Hoo-rags for the kitchen?

I'm not much for wearing hats and stuff in the kitchen, but I do mostly pull it back out of the way.  After all, even the tolerant people in my family do not want a piece of my long red and fuchsia hair in their meal.  So when the the folks from Hoo-rag.com asked if I'd like to see and try a sample of their seamless micro-fiber bandanas, I said sure, why not?

Kind of cool...no seams, no hems, moisture-wicking, and they come with lots of different suggestions for how to wear them.  You can use use them for everything from a face mask to a traditional head band or pirate rag.  There are some pretty fun patterns available; I received this Sunflower Power rag (shown above), which the copy claims will have (some) people doing whatever you tell them.  There's always got to be a disclaimer, huh?

Here's the one I wish they'd sent to me:

As regards FTC disclosure guidelines: I have received a bandana free of charge from Hoo-rag in order to write a review for you.  I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received.

Update on my new Cuisinart food processor

Cuisinart DLC-8S 11-Cup Pro Food Processor

Yes, I am very very happy with it.  I especially like that Cuisinart finally (when, I don't know) made a top that you could use without the cumbersome feed tube attachment.  Yay!

So, I can't tell you to buy a Cuisinart over another brand, but if you decide that's the company for you, there are two helpful pages on Amazon that will help you figure out which model.  Because there are a LOT of them...

Food Processor Buying Guide

All the available models

My new food processor

After beating up my original Cuisinart food processor for 28 years (yes, you read that right), the bowl is starting to get some crazing in it that I'm afraid might at some point become a full-blown foodisaster.  Most likely when some very important meal is being prepared.  I suppose I could just get a new bowl, but honestly, I sort of think I deserve a new one.  Here's what I chose:

 

Cuisinart DLC-8S 11-Cup Pro Food Processor

The one I have now is a 7-cup classic style, so all the discs I already own should work with this new one.  I do use a lot of them, so that's my main reason for not going with one of the other Cuisinart lines, but for sticking with the classic series.  I'll let you know what I think when I get it!

Save your money

The Acme International cherry pitter.  This is the grand total of cherries I was able to pit before it broke: yup, 13.  A baker's dozen.  Not nearly enough for the cherry pie I was planning.  Even though it's only $5, save your money.  That cost me 38 1/2 cent per cherry folks, not counting the original cost of the actual cherries!

Seriously though, I should have known better, right?

Antique cooking gadgets: wooden spoon

Just a classic primitive wooden spoon, one of the first of the wooden kitchen primitives that I bought lo these many years ago.  It's got a great hook on the end, but I've retired it from use since it's chipping and splitting a bit as you can see around the bowl.

Antique tableware: table runner

This table runner is so well made that it looks machine made.  By turning it over, I determined that it wasn't.  Fabulous work, huh?  Cut thread work and traditional embroidery.  I need to iron it a bit!

Antique cooking gadgets: wooden bowl

My first ever salad bowl.  It had a great patina when I bought it mumble mumble years ago, and it's only improved over more time.

Antique tableware: silk napkins

These don't match the color in our dining room at all, but how can you possibly pass up a set of 12 beauties like these?

Antique cooking gadgets: meat tenderizer

The low-tech solution to tough meat...don't you love it?  Yes, I do plan to use it.

Antique cooking gadgets: small strainer

You can never have too many strainers, at least one in every size!

Antique cooking gadgets: nutmeg grater

Doesn't everyone need an antique nutmeg grater, even if you never grate nutmeg?

Antique cooking gadgets: ironware skimmer

Unfortunately, someone decided to try to patch up the chipped enamel on this ironware skimmer and didn't even match the colors properly, but it's almost impossible to find these without some chips.  It's signed, which almost makes up for it.  Since I bought it to use, not to put into a museum, I might try to fix the fix some day!

Antique gadgets: souvenir spoon

These little metal spoons were handed out with ice cream instead of the plastic ones you get today.  Does anyone remember when you'd get a little wooden do-hickey along with your Hoodsie?

Antique cooking gadgets: cornbread pan

A recent acquisition that I can't wait to use!  All it needed was a bit of steel wool and seasoning with some oil in the oven and it now looks as good as new.  This photo was taken before I cleaned it up.

Antique cooking gadgets: masher

There's nothing like a bright red bakelite handle to brighten up a masher.  I needed another masher like I needed a hole in the head, but hey...the handle matches my kitchen walls ;-)

Antique cooking gadgets: meat pounder

I guess some folks also used these utensils as potato mashers, and I do use mine for making smashed potatoes, but I prefer a more traditional masher for potatoes otherwise.  This is one heavy and terrifically useful meat pounder though, guaranteed to get your cutlets thin thin thin!

Antique cooking gadgets: coffee grinder

I have used this grinder successfully, but it grinds a bit too coarsely for my tastes, so now it's mostly decorative :-)

Antique cooking gadgets: pastry blender

So long to my modern pastry blender.  Who could resist this bakelite handled beauty?

Antique cooking gadgets: Angel food cake cutter

A classic Bakelite handle and the thin sharp tines that keep the light-as-air cake from being compressed as you cut it.

Antique cooking gadgets: wooden rolling pin

This is the first rolling pin that I ever bought, and of course it had to be an antique.  I guess I can probably kiss goodbye the idea of ever getting those rings that help you roll out a specific thickness of dough...this thing is really big!