I rarely buy frozen chicken, but it wasn't too long ago that my son and I enjoyed Chicken Cordon Bleu for dinner. It's a favorite of mine that I usually reserve for a treat at a restaurant. It looks like my son and I were a little lucky, though. As of now, 32 people in 12 states have contracted salmonella from frozen chicken dinners.

The frozen foods in question were breaded or pre-browned chicken breasts that needed to be cooked in the oven. Those who got ill neglected to follow the instructions and heated the food in the microwave. If the chicken is fully cooked before freezing, the microwave more than likely won't do the job.

When dealing with frozen foods, be sure to prepare the meal according to directions. And be sure that any meats -- frozen or fresh -- are cooked thoroughly.

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When the temperature soars, the last thing you want to do is slave over a hot stove. Personally, I have many days when I'm perfectly comfortable in my own home then, after cooking dinner, I feel prickly and hot and miserable. If I didn't think it was so important to feed healthful foods to my family (not to mention avoiding the high costs of eating out), I'd skip it altogether.

Shape Magazine comes to the rescue with great ideas for healthy meals with no cooking required. With so many fresh fruits and vegetables available at this time of year, there's no shortage of no-cook ingredients available to you. Some of the ideas include chilled soups and stuffed fruits or vegetables.

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• Watermelon juice beat out tomato juice on the lycopene front in a recent study. Research suggests that lycopene may be a cancer killer.
• A compound in watermelon can help with your skin's healing and regenerative processes.
• Watermelon is practically calorie-free. It contains less than 50 calories per cup which makes it a grand way to satisfy a sweet tooth.
• Eating watermelon is a great way to hydrate. There's 141 grams of water per each cubed cup.

'Tis the season for ripe watermelons. Head on out and get yourself one. And get this: whole watermelons stored at room temperature deliver more cell-protecting antioxidants. You'd be wise then to eat this melon as soon as you cut it up for maximum benefits. Then chill the rest.

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The American Cancer Society tells us that the hot dogs, burgers, and chicken we take on our picnics should be kept at 140 degrees F or higher and that our cold food should stay chilled at 41 degrees F or colder. Real Simple magazine weighs in on a few temperature matters too.

There are the basics: Normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees F, water boils at 212 degrees, and it freezes at 32 degrees. But what's the ideal temperature for wine? Well, 45-50 degrees F for white wine and 60-65 for red. What about that relaxing bath that's calling your name? Water temp should be 96-104 degrees. Make it any hotter and you may break down your skin's protective barrier, which guards against pollution, germs, and bacteria. Who knew?

Did you know your fridge should be set between 32 and 40 degrees and your freezer should register at a big fat 0? Food will spoil faster in warmer temps, and the quality of food will change if it's too cold. What about green tea? Your water should reach 170 degrees. This is lower than what you need for black tea because green leaves burn more easily. An omelet? You want an internal temperature of 160 degrees. And when your day is coming a close and it's time for a little shut-eye, snuggle in at a nice 68 degrees. A good sleep requires your body temperature to drop by losing heat into the environment. Sticking your arms and legs outside the covers and removing your bedtime socks will help the heat escape.

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The average family open the fridge 22 times a day. Each time, cold air barrels out and warm air takes its place, making the appliance use extra electricity to cool itself back down.

If you're a frequent fridge opener and closer, you can save energy by practicing this four-step process:

• Decide what you want

• Open the fridge

• Grab your goods

• Shut the door

No lingering, no browsing, no shopping around. Just get what you want and be done with it. While you're at it, make sure your refrigerator is set to its proper temperature. To increase efficiency, be sure your fridge has tight seals and clean coils.

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Today, the temperature in my hometown dropped to a breathtakingly shocking -31 ° c (that's -23 in farenheit -- but really, who's counting once it drops that low ... ) Motivation to work out is not usually a problem for me, but when it's that cold out, I can't handle the thought of leaving my house for any reason.

I went, but only because I had some pent-up energy and was afraid I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't. But the voice in my head was telling me to stay inside -- at all costs. Truth be told, it wasn't that bad (I did manage to score the parking spot next to the gym door ... ) but I'm eternally grateful that my mad dashes to the cold car are over. However, with no end in sight to the cold snap, I'm worried about my fitness routine this week.

Am I alone in this? Is it as hard for you to get up the energy to leave your warm home, even if you're just heading to a heated gym?

Research shows there are at least seven reasons we eat. Hunger isn't always one of them.

• Time
• Sight
• Smell
• Variety
• Temperature
• Refined Carbs
• Alcohol
  
  

For the skinny on these seven, check out the following gallery.

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Why am I always cold when others never are? Either my thermostat is too low or my clothes are too skimpy, say Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz in a December 2007 Reader's Digest blurb.

Actually, body temperature is a little more complex than this, say the docs. But there are some possible explanations for my chilly tendencies. My muscles could be too inactive -- the body generates heat when muscles are active -- and I may be eating not enough carbohydrates (the 100 percent whole wheat variety, not the white flour kind). I could have hypothyroidism -- this slows metabolism and cuts down on body heat. My chilliness could also stem from low blood sugar, poor kidney function, or iron-deficiency anemia. Or it could be none of the above, because science has yet to completely unravel the mystery of body temperature.

Maybe my problem isn't a problem at all. Maybe I just need a warm sweater and a few extra blankets.

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I love hot showers -- probably a little hotter than is good for me actually. I don't know that I have taken an actual cold shower ever, although often in the summer months I'll take what I'd call "cool" ones. But aside from all the jokes that guys make about 'needing a cold shower,' have you ever thought of taking one for your health? Or how about instead of a cold shower a cold foot soak? This interesting article over at Natural Health suggests that alternating cold and warm foot soaks is like a mini strength-training session for your insides. The cold water (around 70º) constricts and tightens vessels, while the warm water (around 100º) loosens and expands them. Asking them to adjust quickly makes them stronger.

I'm guessing alternating cool and warm showers would do the same thing, but obviously that's not so easy. So are you buying this? The science seems sound enough to me, but then it also strikes me as more than a little unnatural.

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Halloween is over. Thanksgiving is next. That means less talk about candy and more about the featured meat of the month: Turkey.

As you prepare for your Thanksgiving feast, don't neglect to cook your bird to the proper temperature. You'll need to invest in a food thermometer -- it's the only way to tell if your turkey has reached a temperature high enough to destroy illness-causing bacteria. And you'll need to cook that bird until it has an internal temperature of 165°F for safety, and 180°F for the best quality thigh meat. You'll want to check your temps at two spots -- the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh. Check your stuffing too, and aim to cook it separately until it reaches 165°F internally.

For more on food safety, visit www.foodsafety.gov.

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Sometimes I over-shop. I buy too many bananas, a loaf of bread my family never finishes, even ground turkey meat that sits in the fridge beyond it's expiration date. Sadly, these foods end up tossed in the trash. What a waste.

As first reported by Kristin Darguzas on ParentDish, American families trash, on average, 14% of the food they buy, mostly because it spoils. Never fear, though. According to this article, there are six measures we can take for storing our food for lasting freshness. Now these are some tips I can use. How about you?

• Refrigerate fruits and vegetables separately. Some fruits emit a gas that speeds the ripening of veggies.

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Kids may "rough house" all the time, but in reality they are very delicate little creatures. And when they get sick they usually get really sick, leaving the parents sleepless, worried, and a little panicky over how best to get them to take their medicine and wondering whether that fever is finally going to come down.

Fevers might be one of the scariest things to deal with when it comes to children being sick, because just a degree or two in the wrong direction can have such serious consequences. So making sure you're comfortable in taking your child's temperature can go a long way to alleviating some of that worry as far as accuracy goes and give you some peace of mind. Click here for the basics on what kind of thermometer to use for what ages, along with some other tips from The American Academy of Family Physicians.

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