Terror here--Flames in the kitchen

Earlier in the night on Monday night, I boiled eggs. I put the hot pot of eggs near the sink instead of in the sink because the crock was in there. I used a round potholder I made to shield the counter from the hot pot.

At 3 am, I brushed my teeth and was ready for bed, but the boiled eggs needed to go into the refrigerator. Done. Then, I decided to heat water on the stove. I put water in the pan, put pan on burner, and turned on the eye. I had to wipe up water where I spilled it on the counter, so I did. Seconds after I turned on the stove eye, I looked over and the whole pan was covered with flames.

Besides being utterly shocked, I was confused. This was a pot full of water! On fire!? I picked up the pot and was going to move it to the sink. As I did, the burner/eye was on fire and so was the bottom of the pot. Bits of fire were floating above my head and starting to float around the kitchen. That frightened me more than the flames from the pot bottom and the eye!

I finally figured the potholder had stuck to the bottom of the pot and was still there when I transferred it to the stove and turned on the stove. AND, flaming bits were flying around when I moved the pot.

It has been thirty minutes and my heart is still pounding in my ears. Although I am terrified of fire since I witnessed our house burn to the ground when I was four-years-old, I am calculating when dealing with fire. Even though my instinct is to panic, I do keep calm and do the right thing so as not to spread fire.

One thing--a piece of potholder fell to the hot eye, still with burning potholder on the eye. I took a pointy knife at hand and shoved the fabric off the eye/burner, still holding the flaming pot. Then, I speared the remnant and put it in the pot of water.  I was well aware I had on a sweat shirt on and did not catch it on fire!

Now, I keep guard, making sure the little embers do not burn the house down. The embers probably went out. I cannot see them. No fire, nothing smoldering. This potholder is obviously not the smoldering type as it flamed up immediately.

About 30 years ago, I did the same thing, so I do not have much of a history with starting fires in the kitchen!

It was about 5:30 the last time I looked at the clock, and I got up at 9 am. So, I am beat.

And, this is just another reason not to leave things on in the kitchen!

Have you had an accident in the kitchen? How much damage?

Posted Now--Accidental School Shooting

I was in a place that absolutely was not a place I had ever seen retail products.  As I looked where my hand was resting on the counter, I saw the boiler basket above. There was also a red one. I asked the guy what it was for/why it was there. He said that if I wanted one I could have it and then they would only have one left to get rid of.

He said I could have both and give one away if I knew anyone who could use it. So, I have a gray one and a red one. I suppose I will keep the red one. 

I have been known to throw the broccoli into a pot of pasta about a minute before the pasta is done. 

This basket sits on the side of a pot. The picture above shows a pot of pasta with broccoli cooking on the side in the boiler basket. Thoughts?

When I headed to play bunco, I was on the wrong day and the wrong time. ??? 

While at Lowe's I saw a succulent with rocks on top of the soil. No, the rocks were glued together or something with holes to stick in succulents. I have never seen anything like it. But, I rarely pay attention to succulents. This is a crash course in succulents. 

Today, I went out with sandals and a thin sweater over a thin, short-sleeved blouse. Bad move. It's not that cold, but the wind is blowing so that the cold cuts right through a person. 

At WM there was another packet of flowers for fifty-cents--Old-Fashioned Garden Mixture. Even though it talks about how deep to plant seeds, these will be sown.

Bread from the Bread Store is always at least four days before the use-by date. I bought Sara Lee Bread that tastes like dessert and is usually about $2.68 for $0.80. There are five days left on the best9by date.  This Artisan bread tastes like cake. I am lucky because one bread store is about two miles from me and the other is a mile beyond that.

I bought $0.97 worth of rocks for my succulent. I think it is dying so I better plant it now.

It is night now and so cold!

Oh yeah, male student brought a gun to school and showed it to a girl. He accidentally shot her. He put it in his pants or somewhere to hide it and shot himself. She died. How stupid!

Your turn

Have you ever used one of the boiler baskets?