Avoid a holiday baking catastrophe

Grandma’s gingerbread cookies. Mom’s holiday stuffing. Dad’s deep-fried turkey. All things you may wait year round for and might attempt to cook yourself as a bit of holiday baking or cooking.

However, there are some things you need to know – if not to keep from poisoning your entire family, then to prevent yourself from burning down your house this winter.

Holiday baking safety.

So, let’s get a few holiday baking safety tips straight:

1. Set a timer

Grandma may be able to eye the done-ness of a dish, but for the rest of us, they’ve invented the kitchen timer. Use it.

2. Wash your hands after handling raw eggs, raw meat, and generally before and after cooking a dish.

Don’t be nasty.

3. Keep your countertops clean.

No raw food directly on the counter. Nothing on the counter that’s been on the floor. Wipe up assorted cooking juices as they happen. Again, don’t be nasty!

4. Wash your utensils.

With soap and hot water. Don’t just rinse it. Wash. It. Especially if there’s raw meat involved.

5. Check expiration dates.

Zombieland jokes about Twinkies surviving the apocalypse aside, everything has an expiration date. Some foods might last longer than others, but an expiration date exists. Don’t serve or use expired food or ingredients.

6. Serve things at the right temperature.

There’s no such thing as a “medium rare” chicken. So, don’t serve one. No one likes warm dairy (except melted cheese). So, don’t serve that either. Keep cold things cold and hot things hot.

7. Remember dietary restrictions.

It can be tough, but if you have guests over, check if they have any dietary preferences (like veganism) or allergies (like if-I-smell-a-peanut-I’ll-go-into-anaphylactic-shock-ism).

8. Knives are for adults.

Find less sharp ways for your kids to help in the kitchen. And no running!

9. For (most) everything else, there’s home insurance.

It can help you take care of medical bills if a guest gets hurt. It can also help replace stuff in a rogue, exploding turkey accident. And more!

The great thing is our agents are pretty great at saving you money on insurance-y stuff. So, come on and LiveChat with us!