Does size really matter??

[mitch5252]

I've been waiting and waiting......I can't believe that Mitch has let the title of this thread go without making some type of remark!

Oh, you all know it entered my mind, but I chose the high road. Besides, I don't remember, since I'm married to an 80 year old diabetic...cough, cough, if you get my drift...

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[JudyJB]

Actually, I was waiting too.

Thanks to all of you for letting me know how you live in a small or not-so-small place.

How do you make toast in a convection microwave? I don't use my toaster often, but I think I might need to once in a while.

I've seen those stacking pans and they look really nice. My old pans were wedding gifts and they are ready to toss when I move anyway. Any recommendations for brand? Ditto for the single use blender? I figure one combo mixing bowl and giant measuring cup, along with the regular other kitchen things will do. I can see I will have to get new plastic dishes.

I have a really old cast iron frying pan that my father and an uncle's grandfather and family used, so that will go along for cooking outdoors or even on the stove. Nothing like a good iron frying pan, no matter how heavy. Good memories of bacon, eggs, and potatoes cooked on that pan.

Judy

[kdmac]

I sat here and vascillated whether I should say, "doesn't matter if it's big or small, it's how it's maneuvered that matters" but I too chose to take the high-road and not post something so crass; I do have standards, ya know.

[Acadianmom]

I carry a toaster but rather than dig it out of the back of a cabinet I make skillet toast with about a 1/4 stick of butter. Any excuse to eat butter is good. I get along with very little cooking when I'm alone. Like Beth, sometimes I have some strange combinations but beats finding a store. Sometimes I bring a crock pot. I have one of the ones that has the clips that hold the lid on which is nice for the rallies. I don't have to worry about dropping the lid. I could probably cook something going down the road if I used an inverter or ran the generator.

My motorhome is only 23' and I always think that if I want to go somewhere I can unhook but usually after I get hooked up I seldom leave.

Martha

[Bethers]

I have two ways of making "toast". First is in a fry pan on the stove, with NO butter or anything, just low heat and turn the bread occasionally (I use a non-stick pan.) The other is in the convection oven using the grill feature. As it only grills on the top, have to turn it when one side is good enough. Both work for me but I don't use toast that often. The grill feature is great for heating french bread or fixing garlic bread (for me, anyway). And I just used it after defrosting some jalepeno-cheddar bread and it made it wonderful - didn't need to add any butter - the cheese started melting - oh yummy.

[Birdie]

I have a funny looking gizmo that is two pieces held together at the handle that I put the bread in it and hold it over the open flame when I normally think I just have to have some toast. Believe that isn't very often. Have not felt the need for toast since I traded out the m/w for a m/w-convection-grill but if and when I do I'll just use the grill. I do have some Garlic/cheese bread that I usually warm up in the m/w, hadn't thought of the grill yet....

I used for quite a while, some plastic plates and bowls but they weren't m/w compatible and I had to use plastic or paper plates in the m/w so I dumped them when a friend offered me her old correlle. I use a 10" glass covered non-stick skillet a lot for dinners. I use an 8" non-stick for breakfast eggs and such. I have some Corning bowls and a small skillet that I use everywhere. My crock-pot is one quart and really too small but then I don't need to be making 2 quarts of soup/stew anymore. I have 2 wine glasses and 1 plastic (flamingo) wine glass, 6 small coffee cups (don't know why) and the ziplock plastic containers that can be tossed. I do have a small hot plate, but only use it when I am nearly out of propane and plugged into electric. My 2 cup Melitta coffee pot stays plugged in almost all the time.

I wear a lot of jeans in the cool weather and I wear sweats and long sleeves so I make a trip to the laundry about once every 2 weeks. In the summer time I wear convertible pants and long sleeved shirts since I tend to sunburn easily and I have to launder more frequently because of the heat. I use that time to read or make grocery or work list.

I am finding that about every 2 months I go thru my rig and find things that I now know that I won't be needing. I put them in a see-thru plastic box and put it in storage. I know that I must be brining something in because my rig is always full. I recently bought a wireless all-in-one and donated my wired all-in-one. I like the new setup. However, i still have too much 'stuff' in my rig. Ii am still working on my food purchases. I find that I buy a huge amount of canned food. It's okay as I will use it, but I have all this food!! I haven't gotten to the point where I buy food where ever I go, but am working on that.

I am still learning this lifestyle. You will discover things about yourself that will surprise you a bit. Looking forward to riding the waves with you during your search.

[JudyJB]

Thanks, Birdie. I think that toast contraption you have is like the antique ones they used to use before toasters were invented. At least, i have seen versions like that in antique shops, not that I go to antique shops more than once every couple of years. Don't want to accumulate more stuff. I don't drink coffee, but I suppose I will have to take the two-cup pot for company.

Living alone, I cook something most weekends in fairly large quantities and then freeze smaller containers so I always have something quick frozen to take to work for lunch.

I overbuy food also, so once a month I stop buying stuff and make myself eat my way through all the leftover frozen stuff.

JudyJB

[flick4411]

I'm learning all kinds of things here. But Nancy, I have to ask...what is the wireless all-in-one? All in one what?

I keep looking around my house trying to figure what has to go into the RV...clothing is a worry for me...with my internal thermostat so out of whack, I never know if I will need another sweater or sweatshirt. I suspect all the sweatshirts will go along with all my long- and short-sleeve shirts just in case. the real quandry is jammies. I cannot be cold while sleeping so in winter at home I wear lightweight sweatpants (really lightweight) and a t-shirt and sox if it's really cold. I don't like heat at night, but i have to be warm with lots of covers or an electric blanket. Gosh, all the decisions to be made... Do most of you have regular sheets/blankets/duvets or are most using sleeping bags?

Birdie, the toast thingee you mentioned took me back to my childhood...we had a four-sided toaster that sat on the Coleman stove...toast always got a little burned...something I learned to love. And then we also had an folding oven that aslo went on the Coleman stove. Wow, such old memories!

I am also going to take the high road and leave the title alone...the manuevering comment earlier was in my head too!!!!

[Forestgal]

I've got a toaster oven that has a toaster slot on top. It's small & sits in a cupboard with my 4-cup drip coffee maker. I really like it, especially for the artisan bread I make. Works like a charm.

I also carry pie irons, but don't use them very often. The group I'm camping with sometimes does pie iron desserts and they're lots of fun to make stuff in.

Li, I've got a 2" memory foam mattress topper that helps with warmth. I also carry a down comforter when it's cold. But unlike you I'm a little furnace at night and tend to sleep in very little when camping. Apparently it got down into the 30s last night & I was really toasty in just a t-shirt with my little electric heater set very low. I'd shut it off completely, but Jed's coat isn't "winterized" and I don't want him getting cold. It's happened before and he's restless when he's cold -- not fun for either of us.

About your clothes, what about creating a bin of extra cold weather clothes that you can store in your outside bin? I've found that rolling clothes saves lots of space, and with sweatshirts & sweaters it doesn't really matter. I'd be really frustrated if I didn't have what I wanted clothes-wise, especially if I'd given stuff away and then found that I could use it. Heck, I always over-pack! But you can get rid of stuff as you find that you don't need it.

Laura -- and Jed

[JudyJB]

I'm definitely going to take a couple of the sewn-through down comforters! They are so warm and toasty. An uncle said he used to sleep in a mostly unheated room when he was a boy and was never cold with down, and I agree. I suspect a very small electric heater would also be a good idea, just in case.

If you do buy down comforters, get the ones that are colored and don't need a duvet cover because duvet covers are a royal pain. Two lightweight ones are better than one thick one.

Guess my small bread pans and one cookie tin would have to come along, plus one large mixing bowl of some sort. I learned to make bread the old fashioned way when I was 10, so no bread machine for me. I'm going to slowly start picking up the lighter baking stuff because all I have right now is heavy ceramic and glass.

What is a pie iron? I thought at first you meant pie pans, but do you mean those things you use with two halves?

So glad everyone is taking the high road.

JudyJB

[BirdbyBird]

I also use thinner down comforters (that don't have duvet covers) and use layers as needed. I find them much easier to wash up as needed. For example, the top one that gets more dog contact. ....Herschel didn't read that....he will say it was all Stuart. I use a fitted (but sloppy and not fitted well) sheet on the bottom and have given up the top sheet for one of the soft thin down comforters....it washes so easily and has just enough weight to stay in place when I want it to. I am not a fan of sleeping bags or sacks.....some nights I just turn over and back to many times to deal with the confinement given my long legs and temp needs. Usually I am cold and covered up for warmth...unless I am not.

[mitch5252]

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Pie Iron = 2 pieces of bread, filled with whatever, and placed over an open fire...



And I carry one of these for toast (the 4 wires fold down flat):



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[Birdie]

Here is a pic of my toaster.



This year I bought an electric blanket and did it ever feel wonderful. I also use a sleeping bag as well as regular sheets. Haven't decided which way I want to go. Oh, yes I do carry a comforter in a duvet but it is usually only used by whomever sleeps upstairs in the large bedroom/bed. I am considering having a mattress made for me and tossing the one that is in there now as I have a 2" topper but it still isn't to die in your sleep for. But haven't totally decided to do that. Think I'll try some of the foam for my dinette cushions from Mitch's site.

Clothing will probably be an issue for me forever. But this year I did wear a lot of silk turtlenecks under sweaters and that seemed to work better than the sweats. Only have one pair of sweat pants and they are headed for storage. I prefer to sleep in silk pj's as they are warmer to me than anything else and they slide around in the flannel sheets, the sleeping bag or whatever. They are great with the silk sack sheet. My biggest problem is keeping my feet warm before I go to bed. So I have polartec socks and wooly slippers and that helps alot. I usually set the furnace to it's lowest sitting, 55*, and leave it on when it is real cold. I have a couple of heaters and use them when I am powered.

Since I don't watch much TV I have a portable satellite radio that I use for my entertainment. It hooks up to 12v and 110 and I have an antenna on the front of the rig, one in the upstairs bed and one on my HHR. So where ever I want it I can have it playing.

Life is good on the road.

[BarbaraRose]

I've been waiting and waiting......I can't believe that Mitch has let the title of this thread go without making some type of remark!

Oh, you all know it entered my mind, but I chose the high road.
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Come on Mitch, we all know you can't reach the high road!

[mitch5252]

Come on Mitch, we all know you can't reach the high road!

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Oh, you're soooo insulting.
(but that was a good one.)

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