Yes one “convenience” item I saw here are little bunches with everything you need to make a stock (a couple of carrots, a few celery stalks, an onion and a sprig of parsley)all tied in a very pretty boquet with twine.

My mother-in-law keeps wanting to get me a pressure cooker, but to tell you the truth, I’m a little afraid of it – they must be making a come-back, like crockpots in the US, or maybe they never went out of style.

My hubby, instead, is afraid of microwave ovens – he’s an electrical engineer, tho so maybe there’s some merit there. I remember for the last five years everyone who came to my home in the U.S. would look around and say, “You don’t have a Microwave oven?!?!?” how can you LIVE? I admit it was difficult at first (I particularly missed the defrost button) but I’ve managed to make do. I even have a more patient child because he didn’t gethis bottles zapped!

Thanks for enlightening your readers in New Mexico and sharing the story with us!