A Mommy Story

There are times when I read food blogs and drool over the amazing looking food those bloggers prepare. I’ve even bookmarked a few recipes that looked too good to pass over.

But let’s be honest: will I ever make any of those dishes? Probably not. Because while the pictures on those blogs make me salivate, I know deep down that I would likely come close to burning the house down were I to attempt to make one of them. I suck as a cook. Seriously – domestic zero. There’s a reason that sandwiches are the most common lunch around here. They do not require heat from any kitchen appliance to be applied to them, meaning I can usually handle it.

So when I think of the one modern convenience I can’t live without, it would be my microwave oven. While I’m a disaster around a stovetop, I can work magic in a microwave. If it can be microwaved, I’ll make it.

And thankfully, microwaves have come a long way from frozen meals and popcorn. Need something steamed? My microwave steamer bowl can handle that. Want to cook corn or have a baked potato? I can wrap them in a moist paper towel and microwave them to perfection in under five minutes. Baked goods? Betty Crocker has an entire line of desserts designed to bake in the microwave. Child wants mac n cheese? No problem – Easy Mac is ready in three and a half minutes.

Hell, I’m even hard-boiling eggs in my microwave. (I always cracked them when I boiled them on the stove.)

Beyond food, I’ve sterilized silicone nipples and breast pump parts and melted down crayons in a microwave. As a child, I discovered why you don’t put metal in a microwave, too – an amazing lesson in physical science! I’ve also seen games played using a microwave. (If you’ve never participated in Peep Jousting, you really must.)

I need my microwave. It’s the primary cooking appliance in my kitchen. Without it, my family would be living on nothing but cold cuts and PB&J sandwiches.

What about you? What modern conveniences can’t you live without?

(Indoor plumbing was my second choice, but I thought a microwave was a little nicer to write about.)

This post is part of the PBN blog blast this weekend. Get your entry in before midnight for a chance to win a gift card, courtesy of Yoplait Kids.