For the first time since January 2024 I have burnt the cookies.

Well, not cookies, peanut brittle.

I was making chardonnay peanut brittle. This was inspired by a peanut brittle I had out of California. It was so good.

This is tied to the malfunctioning stove/oven saga.

Everything was going well, the candy was candying and the peanuts were in. I was just waiting for the mixture to get up to 300 degrees so I could add the vanilla and the baking soda.

The thermometer was getting close and the candy was turning a nice pale tan, like all good peanut brittles must be. I picked up the baking soda to add it when all of a sudden the candy was dark brown and started to smell burnt.

I took the pot off the burner and added the baking soda and vanilla and the candy turned nearly black.

And then the fire alarm started going off.

I carried the pot to the front porch and left it on the cement.

I returned to a smoky house.

I opened the screened porch door and turned on the microwave vent. I turned on the overhead fan. I fanned the house using the front door and the back door and the alarm stopped.

This was not ideal as my husband was still asleep and it was before 0800.

I took the prepared pans out to the porch and stirred the morass.

The candy turned lighter and I held my breath as I poured it into the prepared pans. Still dark and smelling burned.

I took my pot inside to soak it, hoping that I hadn’t just ruined one of my favorite deep pans and left the cookie sheets with what I was sure was ruined candy on the porch to cool.

I had received a phone call on Tuesday about my new stove. It was due to arrive at the store on Monday and the installers would expedite me on their schedule so I could put this nearly 2 month saga to bed.

I’ve been functioning and baking and cooking with 1 burner, an unreliable oven, and a crockpot. I am ready for my new beautiful stove.

Fingers crossed. That it does get here on Monday and the installers can slot us in next week.

I really hope the coming winter storm doesn’t delay things. Fingers and toes crossed.

BTW, the pot was fine. It washed up beautifully.

Not the candy, I pitched that.

Normally I would buy cookies for the department as I have in the past on the rare occasions I couldn’t get anything baked. But there’s a storm coming. North Carolina doesn’t do well with snow and ice. And everyone is at the grocery store buying milk, toilet paper, bread, and eggs.

I gave myself permission to miss this Thursday.

I’ll think about what to make next Thursday.

Maybe I will have my new oven by then.