November in a Nutshell

Cooking Safety Tips for the Holidays

By Squiggy the Squirrel

Readers - here is a quick quiz question for you!

What is the #1 cause of home fires in the U.S.?

a. Cooking

b. Space heaters

c. Electrical malfunctions

Here's another one.

If a fire starts in a pan while you're cooking, what should you do?

a. Move the pan off the stove

b. Beat the fire with a towel

c. Slide a lid over the burning pan and turn off the heater

The answers are at the bottom of the page, but as you may have guessed, I'm talking about cooking safety! With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, here are some tips to make sure your cooking is safe (and hopefully delicious, too!)

Don't leave your cooking unattended. This causes the majority of all kitchen fires. Make sure you're regularly checking any items on your stove top, in the oven or microwave, as well as other devices (coffeemaker, toaster, etc.) Don't leave anything on if you're going outside or away from your home.

Use a timer. This is a great way to stay on top of everything!

Watch out for young children in the kitchen. In general, it's probably best to keep kids away from the cooking area, especially near areas where something is boiling, simmering, grilling, or frying or where there are sharp objects. If children are in the kitchen, keep a watchful eye and make sure they're supervised.

Be careful of what you wear. Loose clothing may prove dangerous. Roll up any big sleeves and watch what you wear!

Keep areas clear. Make sure items that are flammable, such as oven mitts, paper plates, plastic packaging, and napkins are away from your stove top, oven, and other heated appliances.

Check your smoke alarms. Be sure your smoke alarms in your kitchen (and around your home) are working. Replace batteries if needed. Just in case something goes wrong, you want everyone in the home to know right away!

Turn everything off. Double check your kitchen to be safe, especially before you go to sleep.

Want to test more of your cooking safety knowledge? Take the full quiz here

I'm off to make a pecan pie! Happy cooking and Happy Thanksgiving!

xo,
Squiggy

Answers: 1: A, cooking; 2:  C, slide a lid over the burning pan and turn off the burner