> "Kalmia" <> wrote in message
> > Maybe YOU all figured this out eons ago, but dummy here just did.
> I'd done the stove top part of a Shepherd Pie in the middle of the
> afternoon ( had an errand to run tween 4 and 5 ) and there it sat, warm
> and oven ready. I didn't want to stick it in the fridge to cool off and
> then take forever to bake. Didn't want it to sit on the counter too long
> either and get to room temp.
>
> BONG!! I whipped out my Anchor Hocking casserole tote, heated the gel
> insert in the mike, wrapped the cass in a towel, and put it and the hot
> insert in the tote, zipped it tight, and covered it all with another
> towel.
>
> Two hours later, it was still quite warm and ready for the oven. I don't
> think it'd reached an unsafe temp,-- at least no sign of food poisoning
> yet. HTH.
I'm just not sure that was a best solution. Of course, some folks' systems
are less fussy than ours but I'm thinking you may have had just enough
warmth to be dangerous. One summer we camped in the mountains beside a
family of 7. Five of them had to be hospitalized with food poisoning; one
died.