In agreement with the above:
Magic eraser. If you have an Asian neighborhood anywhere near you, look in a housewares department. I get mine at a Japanese dollar store called Daiso for $1.50 per large package. That stuff cleans everything and without chemicals.
Kitchen Aid stand mixer: I also put this off FOREVER but I use it all the time. I got it at a garage sale -- not a giveaway, but really cheap. I saw it out of the corner of my eye and my son still teases me about whipping a U-ie to go get it.
Defrosting plate: I just use a cast iron skillet. Same principle.
Goo Gone: This stuff just makes life more pleasant. No scraping, soaking, etc.
Now on to my own list:
Silver sharpie marker: This is really handy for putting names on dark things. I keep on in my purse. I write on recharger blocks, sd cards, bike locks, keys, lots of stuff. Black is good too, but I use the silver one more often.
Vita mixer blender:
Another thing I put off for a very long time but I use it every day. I use it to grind coffee beans, make smoothies (no overripe fruit gets thrown away around here), convert leftovers or cooked vegetables into soup, and if I'm feeling especially hippie-ish, grind wheat berries into flour and make bread dough. I do have a bread maker I got for $5 at a rummage sale that I use too.
Cast Iron Pan:
I got a new one called Lodge Logic. It comes preseasoned and I have never gotten one seasoned myself as well as that was on day one. I leave it on the stove top and use it for almost all cooking except boiling water. I got a big one -- 14" -- so there is room for family size amounts of food. It was under $20.
Electric skillet:
I use this when I need to make really big quantities of food, to make pancakes, to cook a dozen eggs at once, and to heat a lot of refrigerated food up quickly (more surface area touching the heat). It is out on the counter 4 or 5 days a week.
The benefits you may gain that first year in a tax deduction may make life tough in the future. The child will expect the double whammy of Christmas and Birthday gifts in the same month. How many more times will you need to do things like clean the carpet for at least one additional party each season.
Sis and I have December and June birthdays. I always thought I ended up with the better end of the deal with birthdays that revolved around cookouts and pool parties. Gifts were outdoor equipment and swimsuits. No one canceled out on a party due to snow.
Just something else to consider. After all you could have the December baby in Miami and solve most of the problems. Have a great day!
I absolutely love Spic-N-Span. It's really cheap, and I can clean the entire bathroom with it. It takes off soap scum with no effort - just smear it around, leave for five minutes, and wipe off!
The best part is that it doesn't have bleach, so my hands don't dry out.
Nice-looking sturdy plates that don't weigh a ton and don't shatter when you drop them on a stone counter. And you can buy them at Walmart. Can't believe it took me so long to convert.
I know this one's expensive, but I can't believe I baked for years without it. I use mine several times a week and I'm more likely to cook and bake from scratch because it's a huge time and labor saver.
I concur about the Sally Hanson. No matter what I did, my nails never looked good until I tried this stuff. And considering that I almost always paint my nails red or pink, I am fine with their limited colors!
2nd is hand sanitizer with moisturizer. I teach kindergarten...nuff said? :)
My 3rd is my glass cutting board. It was $3 from a promotional company that sells at my school. I love it madly. It doesn't scratch or mar like cheap wood or plastic cutting boards, so it is crazy easy to clean. It is thick and heavy, and I don't think it would break even if I did drop it. If I had known how awesome it would be, I would have ordered more than just 1!!
Good point. Last October I calculated, based on data from the Census Bureau and the College Board, that the median ROI on private college is negative. Details:
I am a huge gardener and have had great success with the following tips:
Use TP cardboard tubs as seed starters. Cut them in two, fill with seed starting mixture and place in plastic shoe boxes (or use old cookies sheets, wooden flats, whatever you have). When the seeds have emerged and you are ready to plant place the entire cardboard thingy in the ground!
Start an informal neighborhood seed or seedling swap. Everyone buys a couple of seed packets, plants all the seeds and then choose a "garden swap" day where everyone brings their 1-2 varieties (or more) and take home seedlings from everyone else! You end up with tons of varieties for the cost of
1-2 packets! I did this with an Italian heirloom theme, it was great!
Use chic wooden wine boxes (you can get them at high end wine shops, just ask), fill with soil and use as small "rasied beds". I make herb boxes, flower boxes, lettuce boxes. They look gorgeous and at the end of the season I just burn/compost the whole thing.
I literally was online intending to buy one of those overpriced silk flower pins because I, too, bought a new coat and thought I'd love a pin to go with it...you gave me some great ideas!
I laughed at your prediction of getting burned with a hot glue gun. The first time I used one was when I was a parent "helper" at my daughter's school -- I burned myself so badly I had to go see the nurse. I'm more careful now.
I am also a fan of Oxyclean (the as-seen-on TV detergent Billy Mays pitched). You can get it anywhere now, and the stuff really works. All my husbands dingy and stained t-shirts are finally white again.
LUSH solid shampoos are great! They cost around $9 but can last 60-80 washes, especially if you have short hair like mine. They're natural, most are vegan, they smell great, and lather like crazy even in notoriously hard water.
Some time ago my mom gave me this defrosting plate, which I just through to the side. One day I gave it a try and it worked miracles. Meat doesn't take forever to defrost anymore.
I agree that it's very sad that we have to research our food and can't trust food labels or the photographs that we see in our grocery store. One would think that the government would feel the same.
For those that have posted comments criticizing the author for bringing these issues to our attention, why waste the time? I'm sure you have some corn and HFCS to eat.
For those that are concerned about our health and the health of our loved ones, I applaud you and the author.
I run an IT department at a food manufacturing company that relies heavily on IT, if something goes done product isnt made and money isnt made. i came in and had to teach myself everything. I created the position.
They used to spend $140 hour on IT when stuff would go down, probably 100K+ a year. I get paid peanuts, and recently when I told them I wanted to go back to school to learn more they cut my salary back, when my schedule changed, not my hours!
I performed and looked to perform even better in the future and i was anything but rewarded.
Thanks for the great tip on the Chico Bags, I'm now considering picking a few up on Amazon...I have the same problem with never remembering to bring my reusable bags with me.
Thin, flexible plastic cutting mats. Much easier to handle than a rigid cutting board, and CHEAP! I can dice away to my heart's content and then just bend the mat and dump the ingredients right into the pot - no hands! And three different colors keeps me from using my "meat" mat for veggies.
I couldn't live without my crockpot. It isn't a secret that I'm no Betty Crocker. When I cook I prefer something that I can spend 20 minutes tops prepping. The crockpot allows me that option.
The contributors offer some valid points. However, in the name of research, I will definitely check them out. Documentaries are some of my favorites to watch.
I'm a list maker and prefer to use a nice sharp pencil rather than pens. My trusty electric pencil sharpener broke and a new one would cost $40+. (Gulp!) I started using Bic mechanical pencils and now have no need for an electric sharpener. They are colorful, have great little erasers and constantly sharp tips! I love them!!
I have two products I couldn't do without, both related to the fact that I love cooking.
1. My bread machine. I bake all my own bread because of it. It only takes a few minutes -- dump in all the ingredients, set it to go, and I have bread 3 hours later. It's cheaper than buying bread every week, and tastes better too.
2. My Aerogarden. I like having fresh herbs in my cooking, but if I bought them from the supermarket I'd only use a few and the rest would go to waste. Now I have fresh herbs all the time, year round, and I only have to water them every 2 weeks.
In agreement with the above:
Magic eraser. If you have an Asian neighborhood anywhere near you, look in a housewares department. I get mine at a Japanese dollar store called Daiso for $1.50 per large package. That stuff cleans everything and without chemicals.
Kitchen Aid stand mixer: I also put this off FOREVER but I use it all the time. I got it at a garage sale -- not a giveaway, but really cheap. I saw it out of the corner of my eye and my son still teases me about whipping a U-ie to go get it.
Defrosting plate: I just use a cast iron skillet. Same principle.
Goo Gone: This stuff just makes life more pleasant. No scraping, soaking, etc.
Now on to my own list:
Silver sharpie marker: This is really handy for putting names on dark things. I keep on in my purse. I write on recharger blocks, sd cards, bike locks, keys, lots of stuff. Black is good too, but I use the silver one more often.
Vita mixer blender:
Another thing I put off for a very long time but I use it every day. I use it to grind coffee beans, make smoothies (no overripe fruit gets thrown away around here), convert leftovers or cooked vegetables into soup, and if I'm feeling especially hippie-ish, grind wheat berries into flour and make bread dough. I do have a bread maker I got for $5 at a rummage sale that I use too.
Cast Iron Pan:
I got a new one called Lodge Logic. It comes preseasoned and I have never gotten one seasoned myself as well as that was on day one. I leave it on the stove top and use it for almost all cooking except boiling water. I got a big one -- 14" -- so there is room for family size amounts of food. It was under $20.
Electric skillet:
I use this when I need to make really big quantities of food, to make pancakes, to cook a dozen eggs at once, and to heat a lot of refrigerated food up quickly (more surface area touching the heat). It is out on the counter 4 or 5 days a week.
The benefits you may gain that first year in a tax deduction may make life tough in the future. The child will expect the double whammy of Christmas and Birthday gifts in the same month. How many more times will you need to do things like clean the carpet for at least one additional party each season.
Sis and I have December and June birthdays. I always thought I ended up with the better end of the deal with birthdays that revolved around cookouts and pool parties. Gifts were outdoor equipment and swimsuits. No one canceled out on a party due to snow.
Just something else to consider. After all you could have the December baby in Miami and solve most of the problems. Have a great day!
Magic Bullet. A great affordable alternative to a juicer for veggies and fruit drinks.
By the way Andrea, it's just a toaster oven...why the meltdown?
There aren't many things I consider necessary, but there are a couple of things I use frequently.
Flare jeans from NY&C
Chi flat iron
Mechanical pencil I've had since college. After 6 years and a little tape it works great.
Great to know about the Sally's. I've been trying to cut down on mani's and pedi's and I will definitely be trying this. Thank you for the tip!
I absolutely love Spic-N-Span. It's really cheap, and I can clean the entire bathroom with it. It takes off soap scum with no effort - just smear it around, leave for five minutes, and wipe off!
The best part is that it doesn't have bleach, so my hands don't dry out.
Nice-looking sturdy plates that don't weigh a ton and don't shatter when you drop them on a stone counter. And you can buy them at Walmart. Can't believe it took me so long to convert.
I know this one's expensive, but I can't believe I baked for years without it. I use mine several times a week and I'm more likely to cook and bake from scratch because it's a huge time and labor saver.
I concur about the Sally Hanson. No matter what I did, my nails never looked good until I tried this stuff. And considering that I almost always paint my nails red or pink, I am fine with their limited colors!
2nd is hand sanitizer with moisturizer. I teach kindergarten...nuff said? :)
My 3rd is my glass cutting board. It was $3 from a promotional company that sells at my school. I love it madly. It doesn't scratch or mar like cheap wood or plastic cutting boards, so it is crazy easy to clean. It is thick and heavy, and I don't think it would break even if I did drop it. If I had known how awesome it would be, I would have ordered more than just 1!!
Good point. Last October I calculated, based on data from the Census Bureau and the College Board, that the median ROI on private college is negative. Details:
http://nostradoofus.com/2009/10/19/has-college-become-a-bad-investment/
I am a huge gardener and have had great success with the following tips:
Use TP cardboard tubs as seed starters. Cut them in two, fill with seed starting mixture and place in plastic shoe boxes (or use old cookies sheets, wooden flats, whatever you have). When the seeds have emerged and you are ready to plant place the entire cardboard thingy in the ground!
Start an informal neighborhood seed or seedling swap. Everyone buys a couple of seed packets, plants all the seeds and then choose a "garden swap" day where everyone brings their 1-2 varieties (or more) and take home seedlings from everyone else! You end up with tons of varieties for the cost of
1-2 packets! I did this with an Italian heirloom theme, it was great!
Use chic wooden wine boxes (you can get them at high end wine shops, just ask), fill with soil and use as small "rasied beds". I make herb boxes, flower boxes, lettuce boxes. They look gorgeous and at the end of the season I just burn/compost the whole thing.
I literally was online intending to buy one of those overpriced silk flower pins because I, too, bought a new coat and thought I'd love a pin to go with it...you gave me some great ideas!
I laughed at your prediction of getting burned with a hot glue gun. The first time I used one was when I was a parent "helper" at my daughter's school -- I burned myself so badly I had to go see the nurse. I'm more careful now.
I am also a fan of Oxyclean (the as-seen-on TV detergent Billy Mays pitched). You can get it anywhere now, and the stuff really works. All my husbands dingy and stained t-shirts are finally white again.
LUSH solid shampoos are great! They cost around $9 but can last 60-80 washes, especially if you have short hair like mine. They're natural, most are vegan, they smell great, and lather like crazy even in notoriously hard water.
I like Burts Bees Milk and Shea Butter Body Wash... it really helps with dry winter skin.
Some time ago my mom gave me this defrosting plate, which I just through to the side. One day I gave it a try and it worked miracles. Meat doesn't take forever to defrost anymore.
I agree that it's very sad that we have to research our food and can't trust food labels or the photographs that we see in our grocery store. One would think that the government would feel the same.
For those that have posted comments criticizing the author for bringing these issues to our attention, why waste the time? I'm sure you have some corn and HFCS to eat.
For those that are concerned about our health and the health of our loved ones, I applaud you and the author.
I run an IT department at a food manufacturing company that relies heavily on IT, if something goes done product isnt made and money isnt made. i came in and had to teach myself everything. I created the position.
They used to spend $140 hour on IT when stuff would go down, probably 100K+ a year. I get paid peanuts, and recently when I told them I wanted to go back to school to learn more they cut my salary back, when my schedule changed, not my hours!
I performed and looked to perform even better in the future and i was anything but rewarded.
I love the OXO kitchen gadgets for their sturdiness and nice, easy to grip handles.
Thanks for the great tip on the Chico Bags, I'm now considering picking a few up on Amazon...I have the same problem with never remembering to bring my reusable bags with me.
Thin, flexible plastic cutting mats. Much easier to handle than a rigid cutting board, and CHEAP! I can dice away to my heart's content and then just bend the mat and dump the ingredients right into the pot - no hands! And three different colors keeps me from using my "meat" mat for veggies.
I couldn't live without my crockpot. It isn't a secret that I'm no Betty Crocker. When I cook I prefer something that I can spend 20 minutes tops prepping. The crockpot allows me that option.
Christine
The contributors offer some valid points. However, in the name of research, I will definitely check them out. Documentaries are some of my favorites to watch.
I'm a list maker and prefer to use a nice sharp pencil rather than pens. My trusty electric pencil sharpener broke and a new one would cost $40+. (Gulp!) I started using Bic mechanical pencils and now have no need for an electric sharpener. They are colorful, have great little erasers and constantly sharp tips! I love them!!
I have two products I couldn't do without, both related to the fact that I love cooking.
1. My bread machine. I bake all my own bread because of it. It only takes a few minutes -- dump in all the ingredients, set it to go, and I have bread 3 hours later. It's cheaper than buying bread every week, and tastes better too.
2. My Aerogarden. I like having fresh herbs in my cooking, but if I bought them from the supermarket I'd only use a few and the rest would go to waste. Now I have fresh herbs all the time, year round, and I only have to water them every 2 weeks.