Gobble Gobble!

Thanksgiving is a day full of enticing smells, good company and lots of laughs – but along with the enjoyable chaos is the reality that cooking fires are three times more likely to occur on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. In addition to cooking and entertaining we hope to remind you and your families to take a minute for safety. Whether you plan to keep your meal traditional with Grandma’s favorite recipes, or want to add a dash of gourmet to impress your guests, make sure these safety tips are ingredients in all your dishes.

• Keep the cooking range free of clutter. Even
  though you have myriad dishes to prepare, don’t overload a cook top with
  too many pots and pans. Trying to cook all your dishes at once could
  cause grease to accidentally spill onto a range top and cause a fire.


• Do not try to hold your child in one arm while cooking with the other.
  Holding a child while cooking is an invitation for a burn. It’s best to
  keep your child out of the kitchen while you’re cooking.


• Never put a glass casserole or lid on the stove or over a burner. If it gets hot and explodes, it will send dangerous shards of glass in all directions.


• Do not pour water on a grease fire. Pouring water
  on a grease fire can cause the fire to spread. In the event of a
  range-top fire, turn off the burner, put on an oven mitt and smother the
  flames by carefully sliding a lid onto the pan. Leave the lid in place
  until the pot or pan is cooled.


• Keep a clean work surface. Be sure to wash
  surfaces, utensils, the sink and hands after handling raw food. It’s a
  good idea to identify one cutting board for raw meats and one for other
  uses.


• Un-stuff the turkey. According to the USDA, for
  optimum safety, stuffing a turkey is not recommended. For more even
  cooking, cook the stuffing outside the bird in a casserole dish until it
  reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.


• Thaw the bird with care. If using a frozen turkey,
  the USDA recommends thawing it in the refrigerator in its original
  wrapping, in a tray or pan that can catch any juices that may leak.


• Call for help. If you’ve accidentally cooked the
  giblets inside the turkey, melted the “hock lock” or have any other
  questions about cooking your Thanksgiving bird, be safe and call the
  pros at the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: 1-888-MPHotline
  (1-888-674-6854)

Everyday Essentials for Kitchen Safety


Kitchen safety should remain top of mind throughout the year, not
just on Thanksgiving. Here are some great tips to remember in the
kitchen.

• Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency and know how to use it.
   Read the directions carefully before an actual
  emergency occurs. The acronym P.A.S.S. can help make sure you use it properly.
  
  
  
  • Pull the pin; Aim the spray nozzle low at the base of the fire; Squeeze the nozzle to spray the contents; Sweep back and forth as you spray the base of the fire.


• Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy while cooking.
  If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, put on a flame-resistant
  oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the
  pan. Turn off the burner. Don’t remove the lid until the food has
  cooled.
  
  
  
  • When removing lids on hot pans, tilt them away from you to protect
    your face and hands from steam. If there is an oven fire, turn off the
    heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your
    clothing.


• Never wear loose fitting clothing when cooking.
  Long, open sleeves could ignite and catch fire from a gas flame or a hot
  burner. Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when
  cooking. If you have long hair, be sure to tie it back.


• Keep smoke alarms connected while cooking. Smoke alarms can save lives. Make sure smoke alarms are installed and working.


• Stay in the kitchen while food is cooking. Most fires in the kitchen occur because food is left unattended.


• Turn pot handles away. Make sure that young children cannot reach a cooking pot by turning handles toward the back of the stove.


• Unplug small appliances that aren’t in use. Not only will you save the energy, but you will also avoid the potential dangers if they were to be turned on accidentally.

All this great info found here!




Have a safe and wonderful turkey day!