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Thursday Three: Kitchen Help

[ 12 ] 04/15/2010 |

You read the title of this post and thought personal chef, right? I wish.

No, I’m talking about the little kitchen gadgets and helpers that make this whole healthy eating thing easier. Personally, I’m kind of obsessed with gizmos and doo-dads and I am not allowed to watch infomercials or anything of the like. I kind of love the Slap Chop/ShamWow guy.  And? Not allowed to go into Bed Bath and Beyond to just ‘browse’. Last time I went in I came home with a dinosaur cupcake pan (completely worth it to hear my child ask for t-wex bupcakes).

But, I do truly believe there are little things you can employ to make healthier cooking a snap.

My three faves are:

1) Olive oil sprayer: I’m not a huge fan of cooking spray and all the propellants used to make the nice, even spray of whatever that crap is made out of…but the olive oil sprayer is all natural! All you do is fill it up halfway with olive oil (or lemon juice, or vinegar), pump it a few times, and you’re spraying to your heart’s content.  I use it for the obvious pan spraying, but I also love it for dressing salads.

2) Microplane Grater: Aside from the fact that I’ve lost ample amounts of knuckle skin (EW) to these graters, I still adore them.  I use them for fresh ginger, garlic, citrus zest and hard cheeses. All these things (even the cheese, in moderation) add a huge flavor punch for very few calories. By the way, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: buy FRESH GINGER! It is cheap! Throw whatever is leftover into a bag then into the freezer for later use.

3) Salad Spinner: I don’t know what this says about me, but the salad spinner we received as a wedding gift? Yeah, it was my favorite and I actually squealed with I opened it up. I clean and dry all my herbs and greens in my salad spinner. Other uses: you can use it to dry poultry, drain pasta and even hand wash your clothes. I’m not lying – look here!

Alrighty, now it’s your turn! What little devices have you found invaluable in the kitchen! Tell all in the comments or write a post on your own blog and link up!

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Category: Heather, LOSE IT, Thursday Three

About heather: Thirty-three year old wife, mother, runner and wannabe renaissance woman striving to look and feel even BETTER than she did before babies. View author profile.

  • Lisa_ShrinkingJeans

    You knew I would have a comment for this one : ).

    1. One of my all-time favorite tools to use is my Pampered Chef Garlic Press. It is the best and so easy to use and OMG, anything with fresh garlic is bound to be yummy.

    2. This one isn't really a *tool* per se, but I could not get by without my crock pot. LOVE IT. I am actually becoming a little obsessed about the crock pot. I now have THREE in different sizes!

    3. Immersion blender. Much easier to use than a full out blender. I make my own salsa and spanish rice and this thing comes in handy all of the time.

    4. Lemon squeezer do-hickiethingmajob. You know, you cut your lemon in half and put the half in the squeezer and squeeze away. Did you know that if you put your lemon (or lime) in the microwave for 30 seconds, then you will get tons more juice out of it? Just make sure to cut it first, otherwise you could burn yourself when the hot juice squirts everywhere when you cut it. Be careful!

    5. my slew of cookbooks and websites!

    Maybe I should have written my own post, huh?!

  • http://blissfulbedlam.com/ Tracie

    1. Food scale – This thing is a life saver. I've found that weighing everything is more accurate. Sometimes a 1/4 cup ends up weighing a lot more than the box says it should.

    2. Iphone – not really a “kitchen” gadget, but I use it a lot when I'm cooking to look stuff up or to log my calories. It is always with me so it makes it easier.

  • http://thesassymama.blogspot.com Heather

    Food scales are great! Sometimes its definitely helpful to have a visual of what a portion actually looks like!

  • http://thesassymama.blogspot.com Heather

    Forgot about the immersion blender – I use mine all the time.
    You SHOULD write your own post! I think you might be even more obsessed with kitchen stuff than me!

  • http://www.ohlssons.be/karena Karena_Oh

    Oooh, I love this thread! Here are mine, although may be a little *big* to be considered gadgets. But, I'm a spoiled wife!

    1. A Vita-Mix. The king of blenders. I use this baby for everything from turning spinach into a delightful, creamy shake-like concoction that even the most veg-hating kid will suck down, to grinding flour. Awesome.

    2. I second the call for a good food scale. Ours is a digital Tanita. This is especially important for me because I have US and European cookbooks. US books measure things in ounces, EU in grams. My scale does it all. Indispensable.

    3. Not really a gadget, but if you're planning a kitchen makeover, you've GOT to get an induction stove top. Smartest addition we've made to the house. Huge pot of water boiling for pasta? 2 minutes. No scorching. Perfect temp, every time. Well worth the money.

  • http://thesassymama.blogspot.com Heather

    I think I want to make out with your kitchen! I've heard awesome things about the Vita Mix.

  • http://www.babytealeaves.blogspot.com Christie O.

    oh boy, i'm not going to mention the following: the perfect brownie pan or the big top cupcake. that's not for here. Onto my healthier favorites:

    my favorite thing EVER is my One Touch can opener! LOVE THIS!!! It really works! No more can opening!
    My second favorite thing EVER is the Magic Bullet Blending system! I've made salsas, guacamole, hummus, babyfood, dressings, sauces, omelettes, drinks, to the yada to the yada to the yada in it! LOVE LOVE LOVE!
    And then finally, is my giant oven-proof skillet, which goes on the stove, in the oven, it makes pancakes, frittatas, sauces, it's big enough for everything and anything and I love it SO.MUCH. From Sam's Club.

  • http://www.shrinkingamber.com Amber

    The Slap Chop (well the off brand one I have anyway!) That thing really does make chopping veggies simple. I have made salsa with it several times.
    I'm going to 2nd the food scale here as well as the iPhone.
    A bagel slicer. THis makes it easy for me to have HALF a bagel in the morning (because I couldn't imagine eating a whole one anymore lol)
    Also, I don't have one but I have a friend who raves about her Magic Bullet. She says you can blend up just about ANYTHING in that thing.

  • http://christy.shrinkingjeans.net Christy_TheSistherhood

    Great post! My 3 favorite kitchen things are:

    1. My Pampered Chef non-stick pots and pans. Nothing sticks, and everything cooks perfectly.

    2. My MacBook Pro. Seriously. I have it on the counter at all times, because I love to find recipes online, and I hate printing stuff unless I have to. So it's my CookBook Pro :P

    3. Coffee bean grinder. OMG. I couldn't live without it. (Thank you, Lisa!) I know my coffee is much healthier when it's freshly ground, right? RIGHT?!

  • http://christy.shrinkingjeans.net Christy_TheSistherhood

    Hey girl! Good to see you over here :) I have a veggie chopper and LOVE it. It's so much more than a veggie chopper.

  • http://christy.shrinkingjeans.net Christy_TheSistherhood

    I've always wanted a Magic Bullet!! Now I might have to get myself one!

    I have a cast iron skillet that I adore. It was my grandma's and it's so black and heavy and wonderful. I use it for everything!

  • http://christy.shrinkingjeans.net Christy_TheSistherhood

    OMG. Can I just move in with you? Tomorrow?