Song in my Head: Babylon must fall...it was written and read....Barbara Paige

In Season: Reggae on the River

Eat at Home

Employees at the Department of Agriculture's main cafeteria were just sitting down to lunch on Friday when security guards ordered everyone in the huge eatery to leave. Al Qaeda? Bomb scare? No. Mouse droppings. The D.C. Department of Health closed the cafeteria for failing to pass inspection.(Link)

Eating out in restaurants does not hold much allure for me anymore. You see, I worked as a sanitarian, health inspector, enviromental health specialist, for a few years. Visiting kitchens was my daily task. One day, in the near future, I will tell some stories regarding personal hygiene and restaurants. Maybe I will feel energetic enough to pass a few tips regarding safe, clean food. Until then, I received the story above from a food safety e-group I participate in. When the USDA closes its own kitchen down, something is terribly wrong. With many states in a budget crisis, I will predict food related deaths to still be in the thousands each year. Until, then, wash you hands, use a meat thermometer, avoid sushi, and NEVER eat clam chowder on a Saturday. Bon Appetit'