I walked into the apartment yesterday with this in hand and said, "I bought a chopper today." Of course Smart Guy's comment was, "Is it in the garage?" Immediately I realized the double meaning of the word and showed him the nifty vegetable chopper, which I don't know how I've managed without for so long. Of course it's because Norma Jean has one, and I fell in love with it once I saw how it works. When you push repeatedly on the top, the item being chopped, whether garlic cloves or broccoli, is perfectly diced up into teeny-tiny pieces! It turns out my sister has influenced me to buy many now-indispensable items for my kitchen.
Just last week I ordered this digital scale from Amazon. I didn't even know what a
tare scale was before my visit to Norma Jean's. It allows me to weigh things in grams or ounces, and once I put the item that will hold my food on the scale I can zero it out and weigh just the food. So cool, and it wasn't even very expensive! I already had one of the kind with a dial, but it just isn't very accurate. I use my new one every morning these days.
I also didn't have a lightweight portable drink mixer, which I also ordered from Amazon, to mix chia seeds or other stuff into soy milk for a quick treat. This also comes with a whisk and a beater, which I have yet to use. It's really perfect for what I am using it for, and I wonder how I got along without it. Norma Jean has a smaller one that I got to see in use during my visit. It would be even better than this one, but I had already ordered this one and it works just fine.
The other thing Norma Jean introduced me to is called a
spiralizer. You take whatever item you want to render into spaghetti-sized whorls and slap it between the blades and that thing on the right, turn the handle and you've got zucchini spaghetti or raw beets into perfect little strips! We used it every single night I was there when we made salad, and I'm planning to use it tonight with a beet I got at the Farmers' Market yesterday.
Of course, Norma Jean's kitchen is replete with lots of other tools I didn't get a chance to see or use, and it's probably just as well. I'm looking forward to incorporating these tools into my kitchen and need to keep my partner from being TOO overwhelmed with all the new stuff!
:-)
whoa! I am genuinely amazed at these gadgets. Who knew! The stuff I cook on a daily basis is so unfancy. Lol. Just give me a knife and a cutting board and I am good to go. Love the pics, DJan.
ReplyDeletei'm laughing! usually it's guys that are gadget-crazy. :)
ReplyDeletethat is a heck of a lot of gadgets! I like the tare scale particularly. How much was it and what is the brand name so I may look it up?
ReplyDeleteI could easily be talked into getting gadgets I didn't know I needed like these.. I'd love them. But one of the things that I know I'd need first is kitchen space. Though that chopper is pretty small...
ReplyDeleteI love useful gadgets. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love these gadgets! The thing that chops anything into spaghetti thin slices...of to find one!
ReplyDeleteKitchen gadgets are FUN!!!
ReplyDeleteIn my family we've had one of those choppers thingies for as far back as I can remember! But we basically use it for just one veggie: the tear-inducing onion! Makes it a lot easier to deal with it. :p
I use our tare scale a lot, and I'm wondering whether I'd use the chopper. It seems really clever and convenient. I love your roundup of clever devices.
ReplyDeletethat spiralizer sounds pretty amazing...i love gadgets...esp ones i never knew i needed before...ha...the chopper...we do have one...really cool...
ReplyDeleteIt is the smaller portion who cannot resist gadgets here. Our kitchen is bursting at the seams with them. Many rarely get used, others are in frequent use.
ReplyDeleteSpace is a BIG issue though. I am not going to show him your post or he would want a spiralizer immediately - the rest we have. And more.
Larry is a gadget lover so we have one of those choppers in the cupboard in Knoxville. I used it once for onions and it worked just fine. Last Christmas my son gave me an Amazon gift voucher and I used it to buy a digital scale. It's wonderful and so accurate so I guess I'm a little won over. Will you be doing more cooking from now on?
ReplyDeleteI never seem to buy the right gadgets for me. What I need is a sister so I can copy her!
ReplyDeleteI have one or two of those gadgets, myself, and I love them. Remember the Salad Shooter? My father-in-law gave me one of those and it makes a beeyoootiful salad. Kind of a PITA to use, but radishes and carrots and olives, oh my!
ReplyDeleteHaha! You would be a prime target for a Pampered Chef party host! I have many gadgets in my kitchen...and I don't cook! My husband doesn't use any of them, except for the portable mixer thing, he uses that all the time. But I must say, that chopper? I do use it when I bake. It will chop nuts up pretty well too.
ReplyDeleteSo if you get out once in a while you discover new gadgets! I think you follow a routine that does not include shopping other than for food.
ReplyDeleteI have an older chopper made by Rubbermaid, I used it all the time, but no longer, seems like I stick with a knife and cutting board these days.
ReplyDeleteI love the little scale !
Happy to read that you enjoyed your time with your sister in Florida, you stayed on the go !!
~Jo
I could use the tare scale. As for the chopper, we have one but I still prefer to chop by hand... it's kind of relaxing... (but that's just me).I've never heard of a spiralizer. Interesting idea. I'm for anything that makes us eat healthier!
ReplyDeleteThese kitchen tools look like so much fun. I love that last one especially. I'd love to see how you use it. It's always fun to see somebody else's kitchen and learn new things.
ReplyDeleteThose are some really cool looking gadgets DJan. I do my best to avoid buying such things for my kitchen. Between my ulu and Santoku knives I can chop anything with ease. I do like the idea of the spiralizer however.
ReplyDeleteI'm sort of gadget proof, I guess. I am not attracted to them, mostly because I would seldom use them, they take up space, and I hate cleaning them up after using. I'm pretty much a knife and cutting board kind of cook.
ReplyDeleteI do have a little dial scale that works OK enough for me.
It is fun to see what you are gaga over, though!
I thought Smart Guy did most of the cooking. He sure is a good sport and I like his instantaneous snarky question, "in the garage" indeed.
ReplyDeleteI gave up all the gadgets about four years ago and only use a knife, except I do have a coffee bean grinder, but that is a necessity, everyone has one, right?
I could spend a boatload of money on gadgets exactly like those you have posted! Any kitchen gadget is a "must have" in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteYou go girl!!
I am sure my husband would love them! he likes lots of gadgets! I am looking for a greens washer..one that spins. Thanks for reminding me:)
ReplyDeleteAll these wonderful toys!!! I bet you're having a lotta fun with them too. I think I'd like that veggie chopper myself.
ReplyDeleteI love gadgets until I have used them a few times. Then I get lazy about the washing of gadgets and stop using them. So I stick to the chopper in the kitchen--me, a knife and a cutting board. The knife and board are quick to wash. I have a Cuisinart that I use yearly to chop cranberries and oranges for Thanksgiving dinner. I hate washing that sucker.
ReplyDeleteLoved your gadget post. I have lots of gadgets but they are all technically/computer related. I do not spend much money buying gadgets for the kitchen, other than the usual most people have. I never weigh food, however My Mom taught me how to cut n curl veggies by hand and I love doing that - the gadgets would make these things easier, but then I might forget those long lessons. I like the white colours in your kitchen and I love your toaster DJan- have a great day :)
ReplyDeleteMy spiralizer's handle broke yesterday and I am at a loss...I guess I will be ordering another one. I can't live without it since I eat salad almost every night.
ReplyDeleteI guess you didn't see me use my salad spinner or you would have one of those, too. Makes getting the water off veggies super easy.
Actually I haven't been unhappy with how easy my gadgets clean up. I noticed comments to that problem, but so far so good.
I like the last one that turns veggies into strings. That would be great for salads. Cool.
ReplyDeleteDear DJan, thanks for showing us what these objects look like and explaining what they do. I have only a few such things in my kitchen, but I've been thinking of a chopper. So your posting may just jog me into spending some money! Peace.
ReplyDeleteSuch cool items for food prep your sister has and I can understand their usefulness. The chopper and scale I know of but the rest are new. Thanks for this post.
ReplyDelete