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Posts tagged under Gear. Show all posts.
If scraping burnt food off a casserole dish isn’t your idea of a good time, the SKrAPr might just be a gadget you need. Same goes for chiseling ice off your freezer, cleaning your glass cooktop, washing the pot you made scrambled eggs in or even scraping paint off a window after a messy DIY paint job. The SKrAPr is a spatula-type tool that scrapes clean any smooth surface and never leaves a scratch. Our testers were impressed, and the video on the site is worth a watch (albeit a bit ‘As Seen on TV’). The smaller version that comes with it (we always love the gift with purchase) can even be used to scrape off mud from cleats and boots. ($12.99, available at Home Hardware)
I pretty much want to buy every single thing in our recent Lunch Essentials Guide but I think I will start with the sandwich-related items. Making school or camp lunches is definitely low on my list of ‘likes’, and the fact that the only kind of sandwich my kids will actually eat is the verboten peanut-butter kind makes it even more disheartening, as every sandwich combination I try to send comes home uneaten.
But maybe it’s not the filling, but the shape of the sandwich that is a turn-off. So armed with the Lunch Punch Sandwich Buddies, I will be able to magically transform that ham and cheese into a princess, a butterfly or a train. And then I will nestle the sandwich into its own Fuel Everest Sandwich Box to keep it pristine until lunchtime. Hopefully I will never see the sandwich again after that (as it will be eaten right up).
What were your faves in the Lunch Essentials Guide?
A slice in a glass of water, one quarter squeezed over a piece of halibut, 1 tsp of zest in a dressing and the juice of one whole for a muffin recipe. Lemons and limes are ever present in my kitchen.
Up until the holidays, I had been storing leftover wedges, slices and halves in disposable plastic bags or in plastic containers. Not only was this practice creating an unnecessary amount of waste, but a lot of these random citrus pieces were being missed in the back corner of the crisper and becoming spoiled in the process. On Christmas morning, I was very excited to find an eco-friendly alternative waiting for me in my stocking—Lemon and Lime Savers. (Yes, I am one of those people who gets excited about new kitchen gadgets for Christmas.)
The Lemon/Lime Saver™ is a storage device that keeps cut lemons and limes fresh and fragrant. They are phthalate and BPA-free, airtight and dishwasher safe. The lemon and lime pieces are now easier to find in my crowded refrigerator and I don’t feel so guilty about all of the waste. And, with all of the money I am saving on re-sealable plastic bags, I can go shopping for more kitchen gadgets.
The Lemon/Lime Saver™ is available in many retail gourmet kitchen supply stores and online at www.gourmac.com.
With all the bad news about plastic these days, Mason jars are enjoying a resurgence as one of the home cook’s must-have items, and my kitchen is no exception. I keep four sizes on hand and use them for salad dressings, homemade preserves, dried beans and lentils storage, flower vases and most recently, food storage containers.
Tall Mason jars work best for packing picnics as they fit snugly into whatever bag or basket I’m using.
We’ve put ice in our jars (for keeping our foods cold), drinks, salads, desserts and even dips. Small jars hold tzatziki and hummus and the medium-sized ones are the perfect vessel for a homemade layer dip to accompany some chips.
While some may worry about breakage when carrying around glass jars, I have yet to experience that despite travelling with active boys and our gregarious 60-pound dog.
Tell us, are you using Mason jars more than ever these days? Would you pack your picnic foods in them?
Simple Layer Dip
You’ll Need
- Sour cream
- Black beans, washed and rinsed
- Avocado
- 1 lime
- Salt and pepper
- Cheddar cheese
- Tomato
- Green onion
Prep and Cook
- Slice the avocado in half and remove the pit from the centre. Scoop the avocado onto a cutting board, and chop it into one-inch cubes.
- Place the avocado in a mixing bowl; add the juice of 1 lime and season with salt and pepper to taste. The lime will keep the avocado from turning brown.
- Layer the ingredients in your glass jar or bowl saving the tomato and green onions for the top for a colourful garnish.
- Serve with tortilla chips or pita wedges.
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