Mini Post 2

Instead of my usual cup of coffee with breakfast this morning, I substituted a hot cup of black tea.  It was a refreshing change.  That in conjunction with an orange and a handful of almonds set me in the proper frame of mind for a peaceful day.

Kitchen "appliances" that feel irreplaceable to me:

1. Slow Cooker: there's always something brewing in it, so it is almost always on.  Beans, oatmeal, chickpeas, broth, cider, applesauce, and pot roast are the most common delicacies. 
2. Tea Kettle: sure, I have a microwave, and I could easily nuke some water for tea; but do I want to do that? Do I want to miss out on the process?  And how wonderful is it to come back to the kettle 45 minutes later and still have piping hot water waiting to become something!
3. Food processor: the readers who have been following know that I've been getting by without the aid of some fancy-schmancy food processor, but I haven't been happy about it.  Kitchen simplicity is about making the things you already have work... you know, "making do."  But I counter-argue that this processor, in its own simplicity, can whip up hummus so quickly that I have more time to spend with the family, which has its own unspeakable benefit.
4. Coffee grinder/ coffee pot: self explanatory.
5. Popcorn popper: surprising to find this on the list, perhaps, but I've found many more things that I can do with my pooper popper compliments of the interwebs.  Really? Roasting coffee beans? Great idea!  Not to mention that it is much more healthy and cost efficient to make some quick popcorn rather than microwave those packets of mystery orange-yellow powder and slightly stale kernels that an old man with a beard markets to the general public.
6. Finally, I mention the oven/stove.  Sure, I take them for granted.  It happens.

That is all for now.  Have a blissfully mellow day!