Playing with Knives!!!

Christmas 2009 my sister got KNIVES. Like lots of knives like multiple sets and sets of knives from everyone she knew. She gave me one of her spare sets and that is what led to this post. (She also got multiple waffle irons, but she did not give me one of those so I have no reason to blog about that.)

Before I got these knives, my knives were a motley assortment of knives from thrift stores and my parents house. Seriously I had knives that were wedding presents to my parents, knives older than me. Our friend Ben, when cooking in our apartment (usually upon the loss of a bet or for a holiday), was known to bring his own knives. (snot)

This post is also about peeling apples. I have always used a veggie peeler when peeling apples. But for awhile when we first came back from Slovakia my veggie peeler was packed in the depths of unknown boxes and I was forced to try my hand at peeling apples with a paring knife.

One of my best memories with my Grandma involves sitting on the porch swing while she peels apples with a paring knife in one long string. I did not inherit that talent. In fact, I failed miserably but without drawing blood (a small miracle) and put more effort into locating my veggie peeler.

This is where my new knives come in. I have found my peeler and now use it regularly, but the thought was bothering me, what if the problem was the knives? I could be missing out on creating porch swing and long skinny perfect apple peel memories. So When I was cutting up the apple for the chicken and veggies, I tried peeling it with a knife.

Ok knives plural, one must be thorough.

I did not try with the big knife. That was there to cut the other veggies and the apple if I ever got it peeled.
I did try with the steak knife because it was already out. No go.
I tried with the straight paring knife. Still no go.
I even tried with the weird curved paring knife that looks vaguely Klingon. Worst yet.

SO having established that I am the problem and not the equipment, I peeled what was left of the apple with my veggie peeler. And then I ate the peels - another part of my best grandma memories which was made even better by the fact that the part peeled with the knives had LOTS of apple still attached. ☺