12/31/2012: The Kitchen Sink

Post #366. (It was leap year, remember?) Rather than "everything but the kitchen sink" it seemed apropos to finish up my year-long Pics of My Stuff project with "everything PLUS the kitchen sink." Hard to believe I made it a whole year. And as far as I know I only repeated the same thing twice once. (Read that again I swear it makes sense.) Who can figure out what that item is?

I may still post stuff now and then, or I may not look at this blog again for years. If nothing else it will make a nice little 2012 time capsule someday. One thing for sure, at no point in 2013, at 11:00PM as I'm getting ready for bed will I think "Oh crap I didn't post anything today!" Those are the nights you usually saw something from the kitchen drawers.

For those that checked out my posts, thanks and hope you got a chuckle here or there. Do you have a deeper understanding of me now? Doubtful. But maybe. Did I learn anything about myself? Just that I have far too much stuff.

12/17/2012: Cutting Board

For the rare occasions when I cook and need to cut something (usually an onion or a bell pepper, I buy the pre-sliced mushrooms) I pull out the cutting board. Usually I won't use this one though. It's too big to fit in the dishwasher and I have a smaller one. And if something won't fit in the dishwasher how the hell else am I supposed to get it clean???

See also: Grind and Brew Coffee Maker

12/9/2012: Fridge

Stainless steel appliances are about as ubiquitous as cell phones it seems. Seems they've been the "in" thing for longer than they should be. And personally, I can't stand mine. Why? Well, because I touched the fridge once when I moved in... and it's still smudged. You can't clean the damn things, they just streak. At least not the outside. You CAN clean the inside of the fridge. Which I did yesterday since, as you can see, I'm a little low on groceries. If only there was some store that sold them...

See also: Gravy Boat, Water Pitcher

12/2/2012: Looney Tunes Drinking Glasses

According to the copyright date on these Looney Tunes drinking glasses, I got them in 1994. Seems like just yesterday I was at the Warner Brothers Studio Store in the Mall or America when I bought these. Actually, not really... seems like it was 10 or 15 years ago... which would be about right.

See also: Looney Tunes Coffer Cup, Blue Rimmed Drinking Glass

11/28/2012: Looney Tunes Coffee Cup

Despite the antlers on Taz, Daffy and Wile Coyote, this Christmas themed Looney Tunes coffee cup is used year round. Part of the random assortment of coffee cups I have. 

See Also: Empire Strikes Back Coffee Cup, Monkey Coffee Cup

11/22/2012: Steak Knife

With my blockbuster silverware trilogy of Fork, Spoon and Knife concluded, I faced a conundrum often faced by Hollywood... how do I continue to milk a successful formula? I went the pseudo-sequel relaunch route with Steak Knife. Used to cut meat.

11/21/2012: Pasta Pot

Back when I got this pasta pot I believe it was one of those "amazing as-seen-on-TV!" things. It works like this:

Step 1: Boil pasta.

Step 2: Tip over pot and drain pasta.

Step 3: Eat pasta.

No colander needed! Isn't that amazing?! OK, so it's no smart phone or TiVo.  But definitely handy.

See also: Pot

11/19/2012: Potholders

Where do potholders come from? I don't think I've ever purchased any (any that aren't shaped like a shark or like Pac Man anyway) and yet... here these are. At one point when I was unemployed I joked that I was going to open a kiosk in the mall and sell hand woven potholders called 2 Hot 2 Handle. It was very important to replace the "Too" with "2" to give the kiosk more street cred.

11/15/2012: Cleaver

I probably should've posted this cleaver closer to Halloween, huh?

11/14/2012: Microwave

Built in microwave over the stove. Used primarily for reheating leftovers. As most microwaves are. Sometimes when I'm watching Mad Men I wonder how Betty Draper reheats leftovers.

11/13/2012: Frying Pan

This frying pan is the larger version of my omelet pan. For some reason the red has really faded on this one, compared to the other cookware from the set. Probably because it's used and washed the most. I wonder if there's a way to bring back it's original finish...

Can you use Turtle Wax on a frying pan?

11/12/2012: Spatula

This spatula is used for flipping pancakes among its many other food flipping related functions.

Yeah, right, like I make pancakes.

11/11/2012: Gravy Boat

My parents brought this over for Christmas Eve dinner as I didn't have a gravy boat of my own (never having been married to register for one). It's Fiesta Ware. My dad has kind of a weird thing about Fiesta Ware. Stems back to dishes my grandmother had that my uncle now has that my dad apparently wanted. It's all very Shakespearean, but with dishes.

Though technically this isn't my stuff, my parents just forgot to take it home after dinner... eh, it's on to of my fridge, close enough.

See Also: Shark Oven Mitt; Salt & Pepper Shakers

11/8/2012: Salt & Pepper Shakers

These salt and pepper shakers sit on top of the fridge. I'm not much of a pepper user. Actually, I never put pepper on anything - chances are that same pepper will be in there 10 years from now. Most of the salt too, not much of a salter. I have these shakers primarily for family dinners. In fact, I think they may have been a gift from my parents.

See also: Pac Man Potholder; Shark Oven Mitt

11/7/2012: Scrubber

This scrubber is used to... well... scrub things. Primarily for cleaning the sink as pots and pans go in the dishwasher. That's what it's for.

11/6/2012: Colander

For extra convenience, this colander has arms the extend so it you can drain your pasta without having to set it directly on the nasty sink bottom itself. Which I always thought was pretty unappetizing.  I suppose I could just keep my sink cleaner...

11/2/2012: Iowa Egg Council Promotional Jar Opener

Normally I'd refer to this Iowa Egg Council promotional jar opener by it's colloquial name, a rubber husband. The idea being that women folk are too dainty and demure to open spaghetti sauce jars on their own, and lacking a husband, they require some rubber assistance. Apparently I am also dainty and demure.

Anyway, picked this item up at the Iowa State Fair this year, next to the hard-boiled eggs on a stick. Both were free... SCORE!

Although I don't know about the "Eggs: They Keep Getting Better!" Slogan. Do they? They pretty much are what they are and are what they've been since... they came first. Or was that the chicken? 

10/26/2012: Knife

First there was Fork. Then there was Spoon. And now the exciting conclusion to the Silverware Trilogy... Knife!

It's like the Return of the King of eating utensils. 

9/20/2012: Pac Man Potholder

This Pac Man potholder goes well with my shark oven mitt.

nom nom nom...

9/11/2012: Jade Plant

This jade plant sits in my kitchen window and is something of a family heirloom. It comes from a cutting of a cutting of a cutting off a plant that grew in my aunt and uncle's greenhouse. When they passed away the original jade plant was far too large to move, so it went with the house. But the cuttings off that plant continue to grow. 

See also: Over the sink shelf