Cooking Tools for Mom
Last fall I did a gift post for the holidays and it was so much fun, I thought I’d do another one for that other popular holiday coming up, Mother’s Day. If your mom is anything like mine, she loves to cook. My mother is actually where I get my love for cooking. See, Mom started me in the kitchen when I was old enough to crack the eggs into the mixing bowl. But even my mom doesn’t have every cooking utensil out there. (I don’t either.) And since she gave me my start and love for all things cooking related, I wanted to get her something that she’d love as much as I do.
But my mom isn’t alone. I bet there’s something on this list that every mother out there would love to add to their kitchen. And the good news is, everything on this list can be easily found all over the internet. Just like last year, I only include products that I have, love and use constantly, or are from companies I trust and whose products I have enjoyed.
So without further ado…
Let’s start with entertaining. Both my mother and I love to entertain. There’s nothing better than having people over to share a glass of wine and some good food. But in order to share, you have to have something to put the food on. Uncommon Goods has several great choices. I’m a huge fan of Uncommon Goods. As a matter of fact I head to their website whenever I get the chance because of their desire to support local artists and designers. In fact, most of their cookware and table top products are created right here in the US, and at least a third of their inventory uses recycled or upcycled materials. Since I’m all about upcycling (I transformed a whiskey bottle into my dish soap dispenser) you know I’ll purchase from them whenever I get the chance.
Compact Swivel Cheese Board with Knives
This cheese board is unlike any cheese board I’ve ever seen. Made out of bamboo, the board is a tiered server for your favorite cheeses and appetizers. Worried you’ll have to find matching knives? Don’t be, the board also has a drawer which stores three stainless steel cheese tools. But what I love most about this board is that it literally folds in on itself so when you’re all done serving, all you have left is a large wedge that stores nicely in a kitchen cabinet. That way your mom doesn’t need to worry about where she’s going to keep it. It can fit just about anywhere.
Oven-to-Table Entertainment Platter
Ever have a cold appetizer that doesn’t stay cold or a baked brie that turns luke warm? Well this platter puts an end to all that. Because it’s made of soapstone it will keep garlic bread or oven-baked appetizers hot, and meats or cheeses cold. Simply place the soapstone in the freezer or oven, once it’s reached the desired temperature, the wood caddy protects the platter (and your hands) to create a beautiful serving tray.
My mom already has one of these awesome little tools and I thought it was so cool, I had to get one of my own. If your mom likes wine, you need to get her one, too. See, this amazing little device keeps your white wines cold and cools your reds down to the 60° cellar temperature at which you’ll want to serve them. But what I really love about the corkcicle is that you don’t have to pull it out every time you want to refill your glass. Instead all you need to do is take off the cap and pour. Pouring with the corckcicle not only keeps your wine cold, it also aerates it, enhancing the flavors of the wine whether it be white or red.
These are just a few items Uncommon Goods has to offer, but if you check out their website, you’ll find a lot more options.
Now, not all mothers are entertainers. Some prefer to cook. If that sounds like your mom, don’t worry, there are plenty of options.
I don’t know how I ever survived in the kitchen without these tongs. They are absolutely a must have. A lot of people think tongs are just for serving salads but they’re good for so much more. I use mine to cook with all the time. Believe it or not they make cooking pasta or chicken sooooo much easier. See, I used to just stir my pasta or use a fork to flip my chicken breasts. But with the tongs I can actually toss the pasta in its sauce before I serve it, or flip the chicken (or any other piece of meat) with ease.
Bristle Free Grill Brush from Uncommon Goods
Now, I know most people think the grill belongs to the man (it is one of the most popular gift options for Father’s Day). But who says the grill can only be used by Dad? I use ours all the time. It’s actually one of my favorite ways to cook once the weather warms up. But if you’re going to cook on your grill you need to keep it clean. This brush cleans the grill while keeping your food safe, thanks to its cool design. The brush features two continuous springs to get the grease and food particles off your grates, but has no rough edges to cut you, or dangerous metal bristles (like other grill brushes) that could fall out and get into your food.
Silicone Basting Brushes from OXO
If you’re grilling up a piece of meat that needs to be basted with some awesome barbecue sauce, you’re going to need a basting brush. I’ve tried the standard brushes that look like little paint brushes but the bristles keep falling out and getting into the food. Not on these OXO brushes. They’re bristles are made out of silicone, so not only do the hold the liquid better, there’s no chance these bristles will fall out while you’re basting. The fact that it’s dishwasher safe, makes these brushes a no brainer. They also just happen to come in two sizes – one for the kitchen and a nice long one specifically designed for the grill.
Still, a lot of people like to give flowers to their moms on Mother’s Day. But if you think that flowers are a little cliché, you can still give something that comes from the earth, is just as pretty and is edible. They’re nice, big fruits baskets from Melissa’s Produce. Some of them even come with a bottle of wine. Each basket comes with the freshest fruit of the season and is a nice change from that standard vase of roses.
Well, those are just a few items I’m thinking of giving Mom this year. (They also happen to be on my wishlist as well.) The good news is, there’s still plenty of time to order each and every item on this list. And to all the Moms out there, whether you cook or not, I know I’m a little early, but happy Mother’s Day.
Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. All these items I own and use constantly and all opinions are my own. As for the gift baskets, Melissa’s provided me with a free basket to enjoy, but did not compensate me for the post.
