The Mister and I haven’t been thrifting much in the last year, and shortly before leaving for Lake Tahoe I suddenly had the urge to see what we had been missing.� Granted, at the time I was cleaning the kitchen and he was mowing the lawn.� It’s possible we were just looking for something better to do. Either way, we went with the boys and had a great time.� The boys walked away with two child-sized golf clubs (drivers) and I walked away with two bowls of Pyrex.�
I’m not a Pyrex collector.� If I see something in a size or color I like that happens to fill a void in my kitchen, I’ll take it.� This means I leave plenty of Pyrex behind and am, for the most part, selective when I buy. I don’t think I need to explain why this bowl now belongs to me, but I would like someone to explain to me why anyone would get rid of something in such a cheery color.
This brown mixing bowl isn’t in my color of choice (most of the fun in buying Pyrex is the bright colors) but the size is perfect for baking two-layer cakes. Almost everything you see today in stores is Modern America BIG. Plates, place settings, glasses, bowls–it’s all scaled to feed giants, or at least people with giant appetites. �Just two weeks ago, right before our thrifting adventure, in fact, I was baking up something in the kitchen, all the while scowling at my enormous, cumbersome mixing bowl and promising myself to buy something smaller soon.� As luck would have it, Pyrex delivered.� It’s not too big, not too small, and no spillage of flour and sugar when you stir by hand.� It’s my new favorite bowl.
Today we spent no more than�two hours at the beach because of blustery winds.� While I was getting lunch, a big gust caught our beach umbrella at just the right angle and blew it 10 feet up and away, forcing my mom to jump out of her chair and chase it down like one of those characters in a silent movie.� It was as funny as it sounds, and I can’t say I was disappointed to have my hands too full of�hot dogs and french fries to help.� Running in the sand is a pain.
I’m not a huge Pyrex fan either, but I did inherit my grandma’s set of nested Pyrex bowls (geez, I just typed bowels and had to fix it). in primary colors. I really love those bowls and use them nearly every day. My mom marveled “Your grandma had those bowls for over 50 years and never broke one!” So now I am terrified I will. I am on bowl lookout when I go to garage sales, in case I need back ups.
I have another set of Pyrex bowls, but they have that lip on the outside, which I think makes them awkward to use. I much prefer the perfectly round sort, like yours above.
My favorite sales are estate sales, where the kids or grandkids are cleaning out grandma’s house and nobody wants all that “old stuff”.
The only bad thing Jules is that you had your hands too full of hotdogs and french fries to grab your CAMERA!!!! ;) My mom had pyrex bowls like that…don’t know what ever happened to them (oh and they were prob’ly passed to her from another generation)
I love Pyrex bowls, too, and have a few from my grandmother. We haven’t been thrifting lately, either, but I think we will have to remedy that this weekend:-)!
Is that “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman in the background?
LOL, love the Pyrex and last summer Aiden ran to catch our umbrella and just as he caught it another gust came and took him flying across the beach. Literally, flying. I almost peed my pants.
Kathy–it’s the Gourmet cookbook, the huge one with the yellow cover.
Colleen–that would have been something to see. If I saw Mikey flying ala Mary Poppins I would have probably peed my pants, too. :)
How cute are you and your little post?
P.S. Can you PUH-LEASE do a picture/post of that ring you are wearing? I’m starting to covet, and I haven’t even seen the thing.
Sure thing, Heidi. :) I have a few pictures where the ring is visible at home.
I have that exact same bowl! The small one. I got it from the Goodwill in Corona! It doesn’t match anything in my kitchen, but I agree with you! I thought it was just so cheery, how could anyone give it up? I just love Pyrex and have started to collect it to use in the kitchen instead of the stuff available now. I have had two mixing bowls from Macy’s break on me. But I have a Pyrex mixing bowl that my Mother used in college that can be used under the broiler or in the freezer! You gotta love that old Pyrex. And I’ll take a $10 indestructable bowl over a $40 one that breaks in the dishwasher and can’t even go in the microwave any day!