I make a meal for my family almost every night. And almost every night they eat it.
Confession: I don’t like cooking.
Another confession: I almost never use the oven.
What I do like are gimmicky products that help me cook without using said oven.
I love my Micro-Cooker, Round Covered Baker, Pizza Pizazz. I also love my bread maker, popcorn air popper and Stir Daddy popcorn popper. Sadly my George Foreman grill has died. But it’s replaced with a Cuisinart Panini Press (which is simply a classy version of a Foreman grill).
Truly, I’m not happy preparing a meal in my kitchen unless my counter is covered in gadgets plugged in to every outlet, and possibly breaking a circuit. Here's a quick reference guide to my three favorites.
Confession: I don’t like cooking.
Another confession: I almost never use the oven.
What I do like are gimmicky products that help me cook without using said oven.
I love my Micro-Cooker, Round Covered Baker, Pizza Pizazz. I also love my bread maker, popcorn air popper and Stir Daddy popcorn popper. Sadly my George Foreman grill has died. But it’s replaced with a Cuisinart Panini Press (which is simply a classy version of a Foreman grill).
Truly, I’m not happy preparing a meal in my kitchen unless my counter is covered in gadgets plugged in to every outlet, and possibly breaking a circuit. Here's a quick reference guide to my three favorites.
Where did this all start? I have to give credit to my dad. Now, he wasn’t as much into products as he was into creative solutions to meal preparation. I don’t remember my dad cooking much before my mom got sick. But after she passed away, he quickly found ways to feed Luke and I (Stephanie was off to college by then, so she missed out).
Things my dad may have invented but never got paid for:
So I think my enthusiasm for “cooking” is inspired by him. One time Lucy and I were watching Dan Wardell (our household’s superhero from Iowa Public Television) doing a cooking demonstration. Lucy said, “That’s not how mom does it. She just puts it all in the microwave.” I’ve often said, I wish my house had two or three microwaves so everything could be ready at the same time.
Things my dad may have invented but never got paid for:
- Take and Bake Pizza. My dad would stop at Casey’s in Dike, Iowa and ask them to make him a pizza, “But only cook it half way through.” He wanted to bring it home and finish cooking it our oven so it was hot and fresh.
- Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. My dad would make donuts out of the little rolls of biscuits and pop the center out using a twist off pop cap. They were delicious and the house smelled like grease for days.
- Pizza Pockets. My dad once entered a Pillsbury contest after mastering the skill of placing a little ham and cheese inside a flaky biscuit before baking it. We were both shocked that he didn’t win a prize.
So I think my enthusiasm for “cooking” is inspired by him. One time Lucy and I were watching Dan Wardell (our household’s superhero from Iowa Public Television) doing a cooking demonstration. Lucy said, “That’s not how mom does it. She just puts it all in the microwave.” I’ve often said, I wish my house had two or three microwaves so everything could be ready at the same time.
I think this love of gadget cooking is also contagious. Chris recently came home with the Toastabags. Sadly, they didn't fit in our toaster. So we will have to find a new toaster. I will let you know how they turn out.
The unfortunate part about my cooking is that I don’t think anything I cook is tasty. It never tastes good unless someone else cooks it. Chris has come up with a creative solution. I will do the food and gadget preparation. Then he will cook it. This may be my best invention yet.
Here is to all the dad’s who are in the kitchen, with and without their spouses to help. Thanks, dad, for always feeding and inspiring us.
The unfortunate part about my cooking is that I don’t think anything I cook is tasty. It never tastes good unless someone else cooks it. Chris has come up with a creative solution. I will do the food and gadget preparation. Then he will cook it. This may be my best invention yet.
Here is to all the dad’s who are in the kitchen, with and without their spouses to help. Thanks, dad, for always feeding and inspiring us.