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clean fridge

A Fresh and Clean Refrigerator

We have reached the last task of our January kitchen refresh! Cleaning out the fridge likely doesn’t fall high on anyone’s priority list; however, it always feels good to get it done.

kitchen spices

A Spicy New Year

We are refreshing our kitchens here at Spend Smart. Eat Smart. in the new year. Last week Jody shared how she is working on getting back in the groove of meal prepping by making some meals ahead to pack for her lunch. She highlighted our Vegetarian Chili recipe and also shared some great tips on managing our canned food at home to make sure we use the oldest items first. The same principle applies to our spices and the start of a new year is a great time to take a look at what you have.

kitchen knife on cutting board

Knife Safety in the Kitchen

Over the next couple of months as we head into the holiday season, many people will be spending extra time in the kitchen preparing food to enjoy with family and friends. You may have some fun with helpers in the kitchen who do not cook often. This is a great time to think about some basic kitchen safety to avoid injuries and trips to the doctor mid-holiday.

fresh canned vegetables

Start Simple with Food Preservation

This time of year is one of our favorites.  The work of planning and planting a garden is behind us and now it is time to think about how to preserve our summer bounty.  Whether you are freezing, canning or dehydrating there are necessary steps to take to ensure both quality and safety.

Home Questions? – Call AnswerLine

When I was a student at Iowa State University, I worked in a job where I shared an office with an amazing resource. That resource was AnswerLine – a hotline that answers your questions about home, food, and family. As a young adult starting a home of her own, the AnswerLine folks gave me tips on food safety, food preservation, and cleaning. A few years later, I found myself working at Iowa State University again. Throughout my career, AnswerLine has been there to help me when I have tough questions about food and nutrition. As a mom, I rely on AnswerLine for tips on getting stains out of laundry. If you cannot tell already, I love AnswerLine and I want to share this resource with you today!

Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

Spend Smart with SafeFood©

We all know there is a cost to buying food, but that cost can be magnified if the safety of products is not considered. Products past their expiration dates or damaged items may have deep discounts. For some types of foods that can mean good savings. But, for other types, over aged or damaged foods could put you at risk for a foodborne illness—and that will cost you, not just in physical pain but also lost work time and reduced productivity. So, think about what foods on sale are a good deal in the long run—to your health.

Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

How to tell when food has gone bad

One way to save money is to not throw food in the garbage. Adjusted to our 2008 economy, an average family of four tosses out $1,039 annually, regardless of income, ethnicity, education, and other socio-economic factors.

Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

Heating it up…Summer Barbecues

When barbecuing, you need to follow food safety rules and also cook meat to a temperature that will kill bacteria, if you want to avoid getting sick.  Here are some rules I keep in mind:

Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

Tailgating … as American as Apple Pie

Tailgating is as American as apple pie, but unless you want some time on the sidelines, take care when planning a party in a parking lot. Last year I cringed a few times as I observed food sitting out 3-4 hours before a football game started and then the same food was brought out again after the game for snacking!

Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

October is National Pork Month

The past couple of weeks when looking thru grocery ads, I’ve noticed some good deals on pork. This is likely related to this summer’s drought. With high feed costs, many farmers are selling their pigs so they don’t have to purchase so much feed. This means there is a lot of supply. However, in an ad this week, I noticed it said ‘Celebrate National Pork Month’. Therefore, many grocery stores are also likely putting pork on sale to highlight National Pork Month.

checking-labels1

Is it Still Good? Tossing Food that has Expired

On New Year’s Eve my husband and I invited some friends over to celebrate. My husband requested that I make chili and white chicken chili for the gathering and offered to help me in the kitchen! We made some other appetizers too, so needed some space in the refrigerator to store all the food. While trying to make space in the refrigerator, my husband started looking at the dates on various bottles and containers, such as a partially eaten bottle of barbeque sauce, and tossed out the old ones. Soon I started looking at dates on the spices I was using. I wasn’t concerned about the spices going bad but that over time their flavor would deteriorate. I decided it was time I get rid of some of the old ones (like the ground ginger I’m sure I moved with us to our current house almost four years ago!) and purchase new ones.

washing-lettuce

5 Steps for Safe Produce

Iowa and 15 other states have had an outbreak of cyclospora the past month. In Iowa and Nebraska the cases were linked to restaurant salads.