Turkey Tips for a Safe Thanksgiving 

When we advise to be careful with sharp objects, we do mean to include passive aggressive comments and snide political references. 

Plan out Your Drive 

By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, the weather outside can be frightful. If you’re in an area with a lot of snow or hazardous weather conditions, you may want to consider planning your Thanksgiving commute around the weather. Having a first aid kit, a small shovel, a windshield scraper, and blankets, is generally a good start. Depending on where you’re located, you may also want to have some non-perishable food items in the car along with bottled water. Pay attention to weather alerts and weather advisories and look up what each alert means. Many people don’t know this but there’s a difference between a winter weather warning and a winter weather advisory. Understanding the forecast and what’s expected may help you make safe decisions on Thanksgiving. 

Don’t Drive Drowsy 

On Thanksgiving’s eve there are generally two types of impaired drivers: those who have had a little too much wine at the Thanksgiving dinner table and those who are up a little bit later than usual. While Black Friday Shopping can be fun, you shouldn’t drive drowsy in order to get a good deal—the deals will be there tomorrow. If you’re having trouble seeing the last few miles, or your vision is beginning to blur, you may be too drowsy to drive. If your eyes are continuing to water, and you’re having a hard time keeping them open, those are both signs that you’re too drowsy to drive. If you’re too drowsy to drive, it may be a good idea to spend the night at your family member’s house and do your black Friday shopping the next day. 

Cook the Turkey Right 

Cooking the turkey the right way is a great way to avoid food poisoning. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, avoiding food poisoning ought to be at the top of your priority list—especially if you only have a two-bathroom home. Research instructions on how to cook a turkey and how to thaw a turkey properly. Most people don’t know how to properly cook a turkey because they don’t normally cook an entire turkey for dinner. Since it can be difficult to determine whether or not the turkey is actually done, having a meat thermometer may be necessary. When using a meat thermometer, don’t just test the outsides of the turkey. Test many different spots, including the middle of the turkey. There’s also a proper way to thaw a turkey—and it’s not in a dishwasher or sitting on the porch outside—make sure you thaw the turkey properly as well.  

Be Careful with Sharp Objects 

Be careful with sharp objects on Thanksgiving, especially if there will be young children in the home. If you have children helping you with the Thanksgiving preparations, make sure they’re doing age-appropriate tasks that will not put themselves in danger or anyone else in danger for that matter. Not only should you make sure that young children aren’t handling sharp objects, you should also make sure that sharp objects are out of their reach entirely. When adults are under stress and pressure from cooking Thanksgiving dinner, they don’t often have the mental energy necessary to supervise young children while preparing a feast for many guests. Keeping all sharp objects out of sight/reach can help ensure an injury-free Thanksgiving. 

Cook in a Clean Kitchen 

Obviously, it’s important to cook in a kitchen that’s clean, but it’s also important to look out for items that can become contaminated. Thanksgiving dinners often include meat products, which, in their raw form, can contaminate other items and dishes. This can happen when a person uses a cutting board to slice cut raw meat, then uses the same cutting board—without washing it—to prepare another dish. Not only should your kitchen be clean, but you should also look at the ingredients that you’re using. Using expired ingredients can cause some serious health problems—the kind that you don’t want to endure when you’ve got a house full of in-laws. If it smells funny or looks funny, it may need to be thrown out even if the expiration date has not yet passed. 

Car Crash? We’ve Got Your Back 

At Moxie Law Group, our car accident attorneys are dedicated to helping you stay safe this holiday season. During the winter season, car accidents are much more common than we’d like, and insurance companies don’t seem to be in the Christmas spirit. If you’ve sustained injury in an accident, and you need help getting the compensation you need to recover, contact Moxie Law Group today for a free consultation.