OK, besides a camera!! As I’m building up my stockpile of pictures, I sometimes feel like my camera is the tool that I use the most, at any rate

But that’s not what this question is all about. I’m sure that I use my knives and cutting board more than anything else in food prep, but my favorite tool is my long-handled hand blender. Ohmygosh, I love that thing!

So what about you? What makes your cooking heart sing?

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Question of the month: What’s your favorite tool?

How would you like to rid your stovetop and counter of food drips forever? Think about aquiring a few Lazy Spoons! Chef Central has this to say about the 12 inch wonder:

Jonathan’s Lazy Spoons have become a staple in the modern kitchen. Made of non-endangered wild cherry hardwood, these spoons are crafted to last a lifetime! Each spoon features a notch on the handle for placing on the edge of most pans or bowls. Imagine… no more dripping spoons on your stove or counter!

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The Lazy Spoon

How many times do you use half an onion, and then forget that the rest is in either a) a baggie, or b) a piece of tupperware. Usually you find the onion by either a) the smell seeping through said baggie, or b) funny colors showing through the tupperware. By then the tupperware is irreversibly stinky.

So how about a container that is a dedicated onion keeper? Sounds a bit hoity, but if you stop ruining containers or wasting bags, it might be a very good thing!

Here’s what Chef Central has to say:

Sometimes recipes only call for half an onion and it’s a shame to toss the rest. Our clever Onion Keeper has a soft, airtight sealing lid that helps maintain freshness. Embedded in the lid is a stainless steel insert that reduces onion odors. Roomy enough for half an onion or storing a hefty measuring of chopped onions. Dishwasher safe.

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The onion keeper…I want one!

Epicurious has compiled a wonderful list of the equipment and tools you need to outfit a new kitchen. I’m not sure that I agree with all of the brands that they choose…sure, Calphalon is great stuff, but not everyone needs top of the line for their first kitchen. You can decide for yourself, however, since they have a very good review of all the products they recommend.

As far as the exact items they pick, I think the lists are pretty good, broken down into bakeware, cookware, prepware, and tools.

Images: Epicurious

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The stuff you need for your first kitchen

Image via Show

On Tree Hugging Family, Peggy suggests using Preserve Tableware if you absolutely must use disposable plates for your next party!

Arieanna on Cooking Gadgets shows us an instant wine chiller that cools as it pours…no more sticking ice cubes into your wine (ick!).

Junk Creation has a great link to cutting boards from trees that chose to fall! (shown above)

On Keeping the Castle, Maricar reveals the secrets to keeping your house supplies stockpile organized.

Another great summer gadget from Arieanna is the grill tray, which you can use to make nachos on your grill…among other things! Brilliant.

Kelly on Brew Ha-Ha tells you how to get an iconic Anheuser-Busch teeshirt, which might not be available too much longer

Batman party decorations abound on Linette’s She Knows Parties! Prepare to be thrilled!

GoodyBlog found an adorable pancake pan shaped like a bear’s head.  Now that will take you right into the cooler days of autumn!

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Fabulous toys, tools, and gadgets for summer

The Hot Dog Roller

Corn Grilling Basket

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Hot dog roller?

Now that grilling season has returned in force, here’s a very clever gizmo available from HomeWetBar!

Cut your baked potato on the grill cooking time in half using our baked potato grill cooker! Simply insert your small or large potato into one of the four non-stick coated prongs of this stainless steel rack and set it on the grill to cook. The secret is the metal rack conducts heat from the grill and then cooks the potato from the inside while its being cooked from the outside by the grill so it cooks twice as fast!

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Clever grilling gadget: baked potato grill baker

Has anyone tried these? I want to believe! But I’m just uncertain, so I’d like to hear from some of you who use these. They claim:

• Non-stick easy release
• Oven, microwave, refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher-safe

Are they? Do you need to use any release agent on them at all? A little cooking spray perhaps? Do they really hold up to repeated heating, freezing, and washing?

They’re available at your local Walmart, among other places.

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Silicone baking ware?

Since my group of best friends and I refer to ourselves as The Grill Team, you’d better believe that we are serious about our grilling! Well, I was really excited when I found this  Grilling Equipment Guide at Epicurious.   It’s got info on brands, but it’s not so much about the brands as about features – what to look for – so pay attention to the generic advice. Believe me, Mike and I bought grills that each lasted about 4 years for…well, too many years to admit to. The best thing we ever did was to sink some money into that puppy and bring home a good’un.

Another set of articles at Epicurious, called Grilling 101, take you through the grilling process, and tempt you with some great looking recipes 

And once you’ve got the basics covered, there are lots of fun extras listed there too! This might be the weekend to go get your new stuff, since Memorial Day is on Monday!

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Your guide to grilling and grilling equipment

A couple of weeks ago, I got together with part of my Grill Team to make a breakfast for twenty-some ladies. I cut and assembled fruit platters, while Dan and Bill made French toast, sausage links, and scrambled eggs. We discovered one very funny thing about the differences between men and women when it comes to food. As the ladies wandered into the kitchen area to get coffee and tea, every single one of them remarked on the beauty of the fruit platters. When a couple of husbands, who were dropping off wives, wandered in for the same purpose, all their attention was on the smell of the sausage and eggs! You guessed it: not a single one even noticed the fruit! We laughed about that one together for a long time!

My friend Bill had a little gizmo that he used to whip up the eggs, and I decided that I really needed one. It was the Hamilton Beach hand blender, shown above, and it is a marvelous little toy!  I gave away my countertop mixer years ago, prefering my small hand-held classic mixer, wooden spoons, and whisk to the larger model.  But the shape and versatility of this tool just called to me.  There are many times that I will be more likely to reach for it than I ever did for my little mixer.

Less than $25 at Walmart.  I’m glad I got it!

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My new toy!