Friday, March 12, 2010

favorite thing friday

The one tool that I probably use more than any other tool in our kitchen, would have to be our tongs. We've only owned tongs for the past few years because it took us a long time to realize that retrieving hot bagels out of the toaster oven with our bare hands and awkwardly flipping bacon with two forks, wasn't really the best way to get the job done.

(I've got the scars to prove it.)

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So we bought our first pair of tongs. And then our second.

(In case our first ones ever broke.)

What we've discovered is that tongs are extremely versatile and are quite possibly the most coveted item in our entire kitchen.

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You can use them to get hot items out of a toaster.

You can use them to move peppers under a roaster.

You can use them to flip bacon, sausage or any item (except pancakes) on a skillet.

You can use them to extract from a tin, hot blueberry muffins made with millet.

You can use them to serve salad, pancakes or freshly cooked spaghetti.

You can use them to serve just about anything hot, except soup, whenever it's ready.

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You can use them to transfer hot corn on the cob or things off the barbecue.

Why, you can use these things to dish out just about anything you can chew.

(It's true.)

Now you just wait because there's more ...

You can even use them to grab dirty tissues off the floor!

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They come in a variety of different styles, colors and lengths. But our absolute favorite is a 12-inch pair made by Messermeister. We also have an 10-inch pair, but we don't use them nearly as much. Since we routinely subject our tongs to very high temperatures, we've opted for the steel variety as opposed to those that have a silicone coating, or grippers.

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If you don't own a pair already, I highly recommend you add a pair of tongs to your culinary collection. And soon, you too, will be writing bad poetry about how much you love them.

20 comments:

  1. Tongs and kitchen shears. If you made me choose I might ... well, tongs are very versatile, as you said.

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  2. We already own tongs, but this comment reminded me that the green mop I just used to mop my kitchen floor (Stupid Janna, don't give the babies a blueberry smoothie until they're fifteen years old!) was the mop that you recommended last year - LOVE IT!!!!

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  3. How funny - your ode to tongs. I recently bought a bamboo pair; they were pretty, they were handy; the boys broke them in record time. Next time? Steel is the way to go obviously.

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  4. You haven't lived until you've used bamboo tongs!
    No scratching the pans when we flip bacon and no conducting electricity when retrieving toast! Love them!

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  5. You've made me realize that I need more than one set of tongs. But (LOL) I didn't realize that was a poem until you mentioned it. Guess I should pay better attention.

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  6. Wait a minute. Do I get the bamboo tongs or not? I'm getting TOTALLY mixed messages here!!

    Although, I suppose, for $2.00 a pair (at Crate & Barrel) there's no harm in trying a pair out.

    Thanks for the tip!

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  7. They are also really good for threatening The Sock Droppers family jewels when indicates that his sweating and stressed beloved, who has managed not to burn ALL of dinner, is a really crap cook and not nearly as good in the kitchen as "Mia Mama".

    Their bark works cos the bite is far, far worse.


    .Sarah, British, home educating mum to a mini Italian nationalist in deepest, darkest Lomellina

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  8. Tongs can also be used to get icky dead frogs out of the pool filter basket, too...

    Our bamboo tongs sit on top of the toaster oven - best $2.00 I ever spent!

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  9. Yes, get a pair - just hide them from the rough boys. They really are wonderful - and supposedly not easy to break (unless you live in my house...) and they are eco-friendly.

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  10. I am so with you. I've been saying for a long time (to anyone interested) that tongs are far and away my favorite kitchen utensil. I don't know how people live without tongs! Okay that might be a stretch, but I do use mine all the time! -Karen

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  11. They do break, but in our house it's only when a toddler gets hold of them! But at the price, they're totally worth it!

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  12. Our pair of tongs broke...this reminded me that I really need to buy a couple of new ones.

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  13. Tongs and really good knives, can't live without them

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  14. I have a pair of steel tongs, a pair of non-stick tongs, and a smaller pair of cheap tongs. Now I see I need to get some bamboo tongs, for I too own a toaster oven and have burns on the backs of my hands to prove it!

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  15. Ha! I just read your tweet about Henry. Come read about my day at the parade with AUSTIN.

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  16. OMG. It just occured to me that Henry will be home ALONE when the kids go to school full time. What in HELL are you going to do with that child all day? Austin is a terror when mine are gone for just 2.5 hours. He works me like nobody's business. You are dead meat.

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  17. Our tongs broke awhile back, and just yesterday I needed them to flip the tortillas I was frying. I told my hubby, "My life NEEDS tongs! We MUST buy tongs next time we are at the store." He totally didn't get it. I will be showing him your post!
    Thanks!

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  18. I am having such a Mom (Baker? Cooker?) Fail moment - I don't own a single one! Where is my Target list...

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  19. Tank you, tank you tank you! :D I have been stabbin my toasted rolls with a butter nife for YEARS, tryin ta turn tme over! WHAT A PAIN tryin ta turn the rolls over in the toaster oven with a nife. After your words of wisdom, I invested in my first pair of tongs - $1.97 at Walmart! :D Now no more hassle, and no more burnt fingers tryin ta turn the hot rolls over. It is not easy with just fingers and a nife. :D

    TANK YOU! ~Cindy! :D
    ..

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