Home on the Range

So back in April, on an innocent Saturday evening, I turned on my oven to make the kids dinner and I heard a very strange humming noise coming from my oven. I took a closer look and noticed smoke curling out the back as the temperature gauge jumped from 100-400 in a matter of seconds. I quickly turned it off as the smell of a burnt electrical system wafted out of it. After my husband got home a friend came and helped him take a look at it. We had a gas range, but the electrical control panel had fried.

This is both good and bad. Good because my current range was pretty beat up and the oven temperature was off considerably so it was exciting to think about replacing it. Bad because it is another unexpected expense and ranges aren't cheap. We did a bit of shopping and about a week later we picked up this beauty and installed it ourselves. That was fun. There may have been some tense moments as we were installing it, but I'll never tell. It was immediately put to use as Matt had two dozen cinnamon rolls to make for the LuHi auction that night.

The new range is wonderful, It has been so easy to cook on and clean up. I like that the top is all a continuous grate and the oven is spot on. It is a five burner gas range with a power boil (so much faster than my old one) and a fantastic simmer burner.

Here's one of the recipes I'm looking forward to making in my new oven. I use this recipe as a low carb option at family gatherings to replace or  go along side a potato dish. It is so good.

Twice Baked Cauliflower- Recipe by KalynsKitchen
2  medium  heads of cauliflower
6 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup minced green onions (optional) Use onion powder if omitting the onions
1/3 cup freshly grated Pamesan cheese
1 lb. bacon, cooked until very crisp, and crumbled
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut out stem and core from cauliflower, and cut into small pieces. Cook in a large pot of boiling salted water until cauliflower is tender, but not overly soft. Drain well  and mash with a potato masher, leaving some chunks. Mix in cream cheese, sour cream, green onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the crumbled bacon.

Spread evenly in a  9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and reserved bacon. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.