Can opening safety....

Yeah...you read that right...can opening safety. No...I haven't run out of ideas and topics to blog about, I just figured it's about time, if not, a tad too late to address this.  On my day off, while lazily watching Food Network shows, it occurred to me...am I the only person in the world that obsessively cleans her can opener?!!! It can't be! But...from what I see on TV, I just may be! Show #1 - hand-held can opener... Chef grabs can opener out of drawer, opens a can of garbanzo beans, throws can opener back into drawer. Show #2 - electric can opener... Host grabs can of diced tomatoes, heads to electric can opener, opens can, proceeds to let lid sink into the can, drains tomatoes, tosses into pot. Show #3 - hand-held can opener...Chef grabs can opener out of drawer, opens can of tuna fish, throws can opener back into drawer. I know, you're thinking, it's just a show, they probably don't do that at home, etc., but that's just it - it's a show, and "probably" isn't something that crosses people's minds - they're tuning into these shows to get ideas, learn techniques, etc. - if the Chefs aren't emphasizing proper tool handling skills and sanitation guidelines, they're just passing on the contamination to their viewers. For some applications, such as the diced tomatoes going into a marinara sauce that's going to be cooked, the situation isn't quite as grave, as it's going to be cooked and will reach, hopefully, proper temps to kill bacteria - however, that's not always a guarantee, and especially when canned garbanzo beans are making their way into a salad, or some other cold prep, it's just a pure breeding ground for bacteria, germs, and the perfect storm for cross-contamination. So, what do you do? It's really not that hard...

I, personally, use a hand-held opener - I have the electric as well, I just don't like to clutter up my counter space. I treat my can opener like I do any other tool in my kitchen (i.e., knives, spoons, spatulas...) I wash it after every use. Think about it - if I open a can of tuna, then throw the opener back into the drawer - the blade and the gear on your opener are covered in stinky, smelly tuna water/oil, which just sits there, and accumulates dirt and germs.  Imagine reaching for that opener 20 minutes later to open a can of, let's say black beans to use in a salad...do you really want that tuna flavor, and bacteria in your beans? If you do - fine.  If not...keep reading.

The lid - when you bring your groceries home from the store, do you wash and disinfect your canned goods with hot water and soap? Yeah..I didn't think so - neither do I, that's why you want to make sure that your lid never ever sinks back into, or touches your food inside the can.  If you want to use an electric can opener, be sure to shop for one with a magnetic strip on top of the blade mechanism to keep your lid held up securely as you're opening your can.  That's half the battle - be sure to unplug your opener from the wall, and give your blade a good scrub down - be careful not to get the motor and inside mechanism wet, though. If you're afraid of doing that, then just get a clean sponge really nice and hot and carefully wipe away at the blade for a bit, you can go one step further by dipping a Q-tip into some bleach, and carefully wiping along the blade and gear, and then wiping down with a hot sponge.

Hand-held opener - you have no excuse to not have this sucker be totally clean. I wash mine along with my dishes after every single use, then, let it air dry.  Additionally, once a week, I put the entire can opener into a pot of boiling water with a little bit of lemon juice and salt, and let it boil away for about 15 minutes - be careful, the opener will get very hot in this process, so be sure to drain the water out, and cool it down with cold water before handling - you'll be amazed at the gunk you see floating on top when you do this for the first time - I'm proud to say mine boils away without any floating gunk since I clean mine regularly.  Nonetheless, this is a great way to ensure that your opener is always clean and ready to use without any fear of cross-contamination. 

(Psst...professional Chefs...this goes for you too! Clean that table-top industrial can opener as well!)

There you have it folks! Who ever thought one could write so much about this topic? Haha - additionally, I've been told I have to state the following - completely unrelated to the topic, and all-together mean, I have to say:

I'm a Febreeze whore. There, I said it - ugh.

Happy New Year friends!

Holiday Dining/Celebrating Etiquette (aka - making sure you're invited again next year)...

With the Holidays right around the corner, most everyone will have parties to attend, dinners to host, and families and friends to entertain for the next week or so.  With all the fun and festivities going around, it's easy to slip up on an important, yet often missed aspect - etiquette...mostly, dining etiquette!  While there aren't specific guidelines or rules of etiquette to follow for various occasions, dining etiquette, specially, around the Holidays is quite important. Why? It's simple - everyone wants to have a good time, you don't want to upset someone who was thoughtful enough to invite you to celebrate with their loved ones, and, well, you want to be sure you get invited year after year! Nobody wants to be "that guy"...you know the one. Horrible Christmas sweater...wrinkled khakis...Chia Pet in tote as a hostess gift...ends up drunk, and crying on your sofa over his once again failed relationship...ya...that guy...DON'T BE HIM! (or her...even worse!)

To help guide you into the right direction, thus avoiding the "God, do NOT invite your coworker next year" syndrome...here are a few bullet points to commit to memory:

*The invitation said 7....arrive at 7. Not 6:45, not 7:45...punctuality tells your host(ess) that you respect them, their house, and you paid attention to their request.

*Now, this is a tough one, but really important - consider the gathering, and consider the guest list - notice, nobody on the list has kids, but you do? It may be tough - but, find a sitter! Everyone thinks little Suzy is adorable, and little Bobby's a slick one, but I don't want him sticking his grubby fingers into the crab dip, and finger-painting on my newly redone, designer wallpaper. Please!

*What's that smell? Mmm...dinner's ready! Yum! - Do me a favor buddy...chew with your mouth shut...CHEW.WITH.YOUR.MOUTH.SHUT! Capisch?!

*It pains me to even have to say this, but, do not belch, blow your nose, pick at your teeth, or lick your fingers at the dinner table! Heck, I'll even go as far as saying don't do any of that at any point while you're a guest! If you absolutely have to, excuse yourself, step into the restroom, have at it, and come out, prim and proper.

*Your brother's wife can't cook...her dogs won't eat her food...we know it, he knows it, she probably knows it as well, but, she's been nice enough to invite you over - evaluate the menu quickly, see what's most palatable, and take a serving - don't ever mention that something doesn't taste good - it's rude, and hurtful.

*Don't EVER smoke at the dinner table, or, inside the house, unless you know for sure that the host does so, and even then, be courteous of the other guests, and step outside or to the balcony, have your puffs, slowly killing yourself because smoking kills (I digress), and return to the party.

DO:

*Bring a small gift ...yes, you, Mr. Cheapskate! Times are tough, we know, but you were invited to a party, and you can probably dig up $2.00 in change in your sofa and old pant pockets - and as long as there's "2 buck Chuck", you have no excuse - it's the thought that counts - doesn't have to be Godiva chocolates, anything will do, and shows your host that you are thankful and took a few moments to do something special in return for them.

*Be respectful of other guests at the celebration. Your old war stories might be (likely aren't...) entertaining to the crowd for the first 2 minutes, but 45 minutes later, take a look around - The host has gone outside to work on the Christmas lights, the hostess is wrapping up leftovers, Bob is snoozing on the sofa, Carol is trying to find any possible surface in the house to dust, and everyone else is trying to find a way to leave the party early. This is your cue to dodge the shrapnel that is your war story, and let someone else speak!

*Offer to help clean up after dinner. Chances are, your offer will be kindly rejected, and you'll be asked to go join the others in the festivities, but, it shows great manners and thoughtfulness.

*Be mindful of the time. It's hard to stay on track when you're having a great time, but you don't want to overstay your welcome! Look for clues that your hosts may be getting a little tired. Chances are, others may want to leave as well, but don't want to be the ones to break up the party. When it's time to go, it's time to go.

There are plenty more things to list, but I wanted to keep this fairly short, so it's easy to remember. I hope you all have an amazing Holiday season, and a wonderful New Year. I leave you with these last few reminders for guests, and the host:

Busy, busy, busy...

Hi Friends!

Sorry I've been M.I.A. for a bit, but this is our year-end crunch time at work, and I'm super busy.  Hopefully once things die down a bit, I'll have some more fun and interesting things to post about. For the time being, if I don't get around to it in time, hope everyone has an amazing Holiday season, and a fabulous New Year...I'm sure I'll get around to it before 2012, but in case I don't, best wishes from yours truly!  For the meantime, here's a new addiction of mine that I gladly pass on to you guys...

http://pinterest.com/