Show Section Wednesday September 18 2002 (§' Page The Herald Journal 1 t Protect campout food from spoilage Q: How can I keep my food safe on camping trips? Answer by Charlotte Brennand Utah State University Extension Food Safety Specialist Though the official holiday marking the end of summer has come and gone there are still plenty of opportunities to camp Many hunters will soon be heading for the hills So will Scout groups and die-hacampers who don't mind evening temperatures that dip In addition to tempera- ture concerns for campers the activity also provides unique challenges in maintaining die proper temperature for food Keeping perishable food cold during both travel time and camping time requires planning ' Consider these ideas Store eggs meat poultry fish and milk at temperatures under or rd ' close to 40 degrees F begin to grow in food as it warms The warmer the food the faster the ' " microbial’ growth Dur- ' ing extended camp outs it is especially important to keep food as cold as possible Freeze large containers of ice a day or two before your trip Large blocks of ice take longer to melt than the same amount of ice in smaller containers Ice can be made in clean half gallon milk cartons plastic k buckets or even partially filled plastic bags Be sure to leave expansion room When filling the containers Plastic soda pop bottles can also be used if they are only filled of the way Individual of servings juice in cartons can be frozen to keep things cool then they can be used later Be cautious of loose ice Ice left loose in the ice chest cools food rapidly but can easily become from meat juices or hands reaching into the cooler Ice can be safely used for drinks if it is kept in a container that is not in direct contact with the food Prepare as much food as you can before the trip Preparing food at home will help alleviate problems with clean up and at tiie camping site For example hamburger patties can be shaped at home and placed in plastic bags If the patties will be used that day they can be refrigerated If they won’t be used for 3 days freeze them and let them thaw in the ice chest This will provide additional cooling Keep the ice chest as cool as possible The backseat of a car is often cooler than the trunk Extra insulation pari be added to the ice chest by wrapping it in a towel or blanket Keep the ice chest in the shade at tire campsite If ice from the cooler has melted and the food doesn’t feel cold throw it out Whole fresh produce such as potatoes onions apples and oranges are safe without cooling Canned foods dried foods peanut butter and jelly are always safe Pickles mustard mayonnaise and catsup have a high enough acid content that it is not essential that they be kept bold throughout the trip On longer camp- ing trips plan on using nonperishable foods toward the end of the trip in case the ice is gone Avoid cross cbntamination Place an extra plastic bag around meat and poultry items to catch any juices that may (hip If meat juices drip into the ice don’t use the ice in drinks Keep hands and utensils clean If clean water isn’t available bag dirty dishes and utensils and wadi them when you get home Paper plates also simplify cleanup ttoDO ed 2-- Direct column topics to Julene Reuse Utah Stats University Extension Logan UT 84322-490- 0 remcom To cofumns visit aee other ‘Ask julenerOsurv A Specialist i i saMDami’ 1®!? ©wm Texas (AP) 1901 while brothers woe trying to fly and Guglielmo Marconi was trying to get his radio to work Constance Douglas was bran in a tiny Texas border town the only child of a district judge and his wife It would never occur to Connie as she swam in the Rio Grande and rode horses with cowboys that othex little girls in other places lived vastly different lives She was a spirited willful child and the world was has That it began in Texas and ended in Texas was just fine with ha and with everyone she knew After she grew up and went to college she became the first woman to enter die University of Texas Law School She met Eleanor Roosevelt She taught school and horseback riding She didn’t marry until age 42 becoming a rancher as well National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame this summer sharing the spotlight with a new inductee US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor She was honored because she has taught more than 30000 girls to ride Western and English Because she embodies the independent cowgirl spirit And because on most days' though she is “hard of hearing arid can't see a thing” she still gets on her horse and rides For the past 66 summers' a significant portion of her life and heart has been claimed by Camp Waldemar for Girls aq exclusive oasis Straddling the cool green Guadalupe River in the Texas hill country Riding canoeing swimming and archery are taught (hiring monthlong sessions intended to supply 7- - to with something Reeves never seemed to lack — asawife “Always saddle your own horse” has become her life motto and is repeated almost every time her name is mentioned They read it during her Hall of Fame induction And somehow it ended up in Liz Smith’s tabloid gossip column just before a juicy item about Tom Cruise “I don’t remember saying HUNT ds conta-minat- i Centenarian cowgirl rides every day hardly ever gets the blues zip-loc- two-thir- AP photo National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth Texas Reeves who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997 will be 101 years old on Sept 26 Connie Douglas Reeves waves to the crowd as she and two other honorees Pam Minick left and Jan Youren ride in the parade marking the opening of the new It never crossed her mind that she would Outlive every person she ever loved including Jack her husband of 40 years Or that along the way she would become famous simply by being herself Connie Douglas Reeves at age 100 helped open the on flat stomach On her tiny feet are cowboy boots of ancient leather crinkled like the surface of an old oil painting Her white hair is tightly curled her lips painted crim-son her fingemails mani- - " cured and lacquered red “But they said I taught all those girls and when you add the fact that I did all that ranching I guess I’ve done enough recontribute to the Western heritage of life” V : she says thoughtfulness creeping into a voice cracked and high-pitch- ed with age Her failing eyes are fixed on the horizon-gloriouslblue with clouds ' of spun cotton “Boy that makes me feel important' she says smiling hooking her thumbs into imaginary suspenders In just a few days the latest collection of 300 campers will trudge home from Waldemar little more than an hour’s drive northwest from San Antonio But on this hot dear morning ' about 20 little girls sit on newly saddled horses trying’ not to look terrified Riding classes are divided by age and experience “These are the absolute y APphoto horse" says Connie Douglas Reeves pictured at Camp Waldemar's stables in Hunt Texas "Always saddle your own hall of fame “I didn’t see that I had made much of a contribution” She says sitting on the roofed porch of Camp Waldemar’s horse stables taking refuge from a merciless Texas sun She is wearing a blue oxford-clot- h shirt and formslacks with fitting navy stitched creases A black belt with a silver buckle the size of a passport rides her that but they keep saying I did’’ she chuckles “I meant REALLY'saddle your own horse You want to know that your horse is saddled properly It establishes a with the i Now it is part of her folklore and that’s fine with her too At first she didn’t think she belonged in die cowgirl -- babies the weakest ones the See COWGIRL on C2 Research problems? Chat with librarian LOGAN — The Utah Academic Library Consortium (ULAC) is unveiling a new program that offers die advantage! of an “instant librari- -' an” for students at a number of the - state's institutions of higher education Users will be able to ask ques turns and get answers in real time with “Live Chat” a new reference service Operating statewide the service began Sept 3 Librarians — from Utah universir ties and colleges will be online from 8 pm Monday through Thursday to help users with library questions This is an online service designed for people who can connect with a librarian to help them with their research said Flora Shrode reference librarian and interim head of 3-- reference services at Utah State Participating schools include Brigham Young University College of Eastern Utah Dixie College Salt Lake Community College Southern Utah University University of Utah Utah Valley State College Weber State University Westminster College and Utah State These consortium members provide the service through a cooperative effort Librarians from Utah State will be on the “receiving end” Tuesday nights this semester Shrode said Librarians from the member schools fill the schedule on a rotating basis Chat reference is becoming more common in libraries throughout the country as librarians recognize that people often prefer to work from their computer at home or in the office to search for information Shrode continued Libraries mate- nonetheless have rials — including online d services — that are not accessible fieety on the Internet Additionally libraries include print and other media and the reference librarians’ goal is to direct patrons to the information they need regardless of the ' format libraryusuedu and click on the link ' for “Research Assistance” find tKe “LiveChqf’ icon click arid you're ready to go Live chat sessions can range from finding out about a specific library policy to helping select the best database fa research or finding answers to specific reference ques- turns And while the new program ' will initially run Monday through Friday 8 pm it might increase With this in mind librarians are depending upon future demand For more information about the pursuing many ways to reach out reference services statewide email through program contact Leslie Haas at the Manriott Library Uniand live chat provides the advantage e interaction Shrode said of 0 For versity of Utah (801) To access Live Chat from the Utah reference services and questions at State University site go to the UniUtah State University contact Libraries Web at Shrode at (435) page versity high-qualit- y Web-base- ' ’ 3-- real-tim- 383-919- 797-80- c 33 a ' v |