I've been spending the past few days in the frozen wasteland known as North Dakota. A blizzard blew through (actually two different systems) and we had to pull two pickups and a tractor out of huge snow drifts today (when I say 'we' I mean my brothers). The streets have drifts over six feet high.
I have also been spending the days rescuing various meats from my mom's cooking techniques. I gave up the fight today and the turkey breast is in a covered roaster for going on two hours now.
Perhaps I will attempt to rescue it soon, brush some butter on the skin, and keep it from becoming mush. My mom thinks it gets so "tender" when she does this but you can imagine what actually happens. Last night I saved the ham from incineration. This afternoon I made spaghetti and meatballs for lunch and my brother ate three helpings. The cinnamon rolls I made for breakfast yesterday morning were a hit, too.
I don't want to hurt my mom's feelings, but I also feel sorry for the poor animals who will have died in vain if I don't intervene.
Another bad thing is that my parents' oven is horrible. It is extremely slow and uneven but of course there is no oven thermometer to check it. I know what to buy for the next gift giving time (my brothers and I bought them a refrigerator this Christmas). So even if I wanted to cook up something nice I'm limited by the tools and appliances here (although I also bought my mom a nice chef's knife and my brother got her a sharpener this year. She already cut herself on a newly sharpened knife!
