Saving Time
I often wonder what it would have been like to live in other time periods. As a mom of 2 teens and a twenty something, I have seen how much technology has changed since I was a kid. It isn't always for the better. But some of it makes my life so much easier. So today I want to send out a thank you to the people that invented some of my favorite gadgets. Without them, I would have a lot less time to spend with Hubby and the kids and do the things I enjoy.
My washing machine. I think it is one of the best household inventions. It saves me so much time and energy. Plus if I had to do all of our laundry by hand, my eczema would be really bad on my hands. Then I think back to my grandma. She never had a washing machine. My parents offered to buy her one, but where would she put it. She didn't need one. It is definitely a want. I am grateful for it every day.
My crock pots. I love, love, love, my crock pots. I can set dinner up in the morning in it and go out all day and come home to a nice dinner. No takeout for me. I take my crock pot away with us. It works great in a hotel room. I prep everything at home and put it in a Ziploc bag. Then I dump it into the crock pot. We go out for the day and come back to the room for dinner. With food allergies it is wonderful. For the pocketbook, it is amazing.
The microwave. We eat a lot of leftovers in our house. I will over cook so that I don't have to cook every day 3 times a day. My microwave gets used daily. I am so grateful for it. Reheating most foods in the oven dries it out. It is also so quick. With the kids working, we seem to eat at different times often. Pop their dinner in the microwave when they get home and it is ready in 2 minutes.
My oven. I could not image cooking every meal on an open fire. I don't mind doing it when we go camping but not 3 times a day. It also helps heat the house up in the winter.
My bread machine. Homemade bread is the best. I do make bread out of the machine sometimes, but if I have a lot to do the bread machine is the way to go. I toss everything in and start it. Then a few hours later, I have delicious homemade bread. I also use it for pizza dough. It is so easy. No rolling and kneading. I am soft, I admit it. I would rather have the machine do the hard work. Did you know you can make jam and jelly in a bread machine? It is so good.
My food processor. Could I chop everything up myself? sure. But with this baby, I don't have to. It does all the work for me. I don't buy shredded cheese. I buy a big block and drop it into this beast. I have shredded cheese in a minute. I like fine breadcrumbs. No problem for the food processor.
My waffle maker. We use this every weekend. We love homemade waffles. This is another item we take on vacation. Super easy to make in a hotel. Premix all the dry ingredients and put them in a container with a lid. Make sure there is enough room to add the liquid.
My juicer. Have you ever made juice by hand? I have a hand juicer that I use for lemons. You get very little juice for a bunch of work. My juicer is the opposite. Lots of yummy juice for very little work. And the pulp is great used in baking.
My hand mixer. I love this thing. I have a Kitchenaid mixer too. It is so big and heavy. I love how light my hand mixer is. It works great too.
What is your favorite time saving gadget?
My garden cart. The house is quite a ways from the garage and I use it to haul groceries, 40lb bags of dog food, water softener salt, from the car instead of making a many trips. Also I use it as a garden tool to fill with weeds from the front yard to haul to the compost pile in the back yard which entails through a gate, down the driveway, through the garage and down to back end of the backyard. Lots of steps and time saved. Oh and the dogs like to ride in it also.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great one. I was thinking indoor things as I have been inside. I'm adding my rototiller to my list. Love that thing.
DeleteAgree with all of yours and Patti's items they find time saving, garden carts are wonderful items and we use them a lot here too.
ReplyDeleteAnother time and money saver is a box trailer with sides to pick up manures, hay, other large purchased items for the home. A clothes dryer is another, although rarely used it is good in times of days of rainfall here. A spatula for getting the last of everything out of jars and baking bowls saves both time and money. Recipe books on using food storage and also our other recipe books. Our 15 L water storage container saves us money, (as we are on tank water and an electric pump kicks in every time we turn on a tap), because we don't have to turn on the tap every time we want to have a drink, fill hand washing buckets or fill the kettle. Our food storage as we don't have to run to the shop to get things all the time living in a rural area and it also earns us interest each and every time the prices go up due to inflation.
Just a few extras I thought of and no doubt others will think of more too :).
Have a great week ahead everyone.
Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).
Great list.
DeleteIf I am thinking about appliances, I have three in my kitchen that I like above all others. I love a garbage disposal, the stovetop/oven, and my Keurig. As long as I have a good sharp knife and cutting board I am good to go with all food prep. I only lug my food processor out when I am doing huge amounts of cutting or grating. If I am just grating cheese or cabbage for slaw I still pull out my box grater. The same with my mixer. I only use it if a wooden spoon or wire whisk will not work
ReplyDeleteI have never had a garbage disposal. Hubby and my son would say to put the coffee maker on the list. I don't drink coffee so it didn't make mine. I have a big food processor and a little one. I hate chopping onions(I always cry) so I use the little one. Saves me some tears. Great list.
DeleteI love my Instapot as I don't have to babysit beans when I cook them. It's a great timesaver. But I love many of the appliances you listed today too. Right now I have ribs cooking in my slow cooker for dinner as we like the taste of them best when they are slow cooked all day long.
ReplyDeleteThe ribs sound great. We always do the ribs on the smoker. If you have time, I would live the recipe.
DeleteI remember having a waffle iron that sat on top of the stove and you flipped it over, it was my grandmothers. We also have some that fit over the fireplace. They came from Sweden.
ReplyDeleteSome of the hotels have the waffle irons that flip. My kids loved doing them when they were little. Things were made to last when my grandparents were younger. Not any more.
DeleteI visit the local Amish community to purchase products and often think of all I have that those ladies do not. Our lives are tremendously different. Everything you have mentioned is great, however, I would have to add in my hot water heater. Having hot water always available along with water flowing from my well pump is such a luxury. Heating water over a wood burning stove or walking to the creek is very time consuming. A refrigerator and freezer saves so much time because the Amish women must can everything or send someone to the store (after they harness up the horse and buggy) to buy ice for the cooler.
ReplyDeleteSo many gadgets, yet still I am rushed.
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
I love a good hot shower. Isn't it crazy that in that USA people live so differently. I love it.
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