This morning I did it again. I screwed the top off the Molly McButter and dumped half the container in my oatmeal. It wasn't the first time and it isn't always Molly McButter on the oatmeal. Cinnamon on the toast, nutmeg on top of the eggnog, chili powder in the taco meat. I cannot learn. No, really. I can't. And you can see how long this has been going on by the eggnog reference.
Why did the spice companies have to make things better for me by replacing a screw top and shaker combination, with flip top and shaker combination?
In theory, this ought to be great. Only one hand is required to do what used to take two, leaving the other hand free to stir, answer the phone, or knock the cat off the counter. Except, after all these years, I operate a spice bottle using motor memory skill—meaning my mind doesn't think about it. My body just does what it always has.
I am not against all change. Flip top cans, tuna in a pouch, and a ketchup bottle that stores upside down are all good things. I could write four pages about my love of Swiffer products—especially the mop. But I can't ruin my oatmeal without my brain coming into play with these things.
Now is the part where I am supposed to go all lofty and use this little inconvenience of life as some metaphor or some other hooey. I'm not gonna. I'm just going to be mad about spice bottles for a while. Sorry. That's all I've got in me today. You go ahead and think about somebody in a third world country who'd just be glad to have a bottle of nutmeg any way they could get it. That's fair. You're not wrong. But I'm not giving out fair today.
I was with some people recently who were livid over those new twisty light bulbs. I am mostly ambivalent about them. In fact, I kind of like them because they last a long time.
But I have had a gut load of those spice bottles.
Any change in the manufacturing world that's got you up in arms?
The spice bottles don't bother me but the twisty lights do. I like the warmer glow of the incandescents but I guess I have to get used to the new ones. No one ask my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThe one that bothers me is the new pour spout on Minute Rice. I know a cook of Jean's caliber doesn't use minute rice but those of us who are cooking challenged do. The box used to have this little tin pour spout which allowed the rice to flow out into the measuring cup. But now, well now, they simply have a hole in the box. The rice gets stuck and won't pour. It really ticks me off. I know some idiot cut their little finger on the tin spout, sued for millions and hence the change (I really have no clue why they changed the box but knowing the public I am sure someone got injured on the spout and knowing lawyers like I do, I am sure there was a lawsuit). Every time I get the box out I fuss. Why, I don't know. Like Jean with the spice tops, I just want to fuss. I don't like change either.
Well, now... hmmm... remote controls that I can't decipher. So many different codes and passwords to remember that my brain hurts. Of course, these are considered "first world" problems. In other words, annoyances, but they bother the heck out of me.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have done the spice bottle thing with salad dressing. Ugh.
Hope the rest of your day gets better!
I recently bought a new iPod. The plug for it looks identical to the plug for my old one. You'd think one would work on the other. Nope. And my old one would charge in my clock radio that also is an iPod dock and player. But the new one won't so I have to charge the new one elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't all iPod products have the same plug and all charge the same way?
And you mean to tell me you don't grind your own nutmeg? ~grin~
Marilyn
Cheryl--Of course, I use Minute Rice. I use regular rice too, but it depends on what's going on. I haven't noticed the box because I open mine and put it in a Tupperware container. I guess I should repackage my spices if it bothers me to the point that I have to blog about it.
ReplyDeleteChristine--I am with you on those remotes. The Guy finally bought me a pink universal remote and programed it. That solved my problem but it still irks me that I can't seem to catch up with technology.
PM--I know what you mean. And the question is: Why? Why do they take something easy and make it hard?
No I don't grind nutmeg. I used to have this really cute nutmeg grinder that looked like a pepper grinder but it broke. I couldn't be bothered after that.
Now I have revealed that I use Minute Rice and don't grind nutmeg. I've also been known to use a can of cream of mushroom soup. But I don't use instant pudding to make banana pudding. I'm not above it, but I hate instant pudding.
A closet Minute Rice-user! Aha! Just kidding, but the box drives me crazy. I am with Christine on the remote - We have four different ones for the tv in the living room. I avoid it like the plague. And PM, I know about the ipods and chargers. I think they change it just a bit to sell more products.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I'm going to confess this, but here goes. I seem to be chip bag challenged. And they open the same way they always have. Sad, huh? Imagine my most stellar happiness as I proceed to split the bag, sending chips flying everywhere.
ReplyDeleteCrystal, I am with you on this chip thing! I exploded a bag of sun chips just the other day. It was a cheddar chip mess all over me and my floor!
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any thing that has me up in arms these days from the manufacturing world but this post has made me crave some oatmeal with Molly McButter in it. Yummy!
Oh no! Sad times, indeed, when Jean has to worry about lids. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe vanilla sometimes comes with a flip top or a screw top. With the flip top, I always pour way too much into my cookie mix. Grrrr! (Same thing goes for Garlic Powder or Cinnamon.)
The way I figure this out... if my recipe doesn't get botched, I'm okay. :D