Word of wisdom: Don't leave mashed potatoes out. I completely forgot about a batch of mashed potatoes I made a few days ago. Today, as I was cleaning the kitchen area, I noticed the pot and wondered what was inside (because the lid was on). Whew! Needless to say, I put that lid back on! I then did one of those... look around for something to put the nasty smelling stuff in and when you find one take a deep breath while you pour the stuff into the throwaway bag and throw that mess away!