Dear fairy godmother

I know I have been going around a lot lately talking about how stuff is unimportant. And preaching how everyone should declutter. And watch Clean House and read the Unclutterer and Zen Habits. So in keeping with that theme, I will be glad to give up 10 items of my most cherished junk, or 1 cookbook, whichever is harder, if you will please just forward these two items to me posthaste:

• A kick-ass digital SLR
• A house with lighting that doesn't suck for taking pictures

Thanks so much!!!

Hugs and kisses,

Laura

One of the mysteries of the universe

So you may remember that a few weeks ago, in fact, before Thanksgiving, I had to have a man out to fix my refrigerator. And it turned out something was wrong with the thermostat and the I don't know what, and to fix it, he had to disassemble the entire freezer, including the icemaker, and replace some part and put it back together.

And what I may not have mentioned is this: For the past 4-5 weeks, since the moment this repairman left my house, the automatic ice dispenser in my freezer door has only dispensed crushed ice. There are two ice settings, crushed and cubed, and no matter which one you chose, you got crushed.

First I thought, well it's clogged up or something. So I selected cubed every time, thinking it just needed to get cleared out. Which didn't really make sense, since the refrigerator had been unplugged and the freezer entirely defrosted during the repair process, and there was no ice in it at all once the thermostat was fixed.

So I quickly moved on to my second theory, which was, he re-wired something funny and now it can only crush ice. Which made a lot more sense, because I kept testing the cubed button about once a day or so, and it continued to reliably crush ice just as well as the crushed button.

Until tonight. At which time the cubed button started spitting out perfect cubes of ice once again. It's done it on two separate occasions now, and frankly, I'm scared to try it again. I should note, I always loved crushed ice, until two years ago when I bought this refrigerator that crushes it for me, and now I much prefer cubes. So I will be very sad if this cubing ability is short-lived.

Ideas??

Break out the elbow-length mitts

Veggies ready for the grill

My grill is back!

When I lived in my last house, I inherited a very nice natural gas grill from my dad. I didn't have gas service at the time, but as soon as my HVAC died, I fixed that problem and got the grill hooked up too.

I grilled happily for several years til I made the mistake of moving to a [otherwise great] house with no gas service. So I put the cover on the grill and thought, something will die soon [I was surrounded by 30+ year old appliances] and I'll replace it with gas.

Two and a half years later, I finally replaced the water heater out of sheer paranoia [it was almost 15 years old, a ticking time bomb], my stove [totally unreliable] and therefore could FINALLY get my grill hooked up.

My friend Tom the plumber ran all the gas lines and took care of what turned out to be a fairly massive project. Need I say, the gas line for the grill was the most troublesome, vexing Tom and me both till the end?

  On the grill

Yet here I was today, finally ready to grill. I got some squash and mushrooms at the store, chopped them up and mixed with some onions I had. You want to cut the squash into fairly thick planks [at least 1/4 inch, maybe a little more]. Then coat with a little olive oil and your choice of spices. I use a great spice mix I found in a Crescent Dragonwagon cookbook a long time ago. I am never without the stuff.

Then, grill!

I never used to be interested in grilling. I regarded it as a chore, and though I was always glad for someone else to grill for me, I didn't want to bother with it myself.

First batch off the grill

Oh my goodness. It was almost 10 years ago -- nine years ago next month, in fact -- that we moved into a house that had a built-in gas grill. I started using it from time to time, and I discovered how awesome it was to sit out on the porch, wine in hand, and cook dinner in the dark.

So I have missed that these past couple years. Tonight there was a fair amount of racing back and forth into the house....one day I'll master the art of feeding a toddler at a convenient time....but still. It was a good night for grilling and it turned out well.

In which I am a cooking genius

  Butternut risotto

Glory hallelujah, the nice man -- they apparently have one -- from Nashville Gas came out this morning and set my gas meter. One and a half hours after he arrived, I had a gas meter "big enough for commercial use" and my brand new stove was in working order.

A few more hours of work by my friend Tom the plumber, and my new hot water heater was, too. Later this week, my gas grill will be operational.

Y'all, it's amazing how all that changes your life.

* I am no longer stressed that my 14-year-old water heater will explode and damage large portions of my home and possessions. Ever since I moved in here 2 1/2 years ago and noticed that the heater was positioned in a way that made it clear it couldn't be drained, and therefore likely never had been, I've had this niggling worry in the back of my head.

Today that is gone, replaced by a tankless, high-efficiency gas unit.

I'm just looking over at the control panel -- it has a control panel!! -- and seeing that my friend Tom the plumber, ever safety-minded, has set the top temperature at 115. That is so not going to be hot enough for a bath. [I love a nice hot bath.] So, I will just pump up the temp on the control panel!! I love it already.

* My 13-day-cooking-ban imposed by Nashville Gas has come to a blessed end! I still don't like those people, but I can highly recommend Mike [I may have his name wrong; I was delirious while he was turning on the stove.] to you when you make your next service call. Professional, quick and polite.

* And the stove. Ah, the stove.

Yes, so far it is everything I might have hoped for!! I have not cooked on gas -- except for a few times at my mom's house -- since 2001. The stove I cooked on between 1998 and 2001 was probably made in the 1930s, and it looked like something out of the movies. It was a black box on legs, and it was the best stove I've ever used. The oven was tiny -- just one rack. Big cookie sheets didn't come close. And you didn't care. It was that awesome.

And since then I've been all electric, bleh.

I won't say this made up for the wait, but I CANNOT WAIT to cook Thanksgiving on this new stove! More on that to follow.

I made up this recipe as I went along tonight, but I can tell it will be a recurring dish here.

Butternut Risotto
1/2 medium butternut squash
1 medium onion
1 c. arborio rice
2-3 T. butter
1 1/2 t. herbes de Provence
2-3 cloves garlic
Olive oil
2-3 c. vegetable broth
1/2 c. good white wine
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Cut the butternut squash in half. Place flat side down on a cookie sheet you've sprayed with Pam.

Slice the onion into slivers or small dice. Mix with 1/2 t. herbes and 1 T. or so of olive oil. Put this on the sheet in a thin layer.

Roast these at about 375 degrees for 1/2 hour or so, until the onion begins to turn brown and the squash is easily pierceable through the skin with a sharp knife.

--One minute. -- I have to go break up a fight. -- I'm back. Never a dull moment and all that.

The risotto will not take as long to cook as the squash will. I have been "spoiled" by the fact that my old oven had little to no concern about the actual temperature to which you set it, and tended to bake significantly on the hot side. Witness the many burned items over the past few months. So, when you make this at home, start the onions and the squash maybe 15 minutes before the rest of it.

Melt the butter over medium heat and stir in the rice. Cook for several minutes -- the rice will begin to toast a little. Throw in the rest of the herbes at some point, the garlic [smashed and diced up] and a little salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt since you're adding broth later, which is usually salty.

Start the broth warming over high and turn down to medium or low once it starts to simmer. This really matters. I've made risotto with cold broth, and it both takes forever and isn't as good.

Turn the rice to low. Add the broth 1/2 c. at a time. Stir it a lot. When the rice starts to soak up most of the broth, add another 1/2 cup. You're aiming for al dente here. I usually fly right past it, just like I do with pasta. Maybe you can make a better effort.

When the onions and squash are done, throw the onions in the pot. Seed the squash and scoop out bite-sized chunks into the pot. Lots of it will "melt" into the rice but you'll probably have recognizable chunks left. Add the wine as your last 1/2 c. of liquid, then the cheese as the wine is almost absorbed.

Check for salt and pepper. Enjoy!!

We're still eating without a stove

Our life sans stove continues here at Fixin' Supper. It is not always pretty.

Day 10: We ate at a friend's house, lots of little nibbles over cocktails. I offered the kids food afterward, and both declared themselves full.
Day 11: I didn't exactly eat dinner. I had some chips and dip. I did feed the 2yo but I don't remember what.
Day 12: Spaghetti Supper annual fundraiser at the 8yo's school.

Dinner, Day 9 sans stove

Tonight's menu: Red velvet cheesecake from the Blue Sky Cafe in Fletcher, NC. I have a photo of it around here somewhere. Will share later.

What we've been eating sans stove

We have been eating without a working stove for seven eight days now. Those of you who have been around here for any time at all know that is about to kill me. I realized I should have been logging all these meals.

Day 1: We all went to Chili's on West End.
Day 2: The 2yo and I ate at home. I think there were nuts and olives involved on my part, but I'm not sure about on his.
Day 3: We ate at Las Maracas. An all-time favorite.
Day 4: We ordered Pizza Hut. I love, love, love the online ordering. I hate, hate, hate when I forget you should not order pizza at dinnertime on Friday night, because everyone else in town does, too.
Day 5: The 8yo spent the night with a friend. The 2yo had various non-cooked nibbles. The rest of us went to Family Wash. It's always best to do that when the 8yo is elsewhere. Inexplicably, she doesn't care for this great pub.
Day 6: We ordered takeout pizza from PizzeReal. I love that place.
Day 7: We got takeout Chinese from Dragon Garden [at 4912 Charlotte, never mind what CitySearch says], recommended by my neighborhood listserv. Great food.
Day 8: The 2yo and I had leftover Chinese, Rice-a-Roni and cheese and crackers for dinner. Lest you report me to child services, please know that he also had a banana and applesauce.

Watch for more exciting updates in the days to come. The gas people come Monday, Nov. 12. I am told it's possible I'll be able to cook that night, but after what we've been through already, I'm going to consider myself lucky to have things up and running before Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone likes Chinese takeout. I think that could be a nice new tradition.

Annotated instructions for getting gas service to your home in Nashville

Nashville Gas, the local division of Piedmont Natural Gas, does not provide instructions on their website for getting your house hooked up to their public utility lines. I will do so here as a public service to you*.

1. Fill out the form on the Nashville Gas website for new customers. Someone should call you within 48 hours**.
2. If no one calls you in 48 hours, call*** the Sales and Marketing department at 1-877-279-3636.
3. Ask to speak to someone who can help you determine if gas is available**** ***** ******.
4. Make sure they send you the paperwork you must fill out as a new customer.
5. Return it promptly*******.
6. Ask them how long it will take to run the lines out to your house********.
7. If they don't come on time, call back to the Sales and Marketing department and find out when they will be coming*********.
8. Once the gas lines are run to your house, you have 90 days to begin using gas service to a water heater or an HVAC unit. Otherwise, you will have to pay Nashville Gas for installing the lines**********. So, have your contractor on call to install your gas lines and your appliances asap***********.
9. Once you have had a independent contractor [usually a plumber or your HVAC company] install the gas lines, they also have to hook up at least one appliance for Metro Codes to sign off on their work. Your contractor should take care of getting the codes sign-off.
10. Now that you have a gas line to your house, and Metro-Codes-approved gas lines and appliances in your house, you are officially a Nashville Gas customer. So now, you must call the main customer service number (1-800-353-6340)************ and request a time to have your meter installed*************.
11. Once the meter is installed, the contractor will probably have to return to do some final work or hookups on your appliances, so be sure to keep him in the loop on your appointment with Nashville Gas**************.

Notes
* As far as I can guess, in my attempts to give Nashville Gas the benefit of the doubt, they don't hook up many existing houses to their natural gas service. I guess their hookup efforts are mostly done with large contractors building new neighborhoods. Because this process is too difficult for a regular person like me, with only one college degree, to successfully manage.
** No one ever called me.
*** I highly recommend you take your lunch hour and go out to your car to call Nashville Gas from your cell phone. Because you are eventually going to get furious with them, and you don't want to have to subject everyone in your office to your yelling at the helpless, ineffective "customer service" people from Nashville Gas.
**** They aren't going to be impressed that no one replied to your email form, so don't bother complaining about it.
***** Under NO circumstances should you leave a message on anyone's voice mail. You are wasting your breath and time.
****** If you do make the mistake of leaving a message on voice mail, you will probably forget about it for say, three weeks, since it's now their job to call you, right? Wrong. The person you need to talk to is out with back surgery, and they haven't assigned anyone to check his voice mail. When you do realize three weeks later you've still never heard from Nashville Gas and you call back again, under no circumstances should you mention to the person in the sales department you know your phone call has been lost in voice mail for three weeks due to an employee's being out with back surgery, which the receptionist informed you of. They will want to quiz you extensively and pointedly about who exactly mentioned that so-and-so was out of the office and why. It will be difficult to re-focus them on the fact that so far, you have been waiting 3 weeks and two days, and no one has yet sent you the forms to become a customer.
******* For all the good it did me, I drove over to Nashville Gas immediately after getting off the phone with them and learning I needed to fill out a form. In the scheme of things, the time saved was negligible. But hey, maybe this list will help you. So, if you're in a hurry, go fill the forms out in person. FYI, the Sales and Marketing department of Nashville Gas is behind a guard desk and you have to fill out a form to say where you're going and why, and they will sort of escort you where you're going. However, they will not answer questions with any useful information.
******** As far as I can remember [this was months ago], it took between two and four weeks.
********* Need I say more?
********** It's very expensive. You definitely don't want to have to pay for your gas line.
*********** The way it works is, Nashville Gas is responsible for the line to your house from the gas main [the first thing that happens] and they are also responsible for the meter [the last thing that happens]. Everything in between -- hooking your house up to the line they ran for you, gas lines for your appliances, the appliances themselves -- must be done by a private contractor, and must be approved for use by Metro Codes.
************ Please note, this number is NOT the same number that you called to get Nashville Gas to run a line to your house. Despite the fact that you aren't yet paying them anything, and don't yet have access to their services, they now consider you a "customer," and you must call this line. If you call the other line, the Sales and Marketing department may, say, take three working days to return your repeated voice mails, just to tell you that while they have known you have Metro Codes sign-off for five days now, the install-the-meter-people won't do anything about it until you call them yourself, at the second number.
************* You [or some adult with authority to act for you] must be home at the time of the installation. The Nashville Gas workers will need to come inside your house to check everything out.
************** Heaven knows they're not going to.

Menu plan

When I am able to cook again, I can assure you the menu will include squash. Right now at my house, I have

• 3 acorn squash
• 5 butternut squash
• 2 spaghetti squash
• 2 zucchini

I have promised the 8yo she can choose the first meal to be cooked on the new stove. This is all manipulation on my part. Despite my efforts, she eats more junk and less nutritious food than I'd like, and sometimes seems to go for days subsisting on the occasional tub of applesauce.

Any hope of her choosing some of that squash for her meal? Somehow I doubt it.

However, she has -- after a lengthy flirtation with the idea -- declared herself this week to be a full-time vegetarian. Both her father and I have made an effort to educate her on the fact that that will require her to actually eat vegetables.

Her reply: I like artichokes.

Eight-year-olds can muster up quite a bit of scorn when they try. I then urged her to get a paper route so we could afford to feed her year-round.

Stove update, 10.30.2007

 
  At home in the den 

The new stove waited in the den until today, when the plumber got to the point where the stove was ready to go. I certainly enjoy just having the new stove, but I am going to like using it even more. You know we're not there yet, right? There is no triumph yet. Tomorrow will hopefully bring the codes inspector to approve everything, who will hopefully chat with his friends at Nashville Gas and send them over pronto to install our meter. At which point we will be cooking! with! gas!

We did enjoy the opportunity to bid the old stove goodbye when we ran into the plumber as we were both picking up the kids this afternoon. Sayonara!

  Goodbye, you ol' piece of junk.