Tuesday’s Tip – How long can you keep hot food unrefridgerated?

So we knew the 4th of July forecast was calling for rain and we decided a nice taco bar would be easier than grilling in the rain.  I marinated a ton of chicken and grilled it the day before our party.  I put it on the kitchen counter to cool down before I would carve it up.  My wife decided to put it in the microwave so our dogs wouldn’t be tempted to knock it off the counter.  Later that night we went to bed.  The following morning we found our poor chicken in the microwave.  Five hours is the longest you should leave hot foods unrefridgerated!  Yes, I was grilling in the rain on the 4th of July!