While talking about our blogs over coffee this week I dared to ask two friends of mine, if they had “gadgets in their kitchen.” The question was met with laughter especially when it came to the question of Rice Cookers. One of the gals said that it was instant rice all the way at her house. The other said “we don’t eat rice” then proceeded to share about those bags of rice that cook up when you add water. Did you know those things can and do explode in the microwave? (smile) I personally love my rice cooker. That is one gadget I will not part with.

On a recent trip to the local Thrift store here are some of the homeless gadgets I found.

The Wok:
A good quality sauté pan works just as well.

Bread Maker:
Although the smell of fresh bread is nice, how many times did you really use it?

Microwave Omelet Pan:
Really? 
The only way to fail at making an omelet is to end up with fried eggs. The key is to have a good quality pan and use it only for making omelets.

The Microwave Bacon Rack:
I tried this gadget once and thought I was chewing on shoe leather.
Bacon can be placed on parchment paper, laid out on a baking sheet/with and edge.
Bake at 400 degrees until crispy. (It takes off the mess off the stove top.)

Last but not least the newest gadget I saw was the Five Mini Slider Pan. Maybe you haven’t seen it on the market yet. Basically they are tiny hamburgers that are all the same size. They cleverly market them as “sliders or minis.”  I have seen them priced from $15-30.00. This particular one was $8.00. To me it is a waste of money. Get a large ice-cream scooper. Make up your favorite meatloaf recipe or burger mix and scoop away. Flatten them out a bit and grill those babies up. You can make them up and freeze them ahead for a quick meal one night.

What gadgets do you have that you simply won’t part with?

What gadgets are you ready to make homeless?