Filed under: Parties, Did you know?, Health & Medical

Christmas is officially over, but the holiday season culminates with New Year's Eve and there is plenty of time for celebrating up to that point. And by celebrating, we mean drinking. Now, we don't have any problems with drinking here at Slashfood and quite like the occasional glass of wine or a cocktail, but we don't advocate drinking and cooking - and neither do fire officials. Many fires each year are started by careless cooks who have had a few too many before deciding to whip up a stir fry or other heat-intensive dish that requires a more than a little bit of attention. Since your reactions can be slowed by alcohol, you might be more easily distracted that usual and a situation might get out of hand before you have a chance to take action.

Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and try to hold off on the second (or third or fourth) drink until after dinner is served.