Lucky me!

I loved my first Le Creuset dutch oven like people love their first car. But after only one and a half years, after beautifully braising short ribs and simmering soups, I found tiny hairline cracks in the bottom of the pot. I had been so careful not to shock it with sudden changes in temperature. I was so upset, I could barely sleep. I wanted to call Le Creuset right away, but their customer service line was closed for the evening.

When I called Le Creuset the next morning, their customer service was as gracious as promised by their lifetime guarantee. They offered to replace it, but said it would take 2-4 weeks. I considered living with my flawed baby, since it was the middle of January and I was obsessed with braising. But the nice lady said if the cracks actually resulted in chipped enamel, it could end up in my food. Sigh. So I told her that I needed a new 4.5 quart round oven in red, knowing they couldn't guarantee a replacement in the same color, and sent it off.

Last night, I came home to a big box from Le Creuset. Guess what I got in return? A beautiful, red, FIVE-AND-A-HALF QUART round oven!!!! I'd been agonizing all year about whether I bought the wrong size, wishing I'd gone up one more size, especially with all the insane sales everywhere. Living alone, it'd been hard to justify spending more on such a huge pot. But now, I have a lovely, bigger pot for only $12 in shipping! I hope I don't sound too callous, but I love my new baby even more than my old one.