(I need a reference to the horrible film GHOST here)

That is the only film with a noted pottery scene.

Anyway, I'm pleased to announce that Angela was the winner of last post's "name that reference" contest. She was also the only entrant so congratulations to Ange.

Angela also told me that she bought glass bowls rather than plastic due to my aversion to plastic! I feel like such an environmental-kitchen-products guru. Also, I think glass does not impart the icky flavor that can come off plastic.
I'm also a fan of the metal and enamel-ware bowls, pans, and whatnot. One of the best gifts I got in the past few years as far as kitchen goods is a set of nesting enamel-ware bowls (serving/mixing size) with fitted plastic lids. You can make food in them, store it in the fridge or freezer and serve right out of them. The outsides are a cool red/white swirl pattern. I'd put a picture on here but they're at my other home.

Anyway, I have recently started trying to take things another step. I had been replacing my plastic crap with metal as the plastic wore out and I needed new. This was for household items like fans. I found a very cool aqua colored metal fan at a thrift store several months ago to replace the dying plastic fan. That was cool. And dangerous because the safety-screen thing on the antique fan is not such that one's fingers do not just poke through and get mangled in the metal fins. But what the heck. I don't have kids...well, not usually.

Now I'm trying for kitchen stuff. I'm taking it even further and going for handmade ceramic for things like mugs and pitchers (glass and metal are also fine!). I don't think this is frugal or simple since honestly, I have enough kitchen crap to get me through three lifetimes. But I just got to thinking about mass production and how much I love the handmade bowls and stuff people have given me over the years. I have a few very nice ones in ceramic and glass and I like things that are signed. I don't know that I'd ever have the guts to mix up some cookies in a handmade ceramic bowl so it's nice to have the sets (yes setS) of metal and glass ones, but I just like the thought of having individually handcrafted items.

I'm getting these at thrift stores! I spent 50cents on a 1960s mug from Bennington pottery in Vermont or somewhere. The pieces are made in whole sets and series, but each piece is handmade and signed. the mug has a cool shape. Here's a bad phone photo of the mug:

















Last weekend I found this cool pitcher at the Goodwill in Moscow, Idaho. it's signed by Rachel and just has a nice shape and color to it. I'm not sure it's food safe so I may have wasted $1.99. Oh well. It's pretty and I can plant in it or use it to water stuff or hold something.















Someday I may have one of those weird homes where almost everything is handmade and rustic. I plan on being odd anyway and this seems to fit with the program.