Kitchen Review: What Nutrition Labels Mean

Go shopping armed with what nutrition labels mean. Don't let those numbers be a mystery. Make them a map to your good health.

It really is easy to choose the right food at the grocery store when you shop. Pick up the item and check the back, side or bottom to find the "Nutrition Facts."

Check the serving size and notice how many servings the item contains. Read the calories, and then the nutrients (Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Carbohydrate content, Sugars and Protein). Many people skip the vitamin values, but don't do it. You want to know these numbers.

Kitchen Review: What are the Best Pots and Pans?

All Clad cooking pans seem perfect: These pans have 3 layers of metal with an 18/10 stainless steel interior and an aluminum core.

This seems to be the best choice based on a Google search of reviewers but the best always has the best price tag (not inexpensive). I have something much less for a whopping price of about $49 bucks for the whole shaabang of pots and pans in my cupboard. They're not bad, but it is time for a couple of new pots and pans.

Kitchen Review: Jar Opener

You don't need to be old, handicapped or have arthritis to love this little kitchen gem. Someone should give whoever invented this beauty a medal.  It's indispensable. I dare anyone to buy this kitchen gadget and come back and tell me it's not a good addition to your kitchen.

It's called a "JAR OPENER."I have one in orange. Nice and easy to find in th drawer. The Jar Opener opens jar lids in a second, it easily pops the vacuum seal and allows you to open the jar easily with an effortless turn of the lid. It's revolutionary.

Kitchen Review: The Indispensable Egg Slicer

What on earth did a cook do before the egg slicer. OMG! Didn't a knife cut eggs? Okay, that's a bit sarcastic, but I always thought that investing in an egg slicer was a bit much… until I finally broke down and bought one.

I discovered that the only one living in the past was me. What a fantastic kitchen gadget the egg slicer is. It is indispensable for a couple of reasons.

Kitchen Review: Silicone Baking Mats

I was skeptical, but now I'm a believer.  One of my kitchen bug-a-boos is how my beautiful cookie sheets get goobie brown goop globbed on, and it's near impossible to get the surface new-clean again.

I finally decided to try these silicone baking sheet mats.  Wow! I choke up thinking about how fantastic fabulous they are.  They work. The mat keeps my beautiful new and my used cookie sheets nice and oh so much easier to bake food with.  I don't even need to use cooking spray.

Kitchen Review: Are Jalapenos Good for You?

Are jalapeños good for you or eating up your stomach?  Have you noticed that more and more foods seem to have a jalapeno ingredient version?  Jalapeno is a medium-sized chili pepper.

The chili pepper is a fruit pod from the plant belonging to the nightshade family; capsicum annuum originating in Mexico. 

According to laboratory studies, capsaicin has anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties.

Kitchen Review: Disposable Gloves

Disposable gloves are handy to have in the kitchen when handling meats such as chicken.  They're also good to use when cutting chilis, peppers and onions.

For the few dollars it takes to put 500 Disposable Glovesin your kitchen, it's worth it for the added health factor and convenience.  If you think about it, you spend more on soap and a couple of paper towels you probably use after you hold chicken or Jalapeños.

Most gloves are one size fits all, especially the "affordable" ones. It's fine if too big a bit, but if you have big hands you may want to insure the size if big. You don't want to tear the glove trying to force it on your hands.

You get 500 in this box, and that can last as long as a year, which makes it a low investment.  Find this online at Amazon for less than $8.00 which is less than one penny per day.

Kitchen Review: Eco-Friendly Kitchen Wood Cutting Board

What kitchen doesn't need a wood cutting board. It's a marvel for cooking and baking and it saves wear and tear on counters. Many home kitchen cooks have two or three cutting boards in varying sizes.

Wood cutting boards are the best, although often thought not. The benefits today may surprise you.

Wood boards are often referred to as self-healing, because shallow cuts close up, and help prevent the spread of bacteria.

Wooden boards have also been shown to have anti-bacterial properties. They’re knife-friendly, and when properly cared for, a wood cutting board can last for years and years.

Kitchen Review: Is the Mandoline Kitchen Slicer Worth Buying

Holy Cow! Another gadget. As I "take stock" of my kitchen on my quest to cook and invite friends and family to dine at our house, I want to review if I really need all the gadgets I have.

Here I have the mandoline, which sounds like a musical instrument. I guess it makes a different kind of music: It makes food sing. Hah ha. Anyway, here's my idea about the value of a mandoline.

Life Review: Dentist Bills

When the family cook aches up and down and all around, what do you do? Good morning, blog. I am feeling blank today. I remember my nightmare visit to the dentist for a cleaning and came away with four-times the bill that was told to me. Say WHAT>

Now, I guess I needed all that stuff. I mean x-rays and perio drink and the dental cleaning, but the estimate I agreed to was for a cleaning and the bill was supposed to be $19 after insurance.

Kitchen Review: Bamboo Drawer Knife Organizer

I was tired of the scramble of knives and got one for my kitchen drawer.  It's sturdy and fit all my knifes, the small one, big, fat and serrated, paring and even my little sharpie.  It holds 16 knifes.  I very much like the look of it.

I also like that this Bamboo Drawer Knife Organizer \I have a fairly healthy investment in my knives as any true kitchen cook would, and so investing in the lovely and cost-effective bamboo drawer knife organizer was an easy decision for me.  My only regret is that I didn't buy it sooner. 

Kitchen Review: Burger Press

A handy little burger press makes a terrific "small" thoughtful gift or stocking stuffer. It's the entirely handy Cuisinart Burger Press. It makes perfectly round patties for "stuffed burgers," sliders and old fashioned hamburger rounds that fit hamburger buns.

It has a non-stick coating and is a breeze to hand wash or put in dishwasher.  It's made of plastic, but it's the hard sturdy king. I like that it's made by Cuisinart, a brand I can trust for quality.  It's non-stick, but even with the "rings" I have, I spray a little Pam on the surface just to be sure.

Kitchen Review: Apple Peeler, Slicer, Corer

I have made apple pies for years, especially on holidays like Christmas, Easter and for birthday parties for my children.

At first it was a tiring chore.  Then, I got the most amazing, time-saving, easy easy easy apple peeler that cored and sliced apples at the same time.

Kitchen Review: Cuisinart Mesh Strainer Flour Sifter

I had a flour sifter that I loved.  I used it so often through the years that it finally wore out. The green paint started to chip and drop into my sifted flour, so I had to find another sifter.  The kind of sift was a "hold handle and shift back and forth." I loved that it worked so beautifully.

The new one I bought was a crank flour sifter.  It was unpainted, stainless steel with a wire agitator, mesh screen.  It was horrible. The crank stuck and was difficult to move around when and if the flour was packed in too tightly.  Even loose, it was a nightmare, the crank handle didn't budge and eventually bent. Arugh!

Next, I got one that looked like it would work. It was a one-handed operation that was all on the handle.  Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze like a rifle trigger, sort of a spring action movement. Not easy either. I trashed it.

What I ended up with was the Cuisinart Mesh Strainers Flour Sifters.  It's awesome to sift dry goods and wet food, too.  These sifts anything and everything from powdered sugar to cake flour to Masa Harina.

The "sifter" is made with stainless steel. It's a good quality and sturdy.  It seems well constructed, and I'm guessing it will last as long as my old sifter.  Maybe longer

 What I like best is the value.  I can use as a flour sifter, and I can use as a strainer, too, to strain hot pasta, cooked peas or corn, and even my "flour and water" mixture I shake in a jar when I make gravy.

I don't put my strainer-sifters in the dishwasher although they are dishwasher safe.  They are easy to clean.  I say "they" because Cuisinart offers these in a set of 3 different sizes:  3-1/8-inch, 5-1/2-inch and 7-7/8-inch sizes.  This makes it real easy to choose the large size to sift flour for a huge cake or use the smaller size for a pan of gravy.

I bought my strainer online.  You can find the set of 3 at Amazon for less than $20.  Walmart offers mesh strainers in individual sizes.

Kitchen Review: Silicone Pot Holders

Less than $10.00 at Walmart, this "save you from the ouch burn" set is a great addition to any kitchen.  The 3-Piece Silicone Pot Sleeve and Holder Set makes a welcome gift for the cook in your life.

The set has three parts, pot holder, a slide-over pot handle thingie, and a clip and grabber.

All are made of silicone and so are heat resistant.  Much better than the padded cloth versions of pot holders, these silicone buddies help protect your hands from the dreaded hot burn. 

Kitchen Review: OXO Spatula Set

If you cook, you probably know there are many kitchen tools that make food preparation easier.  For my kitchen, I think OXO products are good quality and reasonably priced.

The OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Silicone Spatula Setis one of the best investments I've made, and I have a ton of kitchen gadgets.

Kitchen Review: Scrub Daddy

Here's a kitchen tool, you won't want to be without. I got one as a gift last Christmas. I've used it religiously ever since. It truly amazes me. It's hard like a scrubber and becomes soft like a sponge when wet. It's magic.

Scrub Daddy® Lemon Fresh Sponge
The manufacturer claim it's perfect for all cleaning tasks. The Scrub Daddy Lemon Fresh Sponge easily cleans even the toughest jobs and won't hold any debris.

This innovative sponge will not scratch any type of surface and rinses clean so it will not retain any foul odors.

The best part is it isn't a breeding place for germs. I wouldn't have believed it, but it's all true. I love it.

This scratch-free Scrub Daddy (Pack of 4) is what I need. Now that I know what a handy sponge it is, I need a few more.

It has a place by my kitchen sink, I've scrubbed skillets with it. It cleaned like a champ, and it looked as good after as it did before. Absolutely no wear or tear, no discoloration, no miss-shape.

It was magic on big and small spoons with equally fantastic results, especially the spoons I use to mix, scrape and stir recipes on and off the stove.

The best use is on plates and cups and glasses. It's a whiz, but it's not too good on countertops. It holds water and leaves whipped counters a bit too wet for me. I still use it on counters if there are any dried-on food like pancake batter drips. But I have to dry the counter after I use it. My trusty old yellow sponge did the job better, but then I have to wonder if I left a trail of bacteria.

I highly recommend the Scrub Daddy, and thank my kids for gifting me with one.

Here's a list of basic kitchen tools, gadgets and appliances.

Kitchen Review: Bottle Opener

Good early morning blog friends.  Here's a nifty, useful and inexpensive idea for a stocking stuffer anyone and everyone will like.  Something we couldn't even find in the gadget drawer the other day was a bottle opener. Who needs one with the twisties and pull-rings?  That's when we found it.  This nifty bottle opener:

Kitchen Review: Pot Clip Kitchen Gadget

This pot clip is one of those kitchen gadgets that is indispensable. Designed to attach to the side of most saucepans or stockpots, the compact clip features an arced slot to hold the handle of a spoon, turner or ladle.

It can easily hold a spoon, spatula, fork, too, or most any utensil used when cooking. Drips just fall right back into the pan…where they should be in the first place.

Kitchen Review: Flexible Cutting Boards

I love my wood cutting board. I also have a hard plastic cutting board (in two sizes): One big guy with a depressed border for catching meat juices, and a small one for quickie slicing like slicing a tomato for a sandwich.

I never thought I'd want or even like a thin, flexible cutting board (if you can call a thin piece of plastic… a board). But here's the surprise. I not only like these "mats" for cutting, but I absolutely love them. Them… I say because I have a set of 3.