So while reading the Laura Ignalls Wilder books I am looking at her kitchen, and comparing it to mine.
Lauras kitchen (as of book 2)
1. spider (seems to be a frying pan on legs..)
2. dutch oven
3. something to cook coffee in
My kitchen:
1. frying pan (no legs needed nowadays 
.)
2. dutch oven, actually 2 of them, one large one small, oh and a huge roaster
3. four pots (one medium, one large, two huge)
4. two stones (one round, one rectangular)
5. four frequently used muffin pans, two mini, two large
6. one 13*9 cake pan, one 9"square
7. three mini bread pans, one large
and that doesn't include the stuff I have 'lost' since I don't seem to use and figure if I don't touch in a year I can get rid of.
I seem to be richer every time I pick up a book....
Laura also packed her entire belongings in a covered wagon for a trip (or two) I am not sure I could currently pack up my kitchen in one wagon!
Seems to me, that Americans are spoiled, we want chocolate every day, instead of being thankful we can get fruit and veggies anyday. We want someone else to do most if not all of the cooking instead of being greatful we can always find flour, cornmeal or even premade bread pretty cheap.
We complain about our 'small' houses with only one or two bedrooms, instead of being greatful we don't cook eat sleep play all in one room..not to mention the indoor plumbing!
We kavetch about paying premium prices for 50billion channels of nothing to watch, instead of being greatful we can all see and hear professional music, acting, reading, and speaches. (Laura certainly never heard the president on the prarie..no matter how much we complain when his address interupts out favorite show)
Really, the next person who tells me I am rich for being able to stay home, I aught to respond how rich I am just to live in a house with electricity and whole house heat (ever roast your front at a campfire while your back froze?)
Wow what a kitchen
January 15th, 2007 at 06:30 pm
January 15th, 2007 at 06:41 pm 1168886462
Good sermon!
I needed to hear that one too! I've been contemplating passing along some of the baking pans as well on this kitchen-zone cleaning hurrah!
Was just in my kitchen thinking how nice it's going to be to fill my crew up tonight on homemade hotrolls and dirty rice (red beans, rice, hamburger meat and brown gravy!) and peach cobbler made in the crockpot. ...and how they'll rave about what a good cook I am and will appreciate it after working today and having to brave the ice and snow to get out and do it.
Just got off the phone with my Dad who has no electricity right now and was asking how they were fairing? His reply, "Oh I've become used to these electric b*tt-wipers, but somehow I think we'll make it." He has a fireplace, cookstove runs on propane, has a well, and loads of other self-sufficient items and will do just fine! Many others won't fare as well I'm afraid.
Pass the collection plate PrincessP, I think you nailed it this morning!
We are blessed indeed.
January 15th, 2007 at 06:46 pm 1168886769
I agree with you. We should all be more thankful. Many other people in the world(3rd world countries) would give ANYTHING to have the opportunities that we have.
January 15th, 2007 at 06:48 pm 1168886916
I got rid of cookware I wasn't using and utensils that were duplicates. It's really surprising how little you need when you get right down to it.
January 15th, 2007 at 06:52 pm 1168887140
January 15th, 2007 at 06:52 pm 1168887179
Girl we do need to be more grateful but,I have to tell you it is very hard
cooking and living in a small tradler.
Iam so very grateful for what I do have .
January 15th, 2007 at 08:37 pm 1168893433
January 15th, 2007 at 08:48 pm 1168894125
The middle class around here strikes me as very whiny. Whine whine whine they can not have this and that. But they live SO well - just too blind to see it. There are quite a few people I just want to smack sometimes.
I appreciate it somewhat because my family comes from a very poor background, as did most of my friends growing up. I didn't grow up poor, but my parents passed on what they had learned, etc., how they grew up, how to be appreciative of what I have. Growing up in the BAy Area a large percentage of the population were immigrants - it permeates the culture that most got their through hard work, most of them from meager means. Moving just a couple of hours away to such a society of "entitlement" just shocked me. I got friends here whining they can not afford a McMAnsion so why bother owning a home. They can't pay their bills but don't mention getting a job or cutting some luxuries - they get pissed... ??????
I still slip and take many things for granted. But I Really worry in giving such a good life to my kids if I Am not harming them - I try to teach them their roots the best I Can - that our family as a whole dind't always have enough money for food. Certainly not the abundance of food and shelter, and cars and electronic gadgets that we have now. I think the farther removed our generation gets from the depression, and so forth, a lot of that appreciation is lost. But I try not to lose sight how well off we really are.
January 17th, 2007 at 01:37 am 1168997850
One of my absolute favorite parts of her books is when Pa was working for the railroad and they overwinter in the headquarters and get to use up all the food that was left by the company. And how rich they all felt with such fine food, and then when the thaw comes and they open the house as boarding and make all the meals at a dime a piece to the people coming west. Ingenuity!
January 17th, 2007 at 01:01 pm 1169038888