If you’re hosting a large party, you’re likely concerned with serving tasty foods, but your goal should also be to keep those foods safe for your guests. Here are a few helpful tips that will keep your food buffet just as healthy as it is delicious.

1. Wash your hands. The first thing you should do when preparing a food buffet is wash your hands. This prevents you from spreading germs to your guests, but it also helps to keep you safe from food borne illnesses caused by raw meat, eggs, and other ingredients. Be sure to wash your hands each time you refill the buffet, as well.
2. Cook foods completely. It’s safe to keep foods out on a buffet, provided that they’re cooked properly beforehand. Meats like beef and pork chops should be cooked to at least 145º F, while chicken and poultry should reach at least 165º F.
3. Use the proper serving tools. If you’re serving hot foods, be sure to store them in a chafing dish, slow cooker, or warming tray to keep them from changing temperature. Cold dishes can be served in nesting bowls over bowls of ice, and they must stay at 40°F or lower in order to stop the growth of bacteria.
4. Abide by the two-hour rule. Finally, never let foods sit on a buffet for more than two hours. Tossing food that’s been at room temperature for too long will ensure a safe and healthy party.

Serving Up Safe Buffets [FDA]
Serving Prepared Foods Safely [Whole Foods]
Holiday or Party Buffets [USDA]
Buffet Safety [NSF]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Phil Hawksworth

If you’re looking for a quick lunch in downtown Louisville that’s still fresh and delicious, you’ll find it at Pesto’s Italian & Persian Cuisine. This eclectic eatery blends Italian and Persian cooking styles in a way that is completely seamless, offering two different menus for each type of cuisine. Choose from the menu of Italian fare if you’re in the mood for hearty pastas, chopped steaks, and eggplant parmigiana, or browse the Persian fare menu for specialties like the Koobideh wrap, tender gyros, and grilled, marinated kebabs.

While the atmosphere at Pesto’s is quick and convenient on weekdays, if you stop in for dinner on the weekends, the vibe is much more elegant and relaxed. Admire the local artwork on the walls and enjoy a unique blend of global dishes at Pesto’s Italian & Persian Cuisine, a longtime favorite in downtown Louisville.

Pesto’s Italian & Persian Cuisine
566 S Fifth St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 584-0567
www.pestositalian.com

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Au Kirk

Making your own Halloween decorations is a whole lot more fun than buying them at the store, and there are many projects that might be easier that you'd expect. No matter how artistically inclined you are, you’ll love these simple ideas for decorating your home for Halloween.

Candy Corn Centerpiece [diyncrafts.com]
Turn an old wine or beer bottle into a candy corn-inspired centerpiece that’s perfect for Halloween parties. Simply spray paint shades of yellow, orange, and white onto unused glass bottles and arrange them however you please. As a bonus, you can even set out bowls of real candy corn for guests to snack on.

Tissue Paper Jack O’Lanterns [countryliving.com]
Instead of carving a messy pumpkin with sharp knives, create an equally festive jack-o’-lantern out of some simple tissue paper balls from the craft store. Cover them with construction paper facial features to make an entire army of adorable faux pumpkin faces.

Recycled Paper Bats [treehugger.com]
Do a bit of good for the environment by using recycled construction paper to create these sweet and scary hanging bats. Since they use an easy origami pattern, you can even construct these realistic bats without any cutting or gluing.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Andrew Malone