For Those Who Read in Reader, I Salute You

I still have no idea how to get my site out of quarantine, but the habit is hard to break. So, here I am with some random bits of news...

1) We got a new stove! Finally. It's an LG "dual oven" (top is more of a warming drawer/broiler; bottom is a "real" oven). It's more than I wanted to spend but my husband talked me in to it, pointing out that we (I) use it every day. And while I always try not to blame my boots for the faults of my feet, wow, the right tools can really make a difference.

The story of the appliances is: we really needed a washer and dryer. The washer was on its last legs; the dryer door had to be propped shut with a mop; it was not just inconvenient but actually unsafe. So while we were shopping, my husband said, Get an oven too. I resisted, and then he said simply: Would you donate this one? and when the answer was um...no, getting a stove was clearly happening too. First, the clock and timer went (that was years ago, to the point where the first thing my seven year old said was, "Wow! We got a new oven! And there's a clock on it!"); then the broiler became dangerous; then the numbers rubbed off all the dials (so I knew how to get the stove to 350 or the burners to boil or simmer, but heaven help a visitor); then the knob for the back burner disintegrated. All of which to say: A nice oven from 1998 would probably have been an improvement. But this one? Hoorah. The downsides are all only cosmetic; it only came in stainless, so it doesn't match the other appliances, but the old stove was black and white, so it didn't quite match either. The old stove had a white top, and this one is black, and wow, it gets dusty every day. But: I love that the grates are all one level; I love not having to guess on the burners anymore; I love being able to broil again; and the luxury of three timers is awesome. My old stove and I had come to an understanding, and so I do miss it, just a little, but this has been really fun to work with. Here's hoping it stays that way.

(The new washer and dryer are also pretty cool but this is not a laundry blog.)

This week:

Monday: leftovers/freezer meal.

Tuesday: In other news, my older boy is home with the flu for Day 6 and actually asked me to put off Taco Tuesday to Thursday in hopes that he feels better. But excitingly, he ended up liking what I made: pad see ew, from my friend Tracey's blog. I was sort of cursing myself (I hate handling raw chicken! how many steps does this have?) but tried to remember: I wanted to make something that used what I had already, and this was awesome in that category. The only thing I needed to buy was the rice noodles (Trader Joe's had them) and the chicken. Everything else was in the house, including a rapidly aging bottle of oyster sauce I was eager to move along. And now that we are back in the foodie world and have sriracha in the fridge (which my husband and older boy LOVE), the rest just fell in to place. (Broccoli? check. Rice vinegar? check. Molasses? check.) She is right: that baking soda trick makes the chicken very tender and forgiving. And to my shock and awe, after seeing me eat it, my sick one asked me if he could have some and went back for seconds. So grateful.

That said, will I make it again? Answer: maybe. The prep isn't hard but it is extensive. We did enjoy it, and I still have oyster sauce, so I saved the link and we'll see how it goes. (Loved the chili vinegar. The acid seems to kill whatever it is in the peppers that can make me queasy so this is a winner for me.)

Wednesday: Tracey to the rescue again: trying the chicken gyro recipe. Of course the minute I finished the marinade, I thought, no wonder, it's basically my favorite chicken recipe with oregano added! But, thanks to my trusty new broiler, I don't have to brave the weather for the grill.

Thursday: hoping hard for Taco Thursday around here, which would hopefully mean my big guy was well again.

Friday: What does the Magic 8 Ball say--"Outlook is cloudy"? That's me. Not just the weather (my very favorite map was here; "Snow totals all over the east coast are listed here. Except you in the blue. We have no clue what's going on there in the middle.") My husband is working late, and my boy is so sick...I'm hoping to go out and do something fun with the boys but that all depends on whether he's finally kicked this flu, whether we have no snow on the ground or 6 inches...I'm prepared to punt. We have plenty of good food in the cabinets and I am confident we'll figure something out.

Wishing you a good week!