Category: Food

Food

Organize Your Holiday Recipes with this Happy Planner Recipe Organizer

Erin Sluka

If there is one time of the year I pull out family recipes, it is the Holidays. I have them all over the place – some spread out in multiple books, some written on papers and notecards that are ripped and wearing. My goal this fall is to get my recipes organized into on organizer such as this Cooking 101 Classic Recipe Organizer from Happy Planner.

This is a recipe organizer that allows you to note your entire recipe on one page with separate lists for prep temps, dietary notes and cook times. There are 8 tabs to organize recipes by type – main dishes, side dishes, soup & salads, healthy meals and more. Inside, you will also find helpful cooking guides.

Like all Happy Planners organizers and planners, this Cooking 101 recipe organizer has optional corresponding notes sheets and sticker sets to further mark and customize your recipes. Mark favorites or alternative options using stickers and notes to keep the pages clean and easy to follow.

If you have older children, this is a great gift to give. You can gather all of the family or favorite recipes and organize them as a gift all filled out and ready to use. Find meal planners, Mom organizers, travel planners and more at Happy Planner. Also available on Amazon.

Food

Head into Fall with Red Vines and Sour Punch Candies

Erin Sluka
Head into Fall with Red Vines and Sour Punch Candies

In fall, candy is a hot topic. As we near Halloween, stay indoors for cooler weather that make the best movie nights and after school treats, let’s look at what Red Vines and Sour Punch is offering. For me, candy means individually wrapped pieces for my candy bowl at work. I work in the office at our local high school and most kids know to come to my window for candy in passing. Sour Punch candies are always a hit.

Have you seen the Ice Cream Truck twists? These are delicious flavors of cherry sherbet, orange cream bar, americana pop and strawberry snow cone. The tropical flavors are just as popular.

I am also excited for the organic fruit chews, Chewie-Fruities. My go-to for my personal stash are Red Vines made simple mixed berry twists. I always have a tray in the snack bin. This was your fill candy reminder to keep these candies in mind for your treat needs.

American Licorice Company: Sour Punch® brand purpose is, “Embrace Your Punch,” spreads a message of appreciating the differences in others with the goal of encouraging mutual respect and spreading kindness. 

Food

Smelly Proof Reusable Storage Bags for back to school meal prep

Erin Sluka
Smelly Proof Reusable Storage Bags for back to school meal prep

I have had a busy summer and in all of our camping and BBQ’s, I have not been eating well. I go back to work next week and have jumped back on the healthy eating train. I stay motivated to eat better when I am prepared. To meal prep for breakfast smoothies and lunch salads ensures I will eat right. I have always hated the waste of plastic disposable bags. This year I am prepping with Smelly Proof. Their storage bags are reusable and 100% odor-proof, FDA-approved, and eco-conscious.

Food stays moisture free in the dual track zipper and strong oxygen, moisture ad odor barrier. These bags are tough! It is hard to give that effect in pictures, but to feel them and use them, it is easy to tell how solid these bags are for reuse. The large size (about 8×10) even stand on their own making it great for meal prep use!

Beyond the food freshness and eco-conscious features, Smelly Proof bags are BPA, latex and phthalate-free. They are 100% made in the USA with Polyethylene + Nylon. They come in all of the sizes you are used to with disposable bags, including an XL size.

To add, Smelly Proof Reusable Black Flat Bags are available for more than just food. These black bags have a triple track zipper for travel and even outdoor use. Like the clear bags, these tear and puncture-resistant. the black bags are even dishwasher and freezer safe.

Stop tossing plastic and meal prep, travel and store anything in Smelly Proof reusable bags. Visit Smelly Proof today and stock up for back to school.

Food

Are there legal remedies when food poisoning makes you sick?

Erin Sluka
Are there legal remedies when food poisoning makes you sick?

Food poisoning has become more prevalent among the general American public. This potential danger is on the increase as more and more families continue to rely on fast food and pre-packaged meals to feed their families. As foodborne illnesses continue to occur, despite comprehensive regulations and oversight, it is still necessary for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to keep track of foodborne illnesses and related statistics.

The Centers for Disease Control notes that each year about 48 million people get sick from one of nearly three dozen known foodborne pathogens, which is approximately equal to 1 in 6 Americans. Of those stricken, about 128,000 victims of food poisoning need to be hospitalized, and about 3,000 die each year.

Food and drinks may become accidentally contaminated by a number of harmful ingredients that include

  • Poisonous chemicals.
  • Microbes.
  • Pathogens.
  • Bacteria that may include Salmonella and E. coli

According to the CDC, Norovirus and Salmonella contributed to the most illnesses/hospitalizations/deaths. And while most people recover in a few days, the reality is that it is possible to become ill with a foodborne illness that results in a chronic, lifelong medical condition.

Food Poisoning Symptoms

The symptoms one can experience from food poisoning vary widely. One can have intense stomach discomfort/diarrhea to a GI irritation that resembles the flu and everything in-between. Some food poisonings last a day or so, while others may require victims of food poisoning to be hospitalized. And note, to those individuals who belong to at-risk groups – i.e., children, pregnant women, the elderly – a foodborne illness can go from serious to deadly.

Product liability laws are enacted to ensure victims of food poisoning have the potential to hold the manufacturer or supplier accountable should their actions in making or distributing fall short of reasonable care and rise to the level of negligence.  

States like Wisconsin also impose Implied Warranties – essentially minimum product standards. Those who fall victim to food poisoning may have had a product’s implied warranty violated. In addition, certain products may also offer proprietary guarantees – by any one of the parties responsible for handling the product – from farm to table. A simple example of a specific guarantee would be foods labeled pre-washed.

The Food Poisoning Claim

Documenting or proving a claim related to food poisoning includes the verification of two fundamental points –

  • The food that was eaten was contaminated in some way. This is easiest to prove if –
    • There were other individuals who suffered the same result from eating the same food.
    • The foodborne illness that caused the illness is one of the pathogens that is tracked by the federal government, as this allows for scientific testing and proof.
  • The contaminated food was the cause of your illness. This is simply demonstrated by scientifically examining a stool sample – that can show the connection between the food you have eaten and your illness.

Food Poisoning – The Take-Away

If you become sick, it is essential to start an investigation into the event that led to the illness. So, if you or a loved one has become a victim of food poisoning, it is important to contact a seasoned personal injury attorney as soon as possible to ensure your case receives the attention and results it deserves.