Monday, November 28, 2011

Giving Thanks

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone which means we're nearing the end of yet another year.  The older we get, the more swiftly the years pass and I long for the days when a school day seemed a week long.  This past year, like many recent ones, has been wrought with hard times: emotional, financial and medical - the all too sudden death of my grandmother (which I am still learning to cope with daily), the untimely passing of an uncle (my mother's younger brother), unexpected (and costly) car repairs, six plus months of fighting a stubborn illness.  I could go on, but when I really think about it, this year has been replete with happiness, rebirth and celebrations as well - incredible vacations, a  fairy tale wedding (I still can't believe my "baby" brother is married), a new job and one more important thing to be thankful for...a new oven!

If you recall from my second post, when Doug bought the house, we had a hole in the island where the oven should be. A hole that was too small for a conventional oven to fit without many renovations.  A hole that even with renovations would not accommodate a conventional oven due to the inconvenient placement of the gas line.  A hole in which we were told said ill placed gas line could not be moved or capped.  A hole in which we were told it was nearly impossible to run the right kind of electric line to support an oven.  A hole in which it seemed only an Easy Bake oven would ever reside.



It took nearly two years, countless measurements, a handful of consultations, one incredibly talented and dedicated electrician, an added breaker and three 6-inch holes in the basement ceiling to get here but here it is, in all it's beautiful self-cleaning glory!


What you may notice from the photo is that along with our pretty new oven, we've got a fancy new electric cook top as well!  While I loved the old gas stove, going electric was a concession I had to make in exchange for the ability to broil, bake and roast.  Which is exactly what I did as Doug and I hosted our first Thanksgiving dinner!  That oven worked overtime as I made roasted pumpkin soup, an herb roasted turkey, spice roasted autumn veggies and a decadent salted caramel apple pie!


As another November passes, I am truly thankful.  I have my health, the most wonderful friends a girl could ask for, family ties that can never be broken, the love of a man who supports me in more ways than I can describe, a good job, two sweet dogs whose puppy kisses can brighten even the darkest day - I am a lucky girl.  And while I am thankful for all of these things and more on a daily basis, I can't help but feel especially blessed as I pull a tray of cupcakes from the oven and begin whipping buttercream as they cool!

So welcome to phase two of Cuit Sans Four - Simply Cuit!

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