SEATTLE -- Do you think you have what it takes to keep your family safe from food poisoning in your own kitchen?

Each year, about 15 million people get sick from the bacteria they pick up right in their own kitchen.

We've all probably eaten something that's been left in our lunch bag too long, or drank milk that's past its "sell by" date. So the experts at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute decided to set us straight.

"We put together a food safety quiz that will test your food safety smarts and see what you're doing right, what you're doing wrong, and how we can improve on that," said Samantha Cassetty, Nutrition Director at Good Housekeeping Research Institute.

So, let's say it's late afternoon and you need a pick-me-up. Is it safe to microwave the cold coffee left in the pot from breakfast?

"You can drink the coffee as long as it doesn't have milk in it," Cassetty said. "The coffee has two acids in it that help prevent bacteria from growing, and the milk will spoil."

How about you forgot and left the cooked rice on the counter after lunch. Is it OK to reheat and eat for dinner?

"It's not OK to do that," she said. "Any food that has been left out for more than two hours is considered unsafe to eat."

The milk in your refrigerator has a "sell by" date that passed 3 days ago. It smells OK; can you drink it?

"Surprisingly, you can drink the milk past its sell-by date," Cassetty said. "The USDA considers milk to be safe up to seven days beyond the date."

To keep milk fresh longer, Good Housekeeping recommends storing it in the back of the fridge, where it's the coldest.

A few more tips:

Refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible in shallow containers. Waiting for the food to cool at room temperature gives bacteria time to grow.

Throw out cooked meat or poultry after four days.

Bacteria doesn't grow on food that's frozen, so it's safe to eat even a year or more later, but the taste and texture may suffer.