HELOISE Keep these food safety hints in mind

Dear Friends: Along with summer come picnics and all kinds of outings. Here are some food safety hints to keep in mind -- so everyone gets well-fed and stays healthy.
UIf you plan on taking perishable foods, use a well-insulated cooler with plenty of ice. Food should be safe for a short time stored this way. And only take the amount of food you will eat.
UNonperishable foods are great choices. Here are some ideas: peanut butter, crackers, chips, cookies, canned or dried meat.
UStore-bought or homemade salads can be kept for a short while in an insulated ice cooler.
UKeep raw meats away from already-cooked items. Raw items should be well-wrapped and placed by themselves in a cooler.
UHot foods should not be stored in the same cooler as cold stuff. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
UYou might want to put drinks in their own cooler to keep the main food cooler from being opened too much.
UFoods should not be left out for more than one hour at temperatures of 85 degrees or higher. Return foods to the cooler as soon as possible, and keep ice replenished.
Enjoy! Heloise
Dear Heloise: We keep boxes of snacks in our office, but it was hard to keep enough paper plates for everyone to go a couple of times a day and get something to snack on.
One day, when we were out of plates, someone came out of the break room with the snack in a coffee filter. So, now we keep a supply of coffee filters to carry crackers and cookies back to our desks. They're cheaper, and you can keep a large amount of filters in a small space. This would work great for a family whose children are always snacking, too. D.H., via e-mail
Dear Heloise: My hint is for cooking fresh beets. After they are fork-tender, you don't have to wait for them to cool -- just run cold water over them, and the peelings come right off.
If you have some areas that need more attention, just cut them away with a knife. Then slice them and add salt, pepper and vinegar. I discovered this when I was in a hurry and could not handle the hot beets. Now I use this method every time I cook beets. Mrs. Barbara Castanier from Texas
And speaking of beets, Vi H. of Abilene, Texas, sent the following:
"You gave the recipe for your mom's Chinese beets, and you asked the question about serving them over rice. I've used this recipe for years, especially as Christmas gifts (as your mom suggested), and my instructions always include that it is delicious served over rice, just as your mom suggested so many years ago."
Vi, thanks for sending in your comment. Chinese beets have been a reader favorite for many years. For the recipe, go to my Web site, www.Heloise.com, and click on recipes. There you will find the beet recipe, as well as no-salt substitute, saltless surprise, eggnog, pumpkin bread and more. Give the recipes a try, and let me know what you think. Heloise
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax: (210) HELOISE; e-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate