Packing for Heat

As the weather is warming up it's more important to make sure your cooler is packed properly.

I have more information, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that cold air sinks!
Put ice on the top of your food!  You can put it anywhere else you want, but you must have some the top.

Here are some handy picnic tips from Virginia Run Elementary's newsletter that concisely reviews what you've learned about food safety and CLEAN, SEPARATE, COOK, & CHILL:

ENERGY ZONE KIDS
Picnic Food Safety:  Preparing, serving, and eating safe food is important whether we are at home, or on a picnic.

We must constantly practice safe food handling to avoid illness.

• Keep cold foods cold (below 41°F) 
• Chill all meats, egg products, starchy salads, and custards to below 41° F before packing for the picnic. 
• Put cold food into a well insulated, lidded cooler with ice around it. 
• Put the cooler in the passenger area of your car rather than in the hot trunk. 
• Keep your cooler in the shade and avoid opening and shutting the lid too often. 
• Don’t spread the bacteria, which may infect the food and ultimately you. 
• Wash your hands before working with food. 
• Wash your hands again after working with raw meat or poultry. 
• Put the cooked meat onto a clean place for service. 
• Cook meat thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165° F and serve immediately. 
• Put leftovers in the refrigerator immediately when you get home if you have not been gone more than 4 hours. 
• Providing you have practiced all the above safety tips, your food should be safe to keep and eat the next day.

(This is a very quick post I'll try to beef it up later)