When cooking and serving out-of-doors, pick up one of those cheap, rigid plastic kiddy pools, fill it with ice, and set bowls of cold foods in the ice. You can also keep cans of juice or soda pop in the pool. We've been using this method for keeping foods cold when we're cooking outside and on picnics for over 40 years and have never lost a potato salad yet.
If it's a big party, by all means use 2 pools, one for drinks and one for foods. I think they take up less room than all the bowls and containers sitting out too.
By Julia from Boca Raton, FL
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
I'd like to add to this.In this heatwave we're having those pools are a great treat for our fur babies to play and cool off also.
Thanks for sharing another great tip.
Keeper/Sandie
Great Idea Im doing this!! Have a lot of people coming But my place is Small but have a lot of Out Door space! Beer and Drinks! Ill keep the food inside Due To the Heat Here In NC having a Margarita Bar Too!!
This is a really good idea, and just in time for the summer picnic season. I like the idea of separating drinks and foods into separate kiddie pools. Thanks, and hugs! JPJ
This is just the greatest newsletter on the internet. I get the best recipes, the best tips, the best laughs and learn so much here. I just want to say a big Thank You to everyone who contributes so many nice ideas, photos, recipes and experience.
I love this idea of using the kiddie pool so much that I'm going straight away and buy two of them this weekend. We have a big street party coming up July 3, and I can't think of a better way to keep loads of soda pop, beer and juices nice and cold out-of-doors. It's also a nice safe way to keep cold foods ready to enjoy.
I guess we should have at least one for the puppies to play in too. LOL
That would be so cute. Thank you for sharing such a nice versatile idea.
HokeyPoke
Great idea, I second keeper with the fur babies, I put out a cat litter tray full of water for my puppy to play in.
Great idea, Julia! It'll cut down on trips in/out of the house, and make the food safer too. And Sandie, I just bought a pool for our dog Moby.
This is a good idea even if you're just working outside and want to avoid running in and out of the house every time you want a drink. We have one of the little pools already, but it started out belonging to our dog Tootsie, and I don't think she is going to give hers up. I'll just have to buy another one. Thanks for another great idea.
SWMike
I think this is a great idea too. Just beware if someone brings a big male dog to the party (or if there's one that wanders your neighborhood). They love to lift their legs on things like that. One time I saw a large dog lift his leg right into a friend's open cooler full beer, ice and pop.
Is there a lot of condensation on the outside when filled with ice for food?
how fast does the ice melt though? it is triple digits here lately.
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
