Sunday 21 August 2011

Day 252, 271,273- Mama's Kitchen Stoves


23rd June, Scorching Hot Afternoon

Dear Diary,

Sorry I haven't written for a while. School has started again and what with chores and homework, homework, homework (not just from school, but from Ma, Pa and OM too!), I have no time to myself anymore. I must PROTEST or insist that diary writing be made part of the curriculum. After all, it improves my writing, right?


It is so hot today but Mama has asked me to start the fire and prepare the stove for cooking dinner. I think I will just melt if I am to start the fire now. So I am taking a little time to cool off and write. Let's pick up where I left off and write about my favourite kitchen pieces today. 


First off, Mama's intelligent stoves invented by none other then Mama herself. The one inside the kitchen was the first one she made. She said it was when we moved into this house. She made it with mud and then decorated it really pretty but that's not the best part. 


This stove has a drawer that automatically collects the ashes from the burning charcoal. There is some kind of a sieve built by her in between the stove and the drawer so that only the ashes falls through.  And then it only collects on the left side of the drawer so that you can put something else, like logs or charcoal on the right side. This makes cooking very clean.


Ash is also good for cleaning metal pots and pans because it gets rid of grease easily. 


But Mama was not completely satisfied with this stove because it is not smokeless and she is always concerned about how all that will affect my health. Sometimes it gets so bad that I cannot even see through the fog the smoke creates. So  I made this hand fan. I used it not only to fan the fire but also to chase away the smoke when I walk. Everyone thought I was really clever. 


Anyway, that was why Mama made this second stove. It is meant for the outdoors. Mama loves cooking outdoor. It is easier to clean up after and the smoke dissipates into the sky without choking anyone. This outdoor stove is placed under a mud made chamber which shields it from the elements. 


The really amazing thing about this stove is that it is smokeless or almost. Mama told me she made this stove with a material that can withstand much higher temperature than the traditional mud stove. It is thus better at holding in heat which means it burns less fuel. 


This also means less back breaking chore of collecting wood. 

Hey, it's evening already! Time really flies. I better start the fire now before Mama screams at me. I know how to pacify her though. I will just show her what I wrote today. She always smiles when she reads my diary.

27 comments:

Ana Anselmo said...

so lovely, Sans....as usually , if you have time take a lopk in my last post, i am sure you will love the pics.
Hugs from Lisbon
Ana

Susanne said...

Thanks for the story and the pictures, Sans, it´s fantastic, I love it!
Susanne

Daydreamer said...

Dear Sans! The stoves are Beautiful! I LOVE the outdoor stove with its mud cave! But I also LOVE the indoor stove with its little drawer for ashes. But what I think I love the MOST is the Little girl with her Diary... to see the glimpse of her world.... it is SO tender and SO real and SO enticing... I want to hear MORE... like a good book you NEVER want to put down!
Did I ever tell you that in my teen years when we lived on the Farm we were also crazy enough to take out the electric stove and only cook on the Old Fashioned Cast Iron wood-burning stove.... I can't remember the reasons why... but it gave off enormous heat to the room and in the Summer we were slaving over the cookstove to can and preserve our tomatoes and berries and corn. So when she mentions the HEAT of the fire... it made me remember those years....I was older than this little girl, but I remember starting the fire in order to cook......
Once again, you have brought me a BIG SMILE!

The Old Maid said...

Love the diary-stories! So cool to read stories from completely different part of the world:)
The both stoves are great:) But being a fan of fans -LOL- I love this tiny hand fan - fantastic! Gosh you really must be a patient Lady, dear Sans!:D
Anyway, can't wait for more diary-stories:)

Kikka N said...

Hi Sans! Love your stories...
This time I was very curious when I found out it was about stoves and cooking! Wow, that outdoor stove is fantastic! I wish we could have that in 1:1 here! :)

Rosamargarita said...

Es una estufa increíble! lo de las cenizas es verdad, son excelentes para desengrasar.
Un abrazo

Sans! said...

Ana!!! Where is that piece of paradise you were vacationing in? I want to go there! You really know me well in this respect :) so yes I am in love with your pictures. May I congratulate the photographer? He should join National Geographic . I say "he" because I think the lady in the pictures is you so you couldn't have taken the photographs or if I am wrong then dearie, consider a second career in photography. Those pictures are award winning ones especially the one of the frogs and the lotus and the pond ,heck everyone!

Thank you for inviting me over. I had a great time! And of course I clicked on every picture :).

Sans! said...

Thank you Susanne for loving them. You made me happy to write :).

Sans! said...

Betsy, I really love how you give me little excerpts of your farm life after reading my posts. I enjoy your stories so much, like the one about the pie made with pig's head or the chores you had to do and now the stove. This is what gives me the most pleasure- the sharing that comes after each post.

The little girl is quite a character. She is making me write more than ever. I have never done 2 posts in one day and then another the very next day. I will stop when she gets tiresome :).

But back to you Bets, will you consider making a farmhouse one day?

Ana Anselmo said...

The photos of the frogs, the insects, the flowers and others are mine!!!!! I take them just with a regular digital camera. The place is just about 40 km of Lisbon, look in their blog http://segredoalado.blogspot.com and the pond is a biological pond for swimming. We did have a wonderful time, the place is almost magical and the landscape is beautiful.

Sans! said...

Ewa, thank you my dear for appreciating my very primitive hand fan. This one was my 2nd attempt. I made it using the same material as the one used for the logs ( the ones in the last pic). It is real bamboo sheet. The handle was made from real twigs, the teeny weeny ones. I wrapped gift paper at the handle .

Like most of you, I am not a patient person except for minis.

Teehee I fell asleep writing this comment. It's 2.15 am here and using an iPad for this is too difficult. We'll talk tomorrow ewa:).

Piikko said...

Sans, you showed us something very beautiful again! Your stowes and story are just great.
And now girl, do you home work!Ü
Hugs, piikko

malu2 said...

Sans, me gustan tus relatos,esta cocina me gusta, y las cenizas van muy bien para muchas cosas,tambien para las plantas.Besos de las Malu´s.

Flora said...

Dear Diary,
Today I read the blog of my friend Sans ...
As usual, she said her work in a unique way, through words and images. I must say that her doll's house seems alive: someone has lit the stove, stirred the soup was steaming in the pot, put the clean dishes in the plate rack, has stocked up on firewood ...
Someone living in this house!
I also saw my humble basket and I'm once again excited at the thought of being able to contribute to this wonderful project ...
But now I so sleepy and I go to bed.
God willing, see you tomorrow ...
Flora

CWPoppets said...

Your kitchen is full of the most wonderful items. The outdoor oven is just great. I love looking at all these wonderful foto's.
Christine

Sans! said...

Rosam, yo sabía que usted sepa acerca de la ceniza:)! A 5 de alto para ti!

Sans! said...

Oh Ana, I went to check out their website . What a wonderfully mysterious place. You and I have a date. And you can take all the photos!I can't believe its just a digital camera! Why can't my pictures be as good as yours?!!

Sans! said...

Teehee, Piiko! And yes Mam! I will do my homework! But can I write my diary 1st? Then can I play at the pond? After that I want to eat and then maybe nap for a while and then...

Sans! said...

Maria Luisa, son las cenizas muy bueno para las plantas también? Yo no sabía eso! Las cenizas son tan buenos, que tienen el mismo aspecto, ya sea mini o el tamaño de la vida:).

Su niña debe regresar de su luna de miel por ahora. Espero que ella tenía un buen tiempo:).

un abrazo y un beso

Sans! said...

It is night fall again when I read your comments, Flora and that now familiar surge of happiness is happening, again :).

Sans! said...

Thank you so much, Christine. This kitchen took the most out of me :).

The kitchen is always the room I love the most to do but I also find it the most challenging. I am glad you like my efforts. That means a lot :)

The Old Maid said...

Oh dear...don't stay for too long commenting, dear Sans, get some sleep too. It is healthy... ;D

Ascension said...

Una cocina fantastica, tan vivida!!!!
Y un relato emocionante.
Ya sabes que me encantan tus envejecidos y "enrobinados" jejeje.
besitos ascension

Sans! said...

Ewa, you are so sharp. I was so engrossed in all the blog posts that I have missed that I eventually went to bed only at 5.30am! Had to wake up at 7.30am for a breakfast "date" with my family before going to work. I think my brains have shrunk today thanks to the lack of sleep because I actually brought my cup of coffee with me when I went out of the office to the coffee shop across for lunch today!

If you haven't heard, it is true that your brains shrink when you don't get enough sleep. :)

Sans! said...

Ascensión, me gustaría tener tiempo para hacer algunas cosas de mi oxidado para usted antes de Eva fue a su casa. Lamento que mis dones para que no se lo que realmente quería hacer por usted. Pero si no te importa, me encantaría hacer algo oxidado para ti:).

Unknown said...

so many so many details! i especially like the little 'hand fan' :D

the diary entries are particularly enjoyable to read. i like the little girl's perspective!

Sans! said...

Cinds, your comments in instalments like this are more fun to read ! :)

I have had some feedback from my dearest and nearest who weren't afraid to tell me that my little girl sounded too grown up..:). Grammar needed some editing too. I agree with them . Some bits. My writing is inconsistent that way .

Lucky got pickchers and moosic :)

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