Victoria Hart Glavin

Packing A Picnic & Serving Food Outdoors

September 3, 2012

Packing A Picnic & Serving Food Outdoors

Packing A Picnic

*Pack lots of extra drinks in a cooler.  When it’s hot outside picnickers get thirsty.

*Pack sweet treats.  Bring fresh fruit such as berries and melon or cookies instead of ice cream.

*Keep prepared foods in the refrigerator until it is time to pack them up. 

*Bring a soccer ball, football, baseball & mitts or a Frisbee.  If you live close to the park either walk, rollerblade or ride your bikes. 

*Pack sunscreen!  Even when it is overcast or if you’re lying in the shade make sure to wear sunscreen.

Serving Food Outdoors

*When taking foods on a picnic make sure to keep perishables in the cooler with either ice or freezer packs until serving time.  Make sure that the food is cold BEFORE it goes into the cooler. 

*Pack just the right amount that you and your picnickers are going to eat.  You don’t want to bring leftovers back home.

*If you are driving to your picnic don’t put your cooler and picnic basket in the hot trunk.  Instead transport your picnic in the air-conditioned car.

*At you picnic site, keep the cooler and picnic basket in the shade.  Open the cooler as little as possible. 

*Never leave foods at room temperature for more than 2 hours.  If the temperature outside is over 90°F, perishable foods should be left out no longer than 1 hour.

*If you buy a lot of take-out foods, such as fried chicken or barbecued beef, make sure to eat the food within 2 hours of pickup.  Otherwise, buy the food in advance, refrigerate and reheat just before serving. 

*Keep desserts made with whipped cream, cream cheese or dairy products refrigerated until you are ready to serve.  Store any leftovers in a refrigerator or cooler. 

*When preparing food outdoors, away from home, make sure to bring a jug of water, soap and paper towels for hand washing.

My Birthday Picnic Basket

September 3, 2012

Birthday Picnic Basket

My Birthday Present! I have wanted a decked out picnic basket for years! One of my favorite things to do is travel around the U.S. and Europe packing little picnics. Now I can do it in style!

Today is Labor Day and I am going on a picnic with my new picnic basket.

The menu is:

Fried Chicken

https://www.tinynewyorkkitchen.com/olympic-fried-chicken/

 

Green Olives

Boston Baked Beans

https://www.tinynewyorkkitchen.com/boston-baked-beans/

 

Picnic Perfect Pasta Salad

https://www.tinynewyorkkitchen.com/picnic-perfect-pasta-salad/

 

Fresh Blueberry & Mango Cake

https://www.tinynewyorkkitchen.com/fresh-blueberry-mango-cake/

 

Newport, Rhode Island’s Aquidneck Farmers’ Market

August 29, 2012

Newport, Rhode Island’s Aquidneck Farmers’ Market

Last Wednesday I spent the afternoon at the Aquidneck Growers' Wednesday Farmers Market, in Newport, Rhode Island and had such a great time.  I was impressed at how nicely laid out the market was as well as having such a nice variety of vendors.  I had a wonderful slice of wood oven pizza.  Bravo Wood Fired Pizza actually brings an actual wood oven to the market and bakes pizzas all afternoon long.  Here is the link for Bravo Wood Fired Pizza http://www.bravowoodfiredpizza.com/Pages/default.aspx

What I was most impressed with, however, was Olga’s Cup & Saucer.  Olga had an amazing selection of baked goods that is better than most famous bakeries that I have visited.  Olga’s booth was constantly jammed with people buying bagfuls of delicious treats.  I had a chocolate cookie and a macaroon. Both were superb!  Olga’s Cup & Saucer is out of Providence and has her deliciousness in my favorite Providence restaurant, La Laiterie/Farmstead Cheese.  Here is where you can find Olga’s Cup & Saucer online http://olgascupandsaucer.blogspot.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Olgas-Cup-and-Saucer/200452426644338

If you find yourself in Newport on a Wednesday I highly suggest that you make a stop into the farmers’ market.  Parking is tight, but not impossible. http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets_details.php?market=2  Aquidneck Growers' Wednesday Farmers Market

Wednesday: 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM

June 6 to October 31, 2012

Along the shaded walk

Memorial Blvd And Chapel St

Newport, RI

Empire Root Beer

August 23, 2012

I love Root Beer and am always trying brands that I've never tried before.  Yesterday, when I was at the Newport, Rhode Island Farmers' Market, I ran into Empire Root Beer.  I had this root beer with a delicious piece of wood oven pizza.  I think this root beer, which is made in Bristol, RI, is even better than Hank's. 

Looks like one can get it at The Root Beer Store

http://www.therootbeerstore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=R-EM

A Word About Vacuum Sealers

August 18, 2012

A Word About Vacuum Sealers

Freezing is an easy way to enjoy fruits and vegetables from gardens or farmers’ markets well into the winter.  There are a variety of freezer bags to use for storing and freezing.  I think that using a vacuum sealer is the best freezer method out there.  Vacuum sealers protect foods by removing the extra air and creating a tight teal.  If you want to preserve your fruits, vegetables, and meats through long-term freezing, a vacuum sealer is an investment to consider.  Conventional storage bags and containers trap air in the container with the food, which can cause damage from frost and freezer burn.  Because the sealer sucks all the air out of the bag before creating a tight seal, the food in the bags is better protected against the elements.  A vacuum sealer costs between $75 and $200 and requires the purchase of special bags designed for this use.  Besides preserving garden produce, this is a great tool to help you maximize the shelf life of other food items you buy in bulk at club stores or on sale. 

Happy 100th Birthday, Julia Child!

August 15, 2012

Julia Child changed the way American's thought about cooking. 

Serving & Storing Cake

August 13, 2012

Serving & Storing Cake

To enjoy cakes at their best, follow these tips:

 

*Allow cakes with butter type frosting to stand for about an hour before slicing. 

This allows the frosting to set. 

 

*For cakes that are filled or frosted with whipped cream make sure to assemble

Them no more than 2 hours before serving.  This will prevent them from

Getting soggy.

 

*To cut your cakes use a thin bladed knife cut pieces.  Run the knife under hot

Water and make sure to wipe the knife dry before cutting the first piece

And in between subsequent cuts.

 

*For storing cakes most cakes can be covered and stored at room temperature

For 2 to 3 days.  It is good to have a cake cover, but if you don’t have

A cake cover then just invert a large bowl over your cake.  If you directly

Cover the cake with plastic wrap then it will for sure make a mess of the

Frosting.

 

*For those cakes that have a filling or a frosting that contains eggs, whipped

Cream or cream cheese it is best to store your cake covered in the fridge.

 

*If you want to freeze your cake then you should put your cooled and unfrosted

Cake layers on a baking sheet.  Freeze them until they are nice and firm.

After the layers are frozen then transfer them to large freezer bags or wrap

Them and seal them in freezer wrap.  They will keep in the freezer for up to

4 months.  Thaw them before frosting.

 

*If you are serving your cake directly from the pan then cover them and freeze

Them in the pan.  Make sure to thaw them before frosting them.

 

Tomatoes From My Indoor Tomato Plant

August 12, 2012

I just picked these delicious tomatoes from my indoor tomato plant today. 

One Of The Worst Things That Can Happen To A Restaurant

August 9, 2012

Besides getting hit with a lawsuit or having the Department of Labor come after you for not paying employees properly (Fair Labor Standards Act)  NOT paying the IRS is one of the worst things that can happen to a restaurant.  Ray's Pizza, on 62nd & Lexington, has been shut down and seized for not paying their taxes. 

Insulated Ice Cream Keeper Tubbies

August 5, 2012

Insulated Ice Cream Keeper Tubbies

I recently discovered this awesome product.  If you are storing home-made ice cream or transporting your favorite store bought brand, this insulated ice cream keeper is a must.  I cannot tell you how many times I have brought ice cream home from the store only to find ice cream soup. The Zak ice cream Tubbie fits a pint of ice cream from the store so that you can keep it cold on your way home. It is also great for packing cold salads to either take for lunch to your office or a party as well as holding homemade ice cream.   This ice cream keeper (made by Zak) is fully insulated with a freezable gel lid to keep contents cold for up to 90 minutes.  The 1 pint container measures 5x5x5 ½ inches.  These ice cream keepers come in a variety of fun colors and are freezer and dishwasher safe, but NOT microwavable.  The seal on the top seems to get quite tight and can be difficult to get off (which can be annoying) right after the container leaves the freezer, but within a few minutes it thaws enough to remove easily or you can run it under warm water for a moment.  The cost is from $16 to $25 per Tubbie and can be purchased at either Amazon or the Zak Designs website. 

http://www.planet-zak.com/Ice-Cream-Food-Storage-Containers-On-Go/b/5446588011

http://www.amazon.com/Zak-Designs-Insulated-Ice-Cream-Freezable/dp/B001SS1H96

 

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