MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Cooking while remembering the proper precautions is incredibly important, whether you're making dinner for one or have the family over for Thanksgiving. It's easy to forget that, while your famous apple pie may be delicious, the steps to doing it correctly and cautiously are priority one.

The National Fire Protection Association released their tips for a safe and happy kitchen:

1) Always stay in the kitchen when you are baking, roasting, or boiling food. When you have anything on the stove, stay in the house until the meal is complete.

2) Keep anything flammable off the top of the stove- oven mitts, paper towels, etc..

3) When you are moving hot food around your kitchen, make sure to have a three feet "kids free" area around yourself.

4) If you're cooking with grease, leaving a lid by your stove is an easy way to put out small grease fire.

5) If there is a fire in your kitchen, just get out! In the event of a fire, leave your kitchen and close the door behind you. Then call 9-1-1.

Remember, the kitchen is easily the most dangerous room in your house. According the the NFPA, the leading cause of a kitchen fire is unattended food. For more information on cooking safety and other home tips, check out nfpa.org