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I am a photography fanatic. I love taking pictures, tweaking pictures, and finding the beauty in every day items

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Kitchen Gadgets

I am a gadget freak. I love little nick-nacks that help around the kitchen. I could seriously walk around Bed Bath and Beyond and just try out everything. So next time you are checking out BB&B take a seek peek at these

-Item’s My Kitchen Can’t Live Without-

Cook Book Holder
I’m a spiller. I can’t help it. I wish I had something to blame it on like seizures, but no just good ol’ plain being a klutz. But ever since I have had my cook book holder, I just spill on the counter and not my pages. Cause really…I am super tired of having my cook book filled with wrinkled water marked pages.


Chopping Wizard
When they say wizard…they mean WIZARD! I love this little plastic miracle. I like to chop a lot and throw odds and ends into dishes I cook. This makes it sooo easy! Not to sound like an infomercial, but literally you just place and push; and now you have a perfectly diced (or cubed) item! (Especially great for stews and sauces) I can dice tomatoes and potatoes, dice onions and green peppers. Love love love it!


Silicon Baking Mat
These are great for baking and rolling. I use mine a lot for rolling bread, cake rolls, and on my crappy cookie sheets that always stick. They aren’t too bad in price either. They use to be a bit pricy, but I got a fairly good one at Bed Bath and Beyond for $14.


Ulu
This one is an Alaskan thing. An ulu is a Native Alaskan tool used throughout Alaska. I love them for chopping herbs and slicing veggies. Plus they are kind of fun just rockin’ back and forth on the blade to chop. I guess I am easily entertained.



Butter Holder
I don’t know about you all, but I hate buttering my corn. I really do….seriously I won’t even make corn, even though I love it, because I hate the whole process. What can I say….corn on the cob is a high maintenance food. Prongs needed, butter, the rolling, salting, dripping! Yea….its kind of a long process. BUT…with the butter holder I can easily just slide my butter across my corn and done! I swear that I am a little O.C.D. too, so I love the fact that it is also spread evenly.


Eggs Benedict Pan
This is just an essential item for me because Curtis and I love eggs benedict and when I say love…I mean like eternally bound to have these eggs for life love. Yum yum yum! I think I just like the idea of having another food item with hollandaise sauce allowed on it.


Bread Machine
This is all because of my husband….he may leave me if I didn’t keep one in the house and use it on a regular basis. Men bring women flowers when they have messed up. I make Curtis fresh bread.


Ceramic Top Stove
One of my big pet peeves is getting food spilled on the stove, especially if it gets burnt and crusted on there. There is nothing like cooking and smelling the aroma of burnt cheese mixed with a hint of spaghetti sauce. Second helpings anyone? But this brings me to my next item.


Spoon Clip
This cute clip just attaches to the side of your pan and you slide your spoon or spatula into the ledge. Any way to keep food off my nice clean stove top is a good way to keep me from having an aneurism. I like how I can just unclip the holder and throw it into a drawer without taking up a lot of space.


Collapsible Measuring Cups
These are great, especially since I don’t have a lot of room for storage in my kitchen. But unfortunately I don’t technically own these…but my mom does…and I have longed for them ever since my eyes have beheld them! Is it wrong to long for cooking utensils?


Sandwich Maker
This is great for yummy fast lunches, dinner, or even breakfast. I love making pizza sandwiches for us or grilled cheese sandwiches. My mom use to make muffins for us with them too. They always turned out soooo good. You can fill the sandwiches will all kinds of stuff and just clamp and cook. Ours broke a while ago and I have missed having one.


Snap N’ Lock Snapware
I have so many lids for plastic containers and they have warped from microwave and dishwasher use and don’t really fit anymore. I have had on more than one occasion spilled food all over me by trying to force that lid onto the base. The Snap N’ Lock are super because they easily lock on for a firm hold and they don’t warp. These are some of my favorite kitchen items. Cheap too…I got a 14 piece set for $20.


High Counter Tops
Okay so maybe I don’t have this, but I do really really want it, if that counts. I am 5’10 and I get tired of having to bend over too cook and clean in the kitchen. I am dreaming of the day where I can put higher counter tops in my own kitchen. No more Quasimodo cooking for me!

45 comments:

  1. I maybe have one or two of the things you listed here...but I WANT them all (well, except the higher counters....but we won't go there). The ulu looks super cool, and I've never even heard of the butter holder.

    Think I might just print this post out as a shopping list! Thanks :)

    Heidi

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  2. Welcome to Thursday 13. What a great idea for your list. some terrific things here, and actually so great advice. [Love the 'fingers' photo on your sidebar!!!]

    Hope you can drop by and visit me today for my 13.

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  3. Okay, I have got to get me one of those Ulu things....it looks so cool!

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  4. You have the coolest kitchen gadgets. I have trying to decide if I want that chopping wizard, I am glad you gave it a good review.I love those measuring cups.

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  5. I REALLY want a bread maker. I always wondered if they are worth it (is the bread tasty enough) but I've read so many people boasting about theirs lately that I must get one!!
    Great Thursday 13!

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  6. Hey! Thanks for the comment on my blog! It's fun to find a fellow eggs benedict lover out there. My husband and I LOVE eggs cooked this way. SO GOOD.

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  7. looks like you have some good things listed! I have a stove!!! I don't have many of those fun gadgets though.

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  8. I love my ulu, too--I just didn't know what it was called. It was a gift, and I use it all the time.

    And I love my ceramic top stove so much that when our temporary apartment needed a new stove, I talked the landlord into putting in a ceramic top one. :)

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  9. What a lot of great ideas! Now I feel this overwhelming compulsion to go buy kitchen gadgets. My husband's not going to thank you!

    I love my lock n lock storage containers too, and the ceramic top stove.

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  10. I love my onion chopper and cookbook holder too, and have been coveting an ulu ever since Michelle (Scribbit) had one to give away last year.

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  11. This is a great list! Thanks for sharing! I already have the chopping wizard, and agree it is great! I'm now interested in the Ulu! very cool!

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  12. I'm 5 10 too and if I ever get my bathroom re-done, I plan on having a sink I can use without bending in half.. thanks so stopping by my blog! Come back and visit again.

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  13. Happy TT! I love my quick chopper. That Ulu thingy looks cool.

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  14. Great list! I spend so much time in the kitchen..it is well worth having the right tools!

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  15. My new home has a ceramic stove top and I have never experienced one before, what's up with them?
    I was hoping to swap it out for a dual fuel range, would you advise against?
    I really miss my gas range.

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  16. I keep saying I'm going to buy me one of those ChopWIzards. And I'm defintely getting one of those Ula things -- and a butter-er. Thanks for the ideas! Happy TT!

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  17. great post! i need one of those cookbook holders , that is cool.

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  18. thanks for all the info! hopefully i will be doing my kitchen over one of these days (it's origninal to my house - 50+ years!!!) when i do, i want to get all new gadgets!

    thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  19. Okay, now I have to get a silicon baking mat and the spoon clip. Oh, and the sandwich maker . . .

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  20. No wonder I don't cook more - I don't have any of those cool things! Thanks for sharing!

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  21. Great List...I love kitchen gadgets.
    FYI...collapsable measuring cups can be found at williams-sonoma. My husband ordered me a set for my birthday and I love them.

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  22. Amen to high counter tops from a another tall person. The chopper and spoon thingy look interesting enough to try.
    Welcome to Thursday 13, it's a fun way to see other blogs.
    Have a great weekend.

    Hope you post your favorite bread recipe, I use mine mostly to make dough for pizza and calzones.

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  23. I thought about raising my countertops last year when we put in the new kitchen but my cheapness won out in the end. I had my legs shortened instead--it was cheaper.

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  24. What a great list. I need (WANT) some of those.

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  25. I love kitchen gadgets and you have some listed here I've never heard of--like the Ulu. Great post!

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  26. I would like to see the ulu 'in action'.

    My 13 this week is misnomers, can you think of any to add? Come by if you can.

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  27. I love your list of essential kitchen gadgets, because of course, most of those things I do NOT have...and of course, now realize I MUST have. hehe

    I DO have a bread machine, that I love passionately, and snap & lock plastic containers are in my cabinets as we speak. I put them in the kids' lunch boxes and use them for leftovers in the frig.

    I'll be checking out all the other stuff now...because I gotta have all the cool stuff!

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  28. Oh, I need a cookbook holder... but it's probably too late for a few of mine that are covered with spills.

    I have an ulu, and love it--I just didn't know what it was called. Now I do. :)

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  29. I have a few of those things and I would highly agree! And now I have some ideas for some "things to have someday". LOL

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  30. Wow, what great gadgets. I think I'm going to have to have some of these like the spoon clip and the cookbook holder. You should see my cookbooks. What does the eggs benedict pan look like? Is it an egg poacher? I really want an egg poacher!
    Oh, but the high countertops? I can do without those. I'm ten inches shorter than you so I have the opposite problem. LOL

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  31. I love all of them, but the high counter top thing… I’m 5’1” so regular height counters are just about perfect. My mom is just as short and moved into a home last year that was built by giants…let’s just say we don’t like cooking at her house. If we did, we would all need step stools/kick stools… which is on my gadget list to buy someday.

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  32. I've *so* wondered about the Chop Wizard thing. And now I know. Plus I'd never heard of an ulu. I feel more educated having visited :)

    Happy TT!

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  33. Wow, I don't know why but I really didn't imagine you being 5'10?? How weird is that.
    xx

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  34. Okay, now I want all of that!

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  35. love the ideas. I was in BB&B a few weeks ago and had a hard time leaving. I rarely get out these days. hehe

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  36. I love my stovetop & cookbook holder, too. I would love an Eggs Benedict pan. Wow. That sounds decadent.

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  37. Have you ever made parmesan crisps on your silicone baking mat? Yummy!

    I pretty much curse my traditional electric range "wells" everyday.

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  38. Cookbook holder, chopping wizard & spoon clip here I come!
    But we don't have a B,B & B here. Hmmm....may have to wait until my next visit to my gram.

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  39. Very nice devices! I like the butter holder the best. :D

    Gee, you're 5'10"? That's so cool! :)

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  40. Girl I like your style. I'm a Gadget girl myself. So you say those choppers are good, huh?

    *off to buy one this weekend*

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  41. You are the Kitchen Gadget Guru!!!
    Thanks for sharing your great list.

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  42. I have been wanting to get one of those silicone baking mats! Thanks so much for the tip to get one at BB&B :) Loved your list! I had no idea there was such a thing as a butter holder !

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  43. That onion chopper is seriously a life saver! And I have been meaning to get one of those spoon holders too!

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  44. I have a lot of your items listed. I kind of like having the cookbook on the counter. That way the pages that I use most often are crusted a little and stand out lol. My brother (who lives in Alaska) sent me the Ulu. That thing is dangerous! I wrapped it ever so carefully in lots of cardboard and stuff (so the garbage men wouldn't get cut too) and placed it carefully in a can full of trash lol. Sorry, but a trip to the emergency room wasn't on the agenda. Love all of your other things including the higher counter. My girlfriend had her husband custom make all of her kitchen - beautiful.

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  45. Look into a Keurig coffee maker for tea or coffee or whatever. It uses a cartridge system and is always clean. You can have a fully brewed fresh cup in about 10 seconds. You can make coffee of every flavor for a crowd.
    I love love love this thing.

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