PICNIC TIME

By Diane Forrest

I used to dream of having a wonderfully romantic picnic beside a stream, sitting on a red checkered blanket under an old oak tree, with my guy laying his head on my lap as I read romantic poetry to him until he drifted off to sleep.  Sadly, I never had that romantic lunch by the stream, but there are many other types of picnics you can experience.

A picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors, ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape. Picnics are often family-oriented but can also be an intimate occasion between two people, or a large get-together, company picnics and church picnics. On romantic and family picnics a picnic basket and a blanket are usually brought along. Outdoor games or some other form of entertainment are common at large picnics. Formerly, picnic meant a potluck, an entertainment at which each person contributed some dish to a common table for all to share.

Picnics are extremely popular all throughout the spring summer and fall but during the month of July you see picnics everywhere and I do mean everywhere! One of the reasons why picnics are so popular in July is because a large number of families take their vacations in July and spend much of their time outdoors enjoying the warm weather and having picnics out of a basket or having outside picnics while grilling BBQ on the grill.

A friend of my was from a large Italian family, and every Sunday after church his family would meet by the lake and share lunch, play games and send homemade boats into the water to race against other family members.  He remembers fondly these Sunday picnics and wishes to share these experiences with his grandchildren some day.

July is National Picnic Month, you still have plenty of time to pack a sandwich in a bag and sit on a park bench, or plan a romantic outing with a picnic basket filled with wine, fruit and cheese, or even a family day out with some fishing poles, a grill and some hot dogs.  It doesn’t matter what you have, or  where you go, the important thing is the memories you make that will last a lifetime.

[Photos from Google] 

Barbeque Safety

By Nurse Diane

Well most of you may have already been cooking out this summer, and many of you probably did some barbequing on Thursday as we celebrated Independence Day...Some of you may be waiting til today to get the grill started, and these tips and reminders are for you.

Grilling during the summer months is an all American past time, and I love this story about grilling:

Barbecue Routine

1) The woman buys the food.

2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.

3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.

Here comes the important part: 4) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.

5) The woman goes inside to organise the plates and cutlery.

6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation.

Important again:

7) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.

8) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces and brings them to the table.

9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

And most important of all:

10) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.

11) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed 'her night off.' And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women....

There are a few safety rules to make sure your BBQ experience is a pleasant one.

1.  First and most important is the Fire.  Never leave your fire unattended.  Make sure you have a fire extinguisher on hand. A fire can get out of hand before you can blink your eyes, and the wind can blow the fire in the direction of your home or nearby property.

2.  Location, make sure you place your BBQ in the proper place, not close to any objects that can become inflamed.  For answers to any questions you may have on placement, check the operation manual of your equipment.  Instructions can also be found on the company's website if you have misplaced yours.

3.  Fuel.  Do not put gasoline on your coals.  I speak from personal experience on this one. The gas will explode in your face, and if you are still holding the gas can, it can also catch on fire.  It is best, if you are using a charcoal grill to use either lighter fluid, or those self-start coals.  Be sure to read the operation manual if you are using a gas grill.

4.  Food.  Fire is not the only concern, the preparation of the meat is also important.  Make sure the grill is clean before placing prepared meat on it. Be sure not to leave the meat out too long before putting it on the grill.  Bacteria will grow quickly make sure you keep it covered before serving

5.  Grease.  If the meat you are cooking has alot of grease or fat on it, make sure you cook with care, turning the meat may cause fire to flare up, and you want to make sure you aren't in it's path.

6.  Make sure you put the fire out before you leave.  Covering the grill, or turning off the gas will normally get the job done.  When using a charcoal grill, make sure to check back to make sure all the coals are out.

There is nothing better to me than a grilled burger with homegrown tomatoes.  If you want to grill burgers, chicken, ribs or steak, or anything else, please use proper precautions to make your dining experience the best ever.

(Photos from Google) 

Burn Awareness Week

By Nurse Diane

June 1st:

Just moved to Texas!

Now this is a state that knows how to live!!

Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy evenings.

What a place!

It is beautiful.

I've finally found my home.

I love it here.

June 14th:

Really heating up.

Got to 100 degrees today. Not a problem.

Live in an air-conditioned home, drive an air- conditioned car.

What a pleasure to see the sun everyday like this.

I'm turning into a sun worshipper.

June 30th:

Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today.

Lots of cactus and rocks.

What a breeze to maintain.

No more mowing the lawn for me.

Another scorcher today, but I love it here.

July 10th:

The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week.

How do people get used to this kind of heat?

At least it's kind of windy though. But getting used to the heat is taking longer than I expected.

July 15th:

Fell asleep by the community pool.

Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body.

Missed 3 days of work.

What a dumb thing to do.

I learned my lesson though.

Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.

July 20th:

I missed my cat, Lomita, sneaking into the car when I left this morning.

By the time I got to the hot car at noon, Lomita had died and swollen up to the size of a shopping bag, then popped like a water balloon.

The car now smells like Kibbles and Shits.

I learned my lesson though.

No more pets in this heat.

Good ol' Mr. Sun strikes again..

July 25th:

The wind sucks.

It feels like a giant freaking blow dryer!!

And it's hot as hell.

The home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the AC repairman charged $200 just to drive by and tell me he needed to order parts.

July 30th:

Been sleeping outside on the patio for 3 nights now.

$225,000 house and I can't even go inside.

Lomita is the lucky one.

Why did I ever come here?

August 1st:

It's 105 degrees.

Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today.

It cost $500 and gets the temperature down to 85.

I hate this stupid state.

August 3rd:

If another wise guy cracks, 'Hot enough for you today?'

I'm going to strangle him...Damn heat.

By the time I get to work, the radiator is boiling over, my clothes are soaking wet, and I smell like baked cat!!

August 5th:

Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts,

When I sat on the seats in the car, I thought my butt was on fire.

My skin melted to the seat.

I lost 2 layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs and butt.

Now my car smells like burnt hair, fried butt and baked cat.

Aug 6th:

The weather report might as well be a damn recording.

Hot and sunny...Hot and sunny...Hot and sunny...

And the weatherman says it might really warm up next week.

Doesn't it ever rain in this damn state?

Water rationing has been on the last six weeks.

My $1,700 worth of cactus might just dry up and blow over.

Even the cactus can't live in this damn heat.

August 8th:

Welcome to HELL!

Temperature got to 110 today. Cactus are dead.

Forgot to crack the window and blew the damn windshield out of the car.

The installer came to fix it and guess what he asked me???

"Hot enough for you today?"

August 10th

My sister had to spend $1,500 to bail me out of jail.

Freaking Texas...

What kind of a sick demented idiot would want to live here??

Will write later to let you know how the trial goes...

~ Author Unknown

Summer is a great time to be outside, There are many fun activities that you can't do during the summer months.  The family picnic and BBQ, campfires, celebration fireworks and just laying out under the sun.   These activities can also cause some serious burns, not to mention the regular routine home activities.

While most adults are aware of the temperatures associated with cooking and heaters, young children are not.  They are curious, and want to explore new and different things in their surroundings. It is important to remember that children, especially those ages 4 and under, may not perceive danger, have less control of their environment, may lack the ability to escape a life-threatening burn situation and may not be able to tolerate the physical stress of a burn injury.

According to safekids.org, Please keep a careful watch on small children especially around the BBQ or campfire, make sure they are a safe distance away, and there is no gas nearby.

Every day, 352 children ages 19 and under are injured as a result of a fire or burn-related cause.

Among children under 5 years of age, scalds or contact burns are responsible for 90 percent of burn injuries.

Children have thinner skin than adults, which can result in a more severe, burn.

The most common places children experience scalds are in the kitchen or dining rooms and in the bathrooms.

The maximum recommended residential water temperature is 120˚F (48˚C).

Their site lists some safety tips for you to follow in the kitchen and bathroom.  They include:

KITCHEN AND HOT FOOD

Keep children at least 3 feet from hot appliances, pots, pans or food.

Use spill-resistant mugs when drinking hot liquids around children.

Avoid using tablecloths or anything a child can pull on and cause hot food to spill.

When cooking, use back burners and keep pot handles turned towards the back of the stove.

Always tuck cords from appliances where children cannot reach them.

Never hold a child when cooking something hot.

Test and stir all food before serving children to make sure it is cool enough to eat.

Supervise children closely when they are in or near the kitchen.

BATHROOM

Always test the bath water with your hand before bathing children.

When children are in or near the bath, watch them closely checking the water temperature frequently.

If you are unable to control the temperature that comes out of your faucet, install special tub spouts or shower heads that can shut off the flow of water when it gets too hot.

Sunscreen is also a must have for the summer months!   Make sure you limit your time outside to only a few hours, use plenty of sunscreen, check the SPF level, the higher the better and wear hats or long sleeves if possible.  Stay in the shade as much as you can, and drink plenty of liquids!

This week, and every week, keep these tips in mind to prevent any accidental burns or scalding, and keep yourself and family safe.

National BBQ and Hamburger Month

By Terry Orr

Wahoo!! We celebrate both barbecue and hamburgers this month!

What are your favorite ways to prepare Hamburgers?

What are your special BBQ meals?

(All images from Google)