I am a mid-tech kind of gal. I use the computer and can even create a website with step-by-step instructions. I have a facebook page and there is even a fan page for Plate Full of Memories and twitter account that rarely use. But when it comes to my appliances I am old school. I use a phone to make calls and I use my Nikon camera to take photos. I rarely text and I would prefer to talk to people than email them.

I have discussed my hesitation on using computers in the kitchen and using the phone for grocery lists. I want to scratch things out on my list and I want to make sure I have purchased everything on that list. I use old envelopes which makes me really old school but environmentally friendly. I reuse as much as I think of for a piece of paper. It is one of those things I recycle but try to use those papers over again that come off the printer with one line of print. Yes, I still print off things that I want to keep so I can find them later. I felt I need to put things in context when I start talking about apps.

Today I took an earlier lunch and turned the television on and Martha Stewart was talking about the new Martha Stewart app. She loves it and it emails her each day with a helpful hint. Hmmm, couldn’t I just join her magazine and get web-notices via email with out getting an app. I still think her app is for free but I could be wrong. I don’t think of Martha being very tech friendly but having her assistants do her tweeting but I could be wrong. I do know that she has a lot more money that I do so I am sure she has an i-phone and probably an i-pad too.

I look at what appliances my parents had and none required a monthly fee and their home ran well with out them. Yes, I have internet and cable for my home. I get a daily newspaper but most of the things I buy and do not require a monthly fee. All those apps are starting to cost money and all the texting (which is now being shown to be healthier than putting the phone next to your head) start adding to your monthly overhead and what some may call real money.

In today’s New York Times Dining section comparing i-pad apps in their Test Kitchen column. The article by Wilson Rothman called The Best Ingredients for I-pad Cooking compares Epicurus and Big Oven Pro. He explains that Epicurious has 28,000 recipes that have come from Gourmet and Bon Appétit and Big Oven has two apps one for free and a for 9.99 which is a community project with over 170,oo recipes entered by their over 800,000 registered users. He really likes the Big Oven for their grocery lists and the Leftover features. But he seems a bit taken back by the What’s Cooking Around Me, which highlights what people in your neighborhood are cooking.

I like the fact that Epicurious free. I am starting to worry though that many of the things that I use on the web that are free are going to start charging if they can get money for the app. I do not need to have some one tell me what do with leftovers for 9.99 a month. I don’t want to try a recipe that has not been tested and tasted either. (One big thing I stress in creating your heirloom cookbook) I have been burned to often with Joy of Cooking and other cookbooks. But then I am low tech so you will have to decide for yourself.