I'm Seeing Red...and Liking It!

Russ was here this weekend and gave me a terrific belated birthday gift - a Magic Bullet, which is exactly like the one I already own (!) so today, I made a trip to Kohl's to see if I could exchange it for the kitchen item I've really had my eyes on for a long time:  an enameled dutch oven!  With no receipt, they cheerfully took the "bullet" back and gave me a voucher for its value.  Immediately, I headed over to the housewares department, to the exact location where I've spent too much time in the past trying to justify (unsuccessfully) spending $129.00 for a beautiful, 7 quart, red dutch oven, a product of The Food Network.  I felt bad returning the gift he chose for me, but I know he'd rather I have something I really want.  The "bullet" wasn't the only gift Russ gave me.  He loves to joke about my love of ketchup, and often makes gentle fun of me, saying it's the "vegetable" on my plate.  He exaggerates (kind of) and the other gift from Russ was this thoughtful t-shirt:

So, yeah, I like ketchup. I can stop any time...

This desire for a true enameled cast-iron dutch oven has been percolating for about six years, ever since Katie was gifted her cobalt blue Le Creuset original by her mother-in-law, Penelope.  It was a wonderful gift, and is worth every penny of its brand-new price (over $400 way back when).  There's an outlet store in Maine that Penny stops at every time she travels that way, and her collection of L.C. cast-iron ware has grown exponentially with each trip. I don't know the capacity of Katie's cobalt blue, but it is huge, and has been the star of the dinner show many nights, instrumental to such meals as pot roast, chili, spaghetti sauce, soups and chowders, and on and on and on. Many a comforting meal has been ladled out of that substantial pot.

So, there I was at Kohl's, intent on finding the largest and reddest dutch oven in the store.  The largest is 7 quarts, and it was the only one in that size, and it was RED (to go with my black/white kitchen).  I was so excited!  After returning the magic bullet, the $129 price tag (on sale today for $79) meant I only had to add $23 and the dutch oven was mine!  I don't remember ever being so excited about a kitchen purchase in my life!  I guess it's because I paced myself and waited a long time...  It is so much more than a pot.  It is the promise of dinners shared, of comfort provided, of happy memories around a table.  I love it as much as I've loved any birthday gift, and I love Russ for being the catalyst for finally bringing it home (and for many other reasons).  This beautiful red dutch oven will be treasured for my lifetime, and I am sure long after I hang up  my apron.

Here are some photos from our home, today, in Middle Grove. (Bill's painting new boards for their picnic table - Henry picked out the color!)...

Red!
(click to enlarge)