Grilling Do's and Don'ts

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite son!

Since he is my ONLY son, I can easily say this-in fact, it's pretty much a running tag line on birthday cards both from him and to him. He's a wonderful young man and I'm very proud of him!! (This photo was taken about twenty years ago)



With the warmer temperatures and the upcoming 3 day holiday weekend for most of us, there will probably be lots of grilling going on-both on the grill and on our skin.



Today I shared a few "Do's and Don'ts" for maximum fun in the sun...



My daughter works for the American Cancer Society and she sent me these tips for "sun safety".

Friday, May 28th is "DON'T FRY DAY" and even though spending time outdoors is part of a healthy, active life you should take some precautions.

• Cover Up: wear lightweight, comfortable clothing to protect as much skin as possible



• Use sunscreen: preferrably with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher. The higher the number the better the protection agains UVB rays, so read the label before you buy

use 1 oz. which is the equivelant of a "palmful" to cover your legs, arms, neck and face and for best results, apply every 2 hours-even more if you are swimming or sweating

• Wear a hat: with at least a 2-3" brim all around to protect your neck, ears, eyes, nose and scalp



• Wear sunglasses that block UV rays: Invest in a part of wrap-arounds with at least 99% UV absoprtion to block damaging UVA and UVB light



• Limit exposure during midday: that's when the sun is most intense Usually between 10am and 4pm, so try to plan your outdoor activities outside this timeframe, when possible



• Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps: The UVA and UVB rays that are given out can cause serious long term skin damage and both contribute to skin cancer.

I will be participating in the Beaver Dam Relay for Life on Friday, June 25th and will gladly accept pledges and donations. I'll update you next week for my website and tell you all about the cupcake lollipops I'm making to sell as a fundraiser for the event.

Here are just a few great tips to remember when grilling:

• Choose Non-Reactive Bowls: stainless steel are easy to clean, don't hold odors and are dishwasher safe. AND they will not react with acidic ingredients. Many BBQ sauces, brines and marinades contain a lot of acidic ingredients so it's very important to keep this in mind when doing the prep work



• Make-shift grill brush: crumple a piece of aluminum foil (to about the size of a naval orange). Pick it up with locking chef tongs. Works great!



• Prep Smart:To avoid soaking bamboo skewers each time you need them, soak a big batch once for an hour or so; drain. Freeze them in a plastic bag. When it's time to grill, pull out as many as you need and you're all set.



• Picture Perfect Burgers: Burgers can puff up in the middle as they cook. To avoid this, press a little indentation into the top of each raw patty with your thumb or the back of a spoon. Then, when the center pushes up, the top will be relatively level.