Holy Flaming Sweet Potato, Batman!

So, tonight I was getting dinner ready for Adam. I put one green bean and a few diced & already cooked sweet potatoes on a plate in the microwave to heat them up. I put them in for their usual 9 second sauna, when I heard something akin to an electrical buzz and pop. I look into the microwave and the sweet potatoes were flaming. . . i kid you not. . . f.l.a.m.i.n.g. Luckily, all pyrotecnics ceased once I opened the microwave door.

So, I pose the question to all of you. . . have you ever seen flaming sweet potato? I have racked my brain as to how and why they would do such nonsense. The most plausible, and therefore most reasonable explanation is that our highly suspicious and shady family has been targeted and wire tapped. A small microchip was obviously placed in the sweet potato to track our every move and monitor our every word. The metal in the microwave caused the sweet potatos to flame and, there you have it. Mystery solved.

Any one else like to take a stab at it?

Postscript: A little research found me this:

Sparking vegetables in microwave cause Jolly Green Giant concern

by Grant Stinchfield, KXAS-TV

DALLAS, Texas -- A lot of us use the microwave to cook our vegetables. Imagine the surprise of consumers in north Texas when their carrots and beans started to spark, sizzle and ultimately burst into flames while cooking.

It was a sight that was hard to believe – frozen vegetables sparking and flaming after just seconds in the microwave.

“I heard this zzzz and I looked over to the microwave," said Justin Bryant. "I saw a spark and a little bitty flame and obviously freaked out."

"I was in the kitchen and heard them making the arcing noise," said Ericka Landon. "My big concern is what is exactly in them and what did I feed my children, my husband and myself."

"Is this bad for my daughter? Is it bad for me?" Bryant wondered.

General Mills, the grower of these Jolly Green Giant sparking vegetables said in a written statement that "it would appear in this case the sparking was due to the presence of naturally occurring minerals in the vegetables . . . like magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium."

General Mills also acknowledges it has received a few "comments" about sparking vegetables but insists there is no need for alarm, the vegetables are all perfectly safe, and still good for you.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture does confirm this bizarre sparking is most likely due to the minerals found in the soil in which the vegetables were grown.

"It could catch my house on fire," said Landon.

Both worried consumers point out, while the veggies may be safe, the flames are not. General Mills says it has never heard of a microwave actually catching fire but the USDA still recommends, if you see your vegetables start sparking, turn the microwave off right away.

Wiser words have never been spoken: "If you see your vegetables start sparking, turn the microwave off right away."  Couldn't have said it better myself.