TheBanyanTree: Re: [UpperBranches] newest addition to the family

[WolfSinger]

Somebody asked me where I've been lately.

I've been cleaning up after yet another household disaster.  How'come 
my appliances never just quit working?  Why do they always have to go 
down in a blaze of glory?  Huh?  How'come?  Huh?

This time it was the oven.  I turned it on to pre-heat, and at the 
appropriate time, put the pan of chicken in.  Some short time later, I 
smelled the familiar hot, metallic, smell of something electric on 
fire.  I searched around the house, only to find nothing wrong.  I went 
back upstairs to mix the cornbread, and opened the oven to put in the 
iron skillet to heat.

White, thick, ash-filled smoke poured out of the oven door, and a 
couple of small flames shot up from the heating element.

"WHOA!" I hollered, and reached across the stove to turn the knob that 
turns off the oven.  Then I bent over and blew out the flame.  Rob came 
running over with the fire extinguisher.  Good kid!  I didn't need it, 
but I'm glad to know that he knows where it is, and can keep his head 
long enough to run get it.

The entire oven was covered in fine white ash, including the pan of 
chicken.  Fortunately, I had covered the pan with foil, thereby saving 
the chicken (which was just fine cooked on the grill instead of in the 
oven.  Thank goodness there was still propane in the tank!).  The 
heating element was not salvagable, however.  After letting it cool for 
a while, I poked around with a wooden spoon, and the element broke into 
three pieces.

I figured I could just get a new element and replace it myself.  I got 
my handy-dandy little nut driving kit, and took out the first screw.  I 
pulled the element toward me to get it out, and ZAP! Sparks flew out of 
the front of the oven like fireworks.  I hollered and jumped back.  I 
didn't get shocked, just startled.  I looked at Larry, and he looked at 
me, and he said, "Guess you need to go to Sears and pick you out a new 
oven, huh?"

So that's what I did.  

They deliver the new range on the 17th.  Yup, that's right, the 17th.  

Fortunately, the top of the range still works - at least it does now 
that I've re-set the circuit breaker.  So for 15 days, I get to cook 
nothing but stews, and stuff on the grill.  Which is ok, but takes a 
bit more imagination than I care to use up on cooking.

So, anybody got any good recipies for the slow cooker?

;o)

Laura
wolfljsh at insightbb.com
http://home.insightbb.com/~wolfljsh/index.html