Miss Thrifty

For one reason and another I’ve ended up with nine wooden chopping boards, which works out at four-and-a-half chopping boards per member of my household. I only went out and bought one of them (the first one) but I’m a kitchenware geek - and the people who buy me presents know the way to my heart.

I doubt I’ll ever need to buy another chopping board as long as I live, because all my boards are in tip-top condition. This is what I have learned: (more…)

Sabatier makes the most wonderful knives. The metal is thick and the steel blades are strong and sturdy. Holding a Sabatier it is ten times more easy to fillet a fish, carve a roast or fanny around with baby salad vegetables.

I cherish my block of Sabatier knives, and I thought I should really bring it to your attention that the ironmongery chain Robert Dyas is currently selling  Sabatier blocks for just £24.99 - that’s less than half the standard £59.99 retail price.

For your nearest outlet, click here. Alternative you can order online; the delivery charge is £4.95.

The five knives in the block are as follows:

Homemaker Barbi has a terrific tip for keeping the contents of your salad drawer fresh. Stick a clean, dry sponge in there! The sponge absorbs the excess moisture; foods that are prone to mould and mush, such as strawberries and tomatoes, stay fresher for longer.

I love tips that are as deliciously simple as this one.

Oh frabjous day! It’s Final Clearance time at House of Fraser department stores - and there’s a bunch of Guzzini stuff on sale.

If you aren’t familiar with Guzzini: it’s an Italian design company. They make handsome plastic kitchenware, and their products tend to be either futuristic or deliciously retro in design. Like Alessi, but cheaper - and better, in my opinion. I love Guzzini. I love it even more when it’s reduced!  

I can wholeheartedly recommend the two-tone salad set (above), reduced from £20 to £16. I have this set in red, and people coo over it when they come round for dinner. (I know, I know - I’m beginning to sound like Betty Draper. I’m an emancipated female, honest.)

I also have my beady, bargain-hungry eye on the slinky jug, which is available in clear or fuchsia and has been reduced from £10 to £8: (more…)

Basil: Ants in the kitchen drove me mad last summer - until I discovered that basil is Ant Kryptonite. Buy a pot from the supermarket for £1.99 or thereabouts, put it in a bigger pot and (more…)