Now that cooler weather is here, and the weather isn’t quite so oven-like, cooking and baking become a pleasure once again. But since many of us are spending more time in the kitchen, it becomes even more important to know how safely we do our cooking.

How safely do you cook? Take this thought-provoking quiz to find out if you’re keeping yourself and your family as safe as possible, here:

Answer these questions either true or false.

1. I use a gas stove.

2. My stove does not have a vent, hood, or exhaust fan.

3. I sometimes heat cooking oils to the point where they smoke.

4. I often place hot leftovers in plastic containers.

5. I frequently leave leftovers out for longer than 2 hours before refrigerating them.

6. I cut meat on a cutting board.

7. I spray pesticides in the kitchen to get rid of ants, roaches, or other pests.

8. I have pesticide-based ant or roach traps, rodent poison, or flypaper in my kitchen.

9. I use bleached-paper coffee filters.

10. I have chlorine in my water.

11. I and my family members often stand near the microwave, dishwasher, or refrigerator.

12. I use my microwave to cook a lot of our meals.

13. I often use plastic containers to cook food in my microwave.

Any “true” answers could indicate some problems in the kitchen.

1 and 2: gas stoves often contribute to poor air quality; using an exhaust fan may be helpful.

3. Know the smoke point of your cooking oils. If oil gets hot enough to smoke, it is forming harmful compounds. Go to this article on the Spectrum Naturals site that explains which are the right oils for cooking.

4. Food is best saved in glass or ceramic containers, since there is evidence that chemicals from plastics leach into food.

5. Leftovers are best refrigerated immediately to avoid the proliferation of bacteria that can cause food-borne illness.

6. Annie recommends using a plate for cutting meat that can be placed in the dishwasher after every use to prevent food-borne illness.

7 and 8: Pesticides need to stay out of the kitchen. See these great ideas for all-natural ways to rid your home of pests:

Repel Flies Naturally

Custom Make Your Own Insect Repellent

Scatter Mice Far and Wide Naturally

9. The chlorine used to bleach paper coffee filters is harmful to the body. Unbleached filters work just as well and are much safer.

10. Chlorine in cooking water can cause compounds to form that are harmful to our health.

11. EMFs from kitchen appliances (most notably the microwave) are linked to a growing number of health concerns.

12. Microwaves often heat food unevenly, which means that they may insuffiently kill the bacteria that cause food-borne illness. Although this is controversial, some researchers (see Gabriel Cousens, M.D.’s Spiritual Nutrition) also suggest that the cellular changes microwaving causes in food may not be beneficial for our health.

13. Chemicals from some plastics leach into microwaved or other heated foods. (For more information go to thegreenguide.com.) If you are going to microwave food, it is best to use microwave-safe glass or ceramic containers.