Dumb things you have done in the kitchen...that you are willing to admit

[Andy M.]

I seldom use skillets in the oven. At least half a dozen times I've used a towel or hot pad to move a skillet from the oven to the stove top, put down the hot pad and immediately grabbed the skillet handle bare-handed.

I've done that in the past then I got a couple of Lodge handle covers. Insulated sleeves that fit over the handle and stay on by themselves. I slide it on to take the pan out of the oven and leave it there until after dinner.

 

[miniman]

I have a number of sillys including some of those mentioned by others but my favourite story is from when I was at university. A group of us had gone on a conference and were sharing a chalet. My friend was on cooking duty one night and duly turned around and said:
"Do I mash the potatoes before I cook them?"

Hes never been allowed to forget it.

 

[Snoop Puss]

Goboenomo, sounds to me like you, your colleagues but most especially your boss need training on health and safety in the kitchen.

 

[goboenomo]

This was over a 4 year period.

2 of which were during the training.

 

[lindatooo]

Just this week I made dh's favorite dish, Tuna Noodle Casserole. I realized after we'd eaten that I'd forgotten the Cream of Mushroom soup! Fortunately I'd sauteed up enough mushrooms and onions that it wasn't too dry!

 

[pdswife]

Cuts...burns...
setting the veggies to steam and then forgetting about them until
the smoke and the smell brought me back to the kichen...

We have a double oven and I put my roast into cook and after an hour went to check on it... I'd put it in the cold oven NOT the one I'd turned on.

 

[miniman]

Just had one last night.

Put some burgers on the griddle for supper for my boys and went through to do something else in the living room. The smoke alarm went off, which is always doing. I ignored it and then went through to find the kitchen rather full of smoke and two burgers a little crispy on the bottom - so had doors and windows open with cold air blasting through the house to clear the air.

 

[mudbug]

I've done that in the past then I got a couple of Lodge handle covers. Insulated sleeves that fit over the handle and stay on by themselves. I slide it on to take the pan out of the oven and leave it there until after dinner.

Those things are lifesavers, Andy. I use them too. However, I often forget to turn the oven off after I'm finished using it.

This usually gets noticed by whoever is doing the dishes about 30 minutes later.

 

[Alix]

Does cutting off the tip of my thumb on the mandoline count? Or burning my belly with a hot cookie sheet at work?

 

[kitchenelf]

I seldom use skillets in the oven. At least half a dozen times I've used a towel or hot pad to move a skillet from the oven to the stove top, put down the hot pad and immediately grabbed the skillet handle bare-handed.

This is something I always do too - or take a casserole dish out of the oven, set it down, and then move it without use of the mitts.

The spaghetti in water reminds me of a friend who, while in college, said it was her turn to make the popcorn - it took forever - went to check on her and she calmly stated the water wasn't boiling yet

 

[FraidKnot]

Just after she married, she had the inlaws over for dinner. She wanted to make spaghetti. So she put on a pot of water to boil. When it came to a boil, she added the pasta. Then she added the raw ground meat. Then she added the jarred spaghetti sauce. Then she wondered why something did not look quite right.

Okay, some people could definitely benefit from a basic cookbook Or, she could have read the directions on the back of the jarred spaghetti sauce, I'm pretty sure it says to add to cooked, drained pasta!

Fraidy

 

[FraidKnot]

I have a number of sillys including some of those mentioned by others but my favourite story is from when I was at university. A group of us had gone on a conference and were sharing a chalet. My friend was on cooking duty one night and duly turned around and said:
"Do I mash the potatoes before I cook them?"

Hes never been allowed to forget it.

You should have said "YES!" and then proceeded to watch him try

Fraidy (who says HI Miniman! Nice to see you again!)

 

[Katie H]

One silly on me and one on a friend.

Me first. One time several years ago I was making clam chowder and had set the drained clams aside in the microwave to add to the chowder a little later. (We have several inside kitties, so the microwave is also known as the kittie "safe.") I was a bit harried and, I think, had a lot on my mind. I'd diced my potatoes, cooked the bacon, etc. and hurridely completed the soup. I served it and Buck even commented that it was the best batch of clam chowder I'd ever made.

It wasn't until I was cleaning up after the meal that I discovered the clams in the microwave. This time the cats DID get the clams.

Now Buck asks me if we're going to have clam chowder with or without clams.

As for my friend, we were in the later years of high school. She'd had several years of home ec classes. I'd opted to take French instead since I'd been cooking since I was about 9-years-old.

One Saturday she was charged with the task of making lunch for her parents who worked at the local lamp factory. She was going to make BLTs and she called me to ask how much shortening to put in the pan to cook the bacon. It took a lot of convincing to get her to put the bacon in the skillet without any added fat. I told her not to worry. She'd see what would happen pretty quickly after putting the raw bacon in to cook. She wasn't much of a cook.

 

[Claire]

I will absolutely, consistently burn the bread. It is one thing that has to be left to the last minute. Whether you're reheating bread so it is warm at the table, or using pre-made rolls or biscuits, or broiling some great garlic bread, to get it hot at the table it has to be done last-minute. Right when you're making the gravy or sauce, carving, etc. I did finally learn to grab a guest and put him/her in charge of only ONE THING. MAKE SURE THE BREAD DOESN'T BURN!!

 

[TigerMoon]

At a friend's home I was asked to make a pitcher of lime Kool-Aid. In an unfamiliar kitchen, none of the canisters were labeled, the first one I grabbed had a white crystalline substance, good! sugar! Made the Kool-Aid, poured it into tall glasses with ice and sat down giving a glass to my friend. He took a couple of gulps and choked, spraying the room (just like you see in the movies). I had used salt.

 

[expatgirl]

Glad to see that this thread is still active and alive. My 8 year old sister once wanted to bake a potato--knew that Mom wrapped it in something to keep it moist----no foil on hand so she used the next best thing. Saran Wrap!!!!!!! Could not understand where the billowing smoke was coming from.

Another time I was living in Egypt and wanted to grill a stuffed pork tenderloin that had been marinating for hours. Took it to the grill outside and left the pan next to the grill while I ran in to find last minute foil to lay it on. Well, in the 2 minutes that I was gone I came back outside to find that the pan had been pulled all the way against the wall, there was a marinade drip line where the meat had been hoisted up and over the wall and the pork tenderloin was GONE!! Looking down at the street level I saw this cat with my dinner in its mouth. The next day I was informed by one of my neighbors that she saw at dead cat with a severely bloated stomach. I think that my tenderloin killed it.

 

[Andy M.]

...The next day I was informed by one of my neighbors that she saw at dead cat with a severely bloated stomach. I think that my tenderloin killed it.

Good Grief! That cat saved your life!

 

[kadesma]

I have to fess up,
yesterday I made a mincemeat pie for a fellow who use to be our delivery person. I set it on the table to cool, sat down, as I had really been busy with the kids and baking and making dinner..So, I'm sitting about an hour later I go to put the pie in the refrigerator and low and behold right in the very center the crust about the size of a soft ball was gone. I'd heard a noise in there but thought DH was getting something and let it go..Well, when mom passed I took her doxie Mollie, dear little Mollie had jumped onto a chair and helped herself to PIE!!!! Now I know the meaning of seeing RED..So today Cade and I get to make another pie...
kadesma who can laugh about it now, but last night whoooo eeee

 

[boufa06]

Oh Kadesma, your pie must have looked so tempting and smelt so nice for little Mollie to devour it! Reading your unfortunate incident, makes me recall a similar incident a long time ago. My sis had gone for a short holiday and had asked me to look after her black dobberman, Sherbet. One day I was late coming back from work and decided to marinate my chicken slices first for my dinner before feeding Sherbet. I put the plate of uncooked chicken on top of a high cabinet nearby and went about preparing Sherbet's food. After I got her food ready, I turned around to grab the plate of marinated chicken as the oil was already sizzling.

To my utter horror, only a quarter was left on the plate. I was really incensed. Since I was the only one at home, I knew who the culprit' was so with a cane in hand, I went looking for her. And there she was hiding under the table looking so frightened and so remorseful that I did not have the heart to mete out her punishment. When I narrated the incident to my sis upon her return, all she said was that it was my fault for not feeding her pet first rather than proceeded with other chores first! A lesson well learned!!

 

[kadesma]

boufa,
I know, my little Maggie and Mollie both get fed before anyone i the morning.And, I didn't have the heart to whack the poor little thing. She misses my mom so much and when I use anything that was my mom's she just will beg to be picked up. How could I chastize her for a piece of pie?
I was angry though and she knew it, just hung her head and went strait to her bed, jumped in and never moved the rest of the night..
Ahhh welll Happy thanksgiving little dog.

kadesma