Automotive, Family, Food, home, Science, Technology, Uncategorized

New Toys

38 Comments

Husband’s new smoker/grill arrived on Tuesday. You can see it in the header photo.  It is quite the machine, something my dad would have called a “delicate piece of equipment” given all the complexity involved in using it. It is iron, true. It took two trips to the hardware store just to unpack it. We needed a tin snips to cut the thick, wire strapping that secured its protective wrappings. Then we found it was firmly attached to a heavy wooden pallet by screws that had odd heads needing  a bit with a square head for the electric screwdriver.  I am thankful I managed to remove the screws without stripping them.  What would we have done then?!

Husband has waited years for this grill with the same anticipation as a child waiting for a long hoped-for special toy at Christmas. His first smoked sausage and country style pork ribs turned just as he wanted.  We are truly blessed with good cooking equipment.

What is the most complex piece of equipment you ever had to operate? What is your favorite cooking vessel or utensil. 

 

38 thoughts on “New Toys”

  2. An obvious answer is my car – though I do really like my car. As many of you know, I drive an all-electric Leaf. It took awhile to get used to not driving like I did with my manual transmission cars – but gosh, the virtually transmissionless Leaf is fun to drive. Acceleration is zippy, it’s super quiet (no engine to make noise), maintenance is minimal. Eventually I may have to worry about the batteries, but that’s a good ways off.

    If I start looking at cooking equipment, well, then I start looking at my baking stuff: my KitchenAid mixer and my Bundt pan. 🙂

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  3. Since the new grill is iron and exceedingly heavy, it maintains its heat well, so Husband doesn’t have to watch it so closely. That makes him a much more affable companion. He used hickory and pecan wood in his maiden smoking endeavor, and the smoke stayed steady at 225° without much fussing with it.

    We really appreciate our Creuset ware Dutch ovens and cookware. I also really like my cheery Potter.

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      1. I was kinda hoping “cheery potter” was correct and it was perhaps some sort of terra cotta bakeware or something. (Or perhaps Renee knows my potter friends who live in What Cheer, IA.)

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    2. i didn’t even notice
      i get bent out of shape at creuset and the stupid prices
      china and india make same stuff for 15 dollars that creuset charges 150 for but i’d take one in a heartbeat if it fell out of the sky

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  4. Oh, definitely the computers. I’ve just procured a new iPad, and have so far managed to test out Facetime on it, but this is my first “smart” device, and I can see I’m going to need some coaching to learn how to navigate this new entity.

    I enjoy how you often have a variety of questions, Renee.

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  5. Ah, and I usually love my cast iron skillets – several different sizes. I’ve had some of them so long they’re like old friends. You can also just pop them in the oven if needed…Bonus is the arm strengthening workout factor, and how well they hold the heat. (Better in cooler weather, however, on that last one.)

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    1. i have two of my trusty cast iron skillets that leak oil on my damn electric porcelain stovetop

      never thought that would happen

      i still bake taters and irish soda bread in them but i miss my good old 12” skillet

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  6. My computer on wheels, aka a Toyota Highlander. I actually read the owner’s manual cover to cover. 700+ pages! THEN, I read the navigation/sound system/apps manual. Another 300+ pages!

    I have no idea what most of the capabilities of this vehicle are. I love the backup camera and lane departure signals. The heated steering wheel and seats rock in winter.

    As far as cooking equipment goes, we have a cast-iron dutch oven that does yeoman’s duty in our kitchen. Food processor is a must these days.

    Chris in Owatonna

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    1. The Leaf has a heated steering wheel. Wasn’t sure if I would like it. Cannot go back now to unheated steering in the winter. Ditto the heated seats – though I had those in my Beetle, too.

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      1. I had a horrible time trying to put a load of shingles on a roof with a Bobcat. Balance is very difficult. Think like you have a load in two hands standing on top toes and trying to put it in the hands of another person 8 feet above. Scary.

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  8. Rise and Shine Baboons,

    Where to start? We have so many gizmos now. My phone, my computer are probably my most complex machines. I find I use them only for what they can do for me, then I have no further interest at all, about how they work. In my car, my favorite feature is the sunroof. I love having that—it just makes me feel good. Lou can drive that car and never use it and I find it difficult to ignore. On the other car the heated seats are heaven in January.

    As I scanned in all the family history that I recently organized, I discovered my Great Grandfather Joe Newell was enchanted by new machinery. I found a picture of his farmyard in which he clearly lined up every new gizmo he owned—a Model A car, whatever the team of horses were fastened to, bailers, wagons—to take a picture of them. Now it looks like a bunch of old stuff. Then, it must have looked dazzling to him.

    PS. I have slowly learned to use my Instant Pot, which is much safer and easier to use than my old fashioned pressure cooker which I use for canning. Those devices SCARE me.

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  9. Scratching my head – as if that’s going to help – trying to figure out the most complex piece of equipment I’ve ever operated. My water pick has to be near the top of the list. I somehow end up with water everywhere except my ears. I was also contemplating the intricacies of the vacuum cleaner in all of its many manifestations. The upright Hoover versus the Filter Queen canister type, and all of the other mechanical engineering feats in between, all having obviously been invented by someone who has never cleaned a thing in his life. But you know what? When you get right down to it, I think an electric curling iron probably takes the cake. I’m lucky, and grateful, that I didn’t do permanent damage to myself. I never did master it, and truth be told, I’m not that good at vacuuming either.

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  10. Morning.
    First official day of classes here. The job is interfering with me having time to write on here.

    Lighting consoles are tough. There are multiple ways to do the same thing. And it’s easy to learn the basics and turn lights on and off. Even changing colors can be easy. But that’s only using about 10% of what it can do.
    And learning, using, and getting good at using the rest of it is tough.

    Sort of like this:

    Heck, I had to read the directions for the new coping foot I bought for my jigsaw. One screw and 3 pieces of metal; how hard can it be??

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  11. I was getting apprehensive and anxious that I hadn’t heard anything from the instructors of the two online classes I’m taking.
    Classes just started today and usually there’s SOMETHING ahead of time so I wasn’t real concerned but I do like to know what’s going on you know.
    I mentioned this to another instructor and he said “Have you checked D2L?” (‘Desire 2 Learn’ – it’s the online portal for all college related things.
    Oh, well shucks. No, I kinda forgot about that. I guess I was waiting for an email from the teacher to say ‘Things are out there. go look at D2L. So I felt like a schmuck for not remembering that. I’ve used it for every other online class. Golly Gee Wilikers.
    Yep, both instructors have class info and comments. All that anxiousness for nothing. Again.

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  13. You guys have already heard my sad story about my KitchenAid. It was my favorite for decades but it has definitely fallen out of the top 10. I have a new garlic smasher that I like a lot but I really think the most fun thing I have is my cherry tomato cutter. I just used it earlier today – you pop the cherry tomato into the opening, push the plunger down and voila! A cherry tomato in four quarters. I love this thing.

    Most complicated? I think I’d have to go with the phone.

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  14. My other favorite kitchen thingy is my crock pot(s). I put in all the ingredients for a Turkish Beef and Eggplant Stew at 1:00, outside on the Summer Kitchen table, stirred it a 4:00 when I tested the meat and turned it down to Low, and we just ate this delicious meal.

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  15. most complex piece of equipment
    plain jain started her dirty off saying scratching my head … and i realized that’s the most complicated thing i operate
    my damn head

    i have a new challenge with my bands reunion
    with a new recording software thing to play my parts on to return to tick star again

    me and those other old rockers
    mick mccartney the boss, dylan

    kickin ass in the streaming world will be cool when i get it

    i have a very contemporary cast iron pot i love baking bread in and also to do casseroles and taters in

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  16. The most complex machinery I operate is my car. I haven’t the faintest idea how it works, but I get in it and turn the key and it goes.

    Favorite kitchen tools – the crockpot and the rice cooker, and of course, my Robostir.

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