For many families, Thanksgiving means a full house and a busy kitchen. But before the turkey, sides and desserts are prepared, local health experts stress that safety should be part of the plan.
For one North Texas family, Thanksgiving prep begins weeks ahead.
“I like to send out an invite to family and friends and have them respond and then I can plan,” she said.
From there, she creates a menu, makes a grocery list, sets the table and tries to make as many dishes as possible before loved ones arrive.
“I make sure that there are lots of appetizers for people to eat, in areas that are away from the heat,” she said.
Experts urge safe kitchen zones
Not crowding the kitchen is something health experts strongly recommend.
“Creating that safe zone,” Texas Health Harris Fort Worth Burn Program Manager Melanie McMahon said. “I know Grandma is happy to see you, but let me hug you when she’s away from the stove.”
“There’s actually a lot of hidden dangers in the kitchen,” Texas Health Resources ER Dr. Josh Holland said. “There’s sharp knives. There’s hot stoves. There’s steam from cooking food. There’s hot oven doors. There’s a lot of ways that you can accidentally injure yourself.”
Injuries common during holiday cooking
Every Thanksgiving, Holland says, dozens of people end up in his ER because of cooking-related injuries.
“We see it pretty commonly,” he said. “Anything from minor stuff like I cut my finger up to the infamous YouTube fried turkey incidents where we have fires and explosions.”
Frying turkeys best left to pros
He recommends leaving the frying to professionals — and the family agrees.
“That’s too dangerous for me,” she said. “I’m about enjoying our time together and not having it be stressful.”
She added that it’s the time around the table that means the most.
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