An update ... and apology to MIL

[lurkedtoolong]

A few weeks ago I started a thread accusing my MIL of being strange for bringing a potato peeler (along with enough groceries to sink the Titanic) with her to our house.

Fast forward to spending Christmas with my parents and there's no potato peeler, no frying pan and no baking tray which is going to make cooking Christmas dinner (which we offered to do to avoid my parents' interesting cooking) difficult.

MIL I take it all back. You aren't strange at all, but a sensible, well prepared woman who I will be taking many life lessons from in future. (MIL is not on MN so will not be aware of this grovelling apology)

How have they got this far in life without 3 essential cooking items?

I remember that thread! And agree with AKiss, how on earth have your parents cooked without those items? Or is the clue in "my parents' interesting cooking"?

I remember that thread too!

Surely your parents must have had cooking implements of some sort when you were little?

If there's enough foil you may be able to bodge some sort of replacement for the baking trays, you can fry in the bottom of a big saucepan (done this) and potatoes are do-able with a small knife just take for bloody ever. You can roast them skin on btw, it's healthier too, but they don't pick up the wonderful yummy massive amount of cholesterol from the dripping crispiness.

Oh dear, I wasn't on mumsnet for that thread but I do take my own potato peeler with me when I go to other people's houses to stay! It's easy on the wrists! I always take loads of groceries! It has never occurred to me that that is strange.....

My grandparents always used a sharp knife instead of a peeler, but a Yorkshire home without a frying pan? Unthinkable.
I used to bring black pepper and real milk and bread with me when I visited.

Mil uses a sharp knife to peel potatoes - takes forever and wastes half the potato but hey!

My mum is left handed so is known for bringing her own potato peeler here but she frequently leaves it here and then forgets and brings another next time she comes and so on and so on!

Have they got any flatish pyrex dishes which could double as baking trays?

I use a sharp knife for potato peeling and a peeler for carrotts and parsnips, I guess im a weird..
Merry Xmas

The clue is definitely in the interesting cooking. All frozen veg. My mum hit 45 and decided that she was finished with home cooking. Poor DH is in hell. He is the King of Christmas Dinners and just wants a nice kitchen with nice implements to do all his cooking. We'll cobble something together, have lots to drink and have a good day. Merry Christmas Mumsnet

At my mothers house one Christmas she only had a peeler where the handle was a sharp, sharp knife. It was supposed to have a lid but it was lost. She uses an ordinary knife for peeling so the rest of us had to dabble with the death peeler.

Having lots to drink will ease the day considerably.

But are you sure they have a corkscrew?

There was never a potato peeler in my parents' house - it was a revelation when I first used one at school! I have a fabby one from John Lewis that gives me great pleasure whenever I use it.

I've never owned a potato peeler, feel like maybe I'm missing out!

at death peeler!

We used a knife for our spuds, and didn't waste a lot, so there, cos we was careful innit.

I sympathise. My parents kitchen is dismally well equipped. My mum stopped cooking years ago (if she ever actually did much cooking eg. I didn't know that you could make white sauce without a packet 'til I was at university, and recently discovered my 30 yo brother didn't know how to make yorkshire puddings or pancakes without packet mix) and no new equipment has been bought since. I don't have a crazy kitchen but I do have certain things I love - my stick blender, being one and miss. (I took the stick blender on a self catering ski holiday a few years ago - how everyone laughed until the realised it meant we had lovely warm nourishing soup every day when we got in from the slopes.

They also have one of those ridiculous peelers with a swivel blade. I much prefer mine which is fixed (and has a lovely good grips handle).

I got ridiculously excited in a holiday cottage earlier in the year when the owner had 3 types of potato peeler to choose from.

your MIL is a wise woman. I once promised to cook at a friend's place, but said I need to go home first to get the spices. Oh no, sez she, I have spices, no worries! She did - salt and pepper. I said I was making curry...

Of course I'll never tell my MIL she is a wise woman. That would be pushing my new found respect for her a bit too far.

DH is hiding in bathroom sobbing gently because he has to cook Christmas pudding in microwave. We're never having Christmas dinner here again. All restaurants and dinner at our place from now on.

When I was at school, back in the Jurassic age, we weren't allowed to use potato peelers to peel potatoes. So I still don't! Much prefer a small, sharp knife.

Oh god the amount of times I've offered to help in the kitchen somewhere then realised they have no decent sharp knife / potato pealed / can opener/ other essential bit of kitchen equipment. Tres annoying. Your MIL knows the score ;-)

I feel your pain. I have spent today cursing my mother's kitchen utensils. I did laugh when she opened her present from my brother - some super kitchen knives. I think he must have suffered here too.

If I think I may be preparing vegetables anywhere I always pack my peeler. Everyone peels veggies differently - it is a very personal thing - and adapting to someone else's peeler is not easy! ;) Always take it to youth camps - mega piles of veggies there!!

Always use a knife to peel veggies - had a peeler once with none of those swivelly blades and ds managed to peel a slice from his nail and finger with it! He has never had an accident with a knife so we're sticking with what we know ....

This has got me all nostalgic. Can you still buy what used to be called Lancashire potato peelers? They were a fixed blade, tied with string which meant you had a good grip.

I beat you all hands down....

I got to my dad's last year to cook christmas dinner and when the turkey still wasn't cooked after 5hours (a turkey that was only supposed to take 3hrs) and the roasts pale after 2hrs he mentioned that the oven had never worked well...

We had to cut the legs off the turkey and cook it in portions in the end - took 7hrs... it's a RENTED house... all he has to do is report it!

Same this year - we had an alternative christmas dinner

I am 45, does that mean I don't have to cook any more?

I actually hope not, I enjoy cooking.