What a week!

/ Friday, 2 April 2010 /
 
Oven Fire, originally uploaded by akeg.
Disclaimer: Not my oven and not my photograph!

Greetings, dear friends, if anyone is still around to read my blog, seeing that I haven't posted in over a week. Please forgive: the last 10 days have been an utter blur. I was in Toronto for some of that time, to do a bit of work with a colleague and friend who has moved to Texas, but who still has a lab at the Hospital for Sick Children. When she comes to Toronto I try to make a trip in so we can hobnob and plan great research projects, and sometimes take in a little shopping. While she was doing some of her work, I went to The Workroom to look around a bit and pick up some neutrals for my stash.  The Workroom is a nice fabric store - it is a little self-consciously hip, and I definitely feel a bit too old and out of the loop when I shop there, but their stock is good, and different from what I can find at my LQS. And they have a wonderfully gentle and welcoming dog, Maisie, who doesn't care that I am closer to 50 than 27.
Latest haul from The Workroom
I did get some awesome fabric in tan, grey and black, which I think would make a gorgeously understated quilt all together. I got a few pieces from a Lecien line called Andante that I hadn't seen before - very nice.
Lecien Andante
When I came home, it was full steam ahead on Passover cleaning. My husband and daughter were in Montreal, so I did it all alone. Never mind, at least I got to turn my music up full blast! I also began the Passover cooking. From a cookbook called Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes, I made a brisket with a dry spice rub which was amazing. I also made a flourless cake using ground almonds, grated fresh ginger, apples and egg whites. And my favourite kugel of all times, an apple-matzah kugel with dried fruit, plus my daughter's favourite, chicken soup with matzah balls. Anyway, everything was under control, and I was able to relax a bit with my family when they returned, bringing my mother-in-law with them for the seders.
Monday night we had the first seder at Susan's. The matzah cover I made for her looked beautiful on her table. She took some photos and when she forwards them I'll post so you can see here's one.
First seder 2010
The second seder was at our house. I had prepared almost everything for the meal in advance, with the exception of the mustard-roasted potatoes. However, I did forget one thing. On the ceremonial seder plate, there are six things, one of which is a roasted bone to represent the Passover sacrifice. Normally, I reserve a chicken leg bone which is leftover when I make the chicken soup and roast that, but this time I tossed everything in the bin. On Monday I had to run out to the store. I bought a pack of beef shank bones, thinking I would roast them all and make beef stock from the remaining bones. I roasted them in the oven on a pan with a small lip, and you can guess what happened. The fat from the shank bones spilled over the pan. At first there was just lots and lots of smoke, billowing out of the vent in the oven. Then there were flames. The photo above is not my oven, but it is my oven's twin. I threw baking soda on the flames and they died down, but I could barely see in all the smoke. Oh, it was a mess, and only two hours to go before our guests were called for the seder! Although it was terribly cold and windy outside, I had my poor 83-year-old MIL bundled up in her coat standing out on the back porch while I tried to rustle up some fans to disperse the smoke. The dog was very upset and anxious, and kept getting underfoot. In the end, everything ended well and we had many a good laugh. The oven was hors de combat, so I wrapped everything that needed to be reheated in aluminum foil and set it all to steam on the stove. Let me tell you, I sure did enjoy my four cups of wine at the seder!

And one other thing was on our docket this week. Our younger golden retriever, Darla, had surgery to repair a torn ligament in her knee. The poor thing, she came home on Wednesday and has really struggled with the changes in routine that we've had to put in place to restrict her activity, besides looking terribly bedraggled and uncomfortable.
Darla post-op
Here you see how she's been shaved for surgery on her back leg, but also for a pain patch on her side and the IV in her front leg.  Poor little thing.  
All this to say that things have been very hectic, and there's been No Sewing this week at all. Frankly, I've ended up this week wishing I could do like our other dog, Susie, in this photo.
DSC_0007
With luck, I can get a bit of sewing done this weekend!

10 comments:

{ Melissa C } on: 2 April 2010 at 15:47 said...

I'm still here. Sounds busy and hectic. Hope things calm down for you.

{ Dee } on: 2 April 2010 at 17:05 said...

I think we must be related. It just has to be because normally we're the "everything must go wrong right before company comes" family.

I'm so glad you're all safe and the damage was limited. The dinners sound heavenly and I laugher when you talked about the wine! I would have just asked for the whole bottle, crawled off somewhere and well, slept a weepy sleep.

I love your posts and hope tonight is a good night!

{ Lee D } on: 2 April 2010 at 17:38 said...

I'm here too. ah the oven fire! They only occur when you have no time to deal with them. Mine....two year old leaves plastic car in wall oven. Why??? Mom preheats oven not knowing car is inside, sees flames out the corner of her eye; thinks quick and gets foil pie plate under rack to catch melting plastic and then gets fire extinquisher! Did I mention there is a 3 week old baby to tend to too!. What a mess the extinquisher is, the fine powder goes everywhere! I had to clean everywhere to get rid of the dust! Lesson learned: check oven before preheating!

{ elle } on: 2 April 2010 at 21:46 said...

8^) I think it is just called LIFE! Some are just more life -ier. That is some very neat fabric. I've ten years on you and I know the feeling of being half a step behind the youngsters. Beautiful seder.

{ Claudia } on: 3 April 2010 at 10:53 said...

ACK! I'm glad things went well despite the oven mishap! The worst kitchen fire I ever had was making homemade chicken soup - I put it on to simmer and promptly fell asleep to wake to flames shooting out of the pot that had boiled down to nothing.

Love your fabrics! I've checked out the Workroom online before and am jealous you are able to visit the store in person.

{ wishes, true and kind } on: 3 April 2010 at 11:43 said...

What gorgeous fabrics you bought! I think an "understated" quilt sounds pretty. I'll have to check out the Workroom online. They won't even know how old I am!

My oven looked similar at the end of last year. The bottom element caught fire and just broke.

{ My Life In Stitch } on: 4 April 2010 at 07:47 said...

Wow what a week Lesly but I just love reading your blog so will always stop by for a catch up

{ The Calico Cat } on: 4 April 2010 at 15:26 said...

1. If I had known that you were going to The Workroom (They are too hip to answer e-mail - even if to say, "No thank you we don't want your money.")
2. So this night was different because it was smokey?
3. My husband got my that cookbook - I've barely cracked it... :o(
4. Hag Kasher Sameach

{ Allyson } on: 5 April 2010 at 02:16 said...

Oh, poor Darla! Just look at her, bless her little heart. She looks so sad. Is she embarassed about the shaved hair? When our cat broke her tail, she had to have her whole backside shaved and she was so embarassed by it. She hid under the couch for days.

I hope Darla is back to her normal self soon. Susie looks like she just wants to curl up for a mid-winter's nap! Very cute.

{ annette } on: 19 April 2010 at 13:52 said...

I read about The Workroom in the Fall and had hoped to get there at Christmas while we were in Toronto. Didn't make it so hopefully when we get "home" this summer I'll get a chance. Enjoying your blog!

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