One of the first things I did when we were getting ready to move wasn't packing. It wasn't going through drawers and closets to purge the stuff I didn't want anymore. It wasn't touching up walls. I wanted to clean the oven. I knew it needed to be done, because, being one of my least favorite things to do, it hadn't been done in a very long time, and with the amount of kids we have and the frequency of baking, it was not pretty.
I wanted to clean it because we needed to sell someone on our house (does anyone else peek in closets and ovens when house shopping?), but I think part of me wanted to enjoy a clean oven for a few weeks before we moved. You know how you want to remember someone you love with good health and the ability to be strong and self-sufficient? I think I wanted to remember our sweet little house in all its clean glory. Strange, how attached I grew to it.
It had a self-cleaning option, but we all know that it doesn't ever quite get everything, and there's always another elbow-grease involved type of follow-up session. I even got out the razor blade to get the glass clean. If I had any frustrations at the time, they were certainly released in my vigor of getting that oven spotless. Once I finally had it cleaned, I would walk by and look in, just to admire my work.
So, when we moved into Magnolia Manor, I was grateful that I had a new oven to look forward to, because, no matter how clean a place is, you'll always clean it again when you move you and your own germs and dirt into a home. Our clean oven lasted...maybe a week. I decided to roast some beets in a tinfoil packet.Someone else had something they wanted to put in the oven at the same time and tried moving my packet of juicy beets, only to pierce it and that beet juice was not forgiving in being disturbed. Sigh. Way to break in a new oven, right?
The newLG EasyClean™ Double Oven Rangeoffers a new option to get your oven clean. They still have the self-cleaning option that heats the oven high enough to turn the spills to ashes, or you can use the chemical cleaners, but they have a third option! Simply spray your oven with water, press the Easy Clean button and 20 minutes later, you wipe up the residue and that's it! It seems like the perfect way to maintain a clean oven, instead of having to commit several hours and heating up the entire kitchen or exposing your family to chemicals frequently. To learn more about LG EasyClean click here.
One of my messiest recipes for the oven is our "Papa Pancakes". They're originally called German pancakes, but growing up we called them "Popeye Pancakes" and my children interpreted it as Ryan's pancakes ;). We like to make them in a regular jellyroll pan instead of a 9" X 12" so they have more of the crunchy goodness that we all like. It also makes it a prime candidate for spilling or for the butter to drip over the edges, but it's always worth it. 7 out of 8 of us enjoy it for breakfast, full of protein for a good start to the day.
Papa Pancakes:
6 T butter, melted in the oven while it preheats in a jellyroll pan
6 eggs
1 C flour
1 C milk
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 400⁰F with the butter inside, melting. Mix the remaining ingredients together. Once the butter is melted (keep your eye on it so it doesn't burn, but if it happens to brown, it's still good!) add it to the mixture. Once the oven reaches 400, pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Don't open the oven, as the constant heat is what makes it pop! We serve ours with a bit of confectioner's sugar and lemon juice, but a jam or honey would also be yummy!
AND,Now it’s your turn to tell me - what is YOUR favorite recipe that leaves your oven messy? Let me know in the comments for your chance to win your own LG EasyClean™ Double Oven Range!
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