photo credit: worak

There are those of you out there who actually enjoy organizing, sorting and cleaning, and I am a member of your club.

I remember back from by younger years, how I just loved helping my mom with folding laundry, washing windows,  and gardening.  This habit stayed with me all these years, and still going strong.  You probably will think that I’m crazy, but I get such a great feeling from finishing a cleaning task I undertake.

I don’t obsess with cleaning, by no means, but I have a favorite slogan, which I love to share:

“This house is dirty enough to be happy, but clean enough to be healthy”.

My spring cleaning usually starts a few weeks before Easter, another habit passed on to me  by my mom, and it includes washing all the curtains and all be bedding, rearranging of the furniture,  vacuuming meticulously with attachments into all the corners missed during regular cleaning, vacuuming the upholstered furniture, cleaning out closets, and filling up bags with items to give away, or to ship to relatives abroad, and of course, washing windows.

Washing windows and sliding doors is always such a challenge, because it looks like you have done a great job, until the sun hits it just so, and shows you all the nasty streaks you left behind.  Don’t you agree?

Well, this year I splurged on a very useful tool to help me with this job, and it was wonderful.

Not only I was able to finish the job in half the time, there were hardly any streaks left behind…I was so relieved!

This simple tool, is a squeegee which I purchased at a local grocery store:

It is not a very sophisticated tool (I wish I invented it), but it was my best friend during this year’s spring cleaning.

It’s actual name is “Shower Squeegee”, manufactured by Quickie Mfg. Corp, and best of all, the cost is under $5, so how can you go wrong with that?

My windows came out great, and I use it regularly to clean  my sliding doors.  I even tried it on my bathroom mirrors and shower doors.

My daughter owns an upgraded version, one with a telescopic handle (f0r those hard to reach areas), a sponge on one side and the straight edge on the other side.  Hers is more expensive, but money well spent.

So, if you dredge doing windows, as they need to be done more than once per year, I recommend investing in some type of a squeegee, and your job will be a breeze.  Believe me, you will come back and thank me!

This is a must have tool not just for cleaning regular  windows, but also car windows, and shower walls.

If you have a favorite tool to ease your spring cleaning job, please feel free to share it with us.

April showers bring May flower, but spring months also burst with wedding showers, and baby showers.

I had a pleasure of attending a baby shower, a couple of weeks ago, and as always, I look for and admire, the creativity of others.

I spotted a very nice diaper cake:

Someone put a lot of effort into decorating this cake with numerous, and  very useful baby items.

The food was wonderful, as it took place in a very cozy Italian restaurant,  in New Jersey.

The favors were quite appropriate for the season and the occasion, and very practical.

This cute kitchen gadget, which everyone always needs, was an egg shaped kitchen timer, nestled in a pretty gift box:

Isn’t  that just the most wonderful idea?  (I actually needed a kitchen timer, as  my decided to retire before its time).

If you are planning a baby shower in a near future, these are some ideas for you, or you can  check out my previous posts for great games ideas, thoughtful favors, blue or pink punch recipes, or a different version of a diaper cake.

It can’t get any easier to find all of these ideas with only a few clicks of your mouse.

Enjoy your party planning.

Those of us who enjoy cooking, are always on a lookout for new gadgets, cookware and kitchen appliances, and other useful tools which would make the job easier, faster and still result with a scrumptious meal to put on the table.

I am on that list as well, and even though I already enjoy using my pressure cooker and a slow-cooker/crockpot, I came across yet another very useful kitchen appliance, the rice cooker.

Since I still do not have that one, I read about it on this blog, and it sounds like something I should add to my wish list, and you might find it useful as well.

Don’t let the name fool you, since it is not only for cooking rice.  According to Leah Ingram from Suddenly Frugal, this appliance may also be used to:

steam vegetables

cook seafood

make pasta–as in heat it up in the absence of a pot on a stove, not actually “make” pasta

act as a stockpot for making soup

cook and steam dumplings

Don’t you agree that it is a must have kitchen appliance?

I have a Flavor Scenter Steamer,  made by Black & Decker, which I use for steaming rice and vegetables.

This steamer may also be used for steaming fish, clams and chicken breast, but these are not my favorite foods to steam.

I love using it for steaming my rice, since it is such a clean way to get the job done (no overflowing all over your pot and stove)….what a mess that creates…which is my problem lots of times with cooking rice on the stove.

My daughter does not seem to have this problem, because she actually follows directions when cooking rice, and I seem to skip over some very vital parts in these directions…oh well…this way I had a good reason to own a steamer, and help the economy, at the same time.

I will continue to share posts about my other  favorite kitchen tools/gadgets, but as always, I would love to hear about your favorites as well.

photo credit: Last Hero

Here is a very simple question, regarding not such an easy task:

Do you like peeling potatoes?

Peeling potatoes doesn’t look difficult, especially when someone else is doing it, right?

I was always quite amazed by the speed my mom would peel potatoes, but no matter how hard I try; I don’t even get close to her speed.  I personally do not like peeling potatoes, and one of the reasons is that I feel very awkward using the potato peeler, so I use a paring knife, with a constant fear of cutting myself.   I use potatoes a lot in my cooking, so it is a must job for me!

However, as with any other problem, someone always comes up with a great solution.  My potato peeling dilemma has been eased by this simple “Never again peel potatoes” method.

Please watch this wonderful video, sent to me by a friend, and let me know what you think.

First time I watched this video, I had some doubts, but believe me, I tried it and it REALLY WORKS!!!!!!

I had Red Potatoes on hand, so I used those to test this theory.  Once the potatoes cooked, I drained out the hot water, filled a bowl with cold water from my faucet (I did not even use ice water), and placed the hot potatoe in it.  After 30 seconds, the potato skin came off like magic.

What a great time saver, especially if you are planning to make a potato salad.

Now, how easy and convenient is that??

Please give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Are you ready to throw away your potato peeler yet?

I am still keeping mine, since I love to use it for peeling carrots and cucumbers.

If you have additional “easy does it” suggestions for solving any other tedious tasks, please share them with me and all my readers, since I enjoy testing these out, and passing them on to others.

I always loved my mom’s  homemade pasta, especially in her homemade chicken or tomato soup.  I also started to make my own pasta for my  family, and they love it.  It is simple to make,  and out of 2 cups of flour, you get enough pasta for a family of four.  Talking about saving money and having great tasting food!

Of course I was doing it the hard way, until one day my daughter presented me with an Imperia Pasta Maker Machine, and making pasta has not been the same since.

I still make pasta, but now this job is a breeze with this little gadget.
It is quite simple to operate, yet produces wonderful results.
I even used it for flattening the dough rounds for making homemade perogies  (potato dumplings).
A small motor is also available to ease the operation of this pasta maker machine,  if you prefer not to use the crank, but I have not decided on that purchase yet.

It is also very easy to clean, since all you do is use a small brush to brush off the remaining flour and any bits of leftover dough, and wipe it clean with a paper towel.  It is not recommended to wash it with water.

Here are some samples of the final product:

Yummy…..home made pasta.  Doesn’t this make you hungry, and wanting to whip some up for tonight?

If you still do not have this wonderful little gadget in your kitchen, you are long overdue for one, and must add it to your wish list.  You will love it as much as I do!  I know it!  Your family will love your homemade pasta.

Pastry blender (also known as pastry cutter) is one of the necessary kitchen gadgets you will need, if your recipe calls for a streusel.  I have been making streusel with the use of a fork, or just plain hands, but having the pastry blender is such a big help, and so much easier to get the job done.

It is very easy to hold, due to it’s nice, sturdy handle, and the metal blades cut very nicely into the flour, sugar, and butter, transforming it into scrumptious streusel crumbs.  Accomplishing this with a fork is doable, but the slim fork handle tires out your hand muscles.  Then again, if you try doing it with your hands, the warmth of your hands melts the butter, making the job quite messy.  It is a small investment, since it’s very reasonably priced, but a priceless addition to your gadget collection.

I am an avid tea drinker, and while most people start their morning with a cup of coffee, I begin my day with a fresh cup of hot herbal tea, sweetened with a teaspoon of honey (Orange Blossom Honey is my favorite).
I use a spoon infuser to prepare my cup of tea, and it is a fun and simple process.

Directions to prepare a cup of tea, using a spoon infuser:

1. Fill your spoon infuser with your favorite loose tea leaves, dried fruits and edible flowers, or other suitable tea herbs.
2. Submerge the filled infuser in a cup of very hot water.
3. Cover, and steep it for at least 5 minutes.

I cover my cup during steeping time, to capture the sweet aroma of the tea. I use tea bags to prepare my tea at work, because it is more convenient, but on weekends I usually prepare a whole pot of tea, and enjoy it throughout the day.

Here is a simple way of preparing a whole pot of tea:

1. Fill up you tea kettle with as much water as your tea pot will hold.
2. Bring it to boil.
3. Place the loose tea leaves in your tea pot.
4. Pour the boiling water over the tea leaves.
5. Place the lid on your tea pot.
6. Place a Tea Pot Cozy (if you have one) over the tea pot, to keep it warm.
7. Let it steep for 15 minutes (due to quantity.)
8. Place a tea strainer over your cup, before pouring in your tea, to prevent any loose tea leaves from falling into your cup.

I have a matching Tea Pot Cozy to keep the tea warm while I am enjoying it alone, one cup at a time, or with my family and friends.  It looks very attractive, and you don’t have to worry about reheating the tea all the time, and stepping away from your guests.

I have sampled a myriad of flavors of tea, but there are always more to experiment with.  My favorite flavors of tea are: Ginseng, Ginger, Green leaf, Chamomile, Mint, and fruity flavored teas.

Drinking tea is very relaxing, and healthy for our body.  Tea contains antioxidant compound of polyphenols, fluoride, and flavonoids.  These properties of tea help the body to fight harmful free radicals, reduce plaque, enhance digestion, restrict buildup of cholesterol, and aid in overall blood vessel health and functionality.  It also possesses anti-aging effects.

A friend of mine enjoys her tea so much, that she, and a group of her friends, get together regularly for a tea party.  I think this is a wonderful idea, and such a pleasant way to spend time together with your friends.

The hostess of such a nice gathering may chose one flavor of tea to share with the whole group, or turn it into a tea tasting party.  In which case she will need to provide a nice selection of various teas, equip each guest with an individual spoon infuser, or even provide several different styles of infusers, and have each guest steep their favorite cup of tea.

I enjoy baking cakes, and stacking them up into multi-layer tortes.  However, layering cakes evenly could to be quite challenging.  Once again, I was on a lookout for a gadget which would come to my rescue, and I found the “Cake Leveler”.  It precisely levels and tortes cakes up to 10 inches wide, and adjusts up to 2 inches high (contains 10 notches).

It is quite simple, but works like magic.  It is a “must have” for every cake decorator.  The easy-to-adjust wire, which is stretched between two, notched for adjustment, legs of the holder, cuts perfect layers, while reducing crumbs.

Operating instructions:

1. Measure the height you need on the leveler (start from bottom of the legs upward).
2. Position ends of the cutting wire into notches at desired height.
3. With legs standing on work surface, cut into crusted edge, using an easy sewing motion.
4. Proceed by gently gliding through the cake.
5. Repeat above steps until you have reached your desired number of layers.

Now you have perfectly layered cake, ready for frosting, stacking up layers, and decorating.

I really enjoy being challenged by trying new recipes.  I volunteered to bake birthday cakes for my co-workers, as long as they come up with their favorite recipe.  It is a great way for me to test a new recipe, and it makes us all very anxious to sample the final product.

I will include these recipes in my future posts, and hope you will find them exciting and delicious.

While shopping for stocking stuffer for Christmas, I visited a Kitchen Specialty Shop, and among other very interesting items, I came upon one that I was always wishing for….a reliable garlic chopper.  I already have several onion choppers, but do not have a garlic chopping gadget.

Many of my dishes call for chopped garlic, but I really dread chopping it.  It seems like its pungent odor gets into the skin of my fingers, under my finger nails, and lingers for much longer than I care to be reminded of it.  I have several garlic presses, but none of them really stand up to my expectations, since I am striving to minimize the garlic handling time as much as possible.

As you would probably agree, from viewing the attached pictures, it is very simply constructed, but works wonderfully.  The main part opens up at the top, to feed the garlic cloves into the chopper.  It also opens into two halves, at the middle, for easy removal of the final product, and for blade removal for cleaning.

Operating instructions:

1. Place 1-3 garlic cloves inside the chopper
2. Close the lid
3. While pressing downward with the wheels on the counter top (I place it on a dish towel to increase friction)
4. Rub it back and forth several times, until finely chopped garlic fills the cavity of the chopper.
5. Add more garlic if needed, and repeat the above steps
6. Open the unit (in half) and scrape out the chopped garlic with a tip of a knife
7. Remove the blade, clean and dry all parts before  storage

I was so pleased with the results of this gadget (and it’s priced under $10), that I went back and purchased several more units, for my friends and family.  If you are not pleased with your present garlic press/masher/chopper, this one will win you over!!!