Tag: Summer

Food Safety While Eating Outdoors

Picnic and barbecue season offers a lot of opportunities for outdoor fun with family and friends. But these warm weather events also present opportunities for foodborne bacteria to thrive. As food heats up in summer temperatures, bacteria multiply rapidly.

To protect yourself, your family, and friends from foodborne illness during warm-weather months, safe food handling when eating outdoors is critical.

  • Keep Cold Food Cold. Place cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Cold food should be stored at 40oF or below to prevent bacterial growth. Meat, poultry, and seafood may be packed while still frozen so that they stay colder longer.
  • Organize Cooler Contents. Consider packing beverages in one cooler and perishable foods in another. That way, as picnickers open and reopen the beverage cooler to replenish their drinks, the perishable foods won’t be exposed to warm outdoor air temperatures.
  • Keep Hot Foods Hot. Hots foods should be kept at an internal temperature of 140oF or warmer. This is the temperature that is required to keep bacteria at bay. Use a food thermometer to check. Use or keep food hot in chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays.
  • Remember the 2 Hour Rule. Discard any perishable food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, unless you are keeping it hot or cold. If the food is being served in a place where the temperature is above 90oF, the safe-holding time is reduced to 1 hour.
  • Don’t Cross Contaminate. Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood securely wrapped. This keeps their juices from contaminating prepared/cooked foods or foods that will be eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables.

By: Jamie Rathbun

Let’s Fire Up The Grill!

July is grilling month! Many people are capitalizing on the warm weather to fire up their grills to spend family time outdoors. Before you grill, take a look at the steps below to ensure your family’s grilling will lead to a happy and nutritious experience!

  • Always wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before handling food.
  • Keep separate utensils, cutting boards, knives, etc. for raw meats and ready to eat foods such as vegetables and fruits that you will not cook.
  • Never serve grilled food on the same unwashed platter that held raw meat. If you want to use the same platter, wash the platter thoroughly with soap and water before reusing.
  • Never thaw meat at room temperature. Visit “The Big Thaw” for safe defrosting methods.
  • Always use a food thermometer to ensure food has reached a safe internal temperature. Cook poultry (whole or ground) to 165 F. Cook beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops and roasts to 145 F. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. Cook ground beef, pork, lamb and veal to 160 F. Cook fish to 145 F.
  • Don’t forget that vegetables are delicious grilled! Large vegetables such as corn on the cob can be placed directly on the grill. Wrap chopped vegetables such as squash and onions, asparagus, and potatoes in aluminum foil before grilling.

Make the Most of Your Summer

With summer vacation in full swing, kids are faced with the question: “What am I going to do today?” Here are some things you can suggest to kids over the upcoming summer months to avoid the dreaded “I’m bored.”

 

 

  • Enjoy the Outdoors – With spending most of the school year indoors studying, watching television and playing video games, it’s time to get outside. There are many things to do that require little or no money or planning like riding bikes, hiking in the local park, skateboarding or just sitting under a tree reading a book.
  • Have a Water Fight – You do not need a pool to keep cool in the summer months. Round up some friends, equip themselves with water guns, water balloons and hoses, and find an open area.
  • Earn Money Doing Seasonal Work – Mowing lawns and washing cars in the neighborhood is a great way to earn money while helping out the neighbors.
  • Have a Yard Sale – Need extra fun money? They can make it selling toys, clothes and other possessions they no longer need and you can reclaim some storage space.
  • Host a Cookout – Have them plan a cookout. Tell them to invite friends or neighbors over so you can barbecue for them.
  • Observe Nature – Set up a tent in the backyard so they can enjoy some time in the outdoors. Check out the stars and moon in the sky.

By: Brenda Langdon

Summer Day Camps

Post Rock District Summer Day Camps explore all the wonders from the kitchen to space! More details are available at postrock.k-state.edu/youth/day-camps.

>> Kids in the Kitchen. Osborne. June 7 & 8.

>> Momentum! Leadership. Smith Center. June 15.

>> Space Discovery. Lincoln. June 22.

>> Explore Engineering. Mankato. June 29.

>> Kids in the Kitchen. Beloit. August 2 & 3.

Day Camps meet 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Register your kids for one or more or all at bit.ly/PostRockCamps.

Summer Safety

  • Be a water watcher – Designate an adult to actively watch children when they are in a pool or lake. Take turns sharing the responsibility.
  • Wear a life jacket – Young or inexperienced swimmers should wear a life jacket when in the water. Everyone in a boat should wear a life jacket too.
  • Never let children play with fireworks – Sparklers and other fireworks can be hot enough to melt metal. Fireworks are a cause of life-threatening injuries and burns in children each year.
  • Use window guards – Window screens will not stop someone from falling from a window. Use window guards to ensure that windows open no more than 4 inches.
  • Never leave a child alone in a vehicle – In just 10 minutes, the inside of a vehicle can become so hot that it can be deadly.
  • Slow down when driving – Watch for children on residential streets, and around school buses, ice cream trucks, or other places children play.

By: Brenda Langdon

Adventure Lab!

Hands-on adventure awaits! All school-age youth are welcome to join Kansas 4-H interns for educational and fun brain boosters coming to a town near you. The Post Rock Adventure Lab makes science engaging and meaningful in the lives of young people. Advanced registration not needed for Adventure Lab. More details are available at postrock.k-state.edu/youth/adventure-lab.

COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU!

  • June 7: Portis Community Center 2:00 PM
  • June 8: Burr Oak Library 1:00 PM
  • June 9: Lincoln Library 11:30 AM
  • June 13: Downs Library 1:00 PM
  • June 14: Lebanon Library 2:30 PM
  • June 16: Barnard Community Center 2:00 PM
  • June 20: Formoso Library 2:00 PM
  • June 21: Hunter Public Library 2:00 PM
  • June 23: Kensington Library 10:00 AM
  • June 23: Jewell Library 2:00 PM
  • June 28: Natoma Library 10:00 AM
  • June 30: Cawker City Park 2:00 PM
  • July 11: Glen Elder Library 10:00 AM

Protect Yourself from UV Exposure

Summer has officially arrived, and as always it’s hot and sunny! Spending time outdoors at the lake or pool are usually on the top of everyone’s summer fun list, but before you venture out in the sun follow these safety tips to reduce you and your loved one’s risks for harmful UV exposure.

Cover up: When you are out in the sun, wear clothing and a wide-brimmed hat to protect as much skin as possible. Protect your eyes with sunglasses that block at least 99% of UV light.

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher: Reapply at least every 2 hours, as well as after swimming or sweating.

Seek shade: Limit your direct exposure to the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are strongest.

Lather up 30 minutes before outdoor activities: Apply 1 ounce (about the size of a golf ball) of sunscreen to all exposed areas.

Check the sunscreen’s expiration date: Sunscreen without an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than three years, but its shelf life is shorter if it has been exposed to high temperatures. (CDC)

Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps: Both can cause serious long-term skin damage and contribute to skin cancer.

Remember to protect yourself on overcast days: Up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV radiation can penetrate clouds and harm your skin. (www.SkinCancer.org)

Cover easily missed areas: This includes the back of ears and neck, and the tops of feet and hands with sunblock.

Avoid sunburn: It may seem like a temporary irritation, but sunburns cause long-lasting damage to the skin.

For more information about sun safety please visit https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/sun-safety.htm

By: Ashley Svaty