Hey Owl, you brought your little buddies back. Who are they again? And what happened to happy flaming irradiated banana guy?

This is going to sound a little weird but when I put stuff in freezer bags, I close up the zip lock seal almost all the way and then suck out the air. Kind of a Tart vac.

I wonder what other attachments Motoman has?

I have the "Corn Butterer Boy". I've never used it, but he's too cute to get rid of.

My absolute must have, can't live without it gadget is my microplane grater. pasta would not be the same without it.

My meat thermometer is the tool I wouldn't live without. I'd just become a vegetarian.

The little tool that cuts in a "V" was called a can opener. The other end was called a bottle opener. Together they were called a church key.

a can piercer that made a V on the rim of the can to create a pouring spout.

At first this sounded like a church key, but then I realized that my dad had one that he used for motor oil.

EL, next time your Handi-Vac isn't working, try pressing the seal shut again on the bag. That will usually fix things right up.

Thanks! EL

I'll go with the rotary grater ala Olive Garden. It has two "blades" for lack of a better term, one that shreds and one that grates. http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=20335&categoryCode=CE

There's nothing like cutting up your cheese into bite sized chunks so that you can shred it.

I want a pancake making robot! I want a Roomba, too! I want robotic everything! And a flying car.

I do *not* want food in pill form.

Cannot live without a good coffee mill.

Call me a Luddite, but like Alton Brown the only single purpose kitchen implement I'll have is the fire extinguisher.

The little tool that cuts in a "V" was called a can opener. The other end was called a bottle opener. Together they were called a church key.

And the pointed end was much more important back when beer and soda cans didn't have flip-top (I'm not sure that's the right term) lids.

I'm not sure that's what Owl's referring to, though. It almost sounds like he's talking about something that bends the rim of the can out in a v-shape. I've never seen such a beast, though.

Bucky,
ah, the church key. Yes, remember them fondly. I think I still have one around here somewhere.

I have a manual can opener, does that count?

Wait a sec, I have one of those plastic pizza cutters that you rock across the pie to cut it. Works marginally, but I couldn't find a pizza cutting wheel at the grocery store.

I am lucky that my DW and I live in a townhouse with a small kitchen. So whenever we are strolling through the malls, usually to get my walking done in a climate-controlled space, we can use the excuse "But where would we put it?" when we come across the latest "must-have" kitchen appliance or gadget.

The little tool that cuts in a "V" was called a can opener. The other end was called a bottle opener. Together they were called a church key.

Do you think that I'm retarded? That I haven't seen the can piercing/bottle opener combo since I was 11? I said it created a V "spout". Spouts go out, not in. It bent the rim out into a v spout. I'm thinking of big cans of juice, not beer or soda. You jammed it into the can and squeezed a handle like to pull the rim out into a V. Oh now it's just ruined.

The nominees are ...

1) A Zojirushi electric "air pot," which keeps a couple of liters of water at about 195 degrees for tea;
2) An immersion blender (mine works fine, yet I keep finding myself shopping for a newer, bigger, faster, better one);
3) Collectively, the 30 or so little "Hutzler" utensils that I keep in a jar next to the stove. They're each about 7", come in lovely colors and let you get up close and personal with things in a pan, spreads on the bread, or whatever needs two perfect tablespoons of something. (Sadly, they have nothing to do with the late, lamented Department store chain.)

... but the winner is ...

My IngenuiTea brewer (also sold at TeaVana). This ingenious contraption lets you put tea and hot water in a brewing chamber and, when steeping is finished, lets you put it on your mug where a clever gravity drain separates brew from leaves. Go to http://www.adagio.com/gifts/holiday_ingenuiTEA.html?gclid=CJKd74XKqJcCFQrFGgodGiIeiw to see one (sorry, too long a day to do the html thing: copy and paste still works!) I keep one in the office and have a couple of different sizes here at home. Best tea ever.

Do you think that I'm retarded?

Uh oh, I think Owl is off his meds.

Oh, Raptor (I would say my friend, but I'm never sure), its past your birthday. Do you really want to ask this assemblage Do you think that I'm retarded? Cast your mind back a few weeks to my post where I posited: Never ask a question, the answer to which you don't want to hear. No, not with group do you want to ask that question.

banana bread is really cake. Don't fool yourself.

I want a Roomba, too!
Lissa - I have a Roomba and hardly ever use it any more. Our 2 dogs and 4 cats were having various psychological problems brought on by sheer terror from having the device suddenly coming at them from its wall charger.

It also just does not have the capacity to pick up the pet hair (mostly dog) without stopping it and emptying it during a sweep or immediately thereafter. It kind of defeats the purpose and I can do the floor quicker with a regular vac.

Owlie wrote: Do you think that I'm retarded...I said it created a V "spout".

Oh...the V spout-maker tool. Yeah. My fault. Never seen one; never even heard of it.

FL Rob, I, too, have a manual can opener. The cats can still tell when I start to use it. I think the dog takes his clue from them.

I also have one of those freebie Pizza cutting wheel things. I think it's imprinted with a medical logo. Sort of ironic, since pizza isn't exactly a health food.

Do you think that I'm retarded?

Oh, Bird, is your blood sugar out of whack?

Oh, Bird, is your blood sugar out of whack?

I've had a cold for a week that won't go away, so yes I am miserable. Happy to share that with you.

Rosebud, I fear psychological problems with my kids, too. My dog is quite elderly and deaf, and would probably sleep through it (although, when he was a young dog, he thought vacuum cleaners were his friends, and he'd bring them toys). Kaudha would run, but she's terrified of everything. Dagny would probably kill the poor Roomba and scatter the parts. Then go hunting for another.

Maybe I'm the one who'd be traumatized.

Lissa and Rosebud, there's a funny video on You Tube of a kitty riding around on a Roomba. He looks pretty contented too. My cat would either be in attack or hiding and my girlfriends german shepard would try to eat it.

Owl - everyone around here has had that blasted cold. I finally went to the docs, where I was "lucky" enough to have a sinus infection so it was at last treatable with antibiotics. But, took day 10 two days ago and guess who's got packed sinuses AGAIN!!!

Here is the link to the cat/Roomba video.

Joyce, I've seen that video. It is pretty hysterical. Cats can use anything and everyone.

More robots. Fewer humans. More cats. More dogs. Fewer roaches. Doesn't take much to make me happy...

Umm, Cosmo Girl,
I clicked that link and got a bunch of non-HTML garbage.

Perhaps this is the link you wanted?:

Cat on a Roomba

Do you think that I'm retarded?

When I first read that, I was at work and I laughed HARD, right out loud. I've been thinking about that all afternoon and it still brings chuckles.

And RtSO's response brought more laughter.
No Owl, you aren't retarded. Just very forward thinking.

PCB Rob, from here Cosmo Girl's Roomba link works fine, and in fact is identical to yours.

I searched and I searched but of all the kitchen tools in all the lands I could find nothing like my little buddy from childhood. Imagine something like a garlic press with two handles that you squeeze together but instead of the press there is a sharp tool that jabs into the top of the can, cuts out a V and then as you keep squeezing and it pulls the rim of the can outward into a V shape also.

So when you pour your Hawaiian Punch it doesn't drip. I've said too much.

Hal,
Its weird but at work, Cosmo Girl's link brought up a page of code, so I made my post. At home, hers worked just fine. And here at home I'm using a newer version of IE. Go figure.

At least at work, I'm giving the network nazis some entertainment.

Owl,
I am intrigued by your spout-making gadget. Have a pic?

Hawaiian Punch...mmmm.

When I was a kid, before probably I'd ever tasted soda (it was only for "special" occasions), I used to think Hawaiian Punch waz it! We used to be able to have it at Christmas and Valentine's day parties (and yes, that's what they were called back then!). I hadn't had it in years when one day at my partner's house when out of complete desperation, I drank some of her daughter's punch. Yuk! Has someone tampered with the recipe? This can't be the same fruit juicy Hawaiian punch of my youth!

Joyce,
I haven't had HP in years. I do remember it being quite seriously sweet.

Back in the 80s, we would sometimes use it to make "jungle juice" (grain alcohol + HP), which mimicked a Harford Road bar's recipe.

Don't know what was in HP before, but HFCS definitely ruins it. Mmmm ... Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin

INGREDIENTS: Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup and 2% or less of each of the following: Concentrated Juices (Pineapple, Apple, Pear, Passionfruit and Orange), Purees (Papaya and Guava), Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Pectin, Gum Ghatti, Gum Acacia, Guar Gum, Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin, Red No. 40, Blue No. 1, Sodium Hexametaphosphate; Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate (preservatives); and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

Owl, my theorgy exactly. HFCS has been the ruination of many a drink in it's time.

BTW, Lissa, my partner is asking where to get coke with sugar (as oppossed to HFCS) and I remembered you had a source for year round.

Why, yes, Joyce, I do. Several of the Mexican grocery stores in my neighbourhood have real, sugar-filled coke. In a glass bottle, even.

One that has it for sure is the place on the SE corner of N. Lakewood and Fayette. Probably not your normal stomping grounds.

Forget the dog psychological trauma, I can't have a Roomba because I would have to throw out all my rugs because of the terrible stains nervous Molly would make on them when it came at her. (This is the hound who gets nervous when you try to make her get off the couch and - um - irrigates it, right where she lies. We have lots of tasty bribes in my house in order to get anything done.)

Thanks, Lissa. I'm seeing a road trip to N. Lakewood and Fayette. The woman is DYING for a REAL coke!

Favorite kitchen toy? Salad spinner. Can't live without it! Second favorite? 12" slicer knife. Yeah, I only use it to carve meat, but when I do, the slices are GORgeous! I'm an uber kitchen toy freak, so I could go on and on, but I won't. Cheers!

Joyce, place is called Dilone's. I haven't been in for a few weeks, but they've always had it before. In the case in the back.

If there are any little Latino grocery stores in that god-forsaken suburb you live in, they might have it.

You might try a Caribbean or other ethnic market. I know you can always find original Ovaltine in them. Clearly there is a market for foods with the original formula, meaning real sugar instead of HFCS etc. Now if we just open trade relations with Cuba we will have a cheap plentiful source of real sugar.

Lissa and Owl, thanks! I checked La Tienda Latina and I was in luck! Who knew! They also for some unknown reason have saffron at amazing cheap prices. And, my beloved Jamaican patties! I should investigate these little stores more often.

Owl, Madame Joyce, Meteorologist sees trade with Cuba by the end of 2010.

You never know what you'll find in little ethnic markets. I've gotten some awful stuff and some amazing stuff.

Glad you found your real Coke, Joyce.

I love Cuba. Little poor country that causes insanity in big, weapons-stuff us. How can that not give anyone a serious case of the giggles?