When you absolutely, positively need 1/4” tomato slices, what do you do? Sure, you could dig out the measuring tape, a hammer, and a laser level. Or you could even call in the Army Corps of Engineers, but there is a better way. The Amco Tomato Slicer cuts nearly perfect 1/4” tomato slices with just a press of your hands. Place a tomato, up to 3” in diameter, into the base, set the slicer on top and press down. Quickly and easily you are greeted with nine 1/4″ tomato slices.
See, isn’t that better than having the Army Corps of Engineers over? Can you imagine how many strangers would be using your bathroom?
$19.95 from Williams-Sonoma
{ 0 comments }
Let’s face it, when you’re pretending a fork is an airplane to get some food into Junior — well, Junior knows that’s a fork. Remember, Junior has the Discovery Channel now. The whole airplane thing and the gassy noises that come out of your mouth for added effect only work so long before you have a face full of creamed peas. The Air Fork One Kid’s Fork by Fred and Friends is a fun way to get your little one to eat up. And it’s OK to make the gassy noises still. Better buy two as you might never get it away from Dad.
Do you cook with a lot of garlic, onion, or fish? If so, don’t be offended when your family members, friends, coworkers, or even complete strangers off the street call you “stinky hands” and run away from you flailing their arms about. Regular soap just doesn’t get rid of those funky odors no matter how much you scrub. The Orka DEOS Stainless Steel Soap gets rid of those persistent odors by a process called oxido-reduction, which really means “magic” in English. This tear-dropped shaped gem of a kitchen gadget is even on display at the New York Museum of Modern Art. I can only only assume they chop a lot of onions and garlic while staring at a Van Gogh.
Piece of toast stuck in the toaster? Jamming a fork into the innards of the toaster is not recommended as you may scratch the toast. Oh, and there’s that whole electrocution and death thing too. Metal is one thing you want to keep out of your toaster. Pudding is OK, metal is bad. Put that on a sticky next to your toaster. So, with the Wood Toaster Tongs, I’ve hung up my favorite tool for dislodging a stuck piece of toast – my car battery jumper cables. The wooden tongs slip easily into the hot toaster to pluck out that pesky stuck toast. And it also takes up much less space in the drawer than the jumper
If you’ve ever gone to heat up your lunch at the office and discovered some cubical jockey has already done that for you… and left you nothing but the mushrooms from what was last night’s spaghetti and meatballs, then give this a try. Maybe… Experimental Meal – Consume At Own Risk, Biodangerous – Yesterday’s Leftovers, or Nuclear Waste – Eat and Glow …will stop them from pilfering your lunch. OK, doubtful as we all have that one coworker that will eat a packet of hot Chinese mustard, an entire ball poin pen, or even nuclear waste for a 25 cent bet. “Heck yeah I’d eat that for a quarter.”
Cutting some simple slits into a pie top serves a purpose to let steam out, as well as adding a decorative touch, but why not add some pizazz.
An 8 oz. plastic cup: 5 cents
I’m a sucker for salt vaults and this one’s a beauty. Salt is such a huge part of cooking and having it on hand and easily accessible for each layer of your ingredients is so important. This salt box is especially nice for its easy one handed opening and beautiful soft lines. It’s made of neem wood, a tropical evergreen native to Southeast Asia. The natural vegetable oil rub brings out the rich mahogany-like grain of the neem. And even though it looks like a perfectly respectable lidded chili bowl. It is not leak proof. Please use your Tupperware when bringing chili to work.
Think long and hard before tossing that can of Chef Boyardee ravioli into your shopping cart. What if you bumped into a friend? A coworker? A neighbor? And they glanced into your cart. GULP! You could easily explain the Pabst Blue Ribbon as a cheap beer to make beer-can-chicken, but how are you going to explain the canned ravioli? If you’ve got kids, there’s a good out, but if your kids are grown, or you don’t have any… man, you are so busted. Preparing fresh, handmade ravioli is easy and quick, especially with the help of these ravioli trays. Make your dough, roll it out into a sheet and place it in the Italian made aluminum form. Press in your filling, add the top sheet of dough and roll over with the rolling pin. The ravioli is cut and ready to cook. Seriously, it’s that simple. Now, can I talk to you about that boxed macaroni and cheese in your cart?
These spun bamboo wine and hors d’oeuvres trays are perfect for the upcoming holiday season. Have them on hand at your next party and you’ll wonder how you ever managed without them. Slip your wine glass into the slot and now you have a free hand to eat and to easily gather more food. Not recommended for your yearly split pea soup and tapioca pudding party.
I don’t care what it says on the package – my butter stays out of the fridge. The French have been using these ceramic butter crocks for a very long time to keep their butter fresh without refrigeration and many of them are still alive. The butter is packed in the lid and water added to the base. The water creates a seal that keeps out oxygen so the butter stays fresh without refrigeration and spreadably soft.
Yesterday while standing in line at the post office, I thought to myself, “I’m hungry, I wish I had some Cheerios. If only I had a squishy bowl that I could put in my pocket so I could have a bowl of cereal, or perhaps some chili, or even vanilla pudding. Oh, how the time would fly by.”
Once upon a time, there was a hamburger at McDonald’s called the McDLT – it’s claim to fame was Jason Alexander of Seinfeld, sporting a full head of hair and busting some pretty serious dance moves (yes, it can be seen at the end of the post). Wait, that wasn’t it – the McDLT’s claim to fame was the ginormous styrofoam box that magically kept the hot side hot, and the cool side cool. 
Interesting baskets give any room a little more flair. These wire baskets are no exception. They are made from metal wire and finished with a powder coat for added life and rust-resistance. Perfect for fruits, vegetables, and pudding. OK, pudding – maybe not so much. The baskets pictured here are round, but an oval set with nifty handles are available as well. Set of 3 baskets.
The only way to get your tea fix any faster than using the Bodum Ibis Electric Kettle would be to stick a wad of loose leaf tea between your cheek and gum, just like chewing tobacco. So, the choice is yours. Drop the kids off at school looking like a major league shortstop, or wait less than four minutes for the 27 ounce Bodum Electric Kettle to get your water up to temperature. Decisions, decisions.
The other day I was making Hungarian Goulash. The recipe called for five thousand drops of water. That blasted recipe took me 4 hours to make. Counting each and every drop of water. At around 3,489 I sneezed and had to start all over. My family was starving and left me to go out and eat. I ate the goulash at 10pm – alone. I sat there wishing… hoping… praying, that there was a better way to measure five thousand drops of water. If only I had know about the Equal Measure measuring cup by Fred. Half laboratory instrument and half measuring cup. The next time I run into a recipe calling for ten billion grains of powered sugar, twenty thousand grains of rice, or even five thousand drops of water, I am golden. Oh, there are also measurements for ounces, cups, and milliliters – so even the most normal of recipes are covered.
Ever hit the local garage sales in hopes of finding some vintage crocks to store your produce? Those things are hard to come by. Believe me. I usually end up leaving without the crocks, but with another bean bag chair or chili stained Def Leppard t-shirt. I’m a sucker for a $1.25 t-shirt. I mean, who isn’t?
Toss out the Star Wars and GI Joe action figures! There’s a new toy in town and she means business! Standing five inches tall – the Lunch Lady action figure makes the original 1977 Darth Vader action figure look like an Oompa Loopma – albeit an Oompa Loompa with the power of the dark side. You should not underestimate the power of the Lunch Lady. Wielding a powerful scoop, she is able to hurl mashed potatoes and Thursday’s tuna surprise with surprising accuracy, enabling her to fend off an attack from the Empire and still manage to have the strawberry shortcake ready by 11am. The real lunch lady, that is. Not the action figure lunch lady. The action figure just kinda stands there, but stands there as a tribute to all of the other Lunch Ladies throughout history that have sweat and toiled for the nourishment of our youth. Check back soon for the Franklin Mint Commemorative Spatula, struck in 100% genuine aluminum foil.