Monday, April 11, 2011

The Spatula = Ultimate Frugal Tool



The spatula. Funny word. Kinda fun to say. (Especially if said with a Italian accent!) The term spatula is derived from the latin word for a flat piece of wood, makes sense I guess.  Apparently this handy little utensil has been helping out in the kitchen since around 1525!

This past Christmas my mom gave me a set of  Farberware spatulas - and I love them!   My spatulas have sturdy handles and a rubber blades.  The rubber blades are the key to a "clean" scrape. What I really like about these little tools is the fact they can actually save money by eliminating waste.  I'm surprised every time I use them at the amout of food that I can still get out of the pan or dish.  For example, after I finish spooning out chocolate chip cookies from the mixing bowl, I can use the spatula and get another 1 or 2 cookies from the dough left in the bowl.  And spaghetti sauce, I never realized how much I was washing down the drain!  If I use the spatula to scrape the skillet, I can get an extra tablespoon or two!  Just think of the possibilities - peanut butter, relish, cake mix, mayo, jelly, the list goes on an on.

Okay, so I know 1 or 2 cookies doesn't sound like very much. But since I make cookies every week just salvaging 1 extra per week makes 4 1/2 dozen a year!  Now that's a lot!  I make at least one dish a week with spaghetti sauce, so if I can get 1 extra tablespoon each time, that's 3 1/4 cups per year!  The little things really do add up.

So the next time you're about to throw out that "empty' mayo jar - ask yourself  if it's reeallly empty. Then grab the spatula and I bet there's enough for another sandwich in there! (oh, and why throw out that jar? I'm sure there's another use for it!)

This post is linked to Frugal Friday at Life as a Mom, where you can find lots of other frugal tips!

Delightfully yours,
Debbie

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