Thursday, October 2, 2008

We're Cookin' Now!

Tuesday, Pa made a quick trip to town to pick up a few things we needed, including the long awaited gizmo for my range, which had finally arrived after an extended trip from China. Yesterday, he went to work, wiring the gizmo, and getting it securely affixed to the range.

Yesterday evening, I extracted our very first oven baked meal in nearly 10 months time from the oven. What a treat!

Actually, it was rather entertaining. Upon Pa's announcement that the oven was now complete, and he had performed a successful test run, I was so excited! I couldn't wait to put together a meal utilizing the oven. I headed into the kitchen and came up with a complete blank! I looked in one cupboard, then another, and another. After much searching, I came up with absolutely no ideas for supper. I came to the conclusion that I had nothing in the house which could be put together for an oven baked meal. I paced the floor for a bit, expressed amazement and dismay, then it occurred to me that I had always been able to come up with something from what I had on hand in the past. Surely I could come up with something now!

I thought a bit more about all the ingredients I had on hand, and an idea began to formulate. Once I got started more and more ideas came to me, turning what started as a basic throw together into a unique and flavorful dish which my whole family savored. Once supper was over and done with, it dawned on me. I just wasn't used to thinking in terms of baking. For 10 months I had found it necessary to amend my thinking, focusing on stove top meals. Any oven related creativity had been pushed to the back of my brain for so long that I had to really focus to nudge it out from it's corner. Once it had been nudged enough all kinds of fun ideas came spilling out!

Today is our weekly Library and shopping day. My shopping list is different this week than it has been for quite some time. It includes ingredients that will be used in all sorts of creations, which I will happily pop in the oven, and pull out again after an allotted time, perfectly browned and happily bubbling, or risen to perfection. It is a process that, for the time being anyway, seems almost magical.

Oh Happy Day!

1 comment:

HDMac said...

Oh happy day, girlfriend! You enjoy that oven! :)

I want you to know that you are missed in the Crafting corner, too! I am working on crocheting a sweater for Ryker for his birthday. And went to download the hoodie pattern from the bernat website and guess what? It isn't there any longer! The child one is but the teen and adult is gone! I was so upset!! Cuz, I did have it printed out but hadn't put in a sleeve so threw it away knowing that I could get it again. WRONG.. Anyway, C_oo_kie typed it out for me!! Bless her heart so I will be making 2 hoodies this month for birthdays also!

Talk to you later!