Pumpkin Masters Pumpkin Carving Tools and Patterns
October 25, 2008 - Written by Deb Ng
Every year at just about this time, my husband and son undergo their annual Halloween tradition. They go to the farms to find the perfect Halloween pumpkins to carve and bring them home. Then they search online for the perfect jack-o-lantern patterns. Then they carve. The lit jack-o-lantern will adorn our kitchen table to be lit for dinner until Halloween when they will be placed on our front steps. Not that it matters, we don’t live in a “neighborhood” and no one comes to our house anyway! Still, it’s fun.
I wanted to tell you about some tools that are available from Pumpkin Masters which should help to make the pumpkin carving process a little easier. Now, we haven’t tried any of these but they look kind of fun and we may keep an eye out for future Halloweens. If you use Pumpkin Masters tools, do tell us in the comments how they’re working for you.
6 Kitchen Knife Safety Tips
July 14, 2008 - Written by Deb Ng 
It’s kitchen safety week here at Cookerati. This means that in addition to bringing you the best in food news, tips, recipes and product reviews, we’re going to share a few safety tips as well. Probably the most common kitchen accidents have to do with knives. I nearly severed limbs on more than one occasion, so I know of what I speak. Before you start chopping, slicing and dicing, check out these kitchen safety tips:
1. Make sure your knives are very sharp – The sharper the knife, the easier the chopping. Dull knives go through food with more difficulty upping the odds of your having a mishap.
2. Always lay knives flat on the counter or cutting board when taking a rest from your chopping. Leaving a knife with a blade sticking up or over the edge of a counter or sink is just asking for a hospital visit.
Deb’s Top 10 Kitchen Must Haves
June 23, 2008 - Written by Deb Ng
While we all have our own ideas about our must-have kitchen gadgets and items, we can all agree on certain items every kitchen can’t do without Some are simple tools, others require a bit of power but they are all needed and useful. Here are my must have kitchen items.
- Wooden spoon – So simple, yet so handy. Wooden spoons stir without scratching. Whether used for stirring drinks or a delicate sauce, there’s one in every kitchen I know.
- A good set of knives – Dull cheap knives won’t do when it comes to kitchen prep. We have a set of Henkels chef knives, which we love. A good, sharp set of knives is essential for every cook.
- Whisk – No, you’re not stirring, you’re whisking. A whisk can froth up scrambled eggs or mix up a batch of pancake batter. It combines your ingredients for a smooth, lump free end result.
- Pots and pans – Everyone argues over what is best. Copper, cast iron, Teflon. We …
Vacu-Seal: Compact and Convenient
February 9, 2008 - Written by Deb Ng
I’ll admit it. The Vacu-Seal was sent to me to review for this blog and another of my blogs, Simply Thrifty. I probably wouldn’t have gone out and bought it because I use (and reuse) ziplock bags and old Chinese food containers to store my food. Was I ever pleasantly surprised!
The first thing I noticed was how lightweight and compact the Vacu-Seal is. It doesn’t take up my precious counter space and fits neatly inside a drawer with no problem. My kitchen is small, I don’t have room for anything on my counters. The compactness of the Vacu-Seal is truly appreciated.
The second thing I noticed was how easy to use. I didn’t even need to look at the instructions, it’s kind of self explanatory. Put the Vacu-Seal nozzel into the valve on the reusable bag, and press a button. Really, it’s that simple.
The Vacu-Seal comes with reusable zipper lock bags so you save some coin on foil, bags or containers. You can use it to marinate food in minutes or to …
Stocking Stuffers from Crate & Barrel
December 27, 2007 - Written by Deb Ng
My husband knows how much I love baking and every year throws a few baking gadgets into my Christmas stocking. Here’s this year’s stash, purchased at Crate & Barrel.
- I love the Fiberlux baking mat, perfect for making cookies. My cookie sheets are all brown and stained, so this was quite welcome.
- A pastry cutter for pies and cookies.
- The pastry brush – Now I can brush egg or melted butter on dough without losing brush hairs on my food.
- The adjustable measuring spoon is ever more convenient than hunting up spoons of various sizes.
I’m touched that my husband knows exactly what I need and finds quality products and gadgets to make my life easier. Nice stash this year, eh?
