The Best Old Crap In My Kitchen

Remember recently when we all shared our feelings – and there were lots of good ones – about air fryers? They are a newer addition to the kitchen and it got me thinking. What about the trusty old things that we LOVE and have loved for many years? Shouldn’t we give some credit to the tools that have served us well over decades?

I think food has a special power to bring people together. I get nostalgic sometimes when I use these decades old kitchen staples, thinking about the meals they helped me create. I can’t wait to see what relics you all share with me. Maybe they’ll inspire us all to rethink the things buried in the bottom of our utensil drawer.

Oldies But Goodies

My George Foreman. You guys. This thing first rolled out in 1994. More than a quarter century ago. And I’m not entirely sure my model isn’t one of the very first. It may well be, and it still works like a little gem. I grill everything from chicken to burgers to veggies on this baby almost weekly. It’s like my kitchen’s umbrella. If it’s raining and I was planning to grill, Foreman it is!

Pyrex dishes. Not even kidding, I collect these from yard sales. The weirder the print, size, or pattern… the better. They just don’t make them like the old ones anymore. Plus if the lids are worn out, you can find replacements for a lot of them on Amazon.

My mom’s old Cornflower blue Corningware casserole dish. I remember cooking with these bad boys when I was a kid. When I got my first apartment, I raided my mom’s kitchen and took these first. Sorry mom.

Old school simple juicer. This seems to be one utensil that gets reinvented all the time, and I’m not really sure why. I love this simple one. My key to getting the most out of every fruit is dumping the juicer upside down before I take the squashed fruit out. I get every last drop this way – waste not, want not people!

I have an old spatula that may in fact be from the Dollar Store and I use it every single day. The entire thing is plastic. The top separates from the handle which makes me feel better about how clean it gets. It’s so 1980s I can’t handle it, and maybe that’s why I love it. NOTHING fancy.

Magic Eggs Recipe

Speaking of that old spatula, sometimes it’s more than just the function of a thing. I think our old tools remind us of the way food connects people. Maybe that’s the thing I adore most about feeding people with love. Every time I make “Magic Eggs” with my old plastic spatula, I remember when and where I learned to do so. And mostly, I remember the people I was with.

Here’s the recipe if you want to give it a try. I know you all must have some amazing kitchen staples and stories to go along with them, I’d love to hear them!