Favorite Gadget Thing- Smart Pot

I love my smart pot crock pot. My husband bought it for me December 08 for my birthday. I wasn't sure how I'd like it but after using it for a long time, I can truly say I'm thrilled with it. The biggest change is that it cooks so much hotter than the old versions. I think it's because of all the food poisoning scares. This thing cooks in half the time that my oldie does.

There are other features that I love as well....such as, it's got the timed cooking which goes to just the "keep warm" feature after it's done cooking. The lid is glass and not plastic which is great if you are trying to not cook in plastics anymore. It is also quite large and can fit a lot more food into it! This 6 quart one is oblong instead of round which is convenient for beef ribs!

Those are my highlights about it. If you are contemplating getting one, I'd say it's worth the money if you love to use your crock pot.

Favorite Gadget Thing- Immersion Blender

I can't believe I lived without one of these for so long! This thing is awesome! I love that I can now puree things while they are hot and still in the pot. Hey, I rhymed! Sorry, back to subject.

My favorite things to use my immersion blender for are soups, pasta sauce, apple sauce, and purees. No mess, no getting out the big blender, no spilling hot food on myself while I try to transfer it to the blender while it's hot.

Now, I don't even have a fancy one. In fact, it was $10 in the clearance isle at Wal-mart when I got it. It's a no-name brand. But hey, it does the job. I love that the end detaches and I can throw it in the dishwasher!

Favorite Gadget Thingy- Plate Warmer

I know you'll probably laugh at this one....but it's really not a gadget at all, in fact, it's my stove top. Now, here is my disclaimer, you have to know your own stove very well to do this. DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT do this unless you totally know each burner well on your stove. I have a glass top stove and my burners get just warm on LOW. They make the perfect plate warmer. I don't want to be responsible for anyone breaking their dishes though so please don't do this unless you know your stove well.


I usually place a whole stack of plates on the burner, turn it to low and then rotate the stack so that all the plates get warm while I'm making breakfast or a meal. I like to serve food on warm plates to keep the food hotter longer instead of on cold plates. In the picture, I keep a warming plate on the stove to put the done pancakes on which keeps the pancakes warm till we are ready to serve them.



If you don't know your stove top well or if you aren't brave enough to give this ago I'd like to suggest other ways to keep warm plates:
1. turn your oven on low (200 degrees or so) and place your plates in there. This works well in the winter when turning the oven on is a bonus not a curse.
2. run hot water over the plates in the sink or put them in a plugged sink of hot water. But you'll need to dry them when you are done.

Favorite Gadget Thingy- Food Storage

Now that I'm buying food in bulk (especially pantry items) I decided to invest in these rolling air tight storage containers. I'm trying to move away from plastics and so I know it looks hypocritical to then store my food in plastic but I'm finding that using dry pantry goods out of 25 pound bags can be a bit difficult, messy and well, not as sanitary as I'd like. I'm picky that way. So, I researched the different types of "food safe" plastics and then found this container that is made out of the top rated food safe plastic. This container holds a 25 pound bag perfectly and with the wheels, it makes rolling it out of your pantry a breeze. I put the food still in it's original bag into the container. It's designed for pet food but it seems companies are more concerned about pet's health when it comes to plastics rather than the health of humans. Go figure.

Where to get it?
I found it on Walmart.com. They don't carry it in my store but just online. It was $13 when I bought it. I ordered them to be shipped site-to-store so that I wouldn't have to pay shipping. I bought 3 of them to get me started and I'm super happy with them.

Favorite Gadget Thingy- Mason Jar

One of my all-time favorite kitchen gadgets is the Mason Jar. Now, I call all canning jars "mason jars" even though not all of them are made by Mason. In fact, I'm partial to the Kerr Jar myself and others might prefer the Ball Jar. Whichever you love, the canning jar is a great kitchen tool to have. For more information and history than you ever wanted to know about a canning jar, you can read some info here and here.

I use canning jars for many more things than canning. I'm not a big canner even though I could see myself canning more in my future. In the past I've made jam which is my favorite canned good. But through the years I've used canning jars for so many things....like as candle holders, drinking jars, pen holders, utensil holders, to give gifts in, to put gifted mixes in, as vases, for sprouting as you see now, as containers for food in the fridge including yogurt, to store dry pantry goods like beans, popcorn, and seasonings. There really are a ton of things you can use a canning jar for. Read here for 18 ways you can use a canning jar.

As I'm trying to move away from plastics in our environment, I'm finding that my uses for canning jars are multiplying. They are an inexpensive container that is great for all kinds of things.

My favorite of the larger jars are the wide-mouth jars. Love those. I'm also quite taken with the itty bitty jars they have now that hold about a 1/2 cup. I still use the pint for numerous items as well. I guess I really love them all.

What do you love using canning jars for?

Favorite Gadget Thing- Bottle Brush

No, I don't have babies at home. So, why would I think that a baby bottle brush is a great gadget for someone that doesn't have babies at home? So glad you asked. Because this brand sticks to your sink. Yep, the suction cup on the end makes it stick straight up on your sink (or wherever you stick it) so that you know right were it is and it's not laying on your counter and it's not taking up space in your dish drainer. Oh, and it stays put! My mom and my sister got me hooked on using these. Not to mention they make cleaning salad dressing jars and other narrow items (besides just baby bottles) a cinch. I also love the hidden brush (it's the end of the suction cup and it pops off the handle) which makes getting into small crevices really easy too! I get mine from the infant section at the store in the isle of baby bottles. It's by Munchkin and if you can't find it in the store you can certainly buy it here on Amazon.

Favorite Gadget Thing- Tea Wallet

I've been wanting to show you my tea wallet for some time now. You know my love for tea and since I don't drink caffeine I always carry decaf tea in my purse. Up till I got this tea wallet, I had to put my tea bags into Ziploc baggies in my purse which worked fine but they often got disheveled. I really love this little tea wallet which has 4 slots but more than one bag can fit in a slot. Where did I get it?
I bought it online from Megan who is another homeschool mom through her blog. You'd have to comment on her blog to ask her if she is still making/selling these. I'm pretty sure she still is. She sold me mine for a whopping $8. AND she sent it to me (shipping was included in the $8) stuffed with tea from Trader Joe's nonetheless! I love Megan! She has many cool materials and let me pick my material set. Isn't she sweet and amazing! In case you want to make this little tea wallet yourself you can check out this tutorial for it here:
tea wallet tutorial
Or if you are lazy like me and figure you can splurge 8 bucks to have it made by Megan with her cool prints and mail it to you for free, then by golly you need the link to her post where she started selling them. Just comment on the post (even though it is old) with your email address and Megan will get back to you.
purchase them through Megan @ Half-Pint House

Answering Questions - Electric Griddle

The one I have is a Rival Electric Griddle. I do love it but there are so many out there to choose from. I couldn't say that I wouldn't recommend a different one. Here is a link to the exact one that we have.

Favorite Gadget Thing - Electric Grill

We get a ton of use out of our electric grill. Let me try to think of all the things we make on it...
pancakes
french toast
bacon
hash browns
country potatoes
eggs
grilled cheese
just about every grilled sandwich you can think of
tortillas

It has a cup to drain any fat or liquids that run off into the side troughs that make clean up easy.
It's immersible for easy washing!
It's portable! Gotta love that!
It's non-stick. Now I know "non-stick" is bad for you but it sure is handy!!

These make great generic gifts for those who love to cook and well, they are pretty affordable too. I was worried we wouldn't use ours enough to justify buying it when we did years ago but I have to tell you, I pull this out and use it at least once a week! It's a keeper and it's earned it's weight in gold.

Favorite Gadget Thing- Olive Oil Bottle

This handy little bottle sits on the counter right next to my stove that way I can grab and swirl olive oil in a seconds notice instead of going to the pantry and searching for it. It also makes it easy to grab and take to the table with us. We substitute olive oil for butter often on our veggies, rice, potatoes, etc. This handy bottle makes it accessible to us quickly. The cork top allows air to enter the bottle making it easy to pour. There are many types of olive oil decanters or cruets as they are also known. Find a fun shape that you like and fill it with your very best organic first cold pressed olive oil and enjoy good health!

Favorite Gaget Thing- Avocado Peeler/Slicer

I realized that I didn't post a gadget for December. I try to post these mid month and some how missed this one. Could it be all the chaos of Christmas, nay, that couldn't have been it.




Well, I got this for Christmas from my sister and it's the coolest thing. We eat a LOT of avocado around here and this thing just made it easier to peel and slice up some avocado.


It's flexible and so you can pinch the sides where the avocado narrows while scooping the whole thing out of the skin in one long swoop. This thing is so cool!

Favorite Gadget Thing - Silicone Mat

This is a new product that I got recently. I've always wanted one of those (okay 4 of those) nifty silpats that Martha Stewart has. You know the ones that cost $20 each!

Then one day I saw this at Target....it's made by Wilton and it's a silicone baking mat. I think I paid $11 for it but AMAZON has it for $9.99.

It truly is wonderful! I use it every time I use a cookie sheet. Nothing sticks to it. It's easy to wash and is more cost effective than buying parchment paper.

Best part is, it's very flexible, unlike the silpats...so I can easily roll it up tight and store it in the drawer with the foil and cling wrap.

Now, if you're considering buying it off Amazon, I'd appreciate you clicking on Amazon through my link on the right side bar to show your love and support of What's Cooking! =0)


And that's my Favorite Gadget Thing for this month! See ya Monday!

Favorite Gadget - BBQ Basket

You've seen this one on here already..it's my grill basket for the BBQ. I think the official name is "wok topper". I've tried a few and this one is our favorite. It's great for grilling veggies but also anything that you would normally put on a skewer. It saves you time rather than threading everything on to each stick.

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It has a non-stick surface but you can still spray it with non-stick spray or olive oil just to be sure stuff doesn't stick. It's a great way to toss your veggies or other ingredients while seasoning them. And, right now, they are on clearance at Wal-mart and I'm sure other stores as well in the BBQ section.

Be sure to check out my free giveaway over on our family blog in honor of the Nesting Places' post.... click here for my free giveaway

Favorite Gadget- Yogurt Maker

No, I didn't forget to post a favorite gadget of the month....just got behind is all. I try to post one mid month for you and this month is my yogurt maker. Love this thing. Only thing is, I haven't been home much to make as much as I'd like to make. Now that fall is here, maybe I can make more and more. I've managed to make plain yogurt with it and now I'm going to experiment making sweetened yogurt with it. I'll let you know how it goes. This one is from walmart and it's a nice compact version. There are companies out there that sell yogurt makers that make it all in one large cylinder container which might appeal to some of you. Do some research and you'll be amazed at the yogurt making possibilities! This little machine is perfect if you're looking for a way to make your own organic yogurt.

Favorite Gadget- Portable Salad Bar

Now, I know this is really a veggie and dip tray in case you're thinking I'm really dumb. LOL. BUT, I love this gadget for salad bar. Every time I'd make salad to go with dinner and ask my kids what they wanted on it, they hardly wanted anything on their salads. So, one night I decided to let them put their own toppings on and I was SHOCKED! They loaded their salads with all kinds of good veggies including radishes! Even my husband put radishes on his salad which I never would have thought he'd like those. My son started to catch on somehow and stopped putting anything on his salad so we made a rule that you have to pick 2 things to put on. Their choice but they have to pick two things.

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So, for quite some time I just used several little bowls for our salad toppings which meant washing lots of little bowls every night. That's where this little tray comes in. I picked it up for a few dollars at wal-mart and now I'm not washing a bunch of bowls. Better yet, I put the lid on and stick it in the fridge for the next meal with salad. We just pull our "salad bar" out of the fridge and we're ready to go. That way when we are done I don't have to put all the leftovers in little baggies (which takes a lot of time and they get lost in the fridge!). Every few days we use it all up and wash the container and start fresh.

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Here are some things we put in our "salad bar" container from time to time that may give you some ideas if you're thinking about trying this:

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hard boiled eggs

peas

tomatoes

olives

beets

radishes

garbanzo beans

pepperoncinis

carrots

celery

onion

grated zucchini

artichoke hearts

avocado

snap peas

mushrooms

sprouts

sunflower seeds

bell pepper

cucumbers

broccoli

cauliflower

asparagus

sliced almonds

corn

Favorite Gadget Thing - Baby Whisk

I love this baby whisk from Pampered Chef! I use it all the time for:

sauces

hot chocolate

drinks

marinades

salad dressings
gravy

and so much more!

Favorite Gadget Thing - Trash Bowl

Here's my Favorite Gadget Thingy of the Month......

If you've ever seen Rachel Ray you've probably seen her famous trash bowls....well, I love the concept. Instead of running yourself back and forth to the trash can (our's is in our pantry so it's a little more work to get to) while preparing a meal, just keep a bowl on your counter that all your trash goes in and then you can just dump it all at once. Saves time not having to put each item in the trash one at a time and probably cuts down on contamination (touching the trash can possibly) or having to wash your hands every time you toss something.

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Rachel Ray would of course love it if you bought one of her designer garbage bowls here (gotta give the girl publicity for her idea) but I prefer to use one of my own plastic bowls from my $2 pack at wal-mart.

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Yes, once again, What's Cooking brings you the classiest, high tech, gadgets on the market...everyone in Beverly Hills wants a trash bowl, right?

Favorite Gadget- utensil pot

So one of the times that I was moving into yet another itty bitty kitchen, my friend, Shirlie, who was helping me unpack my kitchen said, "you need to get a flower pot for all your utensils." Cool idea I thought! So, I bought myself a flower pot and stuck all of my utensils in it. Several months later she was over and noticed my utensil flower pot and started laughing....I was of course confused as to what I had done wrong when she explained, "you're supposed to paint it silly!"

So, embarrassed at my terra-cotta-bear-naked pot, I did paint it. In fact, I recently repainted it as the beginning of my kitchen face lift. I've recently been changing my kitchen from apples to cherries and so it began with my flower pot and a cherry stamp. I love how this frees up the little drawer space that I have since I have so many utensils.

Favorite Gadget - Tea Drop

like my new emblem?

I interrupt this tea series to bring you my Favorite Gadget Thing of the month. But, I bring you a tea thing no less!

TEA DROP

I saw this gadget on a home show a few years back and had to have it. Greedy, I know. But, see, I'm a chain tea drinker! At the time they were so new I couldn't find one anywhere until my mom found one in Oregon on a trip. Now they have come down in price and they are easy to locate online. You can purchase one here through Walmart or here through Amazon.com.

This little baby is great for a few reasons.....

~it has a basket inside for bagged tea and a basket for loose leaf.

~you can adjust the strength of the brew by the dial.

~you can brew and re-brew again with the same tea leaves for a second batch.

~since you are brewing it in your tea maker and not your coffee maker, you don't get the taste of coffee in your tea.

~it's a fast way to make iced tea as well!

Favorite Gadget- Gravy Whisk

Sorry I'm a little behind on my favorite gadget of the month...but here it is..

I love this thing. Another tool from Pampered Chef...don't worry, I won't feature all of their products on here but I have to put this one on. This funny looking whisk is wonderful for making gravy, roux, sauces, etc. It's a flat bottom whisk.

Now the sad thing is that I don't think they are making and selling this product any longer...that or I just can't find it on their website. If they've discontinued it, maybe you can find it at garage sales or used online. I hope mine lasts for years to come.