Ever make a mistake when cooking dinner? Do you have a story to tell? Read mine first. LOL?

When I was a young bride and had to come home from work to make dinner, I had decided to make meatloaf. Well, it's 6:30 and It takes at least an hour to make, minus preparation. So I figured to myself, food usually cooks in half the time in a microwave. So I prepared it, put a hardboiled egg in the center of the loaf (don't ask) and i proceeded to put it in the microwave for 30 min. on high. I figured it took an hour in the oven, cut the time in half, you get 30 min..Well, when I took it out it was as hard as a brick, so I thought I'd cut through the center where it was slightly pliable. No sooner did I stick the knife in the center of the loaf where the egg was, it literally exploded. All over my kitchen walls, floor, me.

If there are any children reading this, don't try this at home.

My first goof was a cake. I was mixing up a cake and discovered I didn't have any shortening. There was nothing I had to replace it with except bacon grease...BAD idea. I made the cake and really yummy homemade icing. That night, after supper, we cut the cake. Into the trash can it went!

My second flub was stuffing for our first Thanksgiving together. We invited my husband's parents for the big occasion. I put so much poultry season in the stuffing that we were all chewing Tums afterward. Heartburn city!

My third mistake was my first attempt at homemade chile. Once again, his parents came, and once again, we were all chewing Tums afterward. Way too much pepper!

I think I made more mistakes in our first year of marriage than any time during our 36 years of marriage. I was afraid I was going to be the Queen of heartburn. Over the years I improved on my cooking/baking skills and I didn't kill anyone along the way.

Note: If you drop spoonfuls of mashed potatoes into hot oil...they disappear.

I had no idea how to cook, but I made a birthday dinner for one of his pals anyway. The dessert was my first attempt at Baked Alaska. You were supposed to mold ice cream in a bowl, unmold it onto a layer cake the same size as the bowl rim. Then spread meringue on it, bake it in a hot oven for a few minutes till the meringue is hard, and douse it with brandy. Light the brandy on fire prior to serving.

Except I didn't beat the egg whites stiff enough. The meringue slid onto the flkoor immediately after lighting the brandy. It ran across the unlevelled floor of our trailer, all afire. I'll bet that guy still talks about it.

My biggest disaster was when I ran out of olive oil and had to use my vegetable oil. I kept my normal routine. Washed the pot, put it on the fire to dry. Chopped the veggies for the Red Wine and White Bean Stew. Poured the oil in the pot, which had been on the fire for about 20 minutes.

I watched helplessly as the oil caught fire.

Luckily, it burned itself out since I couldn't think.

The stupidest thing I've done was not reading the recipe prior to cooking. I had all the ingredients, but didn't realize I needed special equipment or NINE hour marinading time.

That only happened once.

I was cooking a batch of cranberry chutney for the restaurants I work for using 45 pounds of cranberries.

It was a huge batch and I had never cooked this recipe before but my fellow cook had and was near by, giving me pointers.

Finally had it all done and had him taste a big spoonfull.

As his mouth curled inward and he shuddered, I asked him what was the matter.

"Did you forget the sugar"? he asked in a puckery voice.