Kids Zone

© Chef LaLa

Whether you are looking forward to a juicy grilled chicken breast, a burger or filet mignon, you should always play it safe by following a few simple rules for purchasing, storing and preparing meat.  When in doubt, throw it out so you don’t get sick, especially if you are serving it to children, the elderly or anyone whose immune system is weakened and are even more susceptible to bacteria found in meat. 

• Be sure to refrigerate fresh meat within 2 hours of buying it as it will spoil if left at room temperature and never thaw frozen meat at room temperature or it will spoil.  Defrost in the refrigerator overnight for boneless or 2 days for bone-in or submerge frozen meat sealed in air-tight packaging in cold water for an hour.
• Cook meat soon after you buy it. Whole pieces of beef, lamb or veal will stay fresh in a refrigerator for three to five days, but ground meat lasts two days.
• Whole pieces of meat, like beef, veal, lamb steaks or chops, should be cooked to at least 145 degrees F (medium rare) in order to kill surface bacteria. Cook to 160 degrees F (medium) or 170 degrees F (well done) and chicken to 165 degrees to cook thoroughly and be safest.
• Ground meat should be cooked to a minimum of 160 degrees and chicken to 165 F because when ground, surface bacteria can be spread throughout the meat so it is not safe to serve hamburgers or meat loaf underdone, especially when serving to children, the elderly and anyone whose immune system may be compromised.
• Use a meat thermometer to be certain the meat has reached a safe temperature. Don’t rely on the color as meat can change color before it has reached a safe temperature.  Be sure to insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.
• Keep cooked meat at 140 degrees F when serving and refrigerate leftovers within two hours.  Meat left out longer is likely to have harmful bacteria and should not be consumed.
• Throw out refrigerated leftovers after four days.

© Chef LaLa

There’s no better time than now to update your first aid kit and make sure you’re ready for a summer of fun.  As with all medications, it’s a good idea to go through them once a year and replace anything that has expired.  Store your supplies either in a first aid kit or in a clear plastic container in a cabinet where they are easily found but not accessible to children.  Medicines should be stored away from bathrooms and kitchens where they are subjected to heat and humidity.  Each first aid kit should contain the following items:

If anyone in your home is allergic to bee stings or needs special medications for allergies, asthma or other injuries, disease or disorders, be sure to necessary medications on hand for emergencies.  If you live in an area prone to earthquakes or other natural occurrences, be sure to have emergency supplies on hand to protect your whole family.

© Chef LaLa

Garages have a variety of uses from a place to store your car, to a place for hobbies, but many people use their garages for storage for the many items they no longer need, taking up valuable space they could utilize for something better.  Want less clutter, more space and even a few bucks to take a much needed summer vacation?  Call an organization like Goodwill regarding gently used unwanted items to get a much needed tax deduction or have a fun family garage sale.  It can be a very scary task at first glance but a few simple steps will make it easy and maybe even fun.

First, take stock of the contents of your garage and perhaps the closets and rooms throughout your home that are overfilled with junk and extra furniture and remove the items you no longer need.  If you haven’t used it in a long time, you probably don’t need it. If you can utilize it somewhere else in your home, now is the time to make the change, otherwise let it go.  Still can’t part with some items because you want to remember them forever?  Take a digital photo and you’ll have the memories forever without all the clutter.

Next, do away with the dirt that surrounds all the clutter so you will have a clean slate to work with and find ways to better utilize the space in your garage.  Purchase cabinets or clear plastic bins you can label to store items you need access to.  Use ceiling joists to hang storage areas for items like bicycles and camping gear to give you more room to park cars.  Be sure to use the joists and not hang anything too heavy for the hooks you use.  Use small bins to keep items for home repair and craft projects easy to get to. Put items that can harm pets and children out of reach, such as tools, cleaning items, and chemicals. 

Finally, have that garage sale and sell items for at least 50% less than you paid.  People will try to bargain but don’t ask too much to start with or they won’t even be interested.  Label items with removable stickers before the sale so there won’t be any confusion over pricing and have the kids help you make signs that draw traffic from the main streets near your home.  Plan to have your sale when the weather is good and start early as most people that shop garage sales expect to be there early to get the best bargains.  Plan to donate anything you don’t sell at the end of the day and you can still get a tax deduction for those items too.  Post an ad for your garage sale on www.craigslist.org and anywhere in your community that might draw customers and tell your neighbors and friends to stop by. Enjoy the rewards…. a clutter free garage to park your car, a place to do hobbies, or just a few extra bucks in your pocket from getting rid of items better utilized in someone elses’s garage.    

© Chef LaLa

Fresh, colorful berries at your local supermarket or farmer’s market are a sure sign that summer is here.  Some sweet, others tart, berries are a delicious and nutritious treat and can be eaten whole, served fresh, frozen or in baked goods. Berries are available all year from a variety of sources, though most are considered summer fruits.  They are best consumed within 2-3 days and should be washed just prior to serving but can be kept frozen for up to a year. 

Berries are a great fat-free source of nutrients such as vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants and should be included in your daily recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables for optimal health.  Eat fresh, dried, canned, as a jelly or jam or add as a topping to cereals, yogurt, waffles, ice cream, salads and sorbet, or add to your favorite smoothie, beverage, sauces and baked goods such as pies, tarts, and cakes.

BERRY VARIETIES

Blackberry Black/Red Grape Blueberry Boysenberry Cranberry Currant Gooseberry Green Grape

Lingonberry Loganberry Mulberry Fuyu Persimmon Hachuya Persimmon Raspberry Strawberry

© Chef LaLa

Whether served raw or cooked, vegetables are excellent sources of vital nutrients for our bodies to function properly.  Each vegetable provides something different so, as with any food, its a good idea to have variety to gain the maximum nutritional benefits as well as experience the many flavors and textures out there.  One of the best ways to cook vegetables easily and still retain the color, texture, flavor and nutrients is to steam them.  If you don’t have a steamer, you can simply use a saucepan on your stovetop or your microwave and achieve the same results. 

To steam on the stovetop, you will need a large cooking pot and a steamer basket or collander that fits inside. Fill the pot with enough water to touch the bottom of the colander or steamer basket. Once the water comes to a boil, add vegetables and loosely cover to let the steam escape.  You can even add some herbs to the cooking water for added flavor and aroma.  When steaming in the microwave, place your vegetables in a microwave-safe bowl, add a few tablespoons of water, cover with microwave safe plastic wrap, leaving one corner open to vent.

All vegetables have different cooking times depending on their size and thickness, but most take no more than a few minutes. For the more commonly steamed vegetables, refer to the following chart:

Vegetable	Stovetop Steam Time	Microwave Steam Time
Asparagus	4-6 minutes depending on thickness (will be darker color when done)	4-6 minutes depending on thickness (will be darker color when done)
Broccoli	5 minutes (will be darker color when done)	3-5 minutes (will be darker color when done)
Brussel sprouts	10 minutes	7 minutes
Carrots	Sliced ¼” thick 6-8 minutes	Sliced ¼” thick 5 minutes
Cauliflower	6 minutes	3-4 minutes
Green Beans	5 minutes	3-4 minutes
Peas	3 minutes	1-2 minutes
Zucchini	6-7 minutes	6-8 minutes

© Chef LaLa

No matter whether you are on a trip to the corner park, on a long drive to visit the family, or just parked at the market, the safety of the children in your car should be your first concern.  Infants, toddlers, and school-aged children under 4’9” should be in an approved child safety seat or booster seat.  Older children who have outgrown their booster seats should travel with a lap and shoulder belt and ride in the rear seat of the vehicle until they are at least 13.  When the vehicle is parked, be sure not to leave children in the car as they can become trapped in extreme heat resulting in serious injury and/or death very quickly, When the outside temperature is a cool 60 degrees, even with the window rolled down two inches, the temperature inside the vehicle can rise above 110 degrees in a matter of minutes.  A body temperature of 107 degrees is lethal and can happen quickly when subjected to extreme temperatures in the car.

© Chef LaLa

To ensure your gardening efforts are environmentally safe, there are a few factors to consider. 

1. Plan - stick to what will grow in the climate and soil you have to work with
2. Care – use rainwater when possible to water your plants and in areas facing drought consider planting things that don’t need a lot of water.  Use organic fertilizers instead of manure (pasteurized chicken manure has less odor or a liquid made from fish and seaweed by-products)
3. Control – most of the bugs in your garden are harmless and some are more beneficial than the pesticides you might use to control them.  Hang bird feeders or nesting gardens near your garden to have the birds consume the bugs.  If necessary, use an insecticidal soap which is hearty enough to kill pests but safe.
4. Share – excess fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers are great to share with friends, family and neighbors.  You won’t have wasted a moment of your time or your harvest and others will enjoy your efforts.
5. Recycle – leftover plant waste can be put into a composting bin in your yard to use as fertilizer or mulch for next season’s crop rather than taking up space in a landfill.

© Chef LaLa

According to the National Safety Council, each year, injuries to children who are hurt in the home result in nearly 20 million visits to physicians and hospitals, 90% of which could be prevented by proper childproofing.

The three best preventative measures are to look for and remove hazards, make sure kids have proper supervision at all times and be prepared for emergencies.  Look for hazards in every part of your home, inside and out and never leave small children unattended, Accidents take only seconds to happen, so be prepared for emergencies because they are likely to occur.  Keep emergency information handy and make sure anyone caring for your child is prepared as well. 

The Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends 12 safety devices to protect your children in your home including:

·         Safety latches and locks on cabinets and drawers, Safety Gates on stairways and Door Knob Covers and Door Locks to help prevent children from entering areas with possible dangers.

·         Anti-Scald Devices for faucets and shower heads and set your water heater tem­perature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent burns.

·         Smoke Alarms on every level of your home, inside each bedroom, and outside sleeping areas and a centrally located Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm to alert you to noxious gases and fires.

·         Window Guards and Safety Netting to help prevent falls from windows, balconies, decks, and landings and Tassels on Each Window Blind Cord and Inner Cord Stops on Mini Blinds to help prevent strangulation.

·         Corner and Edge Bumpers to help prevent injuries from falls against sharp edges of furniture and fireplaces and Anchors to avoid furniture and appliance tip-overs that can crush young children.

·         Outlet Covers and Outlet Plates to help prevent electrocution

·         Pool and Spa Barriers completely surrounding the pool/spa including a fence, self-closing, self-latching gates, and alarms on doors that are part of the pool’s gated area heading or a pool power safety cover.

For more information, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/252.pdf.  Also look online under the topic “childproofing” and you will find a multitude of helpful hints and products to help keep your family safe.