Contact Me

Monday, November 29, 2010

New, make-do spatula: cost is free

By the way, I made the potholder

















Where is a clean spatula when you need it?

Have you ever needed a spatula when baking and there was not a clean one in sight? Did your old one bite the dust and you have not found one you like or cannot afford to buy a new spatula? It's happened to me, and it is soooo annoying to have to wash one RIGHT NOW.  When my last spatula finally started corroding, it took me months to find this new replacement in the picture.

Light bulb moment
One day, I took the plastic lid from a large container of oats and thought the plastic should have further use. This reuse took me all of ten seconds to figure out. I took a pair of scissors and fashioned a "new spatula" from the lid. I keep several of these in a drawer for backup even though I do own two spatulas.


Kitchen scissors do the job

The whole lid from the large oatmeal box is cut into a shape that is not quite a symmetrical curve. It still works just fine.

Spatula in use
My hand looks funny at the angle at which I took the picture of my "spatula" in action. It is hard for me to hold the camera AND take a picture. I almost dropped the camera into the bowl. See how clean it gets the bowl?

To use the make-do spatula, you put your thumb on one side and hand on the other. Press your thumb slightly until the plastic just barely gives. Then, it will be slightly bowed and sturdy enough to scrape the bowl with cake dough or get the last of the pasta salad from a dish.

Mayonaisse jar scraper?
Sorry, this will not reach into mayonaisse jar!

Which lid to use
I purchase too many items, unfortunately, that have similar type lids. Any of them could be cut to form a spatula when desperate. Think: raisins, yogurt, oats, cottage cheese....the list goes on.

Your turn
Please tell me I am not the only owner of two spatulas who finds them both dirty when a spatula is the needed utensil of the moment! Aaaargh! Maddening! Don't you love "light bulb" moments?

Update: Look at my additional health warning in the comment section!

2 comments:

  1. excellent re-use! Figuring some things are worth the expense because I cook a lot, I have a gajillion spatulas just so I won't run out...but I run out anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  2. One day, my excellent spatula head came off the excellent handle...ewww, ick! (Who knew Rubbermaid was not safely constructed?) It was gross and black on the tip of the handle where it went into the head. The head was filled with black gunk. A germ factory you say? Oh,Nooooo! This was an industrial park of germ factories. I threw it in the trash and have never used another spatula that was not the one-piece kind.

    ReplyDelete

Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.