Just a really quick word of advice.. When you go to a church picnic, company potluck, or other setting where you'll be in the position to eat an assorted variety of food that a bunch of other people made. Try to limit the variety of dishes you sample. That way if you become ill you can narrow down who was the non-cooking negro/negress who put together something foul and made you ill.
I'd also suggest packing your own lunch from home to eat, in addition to the food you'll be bringing to the potluck. That way you can get good n full on your own food, and stick to safe store-purchased items if you want to snack at the potluck and not appear to be rude or stuck-up for not eating the pots of food that others made at the crib.
Yesterday was my church's picnic. I ate a bunch of stuff, didn't know who made what, and got my GRUB ON seriously. This morning I woke up feeling i'd been run over by a truck, head bangin, stomach upset, weak, and dizzy.. Round this afternoon I was in the bed almost in tears. A hour or so later my face was planted in the toilet bowl gagging, wheezing, and hurling all over the place.. I thought it was just me but my momma had a wicked case of the bubble guts too.. A mild case of food poisioning is not what I wanted in my life.
No telling what type of non-hygenic, cross-contaminating, no-hands-washing, food stored at improper temperature (hot and cold really does make a diffrence in safety), thaw my chicken on the sink overnite instead of in the fridge or under running water, my cat sleeps on the kitchen table, e.coli breeding kitchens these people did their cooking in.. LAWD i am digusted.
And if someone reading this is one of those thaw my chicken overnight ON the sink type of folks, shame on you, and may you heave heavily with pain and sickness for doing that silly mess. Also if you don't know what cross-contamination means than consider yourself warned. Have 911 set on the speed-dial of your phone cuz you're going to need it one day.
(FYI - it means having your raw meat and raw veggies in the same area and spreading blood and germs and raw meat ickies to the veggies) Like using the same knife and cutting board to chop your chicken/beef/pork/fish and then using it on the tomatos, salads, and fruits.. Can also be spread by not cleaning the hell outta your hands after handling raw meat. How u just going to put your hands all up in a raw chicken, then go and start making jello molds without washing with hot soap and water..
Ole nasty bastards. Take a food sanitation class or read up on it online before you kill somebody.