When Cliff and I got married, I had been living on my own for about three years, so I had a few pots and pans, a coffeepot, a cast iron skillet... you know, the basics. I didn't have a toaster, though. Honestly, I never missed having a toaster. I can live without toast in my life.
Fast forward about five years. I had a two-year-old and a four-year-old, and suddenly I felt the need for a toaster. Christmas was coming up and when relatives asked what we wanted, one of my requests was a four-slice toaster. Something like this one:
I know. I'm a terrible mother. Who turns a two-year-old loose with a toaster? Those kids could have been horribly burned or mutilated. Thank God they survived.
Anyway, for the first month after we received the wonderful toaster, we were not surprised to smell toast cooking any time the kids were awake. My children, both of them, had learned how to get a slice of bread, put it in the toaster, push the lever down, wait expectantly, and then take the toast to the table and spread butter or peanut butter or jelly (or any combination thereof) on it, and make themselves a snack.
My babies could cook! I didn't even make them ask permission. My children, if you are hungry, make some toast! God has blessed us with a toaster!
As I said, I was a terrible mother. We sure had fun, though.
Back then, toast could be made in about 60 seconds. When it popped up, it was hot, so I taught my babies to be very careful. Toast is hot, children! This was an important life lesson for them. Half the life lessons they learned were learned in my kitchen.
The toaster I have today takes at least three minutes to turn bread into toast; you could starve, waiting for it to pop up. And when it DOES pop up, it isn't hot. It won't melt butter.
Maybe I should get on Ebay and buy a toaster made in the sixties.
I remember when we we got our microwave. We were a lot older, but I was so excited at the thought of having a baked potato any time I wanted it. I must have eaten a baked potato after school every day for weeks!
ReplyDeleteI could live without a toaster. If I really wanted toast I would butter some bread and turn it upside down in a skillet but then I would have a skillet to wash and who wants to do that?
ReplyDeleteI bought two old meat grinders on ebay, it was brand new, still wrapped in oily paper. They don't make them like this anymore
ReplyDeleteYou taught your children to be self reliant. Nothing wrong with that. We have a toaster oven, not a toaster just because my husband has always had one? But I adore the retro toasters I've seen on the market. I say you should get yourself one that works better than the one you have.
ReplyDeleteToasters aren't hot anymore for the same reason you can't buy lawn darts. Because some idiot hurt themselves with it and sued the company. Waaah.
ReplyDeleteHey Donna, the morels are up!!!
ReplyDeleteI love old toasters and what i call hand tools in the kitchen!LOL
I grew up with tater mashers and hand mixers,and kneading bread by hand.
I have a toaster - must be 4 or 5 years old by now that puts out some seriously hot toast. Melt the butter, melt the peanut butter, melt your fingers.... I like it, except for the fact that no one but me knows how to make toast. @@
ReplyDeleteAmy, you should have taught your babies to play with hot appliances at a young age, like I did!
ReplyDeleteMy parents got a toaster as a wedding gift in 1944. It worked so well you could turn off the furnace while it made toast. It lasted into the 80s. I'm on my fourth one in ten years... sure, they're only $1.98 but I be willing to pay more for one that worked. It's quicker to hold your bic under the slice.
ReplyDelete