And you sound so serenely accepting! I'd probably be squawking loud enough for the manufacturer to hear me - without a phone.

Hope you really do get a replacement in time!

might think about a good woodstove. They seldom break down.

Anneliese, hope all goes well with having your stove delivered and hooked up in time for Thursday. If it doesn't, just buy the darn pies and gravy. They wouldn't be as good as yours, I'm sure, but it might be less stressful.

I read your post with some trepidation, b/c I'm cooking dinner on Thursday, and haven't done it by myself for a couple of years. I'm making notes and lists with all the things that need to be done and hope I don't forget anything.

Steve, don't know if your post was "tongue in cheek" or not, but I'd really be lost if I had to cook much on a wood stove!

Yes, anneliese, you sound calm and matter of fact. My stove top quite working a few of days before thanksgiving some years ago. I whined the whole time until I managed to get a replacement installed two days before thanksgiving, then I worked like the energizer bunny to get everything done. Everyone enjoyed the meal, except me, I was more than tired.

oscarthecat, we had a woodstove with four burners in Norway. And yes, it would be possible to cook an entire Thanksgiving meal on a woodstove. We did not have thanksgiving, but an entire Christmas meal was cooked on that stove.
My grandfather was a genius in selecting the wood and cutting it to get the maximum control and fire power.
Anything from a moose stew to a delicate rice pudding, baked potatoes, was cooked at the same time. He would move the wood around in the stove to regulate the temps.
I'll stick with the modern stoves, but if I had to, I could cook on a wood stove.

Oscarthecat, I would have no problem whatsoever cooking on a woodstove, but somebody needs to build a chimney for me first. I learned to cook and bake with a woodstove.

With luck I get the stove delivered on Tuesday afternoon. If not, I do just what you suggested, mwheel. What better excuse not to cook.

Meldy, the stove is long past the retirement age for his kind. I just had to laugh because it is at holiday time again. My mishaps seem to happen mostly at holidays, weekends and if I need a doctor I get sick on Friday night. I am kind of used to it.

Anneliese, fate seems to think you're good in an emergency -- otherwise it might not dole them out so reliably!

I am very impressed that you learned to cook and bake with a woodstove. I would love to learn how to do that.

Good luck with Thanksgiving and the new stove!

(((anneliese))) much aplomb from a great lady. You'll get there, but I'll hug you for now 'casue it's all I can do.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gas or electric? Have had and used both and they have their good and bad but prefer gas. Hope all works out with little stress. Learning a new one is a curve also.

Electric. When the houses in our corner were build in the mid-70ties, natural gas was in short supply, there are no gas lines here and I am no friend of propane gas. Seeing a tank blow up in the neighborhood once, was enough for me.

Well, I have to cook after all. My new stove is installed, I tried it out and everything works fine. Cooking vacation is over.