Hot weather tips

• Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
• Marshmallows won't dry out when frozen.
• Thaw frozen meat and poultry in the refrigerator and not on the kitchen counter where bacteria can grow.
• Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before using them so they won't burn during cooking. To keep food from slipping off during cooking and turning, use two parallel skewers rather than a single skewer.
• Drinkable ice packs keep a lunch cool: Fill a 12-ounce plastic bottle about halfway with drinking water and freeze it overnight, tilting the bottle so the water will freeze at an angle (if you freeze it straight up, the expanded water will make the bottle bulge). Next morning pack the lunch, add more drinking water to the bottle, and stick it in the lunch box to keep the food cool. It will be ready to drink by lunchtime.
• When picnicking, keep cold foods as cold as possible and hot foods as hot as possible. Be aware that bacteria on food will rapidly multiply when left at temperature between 45 F and 140 F. Wash your hands thoroughly and often.