Kitchen

[house cat]

What a timely thread! I was just pondering this last night. I've been using my microwave only in extreme "emergencies" lately. My son was on my case about the safety concerns. I didn't have any concerns, but he does and he made me promise not to use it.

So..... I had to reheat half of a tuna noodle casserole last night. It was still frozen when I started. I put about a half inch of water into a Pyrex baking pan, then put the smaller Pyrex pan inside of that. I covered it with foil so it would defrost without drying out. It turned out very delicious, but took a heck of a lot longer than if we had "nuked" it.

Today I have three baking potatoes in my oven with the timer set so they'll start cooking before I get home.

It takes some planning to function without it. I got my first one in 1984 when my first child was born. I never really cooked in it, but I heated everything including baby bottles. It will be a miracle if my kids aren't harmed by it. It never occurred to me that it was dangerous. My brother and SIL never, ever owned one. I'm impressed by that.

[house cat]

On 2/11/2014 millieshops said:

Fortunately my mom made lots of soups, stew, and casseroles that "aged" well, and often day 2 was every bit as good as day 1 or even better.

Still, I wouldn't want to give up the freedom we get from the microwave, the freezers most of us have, the TV's, the telephones that are in every room or travel with us, etc.

I like lots of the modern conveniences. What I miss from the golden days of old are family get-togethers which are really infrequent now that my family has spread across the country and/or fallen with age. Things just aren't a great replacement for people!

So well said.

I'm nostalgic about the "good old days", but they really weren't perfect. Dh and I both had cancer the last few years and so far we've lived to tell about it. Not sure if that would have been the case back then.

[Sooner]

On 2/11/2014 house cat said:

What a timely thread! I was just pondering this last night. I've been using my microwave only in extreme "emergencies" lately. My son was on my case about the safety concerns. I didn't have any concerns, but he does and he made me promise not to use it.

So..... I had to reheat half of a tuna noodle casserole last night. It was still frozen when I started. I put about a half inch of water into a Pyrex baking pan, then put the smaller Pyrex pan inside of that. I covered it with foil so it would defrost without drying out. It turned out very delicious, but took a heck of a lot longer than if we had "nuked" it.

Today I have three baking potatoes in my oven with the timer set so they'll start cooking before I get home.

It takes some planning to function without it. I got my first one in 1984 when my first child was born. I never really cooked in it, but I heated everything including baby bottles. It will be a miracle if my kids aren't harmed by it. It never occurred to me that it was dangerous. My brother and SIL never, ever owned one. I'm impressed by that.

Tell your son my mom is 90 and every meal comes from the microwave. She is healthy as a horse and smokes. She's had one since the mid 1960's. Tell him not to worry, but don't stick his head in it. Oh and does he have a cell phone? Does he worry about that?

[chrystaltree]

I do indeed, microwaves haven't been around all that long. I couldn't live without mine, I wouldn't want to live without one. But I still heat some things the old way, in the oven, because some things just taste better when they are cooked rather than just heated up.

[AlAnn]

I not only use mine at home frequently, I also have one in my office at work.

[gazelle77]

I never use my oven unless I make low carb flax muffins. I only use my micro wave. I would be lost without it!

[kibbi]

Yep, I remember and don't know how we did it. My kids get a kick at our stories of heating food b4 microwave. That would take soooo loooong!

I used the oven more than stove top for leftovers. I nuke my cup of coffe all day long now. I still don't remember exactly what I did back then.

I think the microwave is the best invention in my adult life.

[StylishLady]

I use my microwave a lot, regularly to heat up my coffee or water for tea. Besides leftovers, I do bacon for breakfast, potatoes, hot dogs, and veggies in those bags. Also microwave popcorn when I have that. Before microwaves we used double boilers to heat leftovers. Remember those?

[kibbi]

stylishlady, I still use a double boiler to melt chocolate, make cooked puddings & some sauces.

[circles]

I rarely use my oven.....always use my microwave...for everything unless otherwise stated on the packaging....

My mom was the great saver....our fridge was filled with lots of containers or wrapped up leftovers...she threw nothing away....we use to have some strange combo meals...each of us different...when she wanted to clean out the fridge...hahaha...we use to laugh and compare who got what that night...

No microwave back then...everything was heated up on the stove or oven...