Several weeks ago, when I purchased the new washer/dryer, I also ordered a replacement under-counter fridge (which was finally delivered yesterday) for the bar in our family room. Along with everything else in our 16-year-old house - it died.
I'm telling you right now, if your house is fifteen years old - move!
I have been wanting to move for the past several days because we could NOT get the old refrigerator out from under the counter! It was wedged-in, screwed in and braced-in too well. We thought it was due to one final screw that we could not remove.
No problem. This morning, our plumber was coming to run a water line to the ice maker (the new model has an ice maker!) and we knew a plumber would have the correct tool to simply cut the screw in half - therefore releasing the jammed refrigerator. The screw was cut, but the fridge would still not budge. It was determined the refrigerator was installed BEFORE the wood trim was installed.
Oops.
I called our painter, Brad. He knew about removing moldings and wood trim - as all of these things were required when his crew painted our kitchen and cabinets last year. I am not kidding - you won't believe this - Brad dispatched Jose immediately to our house and Jose cut through the molding, removed the wood trim and then helped DT shimmy that dang broken fridge from the cabinet.
I adore Jose. He is so helpful, always cheerful and works so hard. Jose has two children, two years apart, both born on January 1st. Isn't that amazing?I adore DT. He is so helpful, always cheerful and works so hard. DT has one child, born on August 22nd. Isn't that amazing?
Free at last!
This is our plumber, Ken, hooking-up the line for the ice maker. If you can even believe this - and you won't - Ken waited around for DT and Jose to unleash the beast pry the fridge out so he could finish his job. Not only did he wait... while he was waiting Ken was bored and, well... let's just say Ken has that whole Y-chromosome thing going-on and a fully-loaded tool belt and there was a stainless steel door panel to be installed on a shiny new refrigerator. Yep. You guessed it - Ken installed the door panel to the new fridge! Good thing too. What took him twenty minutes would have taken DT and I two hours.
Ta da!Jose is coming back on Friday with new black trim pieces and all the stuff to patch-up the molding below the fridge. I am thinking Jose should install the white molding with velcro... because in sixteen years we are just going to have to do this again. (I even wrote a dated note of apology with a Sharpie on the top of the new fridge for the poor soul who completes this task.)
The top wooden rack slides out - several bottles of wine can lay down on the rack.
I'm thinking of popping the cork on that bottle of champagne tonight.
The fridge has two shelves and a large bin in the door. The space next to the ice bucket will easily hold my martini glasses!Three hours later, the interior temperatures had reached the proper degrees and cubes were popping out like mad from the ice maker!
Ahhhh... all is right in my world again.
Or it will be as soon as this elephant is hauled off to recycling.Listen to the hottest new Hanukkah song! (Seriously, this is saying something!)
Anyway, tonight is the first night of Hanukkah! Time to fry the latkes!
For our "first night of Hanukkah" dinner, I roasted a chicken.I know you are all shocked.
Honestly, I am a little "poultried-out" after Thanksgiving, but dammit - it is Hanukkah, and I am genetically predisposed to roast a chicken tonight. I butterflied the bird -easy - and the roasting time is dramatically reduced (plus DT finds the bird easier to carve when butterflied). I rubbed the 5 pound (organic, free-range, etc.) bird with minced garlic, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, pepper, salt and olive oil and let it rest in the fridge all afternoon (i.e., while we were preoccupied with the fridge-switch).
Fifty-five minutes in the oven at 425°, the chicken was finished. (I would roast a whole five pound chicken for 90 minutes.)
The bird was tented with foil while I fried the latkes; DT carved, and dinner was served.
Tonight I prepared My Other Latkes, Another Way - and I used flour, not matzo meal. Delicious!
Happy Hanukkah!
Until my next update, I remain, your well-chilled correspondent.