Guide to Food Safety and Storage

Cold Enough for You?

Use appliance thermometers to make sure your freezer and refrigerator maintain proper temperatures for safe food storage. Refrigerators should maintain a temperature of 40 degrees F or below, and freezers should maintain a temperature of 0 degrees F or below.

Cool it Quickly

Hot foods bound for the refrigerator or freezer must be cooled quickly for two reasons. First, it decreases the chance for harmful bacteria to grow, keeping your food safe to eat. Second, in the case of freezing, it allows the food to freeze faster, preventing the formation of large ice crystals that may ruin the flavor and texture of foods. Here's how to cool food quickly.

• Divide cooked foods into small portions in shallow containers. As a general rule, divide soups and stews into portions that are two to three inches deep, and stir them while cooling to speed the release of heat. Divide roasts and whole poultry into portions that are two to three inches thick. Place the small portions of hot food directly in the refrigerator. Remove stuffing from poultry and refrigerate in separate containers.
• If the final destination is the freezer, transfer cold food from the refrigerator to the freezer. Arrange containers in a single layer in the freezer until frozen; this allows the cold air to circulate around the packages, freezing the food faster. Stack them after they are completely frozen. Note: Never let perishable foods stand at room temperature to cool before they're refrigerated or frozen.

Wraps and Containers

Follow these guidelines when purchasing storage containers and food wraps for the refrigerator or freezer.

Containers: Most airtight food storage containers with tight-fitting lids -- even disposables -- provide adequate protection in the refrigerator. When shopping for freezer-safe containers, however, look for a phrase or an icon on the label or container bottom indicating that they are designed for freezer use.

Baking dishes: When freezing, use freezer-to-oven or freezer-to-microwave dishes and cover the surface with plastic freezer wrap or heavy-duty foil (if using foil, see note below).

Glass jars with tight-fitting lids: All major brands of canning jars are acceptable for use in the refrigerator and freezer. If freezing liquid and semiliquid foods, leave headspace in the jar so the food can expand as it freezes.

Self-sealing storage bags and plastic wraps: Products are available for both refrigerator and freezer storage.

Regular or heavy-duty foil: When freezing food, use only heavy-duty foil.

Note: Do not use foil to wrap foods that contain acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes. Acid reacts with the foil, giving the food an odd flavor. To refrigerate or freeze a casserole that contains tomatoes or another acidic ingredient, first cover the food with plastic wrap, then with foil; remove the plastic wrap before reheating.

Be Label Conscious

Always take a moment to properly label food before you freeze it. Using a wax crayon or waterproof marking pen, note on the package the name of the item or recipe; the quantity, date, and number of servings; the date it was frozen; and any special information about its use. Follow recommended storage times included in recipes.

Eight Monkeys

Put eight monkeys in a room. In the middle of the room is a ladder, leading to a bunch of bananas hanging from a hook on the ceiling.

Each time a monkey tries to climb the ladder, all the monkeys are sprayed with ice water, which makes them miserable.

Soon enough, whenever a monkey attempts to climb the ladder, all of the other
monkeys, not wanting to be sprayed, set upon him and beat him up.

Soon, none of the eight monkeys ever attempts to climb the ladder.

One of the original monkeys is then removed, and a new monkey is put in the room. Seeing the bananas and the ladder, he wonders why none of the other monkeys are doing the obvious. But undaunted, he
immediately begins to climb the ladder.
All the other monkeys fall upon him and beat him silly. He has no idea why.

However, he no longer attempts to climb the ladder. A second original monkey is removed and replaced. The newcomer again attempts to climb the ladder, but all the other monkeys hammer the crap out of him. This includes the previous new monkey, who, grateful that he's not on the receiving end this time, participates in
the beating because all the other monkeys are doing it. However, he has no idea why he's attacking the new monkey.
One by one, all the original monkeys are replaced.

Eight new monkeys are now in the room. None of them have ever been sprayed by ice water. None of them attempt to climb the ladder. All of them will enthusiastically beat up any new monkey who tries, without having any idea why.

This is how any company's policies get Established.

Mistake of Driver????

A Wet Whispher

A mother took her little boy to church.

While in church the little boy said, "Mommy, I have to pee."

The mother said to the little boy, "It's not appropriate to say the word 'pee' in church. So, from now on whenever you have to 'pee' just tell me that you have to 'whisper'."

The following Sunday, the little boy went to church with his Father and during the service said to his father, "Daddy, I have to whisper."

The Father looked at him and said, "Okay, just whisper in my ear."

Zip it Up

The unhappy young man

The old Master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it. "How does it taste?" the Master asked.
"Awful," spat the apprentice. The Master chuckled and then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and when the apprentice swirled his handful of salt into the lake, the old man said, "Now drink from the lake."

As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the Master asked, "How does it taste? "
"Good!" remarked the apprentice.
"Do you taste the salt?" asked the Master.
"No," said the young man.
The Master sat beside this troubled young man, took his hands, and said, "The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less.
The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same.
But the amount we taste the 'pain' depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things ....
Stop being a glass. Become a lake!"

PERFECT LOVE IS NOT RECEIVING. IT'S GIVING AND FORGIVING.

Great Switzerland

Two friends met in a Bar after work and one said to other, Great Switzerland, great. You have given me the most happy and pleasant moments of my life.

The second friend asked, That is strange, you have never been to Switzerland.

The first friend said, Yes but my wife has gone to Switzerland now.

Cool Photos

Fwd By : Lakshmana Perumal

Hands Freeeeeeeeeeee

Safety tips for children

Playing in the sun

Older children:

The best defence against the sun is covering up. Wear a hat with a three-inch brim or a shade facing forward, sunglasses (look for sunglasses that block ultraviolet rays), and cotton clothing with a tight weave. Stay in the shade whenever possible, and avoid sun exposure during peak intensity hours (from 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.). The risk of sunburn increases at higher altitudes.

Sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 should be effective for most people. Be sure to apply enough sunscreen. Reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after swimming or sweating. Creams or baby oil may make the skin look shiny and soft, but they provide no protection from the sun.

Young children:

• Babies under 6 months of age should be kept out of direct sunlight, in the shade.
• Dress babies in light clothing that covers the arms and legs.
• Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outside, and use sunscreen even on cloudy days.


Swimming pool safety:

• Never leave children alone in or near the pool
• Make sure an adult trained in life-saving techniques is close at hand
• Avoid inflatable swimming aids such as "floaties." They are not a substitute for approved
• Life vests and can give children a false sense of security.
• Children are not developmentally ready for swimming lessons till 4 years of age


Bicycle safety:

• Do not push your child to ride a 2-wheeled bicycle until he is ready, at about age 5 or 6. Consider the child's coordination and desire to learn to ride. Stay with support wheels on both sides until your child is older and more experienced.
• Take your child with you when you shop for the bike, so that he can try it out. The value of a properly sized bike far outweighs the value of surprising your child with a new bike.
• Buy a bike that is the right size, not one your child has to "grow into." Oversized bikes are especially dangerous.

Test the bicycle for proper fit.

• Sitting on the seat with hands on the handlebar, your child must be able to place the balls of both feet on the ground.
• Straddling the centre bar, your child should be able to stand with both feet flat on the ground with about a 1-inch clearance between the crotch and the bar.
• When buying a bike with hand brakes for an older child, make sure that the child can comfortably grasp the brakes and apply sufficient pressure to stop the bike. A helmet should be standard equipment.

Weather Forecasting

It was autumn. The Red Indians on the remote reservation asked their new
Chief if the winter was going to be severe or mild.

Since he was a Red Indian Chief in a modern society, he had never been
taught old secrets; when he looked at the sky, he couldn't tell how the
weather was going to be. Nevertheless, to be safe, he told his tribe
that the winter was indeed going to be bad and that the everybody should
collect wood and be prepared.

Being a practical leader, he had an idea after a few days. He went to
the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked "Is the
coming winter going to be bad?" "It looks like this winter is going to
be terrible," the meteorologist at the weather service responded.

So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more
wood in order to be prepared. A week later, he called the National
Weather Service again. "Is it going to be a cold winter?" "Yes," the man
at National Weather Service again replied, "It definitely will be very
severe."

The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect
every scrap of wood they could find. Two weeks later, he called the
National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter
is going to be very cold?" "Absolutely," the man replied. "It's going to
be one of the coldest winters ever."

"How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked.

The weatherman replied, "The Red Indians are collecting wood like crazy"

See the Guts!!!

In a ship the Generals of three nations were traveling with their soldiers. They started the topic that whose soldier had more of guts.
The American general called for one of his men and told him to jump down the ship and take a round swimming around the moving ship. The soldier did as he was commanded and the general boasted of by saying "See the guts !".
Now the German general called out for one of his men and asked him to take two similar rounds.the soldier did as he was told.when he came back from the water the German said "See the guts ".
Now the Indian General called out for his most courageous man and asked him to take five similar rounds.
The soldier promptly replied, "Am I your dad's servant?".
At this the general proudly said "See the guts".

Photoshop fun

You Bring Me Bad Luck

A woman's husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she stayed by his bedside every single day. When he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer.

As she sat by him, he said, "You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you gave me support. When my health started failing, you were still by my side... You know what?"
"What dear?" She asked gently.

"I think you bring me bad luck."

Foreign Language

A Swiss guy, looking for directions, pulls up at a bus stop where two Englishmen are waiting.
"Entschuldigung, koennen Sie Deutsch sprechen?" he says.
The two Englishmen just stare at him.
"Excusez-moi, parlez vous Francais?"
The two continue to stare.
"Parlare Italiano?" No response,
"Hablan ustedes Espanol?"
Still nothing.
The Swiss guy drives off, extremely disgusted.
The first Englishman turns to the second and says, "Maybe we should learn a
foreign language...."
"Why?" says the other,
"That bloke knew four languages, and it didn't do him any good!!."

8 rules for healthy cooking

Food in its natural state contains many nutrients.

Post-cooking, the food that we eat must not only be palatable, it should also be nutritious. But the process of preparing food for cooking, as well as the actual cooking process, results in a great loss of nutrients.

Vitamin B and Vitamin C, which are water-soluble, are the most affected as they leach into the water used for soaking and cooking and are affected by exposure to sunlight and air and by prolonged heating.

Here are some tips by which you can minimise nutrient losses from food.

i. Eat fresh

Repeated refrigerating and reheating of food results in the loss of nutrients. Hence, it is best to buy small quantities and cook for a day or two.

The other option is to cook food once a week and store it in the refrigerator. At mealtimes, remove the desired quantity of food and warm either on the gas or in a microwave.

ii. Preserve the skin

The nutrients in vegetables and fruits are mostly concentrated just below the skin; it is important to eat fruits and vegetables unpeeled so that you don't lose out on fibre and vital nutrients.

~ The papery peel of carrot, radish and beetroot can be scraped away using a plastic scrubber or knife. Other vegetables should be peeled as thinly as possible.

~ Root vegetables like potato, sweet potato, colocasia (arbi), yam, suran, etc, should be boiled with their skins on and then peeled. This helps the nutrients to move to the centre of the vegetable, thereby helping better retention of nutrients.

~ Fruits and vegetables should be soaked in water without peeling or cutting to remove any pesticide residues that are present in them. You must remember never to wash, soak or store cut vegetables as it results in the loss of Vitamin B and Vitamin C.

~ Fruits should be cut just before eating in order to prevent excessive exposure to air, which results in the destruction of Vitamin C.

~ Salads should be prepared just before serving and should be served in closed dishes to avoid excessive exposure to air.

iii. Soaking

Soak grains, particularly pulses, in just enough water overnight. Soak dals for half an hour before cooking. Soaking helps soften them, thereby saving on cooking time. It also helps to remove some of the anti-nutritional factors present in pulses (these anti-nutritional factors, which do not allow the protein to be digested properly, are destroyed by soaking, cooking or sprouting).

iv. Sprouting

Sprouted grains are more nutritious than unsprouted ones.

~ Take any pulse or a mixture of seeds, clean, wash well and soak overnight in water.

~ Next morning, drain the water and place the seeds in a strainer basket and cover with a lid.

~ Sprinkle a little water twice a day.

~ Use when sprouts are about two to three centimetres in length or longer (this takes approximately after about 36-48 hours).

~ Instead of placing the seeds in a strainer basket, they can be placed in a wet muslin or cheesecloth and hung up.

Dampen the cloth twice a day and use the sprouts as mentioned above.

One kilo of dry seeds = six kilos of sprouts.

v. Food combinations

The proteins of cereals and pulses -- except for soyabean and alsande (local bean available in Goa) -- lack certain essential amino acids and are said to be incomplete proteins.

However, the proteins of cereals and pulses have a natural supplementary effect on each other when eaten together; the lack of amino acids in one is made up by an excess in the other. This provides a protein comparable to animal protein, with respect to the essential amino acid content.

Our traditional diet consisted of foods like rice and dal, khichdi, dhokla, idli, dosa, curd rice, etc, which provides quality protein, particularly in vegetarian diets.

Other ways to increase the protein content, particularly in a vegetarian diet, is to add two and a half kilogrammes of roasted soyabean, soya granules or a combination of pulses to five kilogrammes of wheat then grind it to obtain flour.

Use milk or leftover dal instead of water to knead dough.

vi. Recycle nutrients

~ Do not throw away the excess water drained after boiling rice or vegetables or cottage cheese (while making paneer).

~ Use it to knead dough, prepare curry, dal or soup.

vii. Use the pressure-cooker

Preferably, use your pressure cooker for cooking or cook foods in covered pans. Pressure cooking food is quicker and helps you save gas; it also leads to greater conserving of nutrients than open boiling or cooking.

viii. Use less oil

~ Season onions and other ingredients with just one teaspoon of oil and keep adding a tablespoon of water at a time until they have cooked.

~ The other alternative to preparing low calorie gravies is to use palak puree, tomato puree, bottle gourd puree or onion puree instead of the mava or nuts needed to prepare dishes containing kadai or makhani gravies.

All you have to do is to grind any of the above into a puree and then fry it in a teaspoon of oil before adding the masala powders and vegetable, chicken or paneer to obtain rich and thick gravy. Add a tablespoon of milk cream for flavour.

~ For biryanis, finely slice onions and sundry. Bake in the oven till golden brown and use in place of the traditional fried onions.

Courtesy:http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/nov/28food.htm

Jokes

1. Little Lalloo was eating breakfast one morning and got to thinking about things. 'Mommy, mommy, why has daddy got so few hairs on his head?' he asked his mother.

'He thinks a lot,' replied his mother, pleased with herself for coming up with a good answer to her husband's baldness.
Or she was until little Lalloo thought for a second and asked, 'So why do you have so much hair?'


2. Santa Singh spoke frantically into the phone, 'My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart!'
'Is this her first child?' the doctor asked.

'No, you idiot!' Santa shouted. 'This is her husband!'

Relaxation Techniques

We all know that relaxation techniques are all the rage - be it meditation, yoga, massage, or whatever. But how important is relaxation? And what exactly will it do for you? The answers may surprise you...

Numerous studies have shown that using relaxation techniques regularly can:

• Decrease the likelihood of heart attack and stroke, and can significantly reduce the incidence of a 2nd heart attack
• Protects you from mental health problems
• Improves your immune system function
• Aids memory and learning
• Improves your coping skills and makes you feel better!

If there's one truth about the way we live today, it's that our stress levels are higher than they were a century ago. A lot higher. And that's not because life is 'harder', but because of the type of stressors we have to cope with.

Today, so much of what we rely on is in the hands of other people, like job security (our employer), food for our family (our employer), our security (the police) and so on. Added to a decrease in the feeling of community and extended family support and you have a great recipe for stress.

With increased stress and the accompanying decrease in relaxation time, comes raised levels of stress hormones within your body - hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Blood pressure rises. Your brain behaves differently affecting memory and healing.
Stress hormones are extremely useful in the short-term - say if you are attacked, but they are toxic in the long-term. They suppress your immune system function and interfere with sleep quality.

Beat the Effects of Stress

So how can relaxation help? And what type, how often and when? Well, as with all these things, there's no 'one size fits all' answer, but there are certain scientifically-supported guidelines we can follow.

Listen to your body's natural relaxation rhythms. Every 90-120 minutes your brain swings from left to right-hemispheric dominance for about 20 minutes. During these times you feel more day-dreamy, or have difficulty concentrating, or it you are asleep, you dream. Taking a break at these times allows your body its natural period of rest and healing, as the brain takes care of 'internal housekeeping'.

Relax deeply once a day for 15-20 minutes. Even if you can't manage every day, you will soon notice how much better you feel and how much more capable you are when following this regime. The best time to do it is when you naturally experience a dip, such as after lunch or mid-afternoon. You may like to use a relaxation tape such as Peaceful Moments.

If you find 'pure' relaxation difficult, make sure that you give your brain time to switch off by doing exercise, or taking a quiet walk, or use a tape as recommended in no.2
If you have an immune-based, digestive, heart, or skin problem, using relaxation techniques is even more important as relaxation may help your condition significantly. Ongoing stress disrupts the normal bloodflow to the gut and can lead to problems such as IBS.

Cool Toons

Fwd by : ALA

What to Do

Whenever I'm feeling sad and blue,
and just can't figure out what to do.
I close my eyes and think of you.

I feel your gentle hug and see your smiling face,
Memories that not even time can erase.

I remember all the laughs and fun we had,
and then somehow I don't feel so bad.

So even though we can't be together,
Just thinking about you makes me feel better.

Contact Lens

A mother's son came in from playing in the yard and announced that he had lost one of his new contact lenses.

"Well, go back out and see if you can find it," said the mother.

The son went back into the yard and was gone for about 20 minutes. He came back and reported that he still couldn't find the lens.

"Fine," said the mother. "I'll go find it myself."

She was only gone for a few seconds before returning with the lens cupped in her palm.

The son was astonished! "How'd you find it so fast, Mom?" he asked. "I looked all over the place and never saw it."

"We were looking for two different things," the mother replied. "You were looking for a tiny piece of clear plastic. I was looking for $150."

Cool Bedrooms

Photoshop fun

Heart Broken

It is a known fact that all daughters-in-law have problems with their mother-in-law.

Anyway... One day all the daughters-in-law all got together and decided to
apologise to their mothers-in-law for everything they had supposedly done wrong.

A week later the daughters-in-law decided to take their families (including their mothers-in-law) on a picnic.
The mothers-in-law were all in one bus, which was the first to leave, On the way their bus had an accident and all the mothers-on-law died.

The daughters-in-law were devastated but one in particular one was more
heart broken than the rest.

Everyone tried to console her by telling her that at least her
mother-in-law had died without any tension between them. But still she cried.

Eventually when she was calm enough to speak the other women asked her,
"Why are you crying so much? Was your mother-in-law that special?"

The woman no sobbing uncontrollably replied... "No, she missed the bus!"

Foot Care

For the part of the body that bears the burden of our weight the whole day, the feet are the most neglected. Here are a few useful points of basic foot care.

Why do feet get so dry?

While the feet have large active sweat glands, they have relatively few oil glands. The soles of our feet do not have any oil glands. That is why our feet tend to be so dry.

What are the common foot problems?

The common foot problems are:

• Fungal infection or athletes foot.
• Corns or calluses.
• Sweaty, smelly feet.
• Chipped nails.
• Cracked heels.

Fungal infection

This is a common problem during the monsoon season in people who need to wear shoes and socks all day. This is due to heat and humidity and commonly occurs between the toes.

Symptoms:

May appear as a whitish boggy area in the webs between the toes with or without itching.

At times there is flaking and scaling of soles.

There may be thickening and heaping of crumbly material under the toenails.

Treatment:

The feet must be kept dry and good foot hygiene must be maintained.

Socks must preferably be made of cotton and be changed daily.

Shoes should be alternated.

Using an anti-fungal powder every morning and an anti-fungal cream at night is helpful.

A dermatologist (skin specialist) must be consulted if the problems persist.

Corns and calluses

These occur due to persistent friction, rubbing and or pressure. People with arthritis, with improperly positioned toes or bony spurs are more prone as there are abnormal pressure points that act on the foot causing corns.

Symptoms: Corn is a cone shaped thickening of the outer horny layer of the skin that becomes very hard and painful. Calluses are similar to corns but do not have the regular round shape and are generally not painful.

Treatment: It is important to eliminate the cause of increased friction or pressure. The shoes must be well fitting. Use of insoles and lubrication of the skin helps. Soaking the feet in warm water and then rubbing them gently with pumice stone helps minimizing the discomfort. If the problem persists, consult the dermatologist.

Smelly feet

This is due to excessive sweating and wearing shoes for prolonged periods. This can be prevented by washing the feet well and drying them before wearing shoes. The socks must be washed and changed daily. The same pair of shoes must not be worn daily. Using anti-fungal powders helps.

Clipped nails

Sometimes the nails become brittle and start to clip. This can be prevented by massaging the fingers and feet with warm olive oil every week. Each night the nails may be rubbed with moisturizing creams to prevent them from becoming brittle.

Cracked heels

These can be prevented by wearing comfortable footwear and avoiding standing for prolonged periods. The feet must be soaked in warm water and gently scrubbed at least once a week. It helps to apply a moisturizing cream to the soles every night.

How should footwear be selected?

Before buying any footwear walk around with the footwear to detect any point of unusual pressure or tightness. The sides of the feet must not rub against the shoe wall. There should be enough space within so as not to cramp the toes.

Pray!!!!!!!!!

When Steph was about five she and I were headed to McDonald's one day. On
the way we passed a terrible car accident. Usually when we see something
like that, we would say a prayer for those who might be hurt. So
I pointed to the accident and said, "We should pray."

From the back seat I heard her heartfelt prayer:
"Please, God, don't let those cars block the entrance to McDonald's."

I'm paying them off

Santa and Banta Singh rob a bank and mess it up, managing to escape with two sacks that they find on the floor. And they take one sack each. After awhile they meet again and one asks the other, 'What did you find in your sack?'

'Ten lakh Rupees!'

'Wow... that's a lot! What did you do with the cash?'

'I bought a house. How about your sack?'

'Bah... it was full of bills.'

'And what did you do with them?'

'Eh, well... little by little, I'm paying them off...'

Pentricks

See the pen in his hand. Amazing one...Check out the Video...

Download Here

Art on Glass