Doing the Pinterest, One

I have to be honest here. When I was planning the Pinterest posts, this was not exactly what I had in mind. But just days after I vowed to share the ideas I actually do or use I nearly burnt the house down.

I blame Alysa. Just that morning she had posted a cute pic of Joe that she had taken out of a video. She said it was totally easy.

Uh-huh. Sure.

That afternoon, I was popping some corn in the microwave on the other side of the house. (While in AZ we're living in a mother-in-law type apartment attached to our friends house. They moved to Alabama last month. Their side has a better microwave so I was in their house.)

I got a little disctracted trying to pull a hilarious photo of one of Anna's dance moves from a video on my phone when I realized the popping noise coming from the microwave had stopped.

Oh crap! Was that two seconds or three? Or fifteen?

Because all of us expert microwave popcorn makers know once the popping slows to the point that you can count two seconds between pops, the snack is ready. (Feel free to pin that little tip if you want to. Or just read the directions on the bag. Whatever.)

As soon as I jerked the microwave door open I knew we were going to need another option for snacktime. I'm not sure which was worse; the putrid smell or the plume of smoke wafting from the bag that made me run outside and throw it on the patio table.

(no Em, that's not chocolate)

After opening every window and door available and cranking the ceiling fans up as fast as they could fly,

it still stunk.

Badly.

So I did what every gal in a predicament does, I asked the Facebook for help.

Let me tell you, the suggestions came flying. Unfortunately, I had done everything mentioned. And then I commented

I bet there's something on the Pinterest.

(Talking to my self is a daily occurence, but should I be concerned that I am now replying to my own status updates on facebook? Is there medication for that?)

Sure enough, there was (a pin on the pinterest, not medication for my split personality):

(Special thanks to Rebecca Andrews for pinning this from Wiki. Jewels in your crown girl, jewels in your crown. Whoever you are.)

So the main gist of the tips on Wikipedia, through Pinterest, was to get the smell out of the microwave so that it wouldn't continue to be bothersome every time it was used for the next month. It recommended using water or vinegar to wipe down the inside and then boiling fresh lemon juice in the microwave.

I have water.

I have vinegar.

There is a lemon tree in the back yard.

I have so got this.

My lovely assistant Emily helped me procure and squeeze the lemons. Then we stuck it in the microwave for the recommended 5-6 minutes.

Here's where the citrus hit the fan. In the 14 seconds it took for me to take a picture of the happily bubbling lemon juice, show the bubbles to my lovely assistant and then check back in on the boiling bowl, I did this:

That's right. I burnt the freshly squeezed lemon juice beyond recognition.

For what it's worth, the nearly incinerated lemon juice smelled way better than the burnt popcorn.

Although the girls didn't share that opinion.

Stay tuned for next week's installment of

Doing the Pinterest

where I teach toddlers how to properly use fire extinguishers.

Here's hoping I'm kidding.

___________________________________________________