With the excitement of family and friends coming over to celebrate Thanksgiving, it can be easy to forget to perform tasks that help keep the household safe and sound. Additionally, there is a lot more food that is being prepared than for your average daily meal. By following these helpful steps, you can ensure there is nothing stopping you from indulging in the delectable and overwhelming amounts of food.
Fire Safety: The National Fire Protection Association says that Thanksgiving is the day you should be most aware of a fire to potentially start in the kitchen. Most accidents happen by not properly attending to equipment, having the heat source too close to flammable materials, not using products correctly, and unintentionally leaving cooking equipment on. Stay in the kitchen during the entire cooking process. If you must leave at any point, turn off the stove while you are gone. Remember, cooking fires are the most common cause to home fires and home injuries.
Keep Children Out of the Kitchen: When families get together for the holiday, there are probably more children than usual that will be present during the festivities. Make sure that children are aware that the kitchen is off limits. As liquids reach boiling temperature, it is best to keep the kids away to prevent serious burns.
Stay Cautious on the Road: Not only is Thanksgiving a day for families to get together, but it is also the eve of Black Friday, the most massive shopping day of the year. There is bound to be increased traffic, so plan accordingly to sustain a safe trip to and from your destination. Always designate a driver to stay sober throughout the day’s festivities.
Practice Safe Food Preparation: Don’t pull an Uncle Bobby Joe and poison the whole family by not preparing food properly. The internal temperature of a turkey should reach 165° F to be considered safe to eat. Take time to thaw turkey beforehand either by refrigerating or using cold water. See here for a comprehensive guide to correctly thaw your Thanksgiving turkey. Store leftovers in air tight containers and if food is to be stored for a longer time period, food should be stored in the freezer.
Don’t Over Do It: Let’s face it, Thanksgiving is not a day designed to stick to our normal diets. However, it’s still important to not go overboard and end up in a food coma by 7:00 p.m. Don’t anticipate the huge meal by not eating at all beforehand. Eat normally the day of, perhaps incorporate more raw veggies in order to not overeat.
And most of all, have a very Happy Thanksgiving from the Haws Family to yours!
