Oven Lovin'

by Anna Campbell

Are you a baker?

I am!

Even more, I'm a carnivore from way back. I grew up in a farming family and farming families tend to go heavy on the protein because of all the hard physical work involved in running the property. And meat loves being roasted in an oven. All that dripping, roasty goodness? YUM!

As a consequence, I've always made great use of the ovens in the houses I've lived in. I've seen rental properties where it's clear nobody has ever touched the oven since it was installed. That would not be moi!

Nothing beats a roast chicken or a leg of lamb. And what says 'home' more loudly (or more fragrantly) than a casserole? And I love to bake treats as well. Especially biscuits and desserts. For some reason, I've never had great luck with cakes. I find doing a big tray of deliciousness in the oven is a great stress-beater and it gives you pretty instant gratification unlike other activities like, you know, WRITING! Not only that, baking makes you popular when you share the goodness around.

So you can imagine my horror six months ago, when in the middle of baking a chicken for my birthday dinner, my oven died. Picture shrieking and tearing of hair and running around like a loon! It wasn't pretty! But then nor was half-raw chicken, sadly.

A couple of weeks ago, some lovely men with hammers and screwdrivers installed a brand-new oven in my kitchen. It turns out ovens have changed size in the 20 years since the last one went in so there was cabinetry involved as well as electrical know-how. But I am now the proud possessor of a lovely oven and a half. Watch out, neighbors! You are about to be barraged with biscuits (or cookies for my American friends).

And, Oven, welcome to my house. I promise to love and care and treat you with respect... Ah, who am I kidding? I'm going to work this baby into the ground. Now where's that potato peeler? I can feel a roasty coming on!

So are you a carnivore? A baking fiend? Just a fiend, perhaps? What's your favorite thing to cook? Where do you do most of your cooking?

Anna Campbell: Kitchen Appliance Lurve!

by Anna Campbell

This is a photo of the corner of my kitchen.

Do you notice the beautiful silvery thing that looks like a spaceship? That's the new love of my life - my Russell Hobbs kettle!

By the way, when I tell you I drink tea A LOT when I'm working, check out the teabag container! Clearly that statement is no exaggeration.

I've been eyeing RH kettles for years now but I've always been sensible and economical and bought the cheaper plastic Sunbeam jug (do you guys have these brands? I suspect you do!). You know, it's something to boil water. No need to go overboard!

Here's a photo of the jug that died recently on me.

Definitely functional!

But not a source of aesthetic pleasure.

Like my new kettle.

I LOVE my new kettle. I love its shiny beauty. I love the fact that it pours like a dream. I love the way that black handle curves into my hand. I love that it turns my teamaking into an event.

Yes, I am officially tragic. What can I say?

Although that might be a case of the pot calling the kettle silver!

The Russell Hobbs kettle was considerably more expensive than the Sunbeam number but I rationalized that by reminding myself over the million cups of tea it will make in its lifetime, that's going to work out as less than a cent a cup.

My farming family background insists on frugality where possible, so I felt very extravagant when I bought the silver monster. And I'm so glad I did.

Just at the moment, I'm nose to grindstone in the deadline cave - don't even have time for Sven, the Swedish masseur in the Romance Bandits lair, to give me a massage. That's seriously busy! My lovely new kettle really brightens my early morning shift when bleary-eyed, I shuffle out to have my first cup of tea for the day.

Russell, I officially have a crush on you! I'm off to carve our initials in a heart into a gum tree.

So do you have something workaday in your house that you love? A new fridge? A new washing machine? A handsome husband? Snork! Please don't make me the only kitchen appliance tragic in the entire world! It might drive me to drink - TEA of course!