So, we’re going to a huge Thanksgiving feast with Bryan’s squadron and the maintenance squadron today. All the wives are required to bring 3 dishes, but then I offered a 4th since they were short on ‘green’ vegetables. At first I was quite put-off by this whole event because I did not perceive that we were given a choice. We had other plans to have a small Thanksgiving with friends, but the big squadron feast was obligatory. I’m now quite excited to go to this ginormous event and think it will be a lot of fun! It will be a great to time to see everyone and continue to meet new people. So yesterday I got really excited about cooking my dishes; I figured I’d do them the day ahead and just heat them up this morning. That way we won’t be rushing around, as I’m sure we’ll be on the IM all morning with family.
ANYWAY, I’m cooking away and having a great time (Zoe spent the morning at Ms. Lee’s which gave me a ton of time to get half the work done). I made squash casserole, brocolli casserole, stuffing, and baked apples. This final dish proved to me why I am generally afraid of ovens. I’m using those flimsy foil pans for all my dishes since we didn’t bring the single large lasagna pan we own to Korea. You know, the use it once and toss it baking pans. Everything was finished, and I was taking the apples out of the oven when the pan bent a bit on itself and butter spilled into the oven. This wouldn’t be a big deal at all in an American oven as there is a nice metal BOTTOM to the oven…but here the oven has large openings in the bottom so you can actually see the flames. That’s where the butter went. And a flame ball came at my face. I dropped the pan on the floor, which isn’t far since the oven is small and low to the ground, and backed away. There was still a nice pool of butter on fire on the bottom of the oven. I turned of the gas, and thought, ” thank God I turned off the fire alarm”. My biggest fear is pissing off the landlady more, since she’s already frustrated with Arlo’s size. I then blew out the butter fire which caused a huge smoke plume to continuously flow out of the oven. I hastely rushed around opening windows and then a fire alarm went off. I didn’t realize there was one in our bedroom…so I quickly dismantled that! You have to understand that the fire alarm in the kitchen is DIRECTLY above the stove, so everytime I cook it has been going off. I now just keep it off. So it only took about a minute for the butter-smoke-column to cool off and stop smoking, and I had the windows open, so all was well.
Zoe had been playing with my panties in my bedroom. As an aside, this is her new favorite game…putting my panties around her neck and parading around like they are beautiful necklaces. Well, they are quite nice! It’s hysterical =). So, she was not involved in the fiasco, but now needed comforting. The apples were unscathed! The 7 inch drop did them no harm, thank goodness, as I would’ve just gone to the feast one dessert short. Arlo helped me clean up the butter splatter. Then, at some point, I grabbed my hair to pull it back, and it didn’t pull back; it pulled OUT. A huge clump of burnt hair came out of my head at my forehead. I ran to the mirror and looked at the empty spot. All along my hairline, for about a quarter inch back, are sizzled sprouts of hair. Plus, my eyebrows were singed and my lashes are half their glorious length. I was freaking out. Now, after I’ve showered and rid myself of all the burnt hair it doesn’t look to bad. In fact, Bryan didn’t notice when he got home until he came up close to give me a kiss. He also declared that the house smelled delicious when he came in the door!!!! I guess airing it out for a couple hours worked. No burnt smell…though my nose still smells a bit smokey.
The point…..I don’t generally use ovens. I cook alot, and a big variety, but always on the stove! I’ve confirmed to myself that this is good choice.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!