Baby, it's COLD outside!

I am in Florida and our low tonight is predicted to be 18. EIGHTEEN?!?! What on earth?
I put beef stew in the crockpot and let it cook all day. It was so good, and totally hit the spot! We had cornbread with it, which Elayna made. She is my kitchen helper. My teenage daughter, Shelbie, suggested I make chili on another of these cold nights. I hate cold weather, but I do LOVE cold-weather food!

I saw these Kitchen Safety Tips over at Annie's Home and wanted to share them with you all.

While cooking,

1. stay in the kitchen, don’t leave cooking food unattended. (stand by your pan!)

2. wear short or tight fitting sleeves. Long loose sleeves are more likely to catch on fire or get caught on pot handles.

3. don’t become distracted.

4. enforce a “kid-free zone” of 3 feet around your stove. Turn pot handles inward facing the wall to prevent burns caused by overturning or spills.

5. keep the area around the stove clear of towels, papers, pot holders or anything that could burn.

6. cook at indicated temperatures settings rather than higher settings.

7. regularly clean your cooking equipment so that there are no cooking materials, food items or grease accumulation.

8. have a pot lid handy to smother a pan fire. Do not attempt to pick up the pot or pan. Shut off the heat and cover the fire with a lid. Do not use water. It will cause splashing and spread the fire.

While many of these tips are not new to there is a list of these tips and other information located at this link http://www.centerpigeonfire.org/firesafetytips-kitchencooking.html