Highly Toxic?

I've always stored my cake pans and cookie sheets in the oven. In 10+ years, I've never once forgotten to take them out before preheating the oven... until last night.

This is what happens to plastic cake pan lids, when they are left in an oven that is preheating to 425, for 30 minutes:

Obviously I threw out both lids, and the metal cake pan that the one melted into. I kept the glass Pyrex cake pan that the blue lid went to. My question is, is it safe to use my oven now? There's a part of my brain that is telling me that fumes from melted plastic is highly toxic. Should I be worried? The clear lid melted on to one of the racks in the oven, but I was able to peel it off, after it cooled. Do I need to do anything else?

Thanks in advance, for any suggestions.

Recipe Review - Pot Roast #1

AWESOME SLOW COOKER POT ROAST

INGREDIENTS
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 1/4 cups water
5 1/2 pounds pot roast

DIRECTIONS
In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture. Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Awesome-Slow-Cooker-Pot-Roast/Detail.aspx

I was very disappointed with my first attempt at this recipe. The soup didn't thicken, so it was basically watery juice. It also had an odd flavor, but that may have been from my addition of potatoes and carrots to the dish. Now that I've had time to read the reviews from Allrecipes.com, I plan to try it again, with a few alterations.

I did change just a few things on my first attempt, but I really can't see how the changes I made would have had much effect on the outcome. I didn't have a 5.5lb roast, so I used a 2.5lb roast, and cut the rest of the ingredients in half. I also made the soup mixture up the night before, and marinated the roast in it for about 8 hours in the refrigerator. That way, when I got up the next morning, I was able to dump it directly into the crock-pot and turn it on as I headed out the door. After reading the reviews, I'm thinking my biggest mistake might have been adding carrots and potatoes to the bottom of the crock. It looks like that might be this recipes' downfall. Now I know better.

When I try this recipe again, I know I will do at least 3 things differently:

~ I will try using beef broth instead of water, which I would have done this time, but I was out of beef broth.

~ I will coat the meat with flour and other seasonings, and sear it slightly before cooking.

~ I will not add potatoes or carrots to the crock to cook along with the roast.

I'm hoping that with these adjustments, this will be a good go-to recipe for a quick and easy pot roast.

Using a slow cooker is such a nice thing to do when it's hot outside. I think most people only consider using them for winter cooking, but using them in the summer helps to keep the house cool, and makes meals a snap. When you've just come in from 100 degree weather and don't feel like doing much cooking, less time in the kitchen is a great selling point.

I leave the house before 7:30am most mornings, and get home at around 5:30pm. When I use my crock-pot to make our entrée for dinner, we're usually sitting down to eat by 6:00pm. It works out nicely for us. With Keith eating lunch at 11am most days, he's typically starving by the time I get home.

So, if you don't have a crock-pot/slow cooker, go out and buy yourself one. They are a great investment for your family. Less time in a hot kitchen = More time bonding with the people you've been missing all day long.

I'll be sure to keep you posted on my 2nd outcome of this recipe.

Stay tuned for more recipe reviews, as well as other miscellaneous product reviews. Please feel free to post comments and let me know if you have any products you'd like for me to review.