Health & Wellness

Ten Grease Fire Safety Tips

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Photo by State Farm, adapted by Healing and Eating.

I recently got a Hospital Fire and Life Safety certification for my part time photography job, which is photographing newborns. Turns out, a lot of what I thought I knew about fire safety was wrong. While doing this course, I learned quite a bit about how to respond appropriately to all types of fires, including grease fires. Knowing how to calming handle a fire is important for your own health, and the health of those around you.

Here are a few common sense tips about grease fires:

1. DON’T ADD WATER. This will create a bigger fire that splashes everywhere. Each of the droplets that splash will carry their own tiny fires and spread everywhere.

2. DON’T MOVE THE PAN. Even if you think you have great balance, don’t risk the burns. Don’t even move it to a different burner, and especially not to the sink. Don’t attempt to throw it outside over concrete. Liquid fire can easily spill, tip over, or splash you, which will hurt a lot, and probably make you spill and splash yourself even more.

3. DON’T USE THE EXTINGUISHER.  This can also cause splashing, which can send you to the hospital.

4. DON’T THROW STUFF OVER THE FIRE. Baking soda and flour are sometimes used to eliminate the oxygen, but they too can splash you. Especially, if the flour or baking soda has gotten clumpy.

5. DO TURN OFF THE HEAT. This seems stupidly simple, but if you get rid of the heat the fire will gradually reduce to nothing. It takes heat, oxygen, and fuel to make a fire. Without one of these elements, there will be no fire. The fire will also burn through the fuel (or grease), and then there will be no fire.

6 DO SLIDE ON A LID FROM THE SIDE. This will cut off oxygen from the fire, and if you slide it on carefully from the side, then you don’t trap a ton of oxygen in when you put the lid on.

7. DO CLOSE THE DOOR. If the fire starts getting out of control. Evacuate calmly and close the door on the way out. If you can’t reach your door, close as many doors between you and the fire and signal (yell or wave a sheet) to firefighters that you are inside. You have at least twenty minutes for a fire to get through a normal door, and an hour and a half for a fire door. Don’t unnecessarily injure (or kill) yourself by jumping (or unsuccessfully climbing) out of your building.

8. DO OPEN A WINDOW AFTER YOU CLOSE A DOOR. The smoke inhalation is usually quicker and deadlier than the fire. If you are unable to evacuate, close the door and open a window to help reduce smoke.

9. DO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS. Make a mental note of where the stairs and exits are in the areas you frequent. Pay attention to where you are specifically, such as the address, floor, how many doors down, etc. so in case of an emergency you can give clear instructions.

10. DON’T GET COMPLACENT OUTSIDE.  There maybe debris falling, and the busy streets and distracted drivers can be more dangerous to your health, than the fire.

Dinner

Chorizo Chili

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chorizo-chili

This chorizo chili has a ton of flavor, and is really easy to make. I used pureed cauliflower as a secret ingredient, (which is not so secret now) to thicken up the chili, without spending a ton of time on the stove top. It also allows you to sneak in even more nutrition into this recipe. If you’re worried about the chili tasting like cauliflower, don’t be. The seasoning from the chorizo will overpower the delicate flavor of the cauliflower.

This chilli would taste great over sweet potato hash or an omelet, for an awesome breakfast, or mix it with some spaghetti squash for a Mexican style paleo pasta. You could also add some homemade bone broth and turn it into a soup. This makes great leftovers, so don’t be afraid to make a lot!

Chorizo Chili
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 6 pork chorizo links
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 cups of water
  • half a head of cauliflower
  • (optional) chives to garnish
Instructions
  1. Remove skin from chorizo links and saute meat until cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  2. Chop and saute onions in same pan as chorizo, so they can soak up flavor. When softened and browned, transfer to bowl with cooked chorizo.
  3. Add two cups of water to a pot with half a chopped cauliflower, and steam for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is soft.
  4. Puree cauliflower and water in a blender until smooth.
  5. Then mix all ingredients - cooked chorizo, onions, and pureed cauliflower in a pot on stove and heat. Then serve.

Desserts

Paleo Brownies

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paleo brownie

So, I know paleo brownies aren’t exactly healthy, but these are made without grains and dairy, and taste just like the real thing. I’ve been craving brownies lately, and I wanted to try to make own, instead of spending a ridiculous amount of money at Whole Foods. I cooked these for twenty-five minutes, but if you want them on the gooey side opt for twenty minutes. I’ve done them both ways. Cook them longer and they will taste like a fluffy chocolate cake. Under cook them, and you’ll be left with a thicker denser center, that’s soft and gooey. Sound delicious? Well, both ways are.

Instead of garnishing them with some powdered sugar on top, I sprinkle some mini Enjoy Life chocolate chips. They are so cute, and if you eat the brownies warm, the chocolate chips start to melt, and then you can lick melted chocolate off your fingers. Yummy!

Paleo Brownies
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ⅓ cup of arrowroot flour
  • ⅓ cup of almond flour
  • ¼ cup of cacao powder
  • ½ cup of coconut sugar
  • ½ cup of honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp of vanilla extract
  • ½ cup of organic palm oil
  • (optional) ¼ cup of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 370 degrees fahrenheit.
  2. Mix dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times.
  3. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl. (Palm oil and honey may not mix that well, do your best, and it will get mixed in the food processor)
  4. Add wet mixture to food processor.
  5. Line an 8x8 cake sheet with parchment and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
  6. (optional) Add mini Enjoy Life chocolate chips to top of brownies in last 5-10 minutes of baking.
  7. Let brownies cool before cutting into squares.
  8. Refrigerate brownies for at least two hours, preferably overnight. I don't know why, but it improves the texture, even if you under or over cooked them.

Appetizers

“Cheesy” Garlic and Pine Nut Dip

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"Cheesy" Garlic and Pine Nut Dip

This “cheesy” garlic and pine nut dip is made with nutritional yeast to make it dairy free. The pine nuts give it a nice creamy texture. I garnished it with chopped chives, because I love my onions, and chives makes everything look beautiful. But, they are optional, of course. Feel free to blend in some roasted garlic or sun-dried tomatoes too, if you want some additional flavors. I had some amazing sun-dried tomato and jalapeno dip recently that I couldn’t eat fast enough. I also love my dips with baby carrots if cucumbers aren’t your thing. Those two are my favorite chip substitutes 🙂

"Cheesy" Garlic and Pine Nut Dip
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp or juice of 1 lemon
  • 1.5 cups of pine nuts
  • 1 large clove of garlic
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • (optional) a chopped cucumber
  • (optional) chopped chives for garnish
Instructions
  1. Blend pine nuts in a food processor until smooth. Add in nutritional yeast, add pressed garlic, and the juice of one lemon.
  2. Blend all ingredients until smooth and transfer to a container.
  3. Let it sit overnight for flavors to meld. It will help mellow the flavor of nutritional yeast.
  4. (optional) Eat it with chopped cucumber slices and garnish with fresh chopped chives.

Reviews

Tomato Jam & Make It Paleo II Review & Giveaway

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tomato jam

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of Make it Paleo II  and it’s gorgeous. Tons of large beautiful pictures, each one more delicious looking than the one before it. I’m doing a giveaway for this cookbook, so some lucky paleo fan will also get to join in the fun.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

I recently tried the recipe for tomato jam. I thought it sounded pretty creative. You can make your own paleo bread (check out my recipe) and enjoy it on toast. I put it over some chicken breasts, which was also delicious. It’s really up to you 🙂 I substituted a few things in this recipe. I used organic palm oil instead of butter and I used granulated coconut sugar instead of granulated maple sugar. (It’s what was in the pantry)

Tomato Jam & Make It Paleo II Review & Giveaway
 
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Serves: 1 quart
Ingredients
  • 15 roma tomatoes halved and seeded
  • ½ cup of finely diced yellow onion
  • 1 tbsp of palm oil
  • 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp granulated coconut sugar
  • 1½ tsp sea salt
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 7 grinds of black pepper
  • ½ tsp of ground cinnamon
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
  1. Place tomatoes in a food processor and process into small chunks.
  2. In a saucepan, over medium-low heat, carmelize the onion in the butter until light brown, about 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring periodically, until the jam has reduced by about half and is thick, like a very thick tomato sauce.
  3. It will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

 

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