After years of walking around in the kitchen, I’ve been around enough to select my very own 5 mistakes (alright… some of them may be out there as well, let’s face it foodies, the Internet is an enormously big place) but the ones that I’ve chosen are more common than you think, voilà:

1. Leaning across a burner or forgetting to put a mitten on.As dumb as it sounds, fire related accidents are the most common ones and the ones that could cause you more harm, as well.

2. Never leave a cooking pot unattended. It’s extremely easy to forget whatever you’re cooking if you’re living your life on the edge! Work, family, life… From a small knock on the door to the telephone, if you have something cooking and you leave the kitchen, check back frequently!

3. Avoid wearing loosely fitted clothing while cooking. Sleeves, sashes and shirt tails can get caught on knobs or catch fire – The famous fire, again!

4. Spills. Even small puddles of liquid can cause you to slip and fall. Leaving spills on counter-tops can cause cross-contamination… Spills are simply not good, people, not good…

5. Knives Are More Threatening Than They Look! Be sure to keep your knives in safe place in your counter or in your kitchen. If you’re not a trained cook, be sure to slice slowly and in a dry enough place. Do not lose attention and be careful of those little scares of the day! (Your phone ringing, your cell vibrating, etc…)