I’ve recently become quite the cooking savant. Well, to clarify, I’ve recently started making edible meals, and even that’s a bit of stretch. I am keen to learn though, which I think is the most important thing. While I love learning how to cook, if only because it helps me save money and for the immense satisfaction that comes with creating something delicious, I hate cleaning up afterward. Somehow, I manage to cover every inch of every surface in my kitchen with bits of food. It’s just as delightful as it sounds.
At least if I’m using the Elevate Kitchen Utensils (Generate Design, $49.00), I can be sure that my cooking tools aren’t being covered in last week’s taco residue. Yes, this six-piece set is nauseatingly cute with its rainbow-colored handles, but that’s not what makes it great. Ok, that’s not the main thing that makes it great. With a weighted handle and an integrated tool rest, each of these tools is designed to sit above the surface when placed down. Meaning, you can set that spoon on the counter for two seconds without having to worry if germs are contaminating it before you pick it up again to stir the spaghetti sauce. Heat resistant and dishwasher safe, each piece features a hanger hole so you can even make them a work of art on your wall.
If you’re scoffing at the thought of kitchenware as art, let me just mention that I have cake pans hanging on my kitchen wall. Yeah, it’s mainly because they won’t fit in my cabinet, but who wouldn’t want to display a TMNT cake pan, circa 1989? I rest my case.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: approximately 11.8″ x 3.5″ x 2.4″ (each utensil)
-Set of 6 includes solid spoon, slotted spoon, flexible turner, slotted turner, ladle, and spaghetti server
-Weighted handle and integrated tool rest
-Heat resistant up to 240C/480F
-Hanger hole for convenient storage
-Boxed gift set
-Dishwasher safe
-Made of polypropylene
A lot of people don’t cook because it’s just too much of a hassle. The same thing can be said for baking – even with the help of Aunt Betty (Crocker, that is), you still have to measure, mix, and not screw up your dessert of choice. Sadly, homemade sweets and treats just taste better than their store bought counterparts. And I don’t even have to explain to you how much better Mom’s mac n’ cheese is than Kraft. But you need extensive skills and complicated utensils to make such delicious delicacies, right?
I’m not gonna lie to you, there will be some effort involved in the creation of foodstuffs. But with the right tools, it won’t be so bad. Take the Adjustable Rolling Pin (Generate Design, $33.00), for example. Seemingly just a jazzed up version of an ordinary rolling pin, it can make cooking and baking easy even to those for whom the kitchen is a foreign country. With the help of three sets of removable discs, this rolling pin can adjust to three different heights. Meaning, you don’t have to worry about whether your pie or pizza crust is the exact thickness it needs to be because the rolling pin does the work for you. It even has measurements on the actual rolling pin so you know how big the dough is once it’s rolled out. All you have to do is put a little muscle into it and you’ll be feasting on something scrumptious in no time.
Ok, so since we’re being truthful here, I will admit that I have been known to buy a frozen pie crust or two. But please don’t tell anyone – it’ll totally destroy my image over at Bakers R Us, and I’ve got a rep to protect.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 16.5″ x 2.75″ x 2.75″
-Includes rolling pin and 3 sets of removable discs
-Adjusts to 1/16″, 1/4″, and 3/8″ thickness
-Beech rolling pin must be hand washed and naturally dried
-Discs and locking nut are dishwasher safe
-Made of beech wood and plastic
How come no one has tea parties anymore? Ok, well I do actually know the answer to that one: tea parties are lame. But at the very core of tea parties is a delightful experience, one which consists of consuming a steaming cup of tea and a smattering of tasty pastries. The issue here is to figure out how to get to enjoy the delectable treats without the idiocy that is associated with a tea party. Specifically, how to orchestrate a setting where cucumber sandwiches aren’t served with empty cups of tea to stuffed animals.
A more adult approach to the traditional tea party, the Teacakes Cupcake Mold (Perpetual Kid, $17.99) has more than a hint of carefree innocence to it. Let’s face it, it’s not like the queen is going to be enjoying her crumpets out of a tea cup, but you can be she wants to. Shaped like tea cups, these cupcake molds are designed to allow you to bake and serve your scrumptious goodies in one container. They’re also reusable, so it looks like you’re doing the environment a favor by not using those convenient, but so not green, paper cupcake liners. This adorable cupcake set even comes complete with matching saucers!
I really don’t care how silly this may seem, I would love to eat a cupcake out of a tea cup. Are you seriously going to tell me that you would refuse a heavenly bit of cake just because its presentation was somewhat juvenile? Hell, I’d even put on a dress and some white gloves if you told me I could have more than one!
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 1.75″ x 2.75″ (cups); 4″ diameter (saucers)
-Includes 4 cupcake molds and 4 serving saucers
-Reusable
-Food safe
-Made of 100% pure silicone and phthalate free plastic
Lately, I’m making an effort to be more healthy. When I say “more healthy,” I really mean that I’m just working on not eating junk food exclusively. Like most people I know, that’s a pretty big deal. I’m also trying to exhibit a more active lifestyle and decrease my sloth-like habits. It’s not easy, let me tell you, but I’m giving it a go. I think one of the most important things to remember when trying out a new lifestyle is to start slow. If you go full force, you’re bound to fizzle out and end in failure (and, most likely, a family sized bag of potato chips). So instead of completely cutting out delicious fried and fatty foods (which would drive me insane), I’m trying to add more fruits and vegetables. Apparently, starting your day with fruit is wicked good for your body.
And what better way to jazz up your morning fruit consumption than to start it with tropical fruit, such as pineapple? Pineapples are pretty tasty, but they are a pain in the ass to cut up. Your hands get all sticky, for one, and you’ve also got to contend with an odd shape and a prickly demeanor. You could buy the pre-cut fruit, but that costs a fortune (besides, you seriously can’t handle cutting up your own fruit?) so it’s best to go right to the source. Luckily, the Pineapple Easy Slicer (Amazon, $12.95) can help you cut up a whole pineapple with ease. In under a minute, this tool peels, cores, and slices an entire pineapple into perfectly shaped rings. It even leaves the shell intact so you could use it as a bowl for display purposes, if you were so inclined. The only old school cutting you have to do is lop off the top of the fruit. That’s it. We’re talking real low effort here, which is my absolute fave.
If all else fails, just throw everything in a blender and start your day off with a daiquiri. That counts as fruit consumption, right?
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 4.5″ x 3.4″ x 9.5″
-Weight: 9.6 oz
-Peels, cores, and slices an entire pineapple in 30 seconds
-Medium sized blade
-Create one slice at a time or cut up whole pineapple at once
-Makes perfectly shaped rings
-Preserves shell intact to use as bowl
-Made of stainless steel
I’m not what you would call a huge fan of sweets. I kinda get on these kicks where I could down a whole box of Girl Scout cookies (and I know I’m not the only one out there), but most of the time, my sweet tooth is fairly inactive. That being said, I’m not one to pass up a piece of cake. Some of my favorite cakes include ones in funky shapes or ones decorated like cartoon characters. I am especially susceptible to cakes decorated with star frosting, but isn’t everyone? Ok, so maybe I slightly underestimated my love affair with sugary delights.
The Cakewich Sandwich Cake Mold (Perpetual Kid, $22.99) immediately captured my attention. I bet you’re looking at that picture thinking, “What cake? And why did that kid put a candle in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” Well, that’s because that sandwich is actually a giant cake replica of the classic PB & J. And let’s face it, a cake that looks like a PB & J is a lot tastier than an actual PB & J, I don’t care how much you love them. This silicone cake pan yields one cake, which you then cut in half to create two slices of “bread” to create your cakewich of choice. If you’re not into the whole peanut butter and jelly combo, switch it up! Perhaps you want to have Fluff on Pumpernickel (hey, some people might enjoy that) – it can easily be made using chocolate cake and, well, Fluff.
One word of caution: please don’t try to eat this whole cake in one sitting. I know it looks just like a sandwich, but that doesn’t mean that you should stuff your face full of tasty faux sandwichness. It’s just not flattering.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 8″ x 6.5″ x 3.75″
-Bake and slice to make double decker sandwich cakes
-Made from pure silicone
-Dishwasher and oven safe
