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The great lentil soup disaster that flooded my kitchen
So I was making my go-to lentil soup last Tuesday, trying to stretch a $3 bag of lentils into a week's worth of meals. I had everything simmering on the stove, carrots, onions, a bay leaf I found at the back of the pantry. Then I got distracted by my cat chasing a fly and totally forgot I put the lid on halfway. The soup bubbled over so fast it looked like a brown waterfall cascading down the stovetop, onto the counter, and pooling on the floor. I stood there with a spoon in my hand just watching it happen, too stunned to move. Ended up grabbing a stack of old towels and spent 20 minutes mopping up this salty, murky mess while my apartment smelled like a brewery. The soup itself was still fine, just a little less broth, so I ate it for three days straight. Anyone else ever have a cheap meal turn into a full cleanup operation?
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julia5571mo ago
Three days of lentil soup sounds about right, I've definitely done the same thing after a kitchen disaster. My worst one was when I tried to save money by making my own veggie stock from scraps and the whole pot went rancid overnight... ended up scrinking the stovetop for an hour with vinegar and baking soda. At least you got a fun story and a clean floor out of it, even if the soup lost a little broth.
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simonh741mo ago
Funny you mention that @julia557, because I used to be the type who thought making stock from scraps was a waste of time. Like, why bother when the store stuff works fine, right? But after a few batches where I actually paid attention to what I was tossing in, I totally get the appeal. The flavor difference is real, and it makes me feel less guilty about throwing away onion skins and carrot peels. My own disaster was leaving a pot simmering way too long and turning it into a weird jelly, but that just taught me to set a timer. Now I'm hooked on the whole process, even with the occasional cleanup headache. Is it just me, or does every kitchen fail end up teaching you something you actually use?
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