It’s the Little Things

I often say that it’s a good thing it wasn’t up to people like me (highly literate, yet supremely untechnical) to move the world forward. Otherwise, right now we would be using a very sophisticated language while still trying to figure out the mechanics of the wheel. So, I’m very grateful for the people in this world who can figure out what I need and create a functional version of it for me. Though the original inventors of my top-5-can’t-live-without items may not be famous, I feel certain their creations are celebrated the world over.

Silicone Pot Clip
Such a simple little do-hickey, but oh-how useful. Just clip it onto the side of your pot and rest your spoon/spatula/ladle in the crook. Presto—a great reduction in the drippy messes on my stove, and the resulting time it takes to scrub off them after dinner.

Microplane
I could spend an hour mincing the ginger for my Ginger Lemonade (recipe to come when it’s warm enough for ‘ade), or I could whip out this handy tool and zip-zip-zip my way to a pile of teeny ginger bits in seconds. Also awesome for grating garlic into soups and salad dressings.

Citrus Press
Sure, there are fancier electric juicers that you may want to consider investing in if you’re squeezing large batches daily, but for the casual user, these old-fashioned looking hand-helds in fun, citrus colors can’t be beat for a seedless and thorough juice extraction.

Mesh Colander
This little guy does double—nay triple—duty. A colander first, but also perfect for straining homemade stock, sifting baking ingredients together and dusting confectioner’s sugar over a cake. And the little feet help keep your angel hair pasta from making direct contact with any unwashed items in the sink.

Silicone Pot Holders
Again, praise be to the silicone rangling geniuses that started making everything for the kitchen out of this miracle material. Never again will a flimsy cloth pot holder flip back without warning, leaving me bare-handed against the oven rack. Bonus—these double as jar openers for the weak-wristed (myself included).