Today Heather and I (and Sawyer) are headed for Chicago where we will be attending a Blogger Summit hosted by Kenmore. As my husband and I are actually in the market for a new range/oven/stove/whatever you want to call, you know, that big device that cooks food in the kitchen, I am extra interested in hearing about stoves/ovens/ranges/cooktops.
But, like any margarita lover, I won’t mind seeing a demo of a blender while we’re at it. With tequila in it. Okay? (My twitter friend Laura tells me that consumption of alcohol is critical to staying warm — and Chicago is a snowy 18 degrees currently.)
The question they’ve asked us, as a conversation starter, that I am now asking you is this one: Do you have any unusual, practical uses for your everyday appliances?
For example, our reader Elizabeth in Chicago told us on the Rookie Moms Facebook page that she leaves the oven light on as a nightlight in case anyone in her household wanders into the kitchen during the dark hours. Others warm up blankets and teddy bears in the dryer.
Myself, I just realized that the mac and cheese I usually take to potlucks to ensure my own child will eat SOMETHING could be made more enticing if I brought it in my slow cooker. Set it on potluck table plugged in to offer warm food. (Maybe everyone already knows that and I am a late bloomer when it comes to potluck protocol.)
Another blogger who will be attending, BusyDad, demonstrates using his stick mixer as a guitar accessory.
How about you? Do you have any appliance-related tricks up your sleeve? Do you store forks in your blender? Use your waffle iron to put cool patterns in your hair?
photo: TammyGreen
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I realized from your Facebook post that I am too much of a rule follower to do anything crazy with expensive appliances!
I’ve seen lots of people on Pinterest cooking canned cinnamon rolls in waffle makers to make cinnamon waffles. And when we were selling our house, our agent recommended we put potpourri in a small crockpot to make the house smell nice for showings. Every Easter we microwave peeps for a fun science experiment.
But none of these are unusual.
I guess my trick might work at a potluck too. One with lots of booze, perhaps.
Looking forward to meeting you in Chicago!
I don’t do anything strange, but my friends run their toothbrushes through the dishwasher. Brings a whole new meaning to “cleaning” your teeth huh?
We have a spare small coffee grinder that we use to grind up spices and other random things (like Mexican hot chocolate discs). I also use a funky flower pot on my counter by the stove to hold all of my cooking utensils that I want easy access to (our place has one drawer in the kitchen. ONE!). Which also means we keep our silverware in a silverware sorter in the cabinet. We’re classy like that.
I use the dishwasher for kids toys and it is absolutely the BEST way to clean dirty keyboards (just make sure they are dry before using). I don’t think that’s very unusual though.
My husband liked to store dirty dishes in the oven, which resulted in a glass lid shattering when I unknowingly turned on the oven. Needless to say, he no longer puts dirty dishes in the oven
We also use the stove light as a nightlight.
Welcome to Chicago! Hope your flight arrived before the big snowstorm.
I threaten to put my children in the blender (on frappe’) if they don’t behave…does that count?
Back when we were first married we lived in a hundred-year-old house in London, Ontario. It had no dishwasher and a teeny kitchen sink. I’d make these huge dinners for family, then we’d take them all to the bathroom, pile them into the bathtub, squeeze a bunch of dish soap on them, then plug the bath, close the curtain, and use the shower on pure hot to fill it up. Once full, turn it off and go to bed.
Next day, drain, run warm water and do the dishes in the tub, while the other took them in towels and put away. I will admit really bad stuck on casserole pans remained until one of us would shower with it for another turn in a hot shower! Gross. But it worked.
Our garbage can lid goes into our dishwasher often.
We flush a lot of old food when we clean out the fridge (no garbage disposal).
I use the crockpot to make mulled wine or cider. Makes the house smell great – even after you turn it off, the crock and contents stay warm.
I’ve also used the dishwasher to sanitize the toddler’s toothbrush when he (inevitably) throws it on the bathroom floor… and we also stick the filters from our range hood in there on occasion. Love the garbage can tip – I’m gonna try that tonight.
We have used the stove as a dehydrator to make dried fruit, but that was a suggestion via Alton Brown.
not strange, but when I go to warm up the car, I grab my daughter’s blanket and throw it into the dryer for a few minutes. Coats are dangerous in carseats, so she gets a nice warm blanket while the car is warming up.
I like the garbage lid idea