Trash the Teflon and ask for a new, safer pan this Christmas!

_{You’ve probably heard something about the fact that non-stick pans made with Teflon are not good for you and your family.  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) just came out with a “home tip” which lays out why you should skip the non-stick, how to cook with non-stick if you’re stuck with it, and options for safer cookware.  The bottom line is that non-stick aluminum pans are coated with Teflon and when heated at a high temperature toxic fumes are released. And, those toxic fumes can actually cause flu like symptoms! EWG’s research shows that in “just two to five minutes on a conventional stove top, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces could exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases.”  We threw away our old Teflon pans a few years back and are slowly collecting Le Creuset pans which are cast iron with an enamel finish. They conduct heat well and their smooth finish makes for an easy clean up.  These heavy duty pans are not cheap, but they last a lifetime. My dad still has an orange La Crueset dutch oven that probably weighed more than I did when he got it. (This is not a sales pitch! Just a recommendation!)}