Go into your kitchen and explore a bit. Do not look for food. Instead, look at all of the appliances that you have. Is there an over the range microwave oven? Maybe there is a range and refrigerator. There is probably a coffee pot, also. All of these things make you life easier than your ancestors. The twenty first century kitchen is a cornucopia of time and work saving appliances. Walk into a kitchen of the past and you see a different scene.
One thing you will notice is the plumbing. You may not have running water available. You might have a well or cistern pump in your kitchen. Even so, there will not be any hot water from a tap. Dish washing will not be an easy task.
Notice all of the people in the kitchen area. Preparing meals is a group effort. There is much work involved. You do not walk over to your countertop microwave and pop in a frozen meal. People congregate and talk in the kitchen. It is a family gathering area. It is also a good place to stay warm in the cold weather. The kitchen stove provides a lot of heat.
Do you know how to cook on a wood stove? You need a great deal of skill. It also helps to have years of experience. Someone else, usually a male family member will provide wood for fuel. This wood must be cut and split. It must be stacked months ahead of time, to dry.
Go over to the refrigerator and open the door. You may not be able to find it. What you may find, is an icebox. Iceboxes are made to keep things cool. You have to constantly replace the large block of ice inside. As it melts, it drips into a pan. You will need to dump the pan frequently. Ice comes to your house from the iceman. He will pull up to your house in a horse drawn wagon. Then he will bring in your block of ice. This is somewhat more involved than having an electric refrigerator.
You will not hear televisions or radios in the kitchen. You will hear people talking as they work. You will hear the sounds of food, as it is prepared. Occasionally someone may play a phonograph in the living room. There is little time to do anything else. It takes most of your time to provide food, clothing, and shelter.
