Sunday, March 15, 2009

Homemade Potato Chips - Part Two

Um, so.... IF you make the potato chips I wrote about on March 7, just one more "little" note....

DO NOT MAKE THEM IN A TOASTER OVEN.

I was cravin' some of them today, so I whipped up a little cookie sheet of my chippies and thought to myself that it would be more efficient in terms of energy to cook 'em in the toaster oven - smaller oven, less heat needed, etc. Whether or not that's true I have no idea. But it sounded very green and smart.

So I turned on the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. Then I went into my home office to do some email.

After several emails and a little surfing on the internet, I could smell them cooking and thought YIPPEE they are ready, and headed back out to the kitchen.

And they were in flames.

Yep. I'm not exaggerating. This was a orange-flames-coming-out-of-the-toaster-oven-needed-a-fire-extinguisher-and-now-a-new-toaster-oven experience. Seriously.

Go ahead and giggle as you picture me walking quickly in circles, trying to stay calm as I thought through my options in quick succession:
  1. throw water on it - oh wait, it's an electrical appliance plugged into the wall
  2. grab the burning tray with an oven mitt - oh wait, that might light my hand on fire
  3. use the "I think it's expired and I've never used one" fire extinguisher that I actually have
Clearly, I opted for #3.

So let's review:
  • DO NOT COOK KELLY'S HOMEMADE BAKED POTATO CHIPS IN A TOASTER OVEN
  • Own a fire extinguisher
Now I'm on to the internet to price some toaster ovens.... and fire extinguishers....

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9 comments:

  1. DougMarch 15, 2009 at 6:26 PM

    Glad you are going to live for another day! We would have missed you on the trip to Pasadena.

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  2. RobMarch 15, 2009 at 10:19 PM

    Let me know if you find any deals on fire extinguishers. We don't have one.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LauraMarch 16, 2009 at 10:47 AM

    you are right about being efficient, a pat on the back for that... i actually have a vivid memory of when i was young, walking into the kitchen and seeing our toaster-oven on fire. I yelled, my dad ran in, picked it up with a mit and threw it out the door, onto the lawn. I have been scarred ever since.

    An option for any future fires =)

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  4. Diane in SeattleMarch 16, 2009 at 11:58 AM

    Hi Kelly,

    Great story about the flaming toaster oven! I'm wondering if the chips could still be made in a toast oven but for a shorter period of time? If you try it again in a T.O., let me know.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kelly SoiferMarch 16, 2009 at 12:17 PM

    yes, I'm sure shorter would be better... the efficiency angle was true - they cook in an OVEN for 15 minutes, but I'm sure for far less time in the "T.O"

    Going to Kmart today for a new oven. Hamilton Beach appliances are on sale :) God "wanted" me to have a new toaster oven.... KIDDING.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Diane in SeattleMarch 16, 2009 at 9:17 PM

    God wants me to have a new vacuum cleaner. . .and a new microwave in the wall . . . and a trip to somewhere fun. I know the order I want these to happen. . . what do you think G thinks?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kelly SoiferMarch 16, 2009 at 10:13 PM

    I'm taking the Fifth on that one...

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousMarch 16, 2009 at 10:35 PM

    hahaha, i seriously laughed out loud.

    some sites for you:
    http://www.epa.gov/cleanrgy/energy-and-you/how-clean.html
    http://www.aceee.org/consumerguide/cooking.htm

    ReplyDelete
  9. KatieMarch 19, 2009 at 9:57 PM

    i hear flames make things more exciting. it happens at our house too, but i've never had to bust out the extinguisher - how fun!

    Dan said most of his calls this week were the food-on-stove variety... at least you didn't just stand there watching while you dialed 9-1-1. =)

    ReplyDelete