Here are some tips from Bandera Electric Cooperative to help keep your Thanksgiving celebration a little safer, healthier and more energy-efficient.
Preparing the Feast
Thawing a turkey? Planning ahead can make a big difference.
- Put the still-wrapped bird on a tray to keep fluids from contaminating food in the refrigerator.
- Thaw it in the refrigerator 1 day for every 4 pounds. That means you’ll have to start thawing a 20-pound gobbler the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
- Clean your stove and oven before you start cooking your holiday meal.
- Use the self-cleaning mode on your oven just after you’ve used it to take advantage of the residual heat.
- Make the kitchen off-limits to kids who aren’t helping with the meal. This lessens chances of an accident.
- Don’t wear dangling jewelry or loose long sleeves while cooking. They could catch fire or snag pot handles.
- Keep Thanksgiving decorations and kitchen clutter away from sources of direct heat.
Fry the Turkey, Not Yourself
Deep-frying a turkey can result in a juicy, crispy bird. The production can also go very wrong. Here are some tips to consider:
- Don’t try to deep-fry a turkey indoors. Use a propane-fired burner and a deep pot made for frying.
- Set the propane tank upwind away from the burner.
- Position the fryer in an open area away from structures, trees and fences. Don’t fry in a garage, carport or porch.
- Make sure turkey skin is completely dry to prevent spatter burns. Ease the turkey into and out of the hot oil.
- Keep a close eye on the oil temperature and turn off the burner if the oil begins to smoke.
- If the oil catches fire, call 911 immediately. Do not try to put out the fire with water, which will only spread the flames.
Going to Memaw’s?
If you’re taking a toddler to a home that’s not childproof:
- Take medicines off bedside tables and out of unlocked drawers. Store them in a lockbox or on a high shelf. Iron pills or iron-fortified vitamins can pose a poisoning risk.
- Bring along safety gates to block off any dangerous areas.
- Make sure bathroom doors stay closed or block them off with a gate.
- Watch out for small objects like coins or batteries that a curious youngster might swallow. If it can fit through a toilet paper tube, it’s a choking hazard.
- Traveling by plane? Don’t forget the car seat.
Serve Up Energy Savings
With added holiday expenses, saving a little energy—and money—can be a big help.
- Replace your lightbulbs with LED bulbs. Your guests won’t notice a difference in lighting, but you’ll see a difference in your bill.
- Cook at least 1 dish from start to finish in the microwave, which uses about 1/3 of the electricity of a conventional oven. Slow cookers can help trim costs, too, and they don’t add as much heat to the room as the oven.
- Load the dishwasher completely full. With a mountain of dinner plates, using the dishwasher will be more efficient than handwashing.