Category: Uncategorized

I tried to make some roasted veggies a few nights ago. After about 15 minutes, I heard a loud pop from the oven. It sounded suspiciously like an element breaking (BTDT). The element looked intact, but it wasn’t working, so I turned on the broiler to heat up the oven, then turned it off. That provided enough heat to almost finish cooking the veggies. After another 15 minutes, I turned on the broiler again, and there was a giant flash of blue between the back of the stove and the wall.

Eeep!

I turned off the oven and flipped off the breaker. Electricity scares the hell out of me. I had to wait until this morning to call maintenance, though, so I spent the weekend without a stove. This, of course, means that everything in my house requires stove-type cooking.

Anyway, the maintenance guy showed up at a little after 4pm, with an extra element. I told him that I didn’t think the element was going to fix the problem. I don’t think he believed me (though I couldn’t swear to it, as I could only make out every 5th word he said[1]), but he did finally pull the stove out. Apparently, one of the wires had either come loose or hadn’t been properly attached, because it had burned through. That was the giant flash I saw. He went to get a replacement, and now my stove is working again.

Wheee!

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1. I’m usually pretty good at deciphering the local patois, but lordy, was this guy’s speech unintelligible! I think he and Boomhauer must be long lost brothers.

My neighbor brought me a piece of Christmas cornbread. Just a plain, square piece of cornbread, wrapped in a paper towel. To celebrate the Bebeh Jeebus’ birth. Is this part of some tradition that I have heretofore been unaware?

I’ve never been a huge fan of split pea soup. I’ve only had it out of a can, and I really don’t like the sweet flavor canned split pea soup has. But! I bought some dried split peas to add to bean soup, and since I had most of a bag left over, and since I’m out of lentils, and since the weather is finally cooperating, I thought I’d try making split pea soup from scratch.

Mmmm.

I left it really simple, assuming that what’s good for lentils or beans must be good for split peas. Just split peas, some homemade veggie broth, onions, lots of fresh garlic, salt, and diced tomatoes. I let that cook in the crock pot for most of the day, then after the peas were tender, I added sliced carrots and diced potatoes.