This week’s, now last week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is/was “Broken”
(I should have removed the greasy fingerprints from the oven door BEFORE taking the photo!)
I trawled through my photographs for over an hour looking for inspiration as to a suitable photo for this weeks now last week’s photo challenge “Broken”
Nada!
The photo I wanted to use was nowhere to be found (mental note: reorganise photo files) and I’d given up hope! Now, as they say, be careful what you wish for because during this time I’d also turned on the oven to cook dinner. Yes you know what’s coming next.
Grrrrrr the pigging oven turned itself off. It was BROKEN, Kaput!
Why now?
Frustrated, I fiddled with all the oven controls (as you do) praying I had inadvertently set it to timer. No such luck! After further knob twiddling and button pushing I resigned myself to the fact that my oven was indeed broken.
Under normal circumstances I would have just shrugged it off, but tonight was a “special night” – I’d finally picked my Rhubarb which I’d been growing for two years and my long-awaited Rhubarb Crumble was now destined for the freezer instead of the oven!
Pooh!
We immediately called an appliance engineer however, trying to make yourself understood in pigeon Portuguese on the telephone is nigh on impossible. I “think” an engineer is coming next week. We will see!
Weekly Photo Challenge related posts:
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Light
Old
One
Tiny
Ocean
Spring
Home
Piglet in Portugal 
Hi. Intermarche now selling rhubarb at 16.99€ a kilo! Did you use cornflour in your custard? great blog!
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Hi Mandi, No not seen that! What a rip off 😦
Custard, I cheat at buy Bird’s instant custard from Iceland .) or bring it back from me when i’m in the UK.
However, I’ve started using Maizina cornflour which is great for making white sauce without lumps! I’m debating trying to use it for custard.
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Damn! Is it proving to be a good diet aid, at least?
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No, I wish it were 😦
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Oven still broken 😦
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Great examples for the exercise. 🙂
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Engineer is coming todaY! YAY!
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thanks stephanie. It’s Monday today fingers crossed we get a call from the repair man today!
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Well, that stinks! Hope ya get the oven fixed! Sorry about your rubarb!!
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In case you don’t get your oven fixed – the portuguese word for rhubarb is ruibarbo – and Google translate will give a dandy audio version so you can say it right! 🙂
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Thanks horto!
I’ve never seen it for sale in the shops here in the Algarve which is strange
😦
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Your rhubarb crumble will be something to look forward to when you get the oven fixed – hope he comes next week to fix it!
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Hi Barb,
I just hope it is fixed soon. We have 3 weeks of visitors!
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I’m brazen. I would walk over to a neighbor’s house and ask to borrow their over in exchange for a “taste” of my rhubarb crisp. 😀
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So am I, but they were Portuguese holiday makers next door, about 12 of them! My poor crumble would have been like the parable of the loaves and the fishes, but without the miracle. Besides can you imagine going to a Portuguese person, who does not speak English, ask if I can use their oven and then take back the pie once it’s cooked! Nah, it would have appeared rude 😳 I would not even begin to work out the English/Portuguese translation on that one LOL 🙂
Can you just imagine what they would say once they returned home to their friends and family 🙂 Just thinking about it makes my curls curl in embarrasment 🙂
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Wow! Your crumble would have been dust in no time with that crowd. I also failed to consider the language barrier. 😉
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Hi Nancy,
Trust me, nothing is easy! 🙂
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So sorry to read about your oven and crumble, but, as always, your presentation of the story makes me smile. I suspect your rhubarb crumble will be scrumptious, cooked in your new or repaired oven one of these days.
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Thanks Ellen,
I suppose if I’ve waited two years I can wait a little longer 🙂
PiP
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Hope your “engineer” comes soon, it´s so frustrating not having an appliance working properly. Four years ago about 9 months after moving in to our house, and just before the arrival of our first visitors from Portugal for Christmas, our oven stopped working. I quickly searched ebay for a cheap replacement. The size of the oven was different from the previous one so we had a big hole around the oven but anyway it went on working until we renovated the kitchen last December when it was thrown away. I just bought rhubarb today, hope I can wait for your recipe.
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Hi Sami,
I just hope the oven is not too expensive to mend. Ovens seem to be really expensive here in Portugal.
I will post my Rhubarb crumble recipe shortly!
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Oh no. So sorry about the oven and the rhubarb crumble. Disappointing.
I have stainless steel appliances too, and they can be a nuisance to keep shiny and bright. Mostly I ignore it until company is coming, (or I decide to take a photo of my stove, I suppose.)
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Hi Cm,
I never noticed the finger marks until I uploaded the photo – they were “enhanced” by the flash LOL 🙂
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Sorry about your oven, PiP. I was tasting that Rhubarb Crumble too! My oven is still inconsistent, even though my friend “fixed” it. I’ll write about it sometime. As for speaking on the phone….my Spanish is improving. Instead of being terrified by “phoning,” now I’m only slightly hesitant.
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Hey TR look forward to reading the post. However, I can’t find a subscribe to blog by email button on your blog 😦
PiP
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Pretty rhubarb. Good luck on the repairs.
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thanks patty 🙂
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Well shucks, I just hate it that your oven is broken. That is so frustrating! I think you deserve to make your rhubarb crumble after 2 years. Wow, you must have the patience of a saint. I didn’t know it took so long to grow. Your rhubarb is really pretty. Great job, Farmer Pip. Great post too. 🙂
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Hi EC,
The Rhubarb was grown from seed and given to me when it was just a couple of inches tall. I am just amazed, given my history with zucchini, I have not killed it!
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What a shame, hope you get it fixed – nice rhubarb though!
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the Rhubarb was my pride and joy! It is one of the few things I’ve nor manage to kill!
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I hope so!
Shame about the rhubarb.
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Yeah, i was more gutted about not being able to ahve my rhubarb than I was the cooker!
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Oh no!
Good luck with the engineer coming next week. Phone conversations are the worst in a foreign language – my phone German is terrible.
Really hope it’s fixed soon.
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Hi Sarsm,
At least speaking face to face you can look into their eyes and see if the’ve understood!
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Or their blank expressions when they haven’t.
The other helpful factor, at least for me, is I talk a lot with my hands!!
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