Intrigued? You should be. And it's a good one. This could only happen to me.
So, today I decided to make hot chocolate. Not hot cocoa, but hot chocolate. There is a difference. I could tell you what it is, but why don't you look it up yourself? I'm feeling a little lazy.
I made hot chocolate to take to Redheaded Snippet's hockey game (we won 5-0, btw). I have a recipe that I really like and is really easy to make. There I was, happily measuring and stirring when inspiration hit! Peppermint extract! I could add a little peppermint to the hot chocolate. Genius!
So, I got the little bottle of pepperminty goodness out of the cupboard, took the cap off, and set it on the counter to grab a measuring spoon. Now, there was a paper bag sitting on the counter as I had just made bacon shortly before, had used the bag to set the bacon on, you know to soak up the grease, and had suddenly decided to make the hot chocolate before taking the time to throw the bag away. But that didn't get in my way, I just set the uncapped bottle on a clean part of the bag.
Here comes the good part. Reaching for the bottle to measure some into the pot, I accidentally knocked it over (I think I was looking at the measuring spoon to make sure I had the right one instead of where I was reaching). The peppermint extract flowed from the bottle all over the paper bag and into the flame of the stove burner and, being 87% alcohol, went up in a most impressive whoosh of flame, setting the entire peppermint extract-soaked paper bag on fire. Flambee!
Fortunately, being a fire fighter's wife, as well as an idiot who can't seem to work a toaster oven without setting it ablaze, I am well-trained in kitchen fire procedures and protocol. Thinking quickly, I grabbed a large, heavy skillet lid and set it on the flames to smother them. Crisis averted. Sure, there are scorch marks on the beautiful Butcher Block countertop, but I didn't have to put my husband through the humiliation of having his very own fire department come to his house to put out a fire started by his silly wife accidentally flambee-ing her countertop, and I still have my eyebrows so I'm not complaining.
Oh, and there was just enough extract left in the bottle to flavor the hot chocolate perfectly. That was some delicious chocolate--Flambee!
