Heart Shaped Measuring Cups

Ever since I melted my old measuring cups in the dishwasher I was in search of some new ones with a little more pizazz. I originally wanted these measuring cups made out of bone china. But then I said, who am I kidding? I am clumsy, those darling geese would not last more than a week in my kitchen. So I kept looking from some adorable plastic ones and behold I found these:

They are adorable and make me smile whenever I use them. Who knew a measuring cup could do that? Oh and yes, most importantly they work well.

So there you have it, adorable measuring cups that I love and recommend a million times over.

I purchased mine at Target for $2.50 (they were in the dollar spot area). If you don't have a Target nearby (gasp!), you can find them here for waaay more money, but I would probably still buy them for $14.

Spicy Red Kitchen Grips Oven Mitts

So I have a little issue with obsessing over decisions that really don't matter.

Picking out an oven mitt was one of those things that don't matter that kept me standing in the oven mitt section for somewhere around 35 minutes. 

I am trying to get better at this but you see it's hard especially when it is your first apartment and you want everything, including the oven mitt to be just right...well at least it was hard for me.

Moving on. 

I knew that I wanted a red mitt because that was my chosen  "color scheme" for the kitchen. I also knew that I did not want the olden timey cloth mitt because it just didn't seem safe.

So I settled on the Spicy Red Kitchen Grips oven mitts. I liked it because one side is made of black grippy rubber and the other side is like wet suit material. 

(Excuse my messy mitt, they obviously get used a lot)

Once I got them home I loved using these oven mitts because they covered my wrist so I wouldn't have to worry about things splashing on my arms. Splashing also wasn't a problem because they are water resistant as well! The  black grip side proved to be very helpful for not only grabbing hot stuff, but for opening stubborn jars etc. I have had them for about nine months and they are in heavy rotation at our house.

The downside to these oven mitts is that they lack finger dexterity because the material can be a bit rigid. This cumbersome material proves to be a problem when you are trying to grab a pan or pot by the handles because it can be hard to fit the finger area in the handle.  Another down side to these mitts are that the two different materials are stitched together and if you grab something at the wrong angle the stitching can separate slightly and burn the fingers behind the stitching. I had this happen once and it was a very unpleasant surprise!

Overall I do enjoy these Mitts regardless of the negatives. Even though the Kitchen Grips do have some down sides, their upsides make up for it all.

You can find them here or at your local Bed Bath and Beyond

They are $30 for two mitts.

Ocelo Sponges

There is nothing worse than a scummy, stinky sponge. In fact the smell of a nasty sponge is indescribable and oh so unique. As you can tell I hate that smell so I invested some time into finding a sponge that wouldn't make me gag. Picture me in the "sponge isle" in Target for a good fifteen minutes up to my elbows in sponges.

And then I found these:

The Ocelo sponges claimed to resist odors so I was wiling to try. At $2.49 for four sponges I was more than willing to give them a try. I put one by the sink, used it to clean off a bowl that wasn't dishwasher safe and some other odds and ends throughout the week. At the end of the week, when a normal sponge would be reeking, the ocelo sponge didn't smell at all! I kept the sponge in rotation for a couple more weeks and still, no stink!

Another thing I love about the sponges are that they are self drying. You just squeeze the excess water out of them when you are done and they are bone dry within a half hour.

As you can tell I recommend these sponges.

You can buy them here or at Target and there is a coupon for them here.

Trudeau Pot Clip Spoon Rest

My journey through all gadgets fit for the kitchen continues with the Trudeau Pot Clip Spoon Rest. This may sound silly but on the rare occasions that I would cook or bake when I lived my parents I would always be agitated by the mess that placing the spoon in the average spoon rest would leave. Sure, the average spoon rest is handy because most pots do not necessitate constant stirring and you have to put the spoon somewhere...but on the way to the spoon rest you leave a trail of drippings (it's the worst when your spoon is covered in spaghetti sauce).

The Trudeau Pot Clip Spoon Rest comes in and saves the day! The pot clip is part metal and part silicone (I just love silicone cooking products) and attaches to whichever pot you may be using at the time.

This way there is no commute for your cooking utensil and no messy trail showing where your spoon has been. I was a little worried that the spoon could teeter off of the spoon click-but nope, it just stays put right where you want it.

At $6.95 this is one gadget that is worth every penny! You can find them HERE

My Friend Cindy

Since all things kitchen are new to me I really enjoy bringing a little fun into the un-known with me. I would like to introduce you to a little lady I like to call Cindy, also known as a "Vigar Scrub Brush by Brite"

I always thought that scrub brushes were a little un-necessary; that was until I moved out and  realized that dishes really do need to be scrubbed before being put into the dishwasher.   

Go figure.

This little lady has a cute little face and a scrub brush for hair, and I thought I had wiry hair.

Here she is in her holder that sits by our sink:
From the side:

She didn't want you to see this, but she did some nude modeling before she struck it big:

Here she is in action:

Before I received this sassy little scrub brush as a gift I was using some run of the mill, palm held scrubbers. With the other scrubbers I had to re-scrub stuck on food before putting it in the dishwasher. With this girly scrubber I am able to get stubborn food off in one swipe.  It might be because she has a sturdy handle or because she has really thick bristles atop her head; or maybe it's the perfect combination of both. Either way this scrubber has accomplished the task of being both cute and functional.

The scrubber can be purchased at Sur La Table. It isn't on their website but I have seen it in their stores. And since it was a gift I am not completely sure on the price but I am confident in saying it was under twenty dollars.