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Several years ago, a collection of my good friends pooled their money and bought me a a six-quart Kitchen Aid mixer for my birthday. It has not left my counter since the day I unpacked it from the box and it is one of my best kitchen helpers. The only problem I ever had with it is, when mixing batters and doughs, I have to stop the machine frequently, in order to duck in with a rubber spatula and scrap down the sides of the bowl. I am sure that many of you have experienced this same problem

However, I recently discovered a new tool that eliminates the need for those bowl-scraping pauses. Called the BeaterBlade+, this paddle attachment comes fitted with flexible fins that wipe the sides of the bowl as it turns around the bowl, constantly redirecting any errant batter back into the fold. It cuts your mixing time down considerably and helps you avoid over-beating your batter or dough, something that is far more likely if you're repeatedly starting and stopping.

So far, I give this item a big thumbs up. It doesn't seem to cause my mixer any added stress and it makes mixing and clean-up easier than ever before.

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I was skeptical about frozen oatmeal. I often reheat leftovers, which I store in the fridge, when I make a big batch, but I never tried to freeze it. When I saw the single servings of steel cut oatmeal in the Trader Joe’s freezer section the first time, I walked right by. After all, why should I buy it when I can make it at home? A few trips to Trader Joe’s later and I reconsidered. It takes some time to cook steel cut oats, and perhaps a frozen version – provided that it tastes good – would be just the thing for weekday mornings. I picked up a box and brought it home. I’m glad I did because I was right about it being the perfect thing for a weekday breakfast. It cooks up exactly according to directions and hardly takes any more time than a frozen waffle takes to reheat, with the added benefit of being much healthier. The oatmeal tastes great, if a tiny bit sweet. The oats were tender and the portion size is just right. I added some dried fruit to mine halfway through the cooking time. It got me through until lunch, with a latte in between meals. I’ll buy it again, though I might try freezing my own small portions in the meantime.

[Photo by Nicole Weston]