Published: September 30, 2008 08:16 pm         

Keep the holidays happy with safe food handling

Taste of Home

Gather your elves, deck the halls, make your lists, check them twice and you will be ready to ring in the holiday season with good cheer. The key to preparing for this festive time of the year is planning.

Children are busily writing lists to Santa in anticipation of receiving treasured gifts. You can make the season bright by following their lead and create guest, gift and grocery lists, too.

One of the most important lists that is often forgotten is a food safety list. Taste of Home Cooking School has suggestions for making sure your guests leave with good cheer and not buffet blues. The cooking school will be coming to the Tamarack Conference Center Nov. 10-11 to present a “Homemade for the Holidays” program.

“You want your guests to have happy memories of a good time spent together; being cautious about food safety is just one way you can help make that happen,” said culinary specialist Cheryl Cohen from the cooking school staff.

“I’m always surprised when talking about food preparation with friends, how few use a thermometer when cooking,” Cohen said. “It’s an inexpensive kitchen tool, but is so valuable for insuring proper cooking and cooling of foods.”

Buffets and potlucks abound during the holidays. They often include traditional foods such as cheeses, pasta salads, deviled eggs and dips and dressings. These foods can grow harmful bacteria when left out for more than two hours. If Aunt Betty and Cousin Jim volunteer to bring a dish to pass, remember the clock starts ticking when they leave the house. So keep an eye out and chill or reheat the dish as needed.

Party-goers can think safe food handling when choosing a special hostess gift, too. Instead of giving the traditional bottle of wine, how about giving a pretty soap dispenser with a seasonal fragrance? This thoughtful gift makes hand washing fun and keeps the germs from spreading. Cutting boards in red and green can be a welcomed gift and meat or refrigerator thermometers make great stocking stuffers.

Food that’s safe to eat and tasty is the key to success. “Homemade for the Holidays” will feature nine great-to-take-or-make recipes that will shine with holiday goodness on any buffet table. Start your holiday preparations by joining Taste of Home and The Register-Herald for a fun-filled cooking presentation.

You will receive a gift bag with the Taste of Home Holiday Recipe Card Collection 2008 magazine featuring the starring recipes along with valuable coupons and cooking tips. Local sponsors The Register-Herald, Sears, Wal-Mart of MacArthur and Tamarack Conference Center are setting up a winter wonderland of local vendor exhibits. Door prizes will be awarded to several lucky winners during the demonstration.

For more details about the event check out the Taste of Home Web site at www.tasteofhome.com. Taste of Home is the world’s largest cooking magazine. Like Santa’s sleigh, the Web site is loaded with goodies for fun, fast and safe food preparation. You can search for a special recipe, join a community and browse the Shop Taste of Home store to purchase cookbooks. Check out the new edition of the Taste of Home Cookbook, a three-ring binder book that presents selected recipes in four versions — classic, timer-saver, light and serves two. It’s a terrific gift that you know will be used for years to come.