h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

this entry is pure genius. this information is actually pretty useful too, as my toaster does occasionally go on the blink.

I agree. It's brilliant.

That will help me in later life cheers

The 1989 book "Manifold Destiny" provides some interesting recipes for cooking on you car engine. My favorite is Corvette Stingray:

"Skate, or ray, is a much-neglected food ... Distance: 55 - 85 miles ... at home, melt butter in a saucepan, add onions and capers and simmer about 15 minutes. Place pieces of skate on buttered foil, brush well with the onion-caper mixture and wrap. Cook 1 - 1.5 hours on a medium-hot part of your engine, perhaps atop the injector housing. Be sure not to overcook, or you'll wind up with skateBOARD ..."

Generally, I think cold Pop Tarts are pretty okay, but maybe that's because of an unfortunate incident involving a burnt tounge...Anyway, you should be careful with strawberry poptarts, because the filling is HIGHLY FLAMMABLE, causing 3 ft flames at times. I have never tried it but have seen pictures...scary.

Ive really burned myself before on more generic imitations of Pop tarts as well, a word of caution for you.

Wow! How many people have tried this before?

tried burning oneself on pop tarts? or tried the alternative heating method, then burned oneself?

The latter! For heaven's sake, if you're going to try to burn yourself, at least use something classier than pop tarts! (No offense )

oh, well then... admittedly, i havent yet tried any of the alternative methods, but i have felt myself in need of them on occasion....

I didnt even use something as classy as pop tarts.. they were cheap, imitation pop tarts that were overheated in my evil toaster... my thumb hurt well into the morning (you try using a key board or mouse with a horribly burnted thumb, its not fun!)

I found a creative way to burn myself. My wife was an art major and did welded sculptures in our garage. So I decide to try it. Turns out when a metal rod stops glowing, it does not mean it's not hot. But pop tarts are still probably more spectacular, I didn't get flames shooting out, just foul language.

i would think that burning metal is way more exciting than just a breakfast pastry.....

Well, "exciting" is not exactly the word that came to my mind at the time. And the pop tart 3 foot flames mentioned back there a ways sound more ... ummm ... picturesque. Reminds me of the red neck's last words, "Hey, y'all, watch this!"

famous last words in deed.... i think that it would actually seem pretty neet to see the 3 foot flames... cant say that i've ever seen that though, maybee thats an extreme case?

From what I've heard, it's not extreme at all... in fact, if one deliberately rigs a toaster so that it cannot pop up, and inserts a pair of frosted strawberry tarts, the flames can reach a height of three meters!!! Or so I have heard. I imagine this is under 'ideal' circumstances only.

Does make one want to experiment, though. Anyone have an older toaster they no longer need?

Güthwinë.

I believe Dave Barry has done extensive research regarding this. It should be, if my cursory internet research is correct, in his book Dave Barry is Not Making This Up, which should be attainable at any reputable library or book seller. There are also numerous websites with pictures of flames shooting (maybe) 2 feet into the air.

Lochinvar

Sure enough, it's on page 63 of Dave Barry's book, an article titled "Tarts Afire". After getting a news article from an alert reader describing a severe house fire caused by flaming pop-tarts, Dave writes, "Like most Americans, I have long had a keen scientific interest in combustible breakfast foods ...". He and his neighbor, " ... wearing (this is true) a bright yellow rubber rain suit, an enormous sun hat, and a rope around his waist holding a fire extinguisher on each hip, gunslinger-style" proceeded to repeat the experiment done by the fire dept. in the news article. Their results were sufficiently impressive that Dave recommends we use huge toasters with enormous pop-tarts to defend the USA, rather than the missile defense system. The technology already exists, for one thing.

thats just it then. I'm sure breakfast pastries arent covered by any current US-Russian treaties? Has anyone else seen Mystery Science Theater 3000 the movie? According to that, the Gov't has been experimenting in this area since the mid-50's.... this explains everything!

What, you haven't heard of the Toasted Strudel Disarmament Treaty?

the toaster strudel would be a defensive weapon only, once designed we would be happy to share it with the rest of the world!