In the fast lanes of the 21st century, time is of the essence! Busy, hectic schedules call for the seeking of that which is easy, quick and convenient! This is especially true in the area of food preparation...in and out of the home! Appliances have made their way into kitchens worldwide for purposes of cutting and saving time in the kitchen. Which appliance saves you the most time?

December 6 is...

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2012/07/02/raytheon_marks_90_years_with_challenges_ahead/

The Radarange, first produced by Raytheon,
was a precursor to the modern-day microwave oven.
(Photo by Paul Popper/Popperfoto/Getty Images)

If you were told you must give up the most used cooking appliance in your kitchen, what would that appliance be? It is highly possible your answer is the microwave. Why? Because it is easy to operate, energy efficient, time saving and very convenient. 90% of the homes in the United States have a microwave in the kitchen. 100% of the bachelors definitely own a microwave! Not only in homes but the microwave is possibly found in 99% of all eating establishments. You really don't think the vast numbers of customers, even in the fanciest restaurant, can be served as quickly as need be in the 21st century without the microwave!

A Bit of Microwave History...

One day in 1945, an American self-taught engineer Percy Spencer was working on an active radar set, he realized that the candy bar he had in his pocket was melting. The radar had melted his chocolate bar with microwaves and it was right then, on that day, that the specific heating effect of a high-power microwave beam was accidentally discovered. How cool is that?!

Popcorn was the first food that was deliberately cooked with Spencer’s microwave and an egg was the second. The egg however, exploded in the face of a fellow experimenter.

As with any kitchen appliance, there are dos and don'ts that should be followed for safety precautions. That goes for you personally, as well as the appliance itself.

Dos...

A beginning list of microwave cooking uses. What would you add to the list?

preparing frozen meals
warming leftovers
reheating coffee
melting butter
melting chocolate
softening brown sugar
cooking an entire dinner in less than 10 mins
baking a potato in 4 mins
proofing yeast doughs
roasting garlic
preheating veges for the grill
steaming veges
popping popcorn

Here are my additions:

Making "Mug Brownies"!

My own Chocolate Chip Cookie!

Dos are not limited just to cooking foods. Any ideas to add?

heating gel packs for health purposes
warming beauty products
salvage dried-up mascara
kill the bacteria in a sponge
softening citrus fruits before squeezing
warm plates before serving
cleaning up dried candle wax
melt old & broken crayons, then, make new ones

Don'ts...
Surely most, if not all, of these you already know. What faux paus have you encountered? You know, the OOPS!

Celebrate Microwave Oven Day from your favorite breakfast bowl to mid-morning snack to a budget meal for lunch through your mid-afternoon break to your favorite microwaveable meal for dinner!