Goodbye Microwave

Back in October, our microwave died. It was a week before our Halloween party and I was a little bit panicked thinking that I would need a microwave for party prep. We had intended to replace it, but things got hectic and then the party came and went. No microwave, no problem. The dead microwave remained in its place on the shelf. Weeks came and went. We pretty much forgot about the dead microwave. Then, last week, I had a craving for popcorn. Whatever would we do? I decided to get a bag of “old-fashioned” kernels. I put a little bit of oil in the bottom of a medium pot and then added the kernels in. Put a lid over it and turned the burner on to medium heat. It was so fun to listen to that popcorn popping and eventually pushing the lid right up off of the pot. I put it all in a big bowl, added a little bit of olive oil & salt, et voila! It was the most delicious popcorn ever. That night we decided to say goodbye to our microwave. It had been well over a month since it’d crapped out and we didn’t miss it.

The debate over whether microwaves are dangerous or not has been raging for awhile. There are strong arguments on both sides. Personally, I’ve always felt a little “icky” using the microwave. Perhaps it was all in my head but I didn’t like to stand in front of it when it was on — fearing that micro-waves would penetrate my body. (Too much sci-fi!?) I was also told by our pediatrician, and confirmed with further research, that I shouldn’t microwave breastmilk because it breaks it down and destroys its nutrients. I wonder if microwaves break down any other foods/nutrients.

Ultimately, we didn’t decide to get rid of our microwave for health reasons. It died of natural causes. 😉 But we don’t plan to replace it anytime soon. The delicious stove-topped popcorn is a bonus.

^^^ My boys waiting patiently for some popcorn goodness ^^^

What do you think? Do you use a microwave?