Guest Post- Foodie Kitchen Staples by Sage & Serendipity

Today I bring to you a guest post written by my friend and fellow blogger, Logan from Sage & Serendipity! I don't typically have foodie posts but I love kitchen accessories. Enjoy!

Foodie Kitchen Staples

I'm so excited to be guest posting on Lindsey's blog! My name is Logan; I'm a CPA by day and lifestyle blogger behind 'Sage & Serendipity' by night. One of my favorite topics is food whether it is restaurants to eat at or delicious meals to whip up at home. I thought it would be fun to tap into the "buy" aspect of Lindsey's 'Beauty Books and Buys' and share three of my favorite kitchen gadgets!

1. Vegetable Spiralizer

By now, everyone's heard of the health hack of swapping pasta for vegetable noodles. This came across my radar several years ago, but I didn't pull the trigger on buying my own until I started dabbling in the Whole 30 food lifestyle.

I absolutely love this gadget! Setting aside the health benefits of a veggie swap, the noodles (or zoodles, when you use zucchini) that are produced look just like the advertisements. I simply spiralize two zucchini (1-2 meals depending on how hungry you are), drop them into boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. It’s that easy! Topped with pasta sauce and meatballs this is an easy and inexpensive dinner.

There are lots of options out there; I ordered this Veggetti brand version. At $11 it’s a fantastic price point and works great! Unless you plan to dabble in spiralizing on a consistent basis, a cheaper version such as the Veggetti is a perfect addition to your kitchen.

On this version you can select thick or thin noodles. There is a bit of waste produced, as you can’t grate an entire zucchini. I’d recommend using the leftover end for a salad even sliced on a sandwich! The unit is easy to clean and small enough that storage isn’t an issue. I haven’t spiralized anything other than zucchini yet, but hope to branch out soon!

2. Microplane Grater

Growing up we had a metal grater in our kitchen that could produce a course or fine size. It was arduous to use and had a large surface, meaning your grated food would go all over the place if you weren’t careful. Fast forward to several years ago when I, on a whim, picked up a Microplane brand grater at Bed Bath & Beyond. This brand seriously changed my life when it comes to cooking and I can’t even begin to explain just how much I recommend this product.

I’ve grated everything from citrus to ginger to cheeses with these graters. They are extremely easy to use and store well in your kitchen. Each grater comes with a plastic protective cover; this helps in storage as it protects from any accidental hand grazes and keeps the unit clean until it’s time to use. The products wash fairly easy; I recommend using a bristle brush to clean as some food particles can be tough to get out of the grates.

Microplane products are slightly more expensive than other grater brands, with good reason! You can mitigate your cost through those handy 20% off coupons at Bed Bath & Beyond. Amazon also sells the brand for a few dollars cheaper than retail locations.

I own a fine and a course version; options are nice depending on what you are making. Overall I like a fine grate when I am zesting citruses, and a course grate for putting fresh ginger on my meals. I recommend looking for items with the black rubber coating on the handles (it’s easier to grip). Additionally I have not tried the brand’s box graters but imagine they are excellent!

3. Crate & Barrel Magnetic Measuring Spoons

Even if you aren’t a baker and/or often can’t be bothered with exact measurements (is it just me?) a set of these magnetic measuring spoons are a kitchen must.

Thanks to the magnetic aspect, these spoons stick together in your drawer. This is an organizer’s dream, and who wants to spend time digging through your kitchen tools for a measuring spoon? The magnetic addition also does away with the need for one of those annoying rings that holds kitchen spoons together-I cannot stand those things!

My favorite part about these spoons though is that they are double sided. Nothing is worse than having to pause your cooking to wash a measuring spoon for reuse; now you have double the use while cooking! The sides are two different sizes which is great for narrow jar openings.

The white coloring is classic and it does not stain easily; I’ve had my set for about 3 years and they still look brand new. The $8 price point is pretty great and a cheap investment for something that will last for ages! Find the spoons here or in Crate & Barrel stores in the kitchen gadget section.

Logan can be found blogging at www.sageserendipity.com and on twitter and Instagram under @loganmer.