When it comes to family reunions, food safety should be embraced like a member of the family. If your reunion plans include everyone sharing the cooking, be sure to follow these four helpful steps from the USDA: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill, for preparing, serving, transporting, and storing food safely.

Clean: Wash hands, utensils and countertops often.

Separate: Avoid cross-contamination. Do not let raw meat, poultry, fish - or their juices - touch other foods that will not be cooked.

Cook: Cook food to a safe internal temperature. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature. Steaks and roasts should heat to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, hamburgers to 160F, chicken and turkey breasts to 170F, and whole chicken and turkey to 180F.

Chill: Refrigerate or freeze perishable food within two hours, within one hour in temperatures above 90F.Whether you plan to take food across town or host the event in your own backyard, follow these additional food safety steps for a safe and successful event.

Transporting Food: Keep cold foods at or below 40F. Put foods in a cooler with a cold source such as ice or a commercial freezing gel. Place an appliance thermometer in the cooler to ensure that the temperature of the food stays safe. Keep hot foods at or above 140F. Wrap well and place in an insulated container.

Reheating Food: Use the stove, oven or microwave to reheat food to 165F. Bring sauces, soups and gravies to a rolling boil.

Serving Food: Similar rules follow here as with transporting foods: Keep hot foods hot-at or above 140F, and cold foods cold-at or below 40F.A perfect companion for your family reunion planning is "Cooking for Groups - A Volunteer's Guide to Food Safety." This guide will take you through all the steps necessary to safely plan and serve food for your family reunion. The guide is available online at www.fsis.usda.gov.For questions about meat, poultry or egg products, call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline, toll-free, at 888-MPHotline or visit www.fsis.usda.gov.

A few tips could help keep you safe from one of the most dangerous weather phenomenons: lightning strikes. Lightning kills more people in the U.S. than any other weather hazard except flash floods.The CPCU Society offers these valuable tips to help protect yourself and your family from the hazards of lightning.<B>Plan ahead:</B> Always check the weather forecast before heading to an outdoor activity. Know where you can quickly find safe cover should a storm approach.<B>Safe cover:</B> Take cover in a metal-topped vehicle if it's not possible to go inside a building. Don't touch any metal parts of the vehicle during a lightning storm.<B>Unsafe cover:</B> Avoid open sheds, tents, open boats, convertibles and temporary shelters; open areas such as golf courses, athletic fields, tennis courts, lakes, swimming pools and seashores; isolated trees, high ground, open windows or rooftops, places near wire fences, clotheslines, overhead wires or railroad tracks.<B>Lightning alert:</B> If your skin tingles or your hair stands on end, lightning is about to strike. Crouch on the balls of your feet. Place your hands on your knees and your head between them to make yourself the smallest target possible. Do not lie flat on the ground.