split loyalties

I’ve been a die-hard KitchenAid (mixer) aficionado. It’s wonderful to use, wonderful to look at and a wonderful time-saver for me. I’ve used my KitchenAid almost daily and sometimes several times a day for 18 years. It’s perfect and has never given me trouble. I do have to replace a second whip and a second flat beater, but at no time has the machine been a problem to me. I was familiar with the machine (in a larger model) when I worked as a cook and was determined to have that necessary piece of equipment in my own kitchen. I also have the attachments that make it all the more versatile. Truly, it was the best piece of kitchen equipment we’ve ever bought. Several of our friends have Bosch mixers and many times through the years, I felt sort of like I had the inferior product and yet still felt my machine was wonderful and very beneficial to me.

But then… it still wasn’t a Bosch. I felt dumb when they’d talk about all the wonderful things their mixers could do. I felt loyal to my faithful old friend. But, it was incapable of competing with the Bosch when making bread dough, for example, and couldn’t churn out the larger volume of cookie dough, either. But, nonetheless, my dear old cobalt blue mixer kept on working, whirling out meringue and whipping up egg whites and churning out thousands of batches of cookies, cakes and brownies through the years –not to mention the thousands of pounds of cheese and other items that have gone through the shredder/slicer! I never thought anything could replace the quality of the KitchenAid—except a bigger KitchenAid. And I never really thought I’d like anything else, for that matter. But I do so trust the judgment of my friends and take very seriously their thoughts and experience – especially where homemaking is concerned.

And then the UPS man tapped on the door and delivered the box.

I wasn’t home the day the box was delivered. I was in Canada getting crowned. Well, I like to think of it as a coronation service, it certainly cost as much as a marvelously catered soirée. I was calling that crown a food processor cover like no other! I had to share a little bit of reality with the dentist when he told me I need several of these little goodies. I shared with him that it was, indeed, wonderful to have all these little trinkets from his office, but I need a far different solution from here on out. He decided to see things a little differently and agreed to help me through this season with an inferior remedy for ailing teeth—not eliminating them altogether, but covering them differently. I can’t afford to be friends with the folks in that office. Their idea of a good day costs too much.

But I digress.

So we were standing in our kitchen and my husband asked me if I wanted to see what was in the box—well, certain it wasn’t anything *I’d* ordered, I reluctantly agreed. Yes, so you can guess the rest of the delightful story. He had gone ahead and ordered the Bosch mixer. See, it all started with the planning of our online store and what items we wanted to carry in our store. We made a big list of all the things that we could think of that say: family, that say: welcome home, that say: tradition — good things for families — good things for homes. One of the things on that list was –bread– or bread making things. Bread says welcome home. Knowing that our friends all agreed that their Bosch machines were the best, I decided to look into what it would take to sell them. And the rest, as they say, is history. We made application to become dealers for the Bosch machines and other specific pieces of kitchen equipment. And as we prepare the website, we’ll be able to offer to other families this great piece of equipment.

As I poured the wheat berries into the mill this morning, I smiled as I realized that I have a machine that can do what the KitchenAid could not. It can effortlessly knead 12 cups of flour, whereas my other cannot bear more than 6 or 7. As we’ve continued on the quest to make healthful changes to our diet, the whole grains are an integral part. I suppose, for me, the greater thing is that since I have nerve damage in my arm, I can’t do a lot of things I used to do bcz it’s too painful to work that arm. I’m amazed that I like the machine so much! It’s wonderfully designed for ease and simplicity and the “open” feel to it makes it much easier to use. Besides, I think bread brings boys home and keeps ‘em coming back for more.

So I’m sold. I hope lots of other people will be, too. ~wink~