Learning To Live Without A Microwave Oven

OneEyedDiva said:
I'm adapting, but still think about getting another microwave. My son said he would not pick it up for me and even if I have it sent to his job, he won't bring it home. :ROFLMAO:
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Any loss of nutrients is not because of microwave radiation but, because of the heat, overheating food causes nutrients to be lost, but that is also the case, regardless of whether you cook in a microwave, conventional oven or another method. You probably know this anyway but, convincing your son of it, might be difficult.

He means well as he is trying to look after your health.

Did you use the microwave a lot? I use mine mostly for steaming fish and vegetables. I remember my mum with a pan of boiled water and those tiered steaming pots stacked above it, like a tower! It's a wonder the whole thing didn't topple over!!
 
Trish said:
Any loss of nutrients is not because of microwave radiation but, because of the heat, overheating food causes nutrients to be lost, but that is also the case, regardless of whether you cook in a microwave, conventional oven or another method. You probably know this anyway but, convincing your son of it, might be difficult.

He means well as he is trying to look after your health.

Did you use the microwave a lot? I use mine mostly for steaming fish and vegetables. I remember my mum with a pan of boiled water and those tiered steaming pots stacked above it, like a tower! It's a wonder the whole thing didn't topple over!!
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I always knew that boiling vegetables, especially to the consistency I like them, causes a loss of nutrients. I used the microwave daily, mostly to make a quick omlette (2 minutes), steam broccoli (3 to 3-1/2 minutes), heat water for tea or coffee and reheat food. I read that one of the best ways to cook vegetables is to steam them in the microwave.

I'm learning to use the toaster-oven-air fryer thingy to do some of the reheating and I bake in it. I heat water in a small pot now. I bought a steamer basket so I can cook the vegetables in his Instapot. My son is stubborn in his beliefs gotten from certain books and videos about nutrition, so he might be hard to convince indeed. I know he has my best interest at heart. Bless my stubborn, sometimes curmudgeonly baby. :D

@MACKTEXAS My son and I both have crazy senses of humor. He said it half jokingly, but I have no doubt that if I ordered a microwave...he'd pick it up, especially since he's told me (and others) periodically that he's afraid of me. :LOL:
 
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OneEyedDiva said:
I always knew that boiling vegetables, especially to the consistency I like them, causes a loss of nutrients. I used the microwave daily, mostly to make a quick omlette (2 minutes), steam broccoli (3 to 3-1/2 minutes), heat water for tea or coffee and reheat food. I read that one of the best ways to cook vegetables is to steam them in the microwave.

I'm learning to use the toaster-oven-air fryer thingy to do some of the reheating and I bake in it. I heat water in a small pot now. I bought a steamer basket so I can cook the vegetables in his Instapot. My son is stubborn in his beliefs gotten from certain books and videos about nutrition, so he might be hard to convince indeed. I know he has my best interest at heart. Bless my stubborn, sometimes curmudgeonly baby. :D

@MACKTEXAS My son and I both have crazy senses of humor. He said it half jokingly, but I have no doubt that if I ordered a microwave...he's pick it up, especially since he's told me and others periodically that he's afraid of me. :LOL:
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Excellent work @OneEyedDiva. You keep that boy in his place ;)

I can't recall making an omelette in a microwave. I think I should try it. I like kitchen gadgets so, I have an electric egg cooker and it makes excellent poached eggs (my favourite) and I also have a similar electric gadget which makes omelettes!

I notice Amazon sells a combined unit which makes both. Lots of different ones available and not expensive. I got them, not only because I like gadgets but, also because I had a problem with my right shoulder and decided to avoid having to mess around with boiling water.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tower-T190...ds=electric+egg+poacher&qid=1777018156&sr=8-1
 

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@OneEyedDiva You can order a microwave online, they will delivery it right to your door.
Get a smaller one, I do not think you want a big one. Hard to clean or move.
If you do, get one from a brand that you are familiar with.

There are online sites that can tell you how to microwave anything.

I use my microwave all day long. Soup, tea, vegetables, eggs, ect. If it can be microwaved, I will try it!
A few items I still prefer to use the stove or oven. Some you have to. Meat mostly.
I have a toaster, I use it a lot too.
I used to use a crock pot. I loved it. Just me now, no need.

I used to have a toaster oven but I fried it making frozen french fries one day. :oops:
What was I thinking. Not.
I threw it out because I scared myself.

🤗
 
Typical evening meal: fish and potato in the oven, vegetable in the microwave.
You only need to look at the vegetables microwaved verses boiled to see the bright color and firm texture of the microwaved veg and know it's healthier. In many cases healthier than raw. Some of the vitamins are easier to absorb after cooking has broken down their molecular structure.

My only small appliances are microwave, toaster and coffee machine. When I get too absent minded to be safe around the oven I plan to unplug it and cook everything in the microwave.

I have the toaster for my son, I don't like them myself. I think of that crumb tray on the bottom as a bird feeder for bugs.
 
Coconut said:
:LOL:
I try to keep my crumb tray cleaned out in my toaster, maybe I do it too much.
I do not want to have to throw out the toaster like I did the toaster oven.
The toaster oven still worked. It was me that was not working properly!
Come on, french fries in a toaster oven. I could have burnt my house down!
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indeed you could have! We all do these things sometimes though.

The other day, I used hair straighteners - I only use them occasionally, mostly when my hair needs cutting. It wasn't until I got home, picked them up to put them away that, I realised I hadn't unplugged them earlier! They had been on for for 6 hours! When I was working, I once dashed off to work and left the iron on! Luckily I had a half day but, the iron had still been on for 4 hours! Thank goodness for appliances with safety cut-outs!

It's another thing to add to the check list before I leave home - keys✅ purse✅ reading glasses✅ mobile phone✅ lock the door✅
check the iron✅ check hair thingies✅ :)
 
Trish said:
Excellent work @OneEyedDiva. You keep that boy in his place ;)

I can't recall making an omelette in a microwave. I think I should try it. I like kitchen gadgets so, I have an electric egg cooker and it makes excellent poached eggs (my favourite) and I also have a similar electric gadget which makes omelettes!

I notice Amazon sells a combined unit which makes both. Lots of different ones available and not expensive. I got them, not only because I like gadgets but, also because I had a problem with my right shoulder and decided to avoid having to mess around with boiling water.
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About six months ago I was on a cruise, and had difficulty finding meat-free breakfast foods without meat, milk, cream cheese, butter or copious amounts of oil. The oatmeal wasn't to my taste and I'm not a cold cereal person.

I sometimes eat eggs, but since the omelets were fried in butter as were the fried eggs, they were no bueno. I hate being a pain in the a$$ about what I eat, or (gah!) asking special favors, so I just stood near the egg station, empty plate in hand, dithering about my choices when a ship's officer asked if he could help me. I explained I don't eat meat or lactose type dairy. Pointed to the choices, which were swimming in butter.

He brought me over to the eggs benedict station, and asked if poached eggs would work. (Duh... I hadn't even considered those!) The cook poached a couple of eggs for me and slid them on unbuttered, toasted English muffin rounds, no ham or sauce. I then hit the fresh fruit offerings and voila, breakfast was served. I ate that nearly every morning through the rest of the cruise.

My point (and I do have one) is I quite like occasionally indulging in poached eggs but never mastered the art of making them. One of these gizmos might be just the ticket for my eggs-on-toast breakfast a couple of times a month.
 
StarSong said:
About six months ago I was on a cruise, and had difficulty finding meat-free breakfast foods without meat, milk, cream cheese, butter or copious amounts of oil. The oatmeal wasn't to my taste and I'm not a cold cereal person.

I sometimes eat eggs, but since the omelets were fried in butter as were the fried eggs, they were no bueno. I hate being a pain in the a$$ about what I eat, or (gah!) asking special favors, so I just stood near the egg station, empty plate in hand, dithering about my choices when a ship's officer asked if he could help me. I explained I don't eat meat or lactose type dairy. Pointed to the choices, which were swimming in butter.

He brought me over to the eggs benedict station, and asked if poached eggs would work. (Duh... I hadn't even considered those!) The cook poached a couple of eggs for me and slid them on unbuttered, toasted English muffin rounds, no ham or sauce. I then hit the fresh fruit offerings and voila, breakfast was served. I ate that nearly every morning through the rest of the cruise.

My point (and I do have one) is I quite like occasionally indulging in poached eggs but never mastered the art of making them. One of these gizmos might be just the ticket for my eggs-on-toast breakfast a couple of times a month.
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Me too! No matter which method I tried, poached eggs were very hit and miss. The electric poacher is spot on all the time. Put in the exact amount of water shown on the little water cup provided.

The way the cook served your breakfast is my favourite - poached egg on an unbuttered muffin. Sometimes, I make it for lunch and add green leaves, smoked salmon and avocado. Add some Greek yogurt to the fresh fruit and you have, I think, a perfect, healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner :)

This is my egg poacher - you can do boiled eggs too.

This shows you how to use it:
 
OneEyedDiva said:
A couple of weeks ago, my microwave died. I knew it was coming because it had started malfunctioning. Several years ago, I met my sister's nephew-in-law, who's a doctor. I remember that he refused to eat anything that was microwaved. My son as been on me for years to stop microwaving my food. He said it kills nutrients that I need. So I decided to give up the convenience, realizing that it would be quite an adjustment. My oldest grandson is happy about it, as is my Honorary Son #3 and of course my son is ecstatic. :D

I mostly heated things in the microwave. I also made egg white omelets, my tea and steamed broccoli. I have a Corsori air fryer-toaster oven thingy. I never use the air fryer, but I've used that appliance every day. In addition, I use the small frying pan, small saucepan and I just bought a steamer basket for our Instapot. Eventually I'll get used to not having a microwave, I guess. 🙄

Do you use a microwave. If so do you make meals in it or just use it for reheating?
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My microwave died about two years ago and I never replaced it. I just pulled out an old Chef mate toaster oven from the 70s or 80s and don't even miss it. I also have an air fryer I only used once.....It's still brand new.
 
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The microwave oven gets used at every meal, for something or another. The microwave has become so essential, one time when it appeared that DW had ruined it by overheating butter, I was prepared to make a trip to Walmart for a replacement. Turns out, by removing the case and drying it out, the microwave came back to life.

It's funny, the "radiation" conspiracy theory....a dear friend of mine gobbles up all the kooky conspiracy theories, she grew up in a family that were members of a cult, that oddball way of thinking stayed with her. She won't use a microwave, and shuns the traditional food pyramid in favor of eating tons of red meat and drinking raw milk. :rolleyes:
 
seadoug said:
Hubs is Filipino so I know all about rice cookers. They were front and center when I visited any family event. He is happy to eat rice with any meal, although he doesn't own a rice cooker. I microwave frozen Jasmine rice, Spanish rice, Cilantro Lime rice and he is happy to eat it as long as he doesn't have to cook. His father was a great cook, but he never got that gene.:ROFLMAO:
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🤣 Rice is very big here in Ecuador too. Very.
 
Trish said:
Me too! No matter which method I tried, poached eggs were very hit and miss. The electric poacher is spot on all the time. Put in the exact amount of water shown on the little water cup provided.

The way the cook served your breakfast is my favourite - poached egg on an unbuttered muffin. Sometimes, I make it for lunch and add green leaves, smoked salmon and avocado. Add some Greek yogurt to the fresh fruit and you have, I think, a perfect, healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner :)

This is my egg poacher - you can do boiled eggs too.

This shows you how to use it:
Click to expand...
Now I'm hungry for eggs.🤣
 
Coconut said:

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@OneEyedDiva You can order a microwave online, they will delivery it right to your door.
Get a smaller one, I do not think you want a big one. Hard to clean or move.
If you do, get one from a brand that you are familiar with.

There are online sites that can tell you how to microwave anything.

I use my microwave all day long. Soup, tea, vegetables, eggs, ect. If it can be microwaved, I will try it!
A few items I still prefer to use the stove or oven. Some you have to. Meat mostly.
I have a toaster, I use it a lot too.
I used to use a crock pot. I loved it. Just me now, no need.

I used to have a toaster oven but I fried it making frozen french fries one day. :oops:
What was I thinking. Not.
I threw it out because I scared myself.

🤗
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Thank you for the advice Coconut but I never have anything but my meds delivered here. Deliverymen/women sometimes leave packages on the stoop where passerbys could just pick them up. Once a delivery person got in the building somehow and left my package in the hallway near the entrance. A neighbor who had just come in rang my bell and told me it was there. I mostly order from Amazon because my son can pick my packages up at the Amazon hub on his way home from work. If they can't be delivered there, I have them shipped to his job, like with Deja's Chewy orders.

I would have no choice but to get a small microwave since I have a kitchenette with very limited counter space. The last two were by Magic Chef. But for now, I'm going to try to do without it.

I haven't used my stove in over a decade. I use NuWave induction cook tops. The oven serves as storage. I use my little crock pot to make chili and minestrone. And I'm loving my toaster oven-air fryer thingy, which I use a few times daily.

@Trish...my son always says his "Mama didn't raise no fool." He knows it's best to make and keep me happy. :D
I have a microwavable omelette maker that I stopped using when the report came out about microwaving things in plastic. I was leery about using it even though it was sold as microwavable. when I was microwaving, I put the 2 eggs or comparable egg whites in a bowl, heated them for 1 minutes, flipped the cooked part into the middle of the bowl then microwaved for another minute.

@seadoug I don't know why, but I've always thought your husband is Hispanic. I used to buy Jasmine rice in a pouch that could quickly be cooked in the microwave. I don't think the pouch had plastic in it, but I wasn't crazy about doing it that way anyway. I like Spanish rice too.
 
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