Microwave Junki

I've often said that I was born 50 (or more) years too late. Yes, I am old-fashioned and I like old-fashioned things. That's why I bookmarked a blog the other day while I was blog-hopping. (This post is linked to it. Just click on the title of my post.) The author and I seem to have a few things in common, and if I'm not careful, I could start to covet her chicken coop, garden, and birdhouses. But as I read her posts, I came across one that, well, finds me on the other side of the fence.

The author posted about how she had gotten rid of her microwave oven. She listed several reasons for parting with it, and for just a little while I felt convicted. I share her opinion about food tasting better when cooked the old fashioned way and how our culture is in too big of a rush. But then I started thinking about what my life would be like without a microwave.

My microwave is built into my cabinets, so my first thought was, what in the world would I do with that big hole if I took out the microwave?
Then I started making a mental list of why I am thankful for my microwave oven. Here is a picture of my entire kitchen.
1.) As you can see, I'm not long on storage as most kitchens go, even though it is not bad as far as RV kitchens go. Pots, pans, casserole dishes, storage containers all take up a lot of room and they weigh a lot. Plastic dishes or containers that can go from refrigerator to microwave to table and back again take up less space and add fewer pounds to our tow weight.

2.) My oven will not hold a 9x13 cake pan. Neither will my cabinets nor will my sink! I can squeeze two 8" round pans in the oven, but the cake layers bake a little unevenly because the pans have to touch. When I do make a whole cake for just the two of us, ants get to it or it gets a little "old" before we can get it eaten. But I can buy those little Betty Crocker Warm Delights mixes, stir it up and nuke it for just a minute or two, and then hubby and I are cuddled up on the couch enjoying a movie and eating cake together. No, the flavor of the cake cannot match that of a scratch Italian cream, but...that takes me to another storage issue.

3.) I do have a pretty nice pantry storage area. It is roomy enough for cereals, juices, canned goods, pasta, crackers, those basic food items, but "ingredients" for baking and compiling complicated dishes is a whole different story! So, though I don't really like it, microwaveable convenient foods come in handy sometimes.

4.) Most campgrounds include the cost of electricity with our monthly fee. If I used only my butane oven and burners, we would be having to buy more fuel. So, it is more economical for me to use the microwave when I can.

5.) Cooking for only two people makes for leftovers most of the time. I'll admit it; I enjoy being able to just fill our plates and warm them up. Rewarming leftovers in the oven or on the stove would dirty up more dishes that I have to wash by hand, so...call me lazy. I'm thankful for modern conveniences.

6.) During all those months (that turned into years) that Rick and I were apart, I don't know what he would have eaten if it were not for microwavable meals. The work hours he has to put in do not allow time for meal preparation. It is not a matter of rushing through life or wanting everything instantly, it is a matter of serving the insureds the best he can and keeping his job.

So, as much as I'd love to have the room and ability to cook better tasting food at a slower pace, I find it just a bit impractical for me. I'll have to keep my microwave. If I'd been born 50 years ago, things would be different I'm sure!