New Kitchen Gadget Part One

My Mom gave me a Macy's gift card for Christmas and it has been burning a virtual hole in my pocket since I got home after the holidays...I have shopped online, looked at mostly kitchen tools, put stuff in my shopping cart, emptied the shopping cart, put different stuff back in the shopping car.  I just couldn't decide! I finally elected to save on shipping and just go to Macy's next time I was in Austin.  I didn't have time on my last trip in January but this week-end, despite it being a VERY short trip, my husband was exceedingly cooperative about shopping with me.  It was our anniversary and I made a 350 mile drive Saturday morning to spend Saturday afternoon and night with him and then drove the same 350 mile drive back on Sunday afternoon.  Killer but worth it...especially since he was being so cooperative about shopping with me all day long. <grin>

We actually quite enjoy shopping together - always have.  I feel lucky to have a man who enjoys shopping...although he finally hit the wall after we had gone to Hobby Lobby, one end of Lakeline Mall to the other, Ulta, Best Buy, World Market, and then finally when we walked into Bed, Bath, and Beyond...he just stopped in the middle of the aisle and said "I can't do this any more...I need a nap."  He turned around and disappeared.  I, totally UN-alarmed, continued shopping.  I found him out in the car with his eyes closed and the car running with the a/c on.  I thought it best to give him those moments alone for a brief recovery.  :-) 

Off we went to dinner...his choice, bless his heart for sticking with the shopping all day.  He REALLY wanted to go to a 3-D movie...and I just dug my heels in.  3-D makes me nauseated and I was not doing it.  Twinges of guilt over dragging him shopping and being uncooperative about the movie...but sore feet do not compare to nausea and headache IMHO.  Anyway, I have digressed tremendously.  Hah, I'm sure you are surprised...NOT!

Today, I'm writing about one of my Macy's items.  Guess?  Yep, a Martha Stewart product.  I found two really cool items - neither of which I saw online (doesn't mean they aren't online...just means I didn't notice them ... I have since found them - see upcoming link).  The first thing I picked up were a set of Magnetic Spoons...measuring spoons - double ended. 

Double ended spoons - it's like two sets in one!

I realize as I bake more and more...you just can't make it with just one or even two sets of measuring spoons.  If you measure something wet, you have to wash and dry before measuring a dry ingredient.  I don't want to dip the spoon I used to measure cinnamon into the baking powder...I need several measuring spoons.  The other issue I have is the dangling, connected set.  I can't tell you how many times I was measuring a liquid, and as I moved it to the mixing bowl, one of the swinging remainder spoons knocked against my hand, causing a spill - requiring re-measuring the liquid.  Ugh!

Flat bottoms allow you to rest a filled measure on the counter!

Soooo, when I saw this product, and realized that this measuring spoon set had numerous favorable features...I grabbed them...despite being $16.99.  Now, that's not a lot, really...but I tend towards the $1.99 plastic set...or maybe even a $7.99 stainless set - but not usually gonna buy a $17 set of measuring spoons.  Last time I succumbed to such a thing, I bought some cute measuring spoons with palm trees on them for $19.99...I used them twice, they were so flimsy they bent when I used them.  I was so mad at myself.  But, this time I rationalized it was okay...VERY sturdy set of spoons...AND every spoon in this set has two measuring ends...a double ended spoon for each measurement.  It's like getting TWO sets of measuring spoons!  One end of the spoon is round, for liquid measurement, and the other end is narrow to easily fit into spice jars.  AND, they have a flat bottom - which prevents spilling if you need to set it down filled with whatever you are measuring.  Isn't that cool?

Now, I've got a set of measuring spoons that slide off a ringed holder...which helps with the knocking and spilling business...but, when they get separated in the drawer...it's 4 or 5 things to search for (my drawers are NOT Martha-tidy).  The thing that keeps these measuring spoons together is a magnet on each spoon handle!  The magnets keep the set together for storage (or you can stick them on your stove or refrigerator even (if you don't have stainless)...for me, they'll just happily nestle together in my messy drawer...easily found...all together!

the magnets are quite strong!  I tried to "shake" them loose...they stuck!

Last but not least - Dishwasher safe.  I wouldn't have bought them if not!

So, I'm just tickled pink with my new measuring spoons.  More things to make my life easy when I bake.  As Martha would say "it's a good thing".

Next...another Martha gadget.  Gotta try it out before I write about it.  I hope it works as-advertised because, if so...another happy gadget report!  Keep an eye out :-)

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!