The microwave is an essential appliance in every American kitchen. Right? Right. We received a great little Samsung microwave for our wedding and it lasted 9 years. When it failed to heat any longer we purchased a new Kenmore microwave. We have a toddler whom I will call "Little Dude" throughout the blog. Little Dude tends to be really rough on things. For example, he will break toys that have been handed down for ages and held up to years of play. He is just a rough little boy! He thoroughly loved to open and close the microwave door and it turns out all of those slams weren't so good for it. Who knew? So the new microwave (less than 9 months old) failed to work unless we slammed the door as hard as possible and then held it closed.
Instead of replacing the microwave again we just decided to see if we could live without it. My husband was skeptical, but we gave it a try. And you know what? We don't even miss it! We discovered that we only used it for three things: defrosting meat, making popcorn and heating up left overs and my son's milk (I know, it's terrible and we shouldn't have been doing it anyways).
I have an air pop popcorn maker and so our favorite evening snack became even more delicious with melted butter and salt. It really takes no extra time to make it this way and it tastes so much better!
The biggest challenge has been defrosting meat. I have to plan dinner first thing in the morning just to have the meat out and thawing. A minor inconvenience, but now that I am used to it, it isn't so bad. If I forget, we get to have breakfast for dinner. Who doesn't love waffles and eggs for dinner?
A few added bonuses are that food cooked and reheated on the stove or in the oven just taste better, may be better for you and I have lots of extra counter space for my cookbooks :)
So, there you have it, we have been microwave free for almost three months now and don't miss it at all!
What do you think: could you live without your microwave?
Instead of replacing the microwave again we just decided to see if we could live without it. My husband was skeptical, but we gave it a try. And you know what? We don't even miss it! We discovered that we only used it for three things: defrosting meat, making popcorn and heating up left overs and my son's milk (I know, it's terrible and we shouldn't have been doing it anyways).
I have an air pop popcorn maker and so our favorite evening snack became even more delicious with melted butter and salt. It really takes no extra time to make it this way and it tastes so much better!
The biggest challenge has been defrosting meat. I have to plan dinner first thing in the morning just to have the meat out and thawing. A minor inconvenience, but now that I am used to it, it isn't so bad. If I forget, we get to have breakfast for dinner. Who doesn't love waffles and eggs for dinner?
A few added bonuses are that food cooked and reheated on the stove or in the oven just taste better, may be better for you and I have lots of extra counter space for my cookbooks :)
So, there you have it, we have been microwave free for almost three months now and don't miss it at all!
What do you think: could you live without your microwave?
Little Changes - Food Storage
There have been many reports of plastics releasing higher levels of the BPA chemical into food when used in the microwave. Who wants chemicals leaching into their food as it is cooked? I think of all the hundreds of times microwaved my food in those little plastic containers and I cringe. (Now that we no longer have a microwave, this wouldn't really be an issue). See my post on Goodbye Microwave - http://naturalhealthybeautiful.blogspot.com/2013/09/goodbye-microwave-i-dont-miss-you-at-all.html
Many plastics now say BPA free on the packaging, but what other chemicals have they used to replace it and how safe are they? We probably won't know the answer to that until further studies come out several years from now.
So, for our family this little change from plastic to glass was a great one and not terribly expensive.
We are taking simple steps to a more natural, healthier life.
Our second small change in ridding our lives of unnecessary chemicals was to replace all of our plastic food storage containers with glass ones. We bought a wonderful set of Pyrex glass storage containers with lids and then decided that one wasn't enough and bought a second. These bowls come in a variety of sizes and even shapes. They have held up so well through tons of use and washings. I think we have broken one, and that was dropped out of the freezer onto a concrete floor. You can get a great set for about $25 or less if you shop around. And Pyrex is made in the USA.
We also use canning jars to store food. They are handy, fairly inexpensive and they look pretty in a vintage sort of way. I also lucked out when my mom gave me some beautiful Italian glass jars that measure about 1 gallon. I store my oats and coffee in them and keep them right on my counter because they are so lovely.
We also use canning jars to store food. They are handy, fairly inexpensive and they look pretty in a vintage sort of way. I also lucked out when my mom gave me some beautiful Italian glass jars that measure about 1 gallon. I store my oats and coffee in them and keep them right on my counter because they are so lovely.
So why did we decide to toss all that plastic? Mainly because of BPA content. In it's report on BPA the FDA states:
"Studies employing standardized toxicity tests have thus far supported the safety of current low levels of human exposure to BPA. However, on the basis of results from recent studies using novel approaches to test for subtle effects, both the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health and FDA have some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children. In cooperation with the National Toxicology Program, FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research is carrying out in-depth studies to answer key questions and clarify uncertainties about the risks of BPA."
There have been many reports of plastics releasing higher levels of the BPA chemical into food when used in the microwave. Who wants chemicals leaching into their food as it is cooked? I think of all the hundreds of times microwaved my food in those little plastic containers and I cringe. (Now that we no longer have a microwave, this wouldn't really be an issue). See my post on Goodbye Microwave - http://naturalhealthybeautiful.blogspot.com/2013/09/goodbye-microwave-i-dont-miss-you-at-all.html
Many plastics now say BPA free on the packaging, but what other chemicals have they used to replace it and how safe are they? We probably won't know the answer to that until further studies come out several years from now.
So, for our family this little change from plastic to glass was a great one and not terribly expensive.
We are taking simple steps to a more natural, healthier life.
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Little Changes - Cookware
Our journey to healthier, more natural living started with some small changes in our home when an acquaintance casually mentioned all the chemicals we were poisoning ourselves with daily. Wait... What? I knew that everything (from household cleaning products, to shampoo, to our food storage containers) were comprised of synthetic chemicals along with natural elements. However, I had never taken the time to learn about these chemicals or the effects they were having on my body.
I will admit I am an obsessive researcher. If I hear something that disturbs, interests, or challenges me I will research it until I know every detail inside and out about the subject. This acquaintance had mentioned Teflon, BPA and Parabens and that is where my research began. For several days I studied Teflon noting all harmful effects it can have on a person. I studied until I was convinced that it would be best to get rid of the old scratched up Teflon pots and pans and replace them with the safer, harder to clean stainless steel option.
So why is Teflon or polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) so harmful? Actually the man made chemical polytetrafluoroethylene isn't the problem, it is the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) that is used in the process of making PTFE that is dangerous. This chemical is unknowingly consumed when the Teflon pan is scratched and tiny particles break away into the food being cooked. Fumes can also be released into the air when food is cooked at a very high temperature.
The EPA and American Cancer Society websites have some good information about PFOA. While there is not conclusive evidence that it is detrimental to human health there is enough evidence of harmful effects that "EPA and the eight major companies in the industry launched the 2010/15 PFOA Stewardship Program, in which companies committed to reduce global facility emissions and product content of PFOA and related chemicals by 95 percent by 2010, and to work toward eliminating emissions and product content by 2015." -- http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pfoa/
After hours of research, I decided it would be best to toss those old pots and pans and search for a healthier option. After looking at all the cookware options available, from aluminum to cast iron to stainless steel, I decided stainless steel was the best option for our family. Stainless steel is considered one of the safest materials for cooking. The drawback is that it they are definitely not non-stick and take greater effort to clean. Cast iron is also a very good option and I do use a cast iron griddle.
I would encourage you not to just take my word for it, but to do your own research and see what you discover!
I will admit I am an obsessive researcher. If I hear something that disturbs, interests, or challenges me I will research it until I know every detail inside and out about the subject. This acquaintance had mentioned Teflon, BPA and Parabens and that is where my research began. For several days I studied Teflon noting all harmful effects it can have on a person. I studied until I was convinced that it would be best to get rid of the old scratched up Teflon pots and pans and replace them with the safer, harder to clean stainless steel option.
So why is Teflon or polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) so harmful? Actually the man made chemical polytetrafluoroethylene isn't the problem, it is the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) that is used in the process of making PTFE that is dangerous. This chemical is unknowingly consumed when the Teflon pan is scratched and tiny particles break away into the food being cooked. Fumes can also be released into the air when food is cooked at a very high temperature.
The EPA and American Cancer Society websites have some good information about PFOA. While there is not conclusive evidence that it is detrimental to human health there is enough evidence of harmful effects that "EPA and the eight major companies in the industry launched the 2010/15 PFOA Stewardship Program, in which companies committed to reduce global facility emissions and product content of PFOA and related chemicals by 95 percent by 2010, and to work toward eliminating emissions and product content by 2015." -- http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pfoa/
After hours of research, I decided it would be best to toss those old pots and pans and search for a healthier option. After looking at all the cookware options available, from aluminum to cast iron to stainless steel, I decided stainless steel was the best option for our family. Stainless steel is considered one of the safest materials for cooking. The drawback is that it they are definitely not non-stick and take greater effort to clean. Cast iron is also a very good option and I do use a cast iron griddle.
I would encourage you not to just take my word for it, but to do your own research and see what you discover!
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