Am I crazy?

After a discussion at a friends house this weekend I came to terms with something that makes me nervous and lives in my kitchen. It's also bright red and pictured above so I'm not expecting my readers to have a tough time figuring out what I'm talking about. It's my microwave.

When Fi was a baby I tried not to microwave her bottles having read that plastics can leech estrogen into liquids when you heat them. I failed a lot. A whole lot. I was a young mom and add in that I was constantly at school/friends houses/on the road I microwaved and felt icky about it.

Thankfully with G I was able to breastfeed (which is a million times easier as far as storage and heating goes, heh) but I saw more and more glass bottles available as growing awareness of some of the evils of plastic became more and more known. I read as much as I could online from sources I felt were reputable and became more and more squeamish about microwaves in general.

But what a convenience right!? I mean who hasn't craved midnight egg rolls and microwaved it just enough to be safe before snacking? AmIright? RIGHT?! ::nervous laugh::

Ok maybe not.

But still they are convenient. And in a house where I tend to cook meals that have more side dishes or slight variations for the dairy free child, the picky child, and the low sugar/carb adult it's a great tool for getting meals on the table faster.

However, when we moved into this house I bought something I really wanted. A toaster oven! (Did you say jewelry or art supplies? Ok those were close seconds.) I wanted one because as I've aged I've decided that single use devices really bother me! When we were packing for the move I researched and decided which objects would not be moving with us. I upgraded to one Crock Pot. I'm currently shopping for a panini press/waffler iron/electric grill.

A toaster over was a natural extension of this. Toast, bake, broil for the same foot print as a 4 slice toaster oven? Yes please. But with it I noticed I was dusting the microwave more and more.

Which led to removing it from the kitchen yesterday just to test something. Do we really use it that much? Am I really dependent on it? With all the negatives I can foresee with a microwave (including what it might be doing the molecules inside my foods) can we just avoid the device?

Most of what we use to microwave we now toast or heat in the toaster oven. I even have GREAT pottery that is freezer/oven/dishwasher safe so putting something on a plate and into the toaster is no big deal. As long as you remember to use pot holders.

I know Mandy Ray over at a bona fide life once blogged about no longer having one, and it was Michelle of Fat Dog Farm that I was talking to shortly before deciding to try this thing. Anyone else out there going micro free?