Illogical kitchen habits

[tejon]

Ah, but you are quirky in a very lovable way, Andie. Besides, look at what amazing things come out of your kitchen! I think you have latitude to arrange things however you see fit, if the resulting food is that good

[CanadianBakin']

I also always have the kettle on my stove because my mom did. I don't even drink tea! It's fortunate my husband has started drinking tea in the last year so I have a reason now but it's been on my stove for 13 years. And it happens to be my mom's old kettle. I think she microwaves her water now.

[racheld]

I also always have the kettle on my stove because my mom did. I don't even drink tea! 

And it happens to be my mom's old kettle. I think she microwaves her water now.

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The torch has been passed; the Old Guard has stepped back, to a well-earned life of ease and comfort. All is as it should be.

[andiesenji]

Ah, but you are quirky in a very lovable way, Andie. Besides, look at what amazing things come out of your kitchen! I think you have latitude to arrange things however you see fit, if the resulting food is that good 

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Some of the younger generation apparently don't understand that sometimes the old ways of doing things still work quite well and may even produce a superior result.

I have some new neighbors down the road and one of my long time neighbors brought the lady of the house and one of her daughters to my house this morning for an introduction. She said "Andie is our local go-to person if anyone needs help with a recipe or cooking equipment, etc."

The daughter looked around my kitchen and said "But all of your stuff is so OLD!", indicating a couple of cast iron pots and an old crock sitting on the counter.

I told her that I too am old, but just because something or someone is old doesn't mean it or they can't work well.

I fixed them tea, using my favorite two-pot method, with loose tea, took a pan of scones out of the oven (strictly serendipity, I had no idea I would have company) and told the girl how easy it was to make scones from "scratch" - not using a mix. However she apparently had never seen any except in a package or at Starbucks.

I don't know if I made any impression on her but the mom was fascinated by the home made clotted cream and the tea. She said she didn't know tea was available except in tea bags!

Even though I have a lot of tea kettles, I simply used the water from the Instahot dispenser for the tea. Some modern things are better.............

[Grub]

Somehow, I suspect that this behavior is gender-specific: Checking out the fridge. I'll just open the door to the refrigerator and stand there like, I don't know -- an idiot -- and just stare at it... Not hungry, not curious as to what's in there, not thinking about cooking, or wondering if I'm running low on anything, or generally thinking anything at all. My mind just goes blank.

Does anyone else do this? Do women do it?

That habit of leaving the tea kettle on the stove sounds wonderful, by the way -- seems very comforting and reassuring.

[Jmahl]

My wife’s family has a ranch in Mexico and the stone ranch house has a wood stove made in Chicago probability in the 20’s or 30’s. A teakettle is always kept in the back of the stove so hot water is always available. There is no running water.

So, it is my conclusion, leaving a teakettle on the back burner of an electric stove is a relic of another age. Like an appendix, its there, but why?

Good eating,

Jmahl

[Smithy]

Somehow, I suspect that this behavior is gender-specific: Checking out the fridge. I'll just open the door to the refrigerator and stand there like, I don't know -- an idiot -- and just stare at it... Not hungry, not curious as to what's in there, not thinking about cooking, or wondering if I'm running low on anything, or generally thinking anything at all. My mind just goes blank.

Does anyone else do this? Do women do it?

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I've always associated that behavior with teenaged boys! You mean they don't outgrow it?

[andiesenji]

Somehow, I suspect that this behavior is gender-specific: Checking out the fridge. I'll just open the door to the refrigerator and stand there like, I don't know -- an idiot -- and just stare at it... Not hungry, not curious as to what's in there, not thinking about cooking, or wondering if I'm running low on anything, or generally thinking anything at all. My mind just goes blank.

Does anyone else do this? Do women do it?

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I've always associated that behavior with teenaged boys! You mean they don't outgrow it?

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I remember that! It is as if they open the fridge door and immediately go into a fugue state, contemplating the universe or some such.

My problem is trekking out to the kitchen from my office, a fairly long way, then not remembering what I intended to do when I got there. We call it the "Old-Timer's syndrome" - the only thing to do is turn around and retrace my steps. I usually remember what it was before I get back to the office but sometimes it remains a mystery until I sit down at my desk.

I am going to start writing notes to myself on the computer and check the computer in the kitchen (networked) if I can't remember when I get there. I comfort myself that in any event I am getting a little exercise.

[Anna N]

...

My problem is trekking out to the kitchen from my office, a fairly long way, then not remembering what I intended to do when I got there.  We call it the "Old-Timer's syndrome" - the only thing to do is turn around and retrace my steps.  I usually remember what it was before I get back to the office but sometimes it remains a mystery until I sit down at my desk. ..

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Around this house we call it the Hereafter Syndrome as in "What am I here after?"

[mrsadm]

Somehow, I suspect that this behavior is gender-specific: Checking out the fridge. I'll just open the door to the refrigerator and stand there like, I don't know -- an idiot -- and just stare at it... Not hungry, not curious as to what's in there, not thinking about cooking, or wondering if I'm running low on anything, or generally thinking anything at all. My mind just goes blank.

Does anyone else do this? Do women do it?

That habit of leaving the tea kettle on the stove sounds wonderful, by the way -- seems very comforting and reassuring.

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My husband does this!!!

When I first got married my kitchen was a lot like my mother's, with the 4 canisters (even the tea one, which I never drank). I had a wooden, "colonial style" (with an eagle on the top) spice rack that was to go near the stove, and all the bottles had to match in style. Anyone else have one of these?

The funniest illogical thing that I notice myself still doing, is buying the same brands that my mother did, like Hellman's mayonaise. Not for any reason, just habit.

[prasantrin]

Somehow, I suspect that this behavior is gender-specific: Checking out the fridge. I'll just open the door to the refrigerator and stand there like, I don't know -- an idiot -- and just stare at it... Not hungry, not curious as to what's in there, not thinking about cooking, or wondering if I'm running low on anything, or generally thinking anything at all. My mind just goes blank.

Does anyone else do this? Do women do it?

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I'm a woman and I do it. And not just with the refrigerator. The other day I walked into the office, stood at the door, and said, "Why am I here?" One of my co-workers looked at me and said, "Well, I think you work here..."

To keep it food related, I finally remembered that I had gone back to the office to get my thermos of milk coffee. Supposedly caffeine helps stimulate your brain so you can think better and actually remember things.

[Grub]

I'm a woman and I do it.  And not just with the refrigerator...

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No, I think these are different things... The "What am I doing here"-feeling makes sense, because anyone can lose their train of thought, you know..? That's still perfectly reasonable.

But when I go looksie in the fridge, I'm never doing anything, or being interrupted by this deranged fridge-observing desire. I just sort of go blank and go watch the fridge.

Uh, I think I've gone from "Illogical kitchen habits" to Norman Bates there, or something.

[lesfen]

Wow, now that you've brought this to my attention, I realize that I am not a freak.

Teakettle is on the stove. I use it about once a month... maybe. It looks nice tho'.

I have two canisters on my counter... one for wooden/plastic/silicone utensils, and the other for metal utensils. One canister for things that I can use with my non-stick stuff, the other... well... isn't. For some reason my husband can't keep this straight.

I have four drawers for silverwear, cutlery, and other tools. One silverware drawer is for everyday stuff and kiddie utensils. One holds the two sets that I would consider to be the "nice stuff". It's not really that nice but it's newer. My husband can't keep these straight either.

One drawer holds a crappy knife set that I received as a gift. I never use them but I felt bad throwing them away and they came with a really nice cutting board that I wanted so I didn't return it. The other drawer holds measuring cups, measuring spoons, and gadgets.

Shit... I am a freak.

Edited February 25, 2006 by lesfen (log)

[H. du Bois]

I'm a refrigerator gazer, and I'm a female. I always ascribed it to hoping that, magically, something good would have appeared in there since I last checked it. Oddly so, because I haven't believed in Santa or the tooth fairy in many years.

And my teakettle lives on the stove, because I do love tea, a habit acquired long before I started spending time in England. On weekends, I make my morning coffee in a french press cafetiere. Don't people make coffee and tea at home anymore, or is it that they use electric coffeemakers instead?

[NWKate]

Actually, I use my tea kettle to boil water for coffee several times a day so IT'S STAYIN' ON THE FRICKIN RANGE! A funny little quirk in my house is that it has also become the repository for AM messages. My son used to put them on my bedroom door where they were promptly ignored but now they are placed on the tea kettle's handle where I always notice them!

Kate

( who staggers to the kettle first thing in the morning in search of morning coffee!)