Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Putting out the Flames



Alas, comes a time in every fledgling cook's kitchen when a little mishap occurs.  For instance, I remember one winter I was cooking up a storm at my parent's house, when I heated up a skillet on high, forgot about it for several minutes, remembered it was on and I had to get some onions caramelized, and poured olive oil directly onto it.  WHOOSH.  That oil immediately lit up in flames.  In a complete panick, I managed to get the front door of the house open, grabbed hold of the skillet with a mit, and triumphantly threw the entire blazing mess outside into a snowstorm that was currently blanketing the driveway.

This evening came another "hands on" learning experience: broiling mushroom caps slathered in EVOO.  

My roommate and I were both making our respective dinners tonight when suddenly...smoke. LOTS of smoke.  She smartly turned off the oven because she was first to notice something was amiss, opened the oven door to see what was going on, and FIRE BABY, FIRE!  The oil on the sheet of tin foil that the mushroom caps were roasting on was entirely ablaze. Flames were licking the inside of the oven.  Smoke billowed out, the fire alarm was going off, the dog was running around barking like crazy, I was in the middle of eating some grapes, and we were both completely panicked because neither one of us knew exactly what to do.

After shrieking for a few moments, we got things under control.  And shortly thereafter, I Googled "How to put out an oven fire" (for future reference) and the very first link that popped up was information hailing from dummies.com.  Naturally.

Below is that information of what to do (and what not to do) in the event your baby quiches or roasted veggies take a turn for the worse.  Amusing thing is - my roommate said those mushroom caps still tasted great.  They were delicately smokey in flavor. 

How to Put Out Kitchen Fires. (From here).

When a fire starts in the kitchen, you need to act fast to keep the fire from getting out of control. But how you act depends on what kind of fire you have and where it is. Follow these instructions for putting out kitchen fires:

• If you have a fire in the oven or the microwave, close the door or keep it closed, and turn off the oven. Don’t open the door! The lack of oxygen will suffocate the flames.

• If your oven continues to smoke like a fire is still going on in there, call the fire department.

• If you have a fire in a cooking pan, use an oven mitt to clap on the lid, then move the pan off the burner, and turn off the stove. The lack of oxygen will stop the flames in a pot.

• If you can’t safely put the lid on a flaming pan or you don’t have a lid for the pan, use your fire extinguisher. Aim at the base of the fire — not the flames.

Never use water to put out grease fires! Water repels grease and can spread the fire by splattering the grease. Instead, try one of these methods:

• If the fire is small, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the burner.

• Throw lots of baking soda or salt on it. NEVER use flour, which can explode or make the fire worse.

• Smother the fire with a wet towel or other large wet cloth.

• Use a fire extinguisher.

• Don’t swat at a fire with a towel, apron, or other clothing. You’re likely to fan the flames and spread the fire.

• If the fire is spreading and you can’t control it, get everyone out of the house and call 911! Make sure everybody in your family knows how to get out of the house safely in case of a fire. Practice your fire escape route.



Friday, February 17, 2012

Taintor Fun


New "Vintage Revisited" goodies from Anne Taintor. Love them! Wishing you a very happy Friday and an even more fabulous weekend (Mai Tai or no Mai Tai).

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Edible Rose Petals



Look at these beauties I came across at Whole Foods today! Lovely rose cupcakes. Basking in all their buttery-creaminess glory. Dairy? You bet. Enough to make my stomach ache all week, so I had to walk away. Quickly. Before I gave into chocolate cupcake, dairy domination. But what a pretty way to create realistic looking petals!

Happy Valentine's Day!

xoxo

Saturday, February 04, 2012

Westward Ho!


A new year, some big news! Come late May/early June, this New England girl, born and raised, is going to be packing up her bags (and shoes and bike) and moving out to Colorado. It was announced at work the first week back after the holidays that my entire company will be relocating 2,000 miles west and a mile above sea level! This means no sailing which makes me a little panicky, but, the Flatirons are a decent trade. I'll just have to take up mountain biking and make some coastal CA trips to get my ocean fix :)

I love my job and the people I work with, and I find myself so incredibly happy when I get to travel out west, that this was a fairly easy decision for me to commit to. Though a little bittersweet as all moves can be, I'm excited. Not that I particularly enjoy the moving process...I've moved every year since I was a Freshman in college, but along with all that packing and unpacking always comes the thrill of adjusting to new places and people. The adventure of exploring a new city. A fresh start. I'm a big believer that all experiences - especially adapting to a new living situation - help you learn, grow, and build self-confidence. And any move, whether that be physically or for a career change, teaches you how to become more self-reliant.

So, let the packing begin. It's amazing how much STUFF I've accumulated over 26 years of life, so the next couple of months are going to consist of sorting, selling, donating, tag sales, and apartment hunting. Does one rent or buy in this market? Sell all furniture and buy new or move it all to avoid buying new? Drive and tow a UHAUL or drive a UHAUL and tow? A lot to do and a lot to organize, but I'll keep you posted throughout the entire process. One thing is for certain - I'm starting early to make this adventure as efficient and stress free as possible. Have you ever made a big move? If so, any tips are much appreciated.