26- Kinda

I have alluded to the stove troubles.

The stove saga continues.

Recap- our stove started to act glitchy on Thanksgiving, which we were hosting. That was fun. The next time I made cookies they were unevenly baked in the top oven. The bottom oven is also uneven, but less so. But it uses a lot of energy. The top oven comes to temperature in less than 3 minutes, the bottom oven might take upwards of 10 minutes to come to temperature.

The installers were supposed to install the replacement stove on 12/16/25. But what I bought was not as advertised and did not suit my needs. The installers advised me to refuse delivery.

Back that stove went. (stove 1).

I went back to the store and ordered a different stove, one that suited Cookie Thursday is a Thing and our lives.

It was delivered to my house and sat unopened, in the garage, on 12/27/25.

The installers came back on 1/6/26. When the installers unboxed it, two of the dials were broken and they advised me to refuse installation.

The store picked up the stove on 1/12/26. (stove 2)

I went to the store on 1/19/26 to inquire about next steps. The department rep knew nothing but gave me a number to call.

I got a call from the company 20 minutes later. In the produce aisle of the grocery store. They assured me that stove would be replaced and to standby for more information.

Later that evening, I got another call from the company and my money back from stove 1 and that the re-ordering of stove 2 would be handled the next day. As would the installation order of the new stove (stove 3).

Last Thursday, I got delivery date confirmation of stove 3.

For this Wednesday.

Epic ice storm hit North Carolina this past weekend.

I still have too much ice on my driveway. There was still an inch and a half on my husband’s car when he left for the office this morning.

I called and rescheduled delivery of stove 3 for this Friday.

But first I had to clear the 2 inches of ice off the driveway. I did this with a combination of tools. I had a spade, not a flat one, a pointed one, I had a de-thatcher better suited to the lawn, and patience. I would chunk the nearly 2 inch ice block and then use the spade to ferry the chunk to the side yard. Worked a treat. I would then use the de-thatcher to “sweep” up all the little snow chunks that were too small for the spade. Again to the side yard.

Since this is the South and our ice and snow events are few and far between, I do not have a snow shovel. And the flat spade broke which is what I usually use. A flat spade with a 4-5 x 7 head works really well. Alas, replacements were all sold out, with delivery date of NEXT WEDNESDAY. And the ice melt is all sold out, everywhere.

To the internet! You can make a version of the ice melt with warm water, dish soap, and rubbing alcohol. This worked so well on the thickest spots. Spoiler alert, it took me three places to find alcohol. Many other people have been googling!

I treated the stairs and the small patio in front with the home made ice melt. I will be covering it up with blankets/tarps during THIS weekend’s snowy event.

I just got a call that the delivery guys will be here between 1200-1600. Plenty of time for what is left on the driveway to dry. But, most importantly, before this weekend’s snow event really gets started after 1700.

Hopefully, I will have the new stove in my garage after tomorrow.

But then I have to wait for the installers to put me on their schedule. And for the snow to melt. Because getting the stove through my garage and into my kitchen is not a good idea.

I cannot make this stuff up.

No new stove at the 8 week mark of this adventure.

I have one burner and the lower oven and a crockpot. It is enough to keep us fed.

Cookie Thursday has been, dramatic pause, interesting over the past 8 weeks. Today I bought a raspberry Krinkle at Aldi’s when I was there to buy the cinnamon rolls for the healthcare awards that I preside over every 2 months.

I have epic amounts of patience as a good OR nurse must, but this is getting annoying. Even the company is concerned. I have gotten so many phone calls, assuring me that they are working on it. Yesterday’s phone call was a touch base about the Wednesday delivery I rescheduled for Friday. The person completely understood my icy driveway as they also live in the South. They promised to call on Monday and touch base about installation.

Stove 3 is getting closer!!!

Cookie Thursday 12/4/25- It’s beginning to look a lot like Chex-mas!

I think the Chex that I make is more popular than the Jalapeño Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I wonder if the fact that I only make it during December adds to its popularity.

I mean, if I made it monthly I think people would get tired of it.

As the department knows that I make cookies on Thursdays and Chex mix only in December some start asking for it in October.

When I was at the hospital on Tuesday for a half shift I erased the board in the lounge and added 12/4/25 CHEX MIX to it. To hype it up a little.

And it delivered.

Three people asked me when I was there for the nursing awards this morning about it.

Another stopped me and asked for the recipe.

Yay.

I use a turkey roasting pan

1 box each of the Family sized corn Chex and rice Chex
1-2 cups mixed nuts (I don’t like brazil nuts so I don’t get that one)
a decent amount of gluten free pretzels, I eyeball this
2 and half sticks of butter
new this year, 1/2 c oil (I wanted to see what this would do. Thumbs up)
Worcestershire sauce 4 good shakes

But the secret sauce is the spice mix.

2 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs onion powder
2 TSP seasoning salt
2 tbs Worcestershire powder (yes this exists and can be used in other things)

Melt the butter in a small pan. While it is melting, put all the dry ingredients into the turkey roasting pan and mix well. After the butter is melted, add the oil. I add the dry powders first and stir well. Once it is incorporated I add the Worcestershire sauce to the mix. Yes, 2 kinds of Worcestershire.

I use less seasoning salt because, well, salt. But the rest you can go ham on and add as much or as little as you want.

Pour the butter/spice mixture over the cereal etc. and stir well to combine.

I stir carefully because the cereal etc. completely fill my roasting pan.

Bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring every 20 minutes, for 2 hours.

Let cool. If you taste test before cool the cereal will be bendy and not taste done. Once cool, the cereal will be crisp.

I used to take it in the roasting pan to the hospital but now I use the giant Tupperware covered bowl that I have. Because I would rather replace the Tupperware than the roasting pan if it happens to walk off.

This is the most vibes centered recipe that I make. If you want more pretzels, add more. If you want less nuts, add less. But the double down on the spice mixture stays.

Cookie Thursday 11/20/2025- Pecan pie bark

Yes, another bark.

But this one went better.

Except…

I had purchased graham crackers that were going to serve as the base under the praline mixture. Like Christmas crack, minus the chocolate, plus toasted pecans.

But when I went to make the candy, the graham crackers were NO WHERE to be found. And I mean no where. It doesn’t help that the house is in an upheaval with the dining room light switches being intermittent. Of course, I trouble shot to the best of my ability. It wasn’t the bulbs. I had to empty out the dining room, which was on my list for the week, because we are hosting Thanksgiving next week. The night before the electrician was coming I thought that it might be the original light fixture itself and, wanting no delays in getting the light fixed, I purchased one the day they were coming.

As an aside, when the electrician was here he tried the light switch. And it WORKED! Way to make the electrician think I am crazy, house. The plot thickens after he pulled off the switch plate and found that it was badly put in. Of course it was. When I say that this house was badly made, I mean it.

Back to the candy.

The graham crackers were missing. Strum and Drang, indeed. This is in reference to the late mid 18 century when a romantic period in German literature happened. This period exalted nature and feeling and can be translated to storm and stress. I think of it like being dramatic for dramatics sake.

It was quite the hullaballoo when I couldn’t find the graham crackers. Well, I wasn’t about to drive to the store to purchase more. That is its own trek with the construction going on the only street out of our development.

What did I do?

Like any operating room nurse worth her salt, I made do.

I used Ritz crackers as the base of the praline.

Because Ritz crackers are not unlike well made pie pastry.

I made the praline and poured it over the crackers and baked it as directed for 10 minutes.

And what do you think I found after I pulled the candy out of the oven and placed it to cool? The graham crackers. Safe where I had put them.

Of course.

Cookie Thursday 10/16/25- E.T. phone home

Remember, the theme of the month is Something Spooky This Way Comes.

The cookie of the week I baked this week was a blond cookie with Reese’s Pieces.

Some of us remember that in 1982 an extra-terrestrial came to earth and crash landed near a house in Southern California. The E.T. was befriended by a boy named Elliot with troubles of his own. The boy’s little sister Gertie, played by Drew Barrymore, was initially scared and then thrilled to have a playmate that was just her size. And then mom comes home and the government is hot on the heels of E.T. to experiment on him. All Elliot and Gertie wanted was to help E.T. get home.

Because Gertie was so scared and screamed so loudly when she met E.T., the Reese’s Pieces I think that this cookie, which is a perennial October cookie, fits the theme.

Now, it took me a bit to find the Reese’s Pieces but I was able to locate them at CVS of all places.

And they were on sale. So bonus for me!

Stove update- my favorite burner is still giving very low flame. From what I have read, this means because the natural gas is constricted in the line. This makes sense because the stove and oven are 20 years old and it is my favorite burner. Because it is a favorite it is used 90% of the time and is the right lower burner. The rest of the time more than 1 burner is in use. But the favorite burner is used at the same time as the other burner. Think pasta sauce on the favorite burner, and water for pasta on the other burner.

First world problem is that I had to learn the other burners. The next most used burner is the bottom left. Which is the biggest burner with the biggest flame of all.

Let’s just say that there was a learning curve.

I do not think this is the right time to buy a new stove due to political atmosphere and the here again and gone again, just kidding tariffs. But I will remain open to replacement. If I find a stove that I think can be useful.

The oven though? That is holding strong, despite the nearly 11 years of Cookie Thursday is a Thing.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it has been a lot of cookies.

I’m off to rewatch E.T.

Cookie Thursday 9/18/25- Jalapeño bacon crescent roll bites

This week continues the month theme of Cookies for Breakfast.

Of course, I am taking the definition of cookie with an extreme grain of salt. Like huge, the size of Gibraltar.

This is more classified as a make. As in it has breakfast type items in it. I would almost call them a biscuit but then that’s not correct, either.

It started when I say these packages of cooked jalapeño bacon at Aldi when I was grocery shopping. They were on steep discount but still within expiration date. I believe they were less than $1.50/each. So I bought 3, with this exact make in mind. Aldi also has a knock off of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, which were $1.29. I bought 3.

Not having to cook the bacon? Priceless. But the entire make cost me less than $9.00.

I became aware of this recipe through a video series called “Dead Greg’s Recipes”. A relative of the cook had died and had left their cousin a ziploc bag full of recipes. The cousin gave the cook the bag of recipes and said let’s try them. There’s a whole schtick where the cook has labeled each bag onto a spinny wheel and they spin the wheel and the pointer lands on a category.

Kind of fun.

I should’ve checked the fridge before beginning the recipe though. I had less than 1/4 c of maple syrup and I could not find the bottle I had bought to replace it. Oops. But this recipe didn’t exactly have measurements for the ingredients. Beside the bacon, it called for 1 pound of bacon. The rest of the recipe was Crescent Roll tube, maple syrup, and brown sugar. No details on any of them.

I persevered on.

You open the Crescent roll tube by peeling the paper to reveal the fault line. It’s supposed to open itself from that point. Guess what didn’t happen! I used a spoon along the fault line, as directed. I opened and spread out 2 on a parchment lined cookie sheet, pinching the perforations together. I layered in what maple syrup I had, and then the bacon, and then 3/4 c brown sugar. I topped the entire thing with another Crescent Roll tube.

The entire make baked at 350 degree Fahrenheit. Again, no time limit was given so I just baked until browned. This was about 15 minutes.

Interesting result. I cut the entire structure with a pizza cutter after it had cooled. I have thoughts. The result was not very structurally sound. I think it needs a bit more on the bottom layer.

Next time I will definitely have more maple syrup, probably 1/2 c for the size I made. I would also mix that with 1/4 softened butter because this is the bottom layer and I feel it needs to be more substantial. Next is the chopped up bacon. I would increase the brown sugar to 1 c, dependent on the size of the dough. I would also add a spice into the brown sugar. Of course I might feel that way because it is nearly fall and pumpkin spice is EVERYWHERE. I would brush the top with butter and maybe a bit of cinnamon sugar.

Not a bad make with the scant details of the recipe. But sometimes that is fun.

I will not kick this out of the cookie jar, I’ll just tweak it a bit.

Cookie Thursday 2/13/25- Ritz cracker caramel chocolate crack

This is the second Thursday of Baking the Baking Pantry theme. This means that I am using up some of my lesser-used ingredients.

Because I was hosting for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the little voice inside my head ensured I purchased enough crackers for the events. Even though my sister is gluten-free. The other voice inside my head said that I could never only buy one box if they were BOGO (buy one, get one). Twice.

We have a lot of crackers.

Normally, I keep at least one box in reserve in case I make pimiento cheese for a work event.

Yeah, we have four boxes that were unopened and 1 box that was only missing 2 sleeves. One sleeve for each night of the festivities, you know.

And the best Christmas crack crackers to use are Ritz crackers. I know because I’ve tried saltines, Ritz, matzoh, club crackers, digestive, and graham crackers. There is just something about the butteriness of the Ritz that puts the rest of them to shame.

But, of course, I wanted to do a little experiment. I made a ring of unbroken crackers around the cookie sheet, duly lined with parchment paper, and I crushed a sleeve of crackers to fill the center. The ring itself took half a sleeve.

What? I wanted to see what would happen.

I theorized that the caramel would make even a crushed cracker more interesting and the bigger surface area would make it adhere more.

I was half right.

Okay, three quarters.

Yes, the crushed cracker and the caramel interaction was interesting. And weirdly even more buttery.

Yes, the bigger surface area of the crushed cracker edges did make the caramel adhere more.

No, it didn’t adhere quite like I was picturing.

Not a total failure. I must increase the amount of caramel to account for the increased amount of edges.

I give myself a B. With the caveat to try again with more caramel.

Also, I used milk chocolate in the beginning over half of it and it refused to spread evenly while melted. Semi-sweet is the way to go here.

After all, Cookie Thursday is a Thing is all about experimentation.

Cookie Thursday 1/30/2025- sourdough chocolate chip cookies

This is it. The last week of the Cookie Thursday is a Thing extravaganza.

I’ve gone through some CTIAT is a thing background details. I’ve gone through some of CTIAT secrets. And I made 5 weeks of the department’s favorite cookies of the past 10 years.

There was one of the original cookies with the Twix cookie.

There was the original experiment cookie- the Jalapeno chocolate chip cookie.

There was the second favorite cookie- the pepper jelly cheddar thumbprint.

There was the crust cookie and the story of how CTIAT got its name.

Today’s cookie was a sourdough chocolate chip cookie.

I’ve done this in the past. Heck, I’ve done all of these cookies before. What earns it a spot on the list is the interplay of how the sourdough changes the cookie consistency.

The cookie is crisp but still chewy.

Alchemy!

That means magic!

Last time the addition of sourdough waste added a different texture to the cookie. As it did today.

What I did differently was that I left the dough at room temperature so that it could ferment. I left it for 6 hours before baking, covered of course. This definitely changed the consistency of the dough, giving it a fluffy appearance. Some might say that cookie dough is already fluffy. It is the only way I can describe it.

Tomayto-tomahto.

Spoiler, I had a cookie for breakfast.

Now for the final secret of CTIAT.

I began CTIAT as a morale project for the evening shift of the operating room. This is still how I advertise and talk about it. I freely give out any recipe when asked. I genuinely think that weekly cookies, no matter the time elapsed, has an impact on morale.

I see it every time I walk into the lounge and its dedicated drawer is open, usually by people interested in the cookies. I hear it when people stop me to tell me their favorite cookies. I see it when I pick up the empty container the next day. There are weeks that people don’t know about the cookies or the OR is too busy. But that is when they need the cookies most.

However, what you might now know is that it has an impact on my morale. I don’t even have to see people enjoying the cookies. It is the act of planning and creation that is important to me.

The weekly date with my kitchen doesn’t hurt.

Post-it Sunday 1/5/24- You get more flies with honey than vinegar

The post-it reads “Killing the coworkers with carbs/kindness.”

This made me laugh when I re-read it.

This is another Cookie Thursday is a Thing story.

I did not start the behemoth that is Cookie Thursday is a Thing to kill my coworkers. We started it because a coworker had told us in the lounge that they’d never had a homemade cookie. Many pearls were clutched as we all inhaled in indignation.

However, not everyone is privileged enough to have someone who can bake or money to buy ingredients. This is a fact that was not lost on us. However, righting this wrong absolutely could happen. And did, every week for 10 years.

I had this brand new pretty kitchen that I was itching to use. Why not make homemade cookies, weekly for 10 years.

The new kitchen was put in during the entire year of 2014 and the countertops, which were back ordered for a month were installed in November. But that is a story all on its own.

I am not sure that my coworkers know the hows of CTIAT, yes that is the acronym I use. It has to fit in with all the other acronyms in the OR and there are many.

The entire thing is done on my and my husband’s dime. We earn the money to buy the ingredients that I use. We earn the money to buy the utilities that I use. That’s it.

Well, that isn’t entirely accurate. I have had a couple of pinch hitters when I was away or sick. I also have received $55 and a bag of flour over the course of those 10 years.

My sister would ask why I don’t charge a fee. She made me charge a drive-the-detachment fee for gas when I was in university and the only person in the detachment with access to a big enough car. We had to go between 2 universities for Air Force training. Funnily enough, they stopped asking me for rides when she did that. And the relationships cooled mightily.

I don’t want to charge a fee for people to eat the CTIAT cookies. It is not in the spirit of the thing. I have seen surgeons ask for repeats of certain cookies. I have also had people ask for specific cookies for their birthdays or last days. I happily made them all.

Kindness begets kindness, no matter how or why or who.

Being self-funded makes me feel better about experimenting on my coworkers with new cookies. I have had some real success. And a couple of duds. If I asked for money, I fear that I would lose some of the control. I set the schedule and decide on the monthly themes.

Imagine what it would be like if that had to happen by committee?