While I don't usually make New Year's Resolutions (too easy for me to put off making changes until New Year's and give up if I don't make it past the first week or so...), I do occasionally resolve to do things. I'm going to attempt to post to this blog at least once a week this year. We'll see how well I do.
I got to thinking over the weekend about conveniences and how used to them I get. Of course there was an event that sparked this thought process - my microwave conked out on me on Saturday. I don't think microwaves are supposed to make that noise - or hit that note, either.
I realized during the rest of the weekend just how many times a day I use that microwave - every morning to thaw the frozen bagel just enough to be able to split it, most evenings to nuke my dinner, or make vegetables or bake potatoes or sweet potatoes. It was sort-of fun to try to work around it a bit - I took one of the baking potatoes and made raw fries instead - hadn't had those in years. I made granny salad instead of having cooked vegetables. I used the George Foreman grill to make meat for dinner.
I've also been using the toaster oven - I think this is the first I've used it since we moved into the house five years ago. I use my sister-in-law's trick and line the tray with aluminum foil to save on clean-up. It comes in handy, and I'll be using it more often now...
The cooking situation is complicated by the fact that the regular oven also does not work. I've been researching how to fix it but have been unsuccessful so far. It seems to be stuck in cleaning mode every time I try to turn it on. It is really, really clean now.
Realistically, though, all of these cooking appliances are conveniences. When I was growing up, we didn't have a microwave, and we still managed to warm up leftovers. (No toaster oven or George Foreman grill then either...) I'm grateful for what I do have, but I still miss the convenience of my microwave. And my microwave popcorn. I trust it's just a season, though.