Candlelight dinners have their own charm, but it works on your nerves after a while. Luckily we cook with gas stoves, so loadshedding doesn't impact cooking.
This reminds me of asking my mother to bake some rusks! We always make it a big event, loading trays full of rusks, and changing the recipe depending on how we feel. But as you say, the rusks in the store are sometimes so close to what you yourself bake, and so much less trouble and work.
I really hope the surgery works out! Best of luck and you and your family is in our prayers.