Yes, it is true. In our ongoing effort to eat better and live healthier lives, we are running a test. It started Wednesday and I pretty much failed it right off the bat… but let me tell you my tale first.

This is apparently a new (old?) enemy to those who want to eat more healthy:

I know you don’t want to believe me, but here’s the article I read about it – and it is not the first time I’ve seen this information:  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx

So since I’ve read enough stuff that’s told me a microwave KILLS my food (not to mention brain cells if you stand in front of it… and possibly my phone since it crackles if I’m on it while standing in front of it) – where was I? Oh yeah, kills the nutrients in my food, I said to Alpha Hubby – “We could run a test for a week to see just how much we use the microwave!”  I know, I know – I must have been out of my mind!  Had a momentary blip of insanity.  I honestly thought we didn’t use it for much but reheating and not a lot of that.

I thought this was a brilliant idea as I took a slurp of my tea.  I frowned because it had gotten cold, went into the kitchen, popped open the microwave door… and caught myself.  Busted!  I may have to duct tape the door shut because it is such an automatic response!

I finally did OK slowly reheating coffee and tea in one of these:

Do you recognize that?  It’s a pot!  It goes on top of the stove on those things called electric elements.  I know!  Who knew you could do that??  And it tastes so much better – doesn’t get that old stale taste that comes from reheating coffee in a microwave. 

I have one of these, too:    It’s pretty handy for heating up water quickly – it’s an electric hot watter kettle.  But after it heats the water, if you leave it long enough, it gets cool and you have to turn it on and go through the process all over again.

Since I like my water hot ON DEMAND I finally broke down and dug out my stovetop tea kettle.  It doesn’t whistle like my old one – which kept up a moaning sound the entire time I kept it on the stove top which might explain why I banned it – but anyway, when I want hot water NOW, it’s right there for me, keeping my water hot all day long… as long as I don’t allow it to run dry.  It’s my new best friend!  Especially since I’ve also read that microwaving water can make it flat – can you believe??  Where do they learn this stuff?

I even did OK when it was time for the frozen broccoli ’cause I was looking forward to cooking it the old fashioned way – on the stove top in boiling water!  It only took 3 minutes (once the water boiled) whereas it took 11 minutes in the microwave, and if I choose to believe it, those 11 minutes destroy the entire purpose of eating broccoli in the first place – to be healthy.  No nutrients. Who knew I was wasting my time scarfing down broccoli like that?

So I was feeling pretty smug although it was pretty hard not to reach for the microwave.  Yep, I did great until this:

I had totally forgotten how we used to reheat meat, especially hamburgers.  I mean, sure, I can turn on the oven, wrap it in tin foil and stick it in there for awhile – but man that takes TOO long.  I broke down and slipped it into the microwave for a minute.  I felt so guilty.  I was blowing it right off the bat – the second day into our test of living without a microwave.  What sort of person was I?  I couldn’t even keep my word.

Smarty Pants said, “Why don’t you just toss it in the skillet and reheat it that way?”  *silence*  “Or not…”

Well DUH, I COULD have done that… if I’d thought of it. He thinks he’s so smart – I’d like to see him staying away from the microwave while being home all day. He gets to go to the office and forget all about it.

Learning to eat more healthy should not be so much trouble.  It shouldn’t be so hard!  It was tough enough getting off white sugar and all its products.   And hot yeasty white flour rolls.  Bye *sniff sniff* bye.  Eating as whole as possible has been very challenging because except in summer, no farmer’s markets; we have no whole food stores, altho the local Kroger tries to keep some organic things on hand… at a PREMIUM price – and there are no giant greenhouses sitting in my backyard so I can have fresh veggies anytime I want.  We will soon have our own cows but until then…

To those of you on this journey to eating more healthy, losing weight and all that jazz… good luck.  I’m leaving.  You’ll find me on the beach in Bali with my old best friend, Mr. Microwave.  He’s hot, ya know?  Even if he does ruin my food.