Weird One-Job Kitchen Gadgets

(From Buzzfeed.com) 

I invite you to add any others you've seen at the bottom.  The list begs the question, whatever happened to good, old-fashioned knives??

Pineapple slicer. Don't slice your 'napples like a Neanderthal.

Source: amazon.com

Another pineapple slicer

Source: amazon.com

Strawberry stem remover, duh.

Source: amazon.com

Single cherry pitter

Source: amazon.com

Multi-cherry pitter, for a true pitboss.

Source: amazon.com

Banana slicer

Source: amazon.com

Banana slicer - this one slices whole 'nas at once.

Source: missionrs.com

Peach wedger. Not for apples, mind you, just peaches.

Source: amazon.com

Avocado pitter/slicer combo. Dang those pits!

Source: amazon.com

Mango splitter. What, you split your mangoes with a knife? Get the fuck out of my office.

Source: zappos.com

Strawberry slicer

Source: amazon.com

Starberry slicer with irresistably cute strawberry shape:

Source: amazon.com

File folder-style tomato slicer. I guess you still have to use a knife like a rube, though.

Source: amazon.com

Lettuce knife - I have NO idea what this even means

Source: amazon.com

Dessert knife. Wait, isn't this just the lettuce knife in pink?

Source: amazon.com

Tomato huller. Did you know tomatos had hulls? Me neither, but I'm disgusted by them now.

Source: amazon.com

Melon tickler

Source: amazon.com

Herb scissors. Not regular scissors. For herbs.

Source: givinggallery.com

Kiwi guard. Protect your 'wis.

Source: amazon.com

Lemon wraps. Like a condom for your lemons.

Source: amazon.com

Lemon squeezer. Actually, I have one and use it all the time. Great tool.

Source: amazon.com

Lime squeezer. No, you cannot just use your lemon squeezer, idiot.

Source: amazon.com

Orange squeezer. Do I have to explain everything?

Source: amazon.com

Apple corer/medieval torture device. This won't look weird at all on your countertop.

Source: amazon.com

Spiral vegetable slicer. Only a jerk would cut straight carrot slices.

Source: amazon.com

Jalepeno corer

Source: amazon.com

You'll need the jalepeno corer for your special jalapeno popper roasting rack, of course

Source: amazon.com

Grapefruit sectioner. Get rid of your serrated spoon, n00b

Source: amazon.com

Recipe: Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

I found this recipe on this great blog I just started following, called "Peace, Love, and Low Carb".  I LOVE stuffed peppers, but I usually make mine with rice -- this is a really easy recipe that looks absolutely delicious. I cannot wait to try it!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. thinly sliced roast beef
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• 2 large green bell peppers (Or your favorite variety)
• 1 medium onion
• 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 TBS minced garlic

To Make:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Slice peppers in half lengthwise, remove all seeds and "ribs"
• Slice onions and mushrooms. Saute over medium heat with butter, oil oil, garlic, (and salt and pepper if you like) until caramelized.
• Slice roast beef into strips and add to onion/mushroom mixture. Keep over flame for 5 minutes to allow flavors to marry.
• Line the inside of each pepper half with a slice of provolone cheese
• Fill each pepper half with meat/mushroom/onion mixture
• Cover each pepper with second slice of provolone
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until the slice of cheese on top has cooked to a golden brown.

Enjoy!

Inspiration From Pinterest

Give up Phone at Restaurant, Receive 5% Discount

Hang up and Eat: Give up your cell phone and restaurants discount your meal
By Martha C. White
Originally featured on NBCnews.com Bottom Line

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Hold that call: At Eva, a New American restaurant in Los Angeles, diners who give up their cell phones for the duration of the meal get a 5 percent discount.
“When I first heard about it, I loved it,” said Jaime Oikle, founder of RunningRestaurants.com. “It’s obviously going to be a talking point” that can generate buzz for the restaurant, he said.

The discount is a new solution for a problem that’s vexed restaurant owners since phones became untethered from their cords and small enough to slip into a pocket. Back in 2006 — a year before Apple’s iPhone came onto the market — a New York City councilman suggested a ban on cell phones in restaurants, but abandoned the idea after restaurateurs said such a prohibition would hurt business.

This doesn’t mean all restaurants welcome the beeping, chirping and ringing with open arms. Some high-end eateries post signs or add a line to the menu either asking or telling people not to use their phones at the table.

Most shoot for a tone of politeness, but a few are more stern. Perry’s Deli in Chicago, for instance, serves up a side of snark alongside its signature overstuffed sandwiches with a sign that reads, “Attention! The use of cellular phones at Perry’s is strictly prohibited. If you are that important that you must use your phone, you should be eating in a much more upscale restaurant.”

Rogue 24, a Washington, D.C. eatery that opened last year, quickly gained notoriety for the two-page contract diners had to submit before their reservations would be accepted, which included a ban on camera and cell phone use. Owner RJ Cooper later softened his tone in an interview with food blog Eater.com, saying he had relaxed the contract rules and admitting that even if someone pulled out a phone between bites, “The staff’s so focused that they’re probably going to miss it.”

At Eva, owner Mark Gold is betting that dangling a carrot instead of a stick will be a better way to keep meals phone-free. Gold told NBC4 that nearly half of his patrons take the discount in exchange for a device-free meal. "We want people to be in the moment, not only with the food, but with each other," he said.

Restaurant industry consultant Tom Feltenstein sounded a cautionary note, saying that customers might be averse to forfeiting their phones because of worry over missing an emergency call. “They feel that they need it in case of their kids or their spouse,” he said.

The other drawback to device-free dining is it has the potential to rob restaurant owners of Facebook posts, Foursquare check-ins, Tweets, photos and other social media messages customers send mid-meal. Even though people could communicate after the meal was over and they had retrieved their phones, “I fear you might lose a little bit of that spontaneity,” Oikle said.

New Workout: Trail Running

Hi Guys,

I wanted to share this amazing new workout my friend Brittany showed me this past weekend. It's called Trail Running. Essentially, you go hiking on a trail in a park or nature preserve, but run during the flatter parts of the trail. 

Does it sound intimidating? Yes. Is it also invigorating and easier than you think it is? Yes. Here's why.

The object of trail running is NOT to break your neck. So, rough terrain forces you to slow down and walk for stretches of the trail. Now, in street running, walking usually means a significant decrease in heart rate and difficulty, but trail running, you're still hiking -- so you're still pushing yourself to burn those calories in an intense workout. 

The other good thing about trail running is that you're not focusing on the pain. Most beginning runners, myself included, have issues getting past a certain point because they hit a mental block that is hard to push past. On the trails, you must focus on your feet -- and watch out for rocks and roots -- so that you almost don't notice the time passing or the exertion. 

Brittany and I did an hour and a half trail run. According to our heart rate monitors, I burned 1000 calories, while she burned 1100. Can you beat our records?

See below for a short video for tips on how to get started. 

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