Summer is finally here and for a lot of us that means heading out to the lake or to the park for a picnic with friends or family.

Unfortunately, if we're not careful when we plan, transport and serve that picnic, our outing might not end up happily.

Here are some tips to remember when planning an outdoor meal:

1. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Bacteria multiply quickly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees. Foods that have been kept at unsafe temperatures are a prime source of foodborne illnesses.

2. Plan ahead and try to take foods that don't spoil so quickly. At any rate, don't eat anything that's been sitting out for more than an hour, especially if the temperature is over 80.

3. Try to take only the amount of f Perfect Picnics - Frugal Food Safety Tips Recipe

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Rib-Eye Steak with Mushrooms and Bleu Cheese

by Richard Massey

This is a mouth watering steak. Every time I serve this in the restaurant the customers rave. The best part, it’s so simple you can make it at home for the family.

Serves 2 2 ea. Rib-eye steaks (each about 1 inch thick) ½ tsp. Kosher salt ½ tsp. Pepper 1 Tbsp. Olive oil 3 Tbsp. Unsalted butter 1 ea Onion - thinly sliced 1/2 lb Mushrooms - thickly sliced 2 Tbsp. Garlic - chopped 3/4 cup Beef broth 1/4 cup Brandy 1/4 tsp. Fresh rosemary - minced ½ cup Bleu cheese - crumbled

Place steaks in shallow dish. Drizzle with oil; rub oil all over steaks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add steaks to skillet; fry until cooked to desir Rib-Eye Steak with Mushrooms and Bleu Cheese Recipe

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Seasoning An Oven

by Glea Reno and Dennis Reno

Untreated cast iron rusts, especially around water.  To prevent metal from oxidizing in the presence of moisture, cast iron requires a process called ?seasoning?.  Seasoning is simply the procedure of baking oil into the oven's pores, and on  top of the iron pores. This baked on coating will darken and eventually turn black with age.  Darkening is the sign of a well kept oven, and of it's use.  This coating forms a barrier between moisture in the air and the surface of the metal.  It also provides a non-stick coating on the inside of the oven that  is easy to clean.

Here are some tips when it comes time to season your oven.

Scrub lid and oven in hot water with a mild soap to take off the coating the manufacture puts on the oven b Seasoning An Oven Recipe

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