There is a reason I have not been motivated to cook lately. My oven/stove. It was gross. Was. Past tense. I gloved up and got down to business this afternoon. Have you ever really looked down the gap between your cupboard and the side of your oven/stove? I recommend it. If you want to gag and experience nightmares, that is. What's even worse? It was not MY cooking crusted in the gap. Eeeeewwwwww. (Note: I'm not a complete slacker. I was avoiding this job until now because we didn't know if the oven part was going to be able to be fixed or if we were going to get a new one. Well, it looks as though it IS going to be fixed...if I can get a hold of the appliance guy again). Elbow grease, paper towel and Clorox Bleach spray did the trick and the oven/stove is sparkling...I found that it is more motivating to cook on a clean appliance. Imagine that. Huh.
No before picture. Too gross to capture on camera, let alone show anybody else. Here's the after, cleaner, de-crusted version:
And, here is the Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup that I cooked, all by myself, on my really, really clean stove top:
