Christmas Party complete with exploding fondue pot!

[Betsy]

Saturday night DH and I had our very first christmas party in our new house. We started friday night making our gingerbread house and baking cookies. Saturday we started with making the platters of veggies, cheese and crackers. I made up all of the rest of the food and everything was practically ready to be served when everyone started showing up at 7. I started making the fondue after everyone got there and it was quite a large batch as it was a large group of people. I pour it in our fondue pot and it sizzles when it hits the bottom. A few minutes later I notice that its boiling and DH turns down the flame on the burner underneath. No more than 30 seconds later the pot cracks very loudly (it sounded like a gun shot) and hot chocolate sauce runs all over my kitchen island! We ring up the mess with lots of papertowels and put off cleaning it up until after it cools down. After that auspicious start to the party everyone had a lot of fun but told me to use a metal fondue pot from now on 

[CynthiaBelle]

Aw.

Well, was the rest of the party a good time??

I have a similar story. My mother one Christmas told me that she wanted me to put the potatoes to roast in the oven. It was in a Pyrex dish. I put them in, and 45 minutes later, when she opened the oven door, the Pyrex dish shattered and went everywhere!!!

Although it was a pain to clean up out of the oven, and we had no potatoes, it was a good story to tell about afterwards.

[HorseFreak]

I bought an electric fondue pot at Target for $17.99 recently (regular price $29.99). You just plug it in and turn the dial. No flames required!

[Betsy]

I bought an electric fondue pot at Target for $17.99 recently (regular price $29.99). You just plug it in and turn the dial. No flames required!

Sounds like I need one of those!

[BurninDinner]

Just think - no one will ever forget your party!

[hobish]

That sounds like a memeory in the making.

"...remember that first Christmas party we had, where the fondue pot expolded?"

Defnitely something you can laugh about years from now.

[HogwartsAlum]

Oh dear!  I'm glad no one got hurt. 

I'm running home and checking my fondue pot (still in the box).  I THINK it's metal but I'm not sure.   

[IndianInlaw]

Talk about Death By Chocolate!

What kind of fuel were you using? 

[MadMadge43]

I didn't know they made non-metal fondue pots!

When I was about 10 I wanted to make chocolate pudding when my mom wasn't home. I got confused about making it in the microwave and on the stove top, so I put a Pyrex bowl on the stove top to make it.  That too exploded, about two seconds before my mom came home. Thankfully my back was turned and I wasn't hurt.

And even more thankfully, my mom was just so glad I wasn't hurt that she didn't even really yell at me, but she still mentions it talks about cleaning chocolate pudding off a ceiling.

[Betsy]

What kind of fuel were you using? 

The blue kind that said "cooking fuel" on the side

[Ehelldame]

I had a Punkin' Junkin' party on November 11th.  It ended with a bang...literally..when son second degree burned his entire left hand and wrist when a black powder charge exploded prematurely while they were trying to blow up a few pumpkins.  (Worst case of male group stupidity I've ever seen.)   While we getting son ready to transport to the ER, my friend Dorsey fell off the top tier of the back deck onto the second one, smashed one of my large flower pots by planting her face in it during her descent.   I didn't see it but was told it was an Olympic quality fall and splat.  We swore she would have a black eye the next day but she didn't.

After DH and son had gone to the emergency room, I was sitting in the living room with a bunch of friends waiting to hear if they had gone to the UNC burn unit or the local hospital before I also followed.  All of sudden there was this loud CRACK from the kitchen!  I had no idea what it was at the time but later discovered that the glass lid on my Rival Crockpot had shattered into thousands of shards. The crock pot held hot spiced cider but I had turned it off at least 30 minutes earlier. 

Sounds like you host great parties like I do. 

[behindbj]

Aw.
I have a similar story. My mother one Christmas told me that she wanted me to put the potatoes to roast in the oven. It was in a Pyrex dish. I put them in, and 45 minutes later, when she opened the oven door, the Pyrex dish shattered and went everywhere!!!

Although it was a pain to clean up out of the oven, and we had no potatoes, it was a good story to tell about afterwards.

My favorite potato-gone-wild story:  We all went to my Mom-and-Dad's house for Thanksgiving.  Mom asked me to take the stuffing, turkey and baked potatoes out of the oven.  Mom usually pokes holes in the potatoes so the steam can escape, but apparently either missed one or didn't poke deep enough.  When I wentto grab the potato with the potholder, it exploded into potato fragments with a "foomph" noise.  Potato flake-age everywhere.  It still makes me smile.

*foomph*  heeheehee.

behindbj

[Betsy]

I had a Punkin' Junkin' party on November 11th.  It ended with a bang...literally..when son second degree burned his entire left hand and wrist when a black powder charge exploded prematurely while they were trying to blow up a few pumpkins.  (Worst case of male group stupidity I've ever seen.)   While we getting son ready to transport to the ER, my friend Dorsey fell off the top tier of the back deck onto the second one, smashed one of my large flower pots by planting her face in it during her descent.   I didn't see it but was told it was an Olympic quality fall and splat.  We swore she would have a black eye the next day but she didn't.

After DH and son had gone to the emergency room, I was sitting in the living room with a bunch of friends waiting to hear if they had gone to the UNC burn unit or the local hospital before I also followed.  All of sudden there was this loud CRACK from the kitchen!  I had no idea what it was at the time but later discovered that the glass lid on my Rival Crockpot had shattered into thousands of shards. The crock pot held hot spiced cider but I had turned it off at least 30 minutes earlier. 

Sounds like you host great parties like I do. 

Hehe there is strength in numbers! Now I dont feel so lonely!

[kingsrings]

Actually, with those Pyrex explosions, you guys are lucky you weren't really hurt. Those glass shards can be dangerous. And what an embarrassing and weird injury to have to explain to everyone else!

Another thing-don't ever leave those Pillsbury biscuit tube things in a hot area, such as the sun.

[dawbs]

metal fondue pots aren't as good for cheese or chocolate...they are usually reserved for hot oil because of how the heat transmits

(this explains it better:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/et_pa_fondue/article/0,1972,FOOD_9857_1710083,00.html)

I"m glad the party was a success in spite of the revolt of the pot :-)