and cover them completely. Don't stack these containers right next to other containers, but leave some air space around them. By using shallow containers and by leaving air space around the containers you can promote rapid, even cooling of the food. When you refrigerate or freeze cooked food in a large, deep container, the food in the center of the container remains warm for a longer time. Dangerous bacteria may grow in this warm spot without making the food look or smell bad. If you eat this food later, you may get food poisoning.

Never taste leftovers that are of questionable age or safety.

As a general rule, never keep leftovers for more than 4 days.

Remember to remove the stuffing from cooked poultry and refrigerate or freeze it separately. You should do this because the stuffing in the center of the bird can stay warm long enough for food poisoning bacteria to grow. By removing the stuffing and placing it in its own container, you allow it to cool more rapidly.

If you date leftovers before refrigerating them, this can help you ensure they don't remain in your refrigerator too long.

Warming Leftover Foods When leftover foods are reheated, make sure you heat them completely. Leftovers that are merely "warmed" and not heated throughout are much more likely to cause food poisoning. Cover any leftover sauces, soups, gravies, and other "wet" foods, and heat them to a rolling boil before they are served. Heat all other foods to 165° F throughout. Be sure to stir foods while you reheat them, to ensure that all the food reaches the appropriate temperature.

So, until today we have lived on soup and crackers.

One good thing that grew out of this episode was finding a great American-made Cheddar Broccoli soup...Bear Creek Country Kitchens. At first, I thought $4 was a lot to spend on a bag of soup mix, but it makes a huge batch and tastes great! Add your own veggies or meat and it would make a great stew-like soup. I am eager to try other mixes of this brand.

While I didn't do much scratch cooking the past seven days, we did learn a very valuable lesson.