Fabulous Foodie Finds

Pumpkin, Apple, Spice and Everything Nice

When it comes to fall, it’s easy to focus on décor and not so much useful kitchen items to help make cooking for the holiday season ahead so much easier. Whether you’re hosting or plan to do a ton of creating in the kitchen, here are just a few items that might make your life easier.

Spice Organizer, $30.48

Autumn is typically associated with deep, warm spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and many others. And while most of these are used in baking and even seasoning meats, pulling out so many spices can clutter up your counter space quickly. And while a spice organizer isn’t exactly a genius idea, now may be a great excuse to finally get one.

Cut the clutter with this spice organizer that sits right on your countertop. See exactly what spices you need to restock and replace the bottles with ease as you go about following your recipe.

Find this and more like it at Amazon.com.

Apple Slicer, $13.88

If you’re like most home bakers, October and November are likely filled with apple recipes—crisp, pie, cobbler, tarts, you name it. And if you don’t have an apple slicer, the cutting can be extremely tedious. Not to mention hard to make each slice uniform!

This 12-blade apple slicer is perfect for quickly cutting and coring apples for snacks and baking, eliminating the amount of time designated for slicing each apple for your recipe. Stainless steel and dishwasher safe means this slicer can be used for many more seasons to come.

Find this apple slicer and more at Walmart.com.

Digital Leave-In Thermometer, $44.99

For those cooks already planning their Thanksgiving and Christmas menus, fear not when it comes to the meat. A leavein thermometer stamps out the stress of repeatedly opening the oven to check the temperature, meaning you can focus on the side dishes and your kitchen won’t feel like a Mississippi summer while hosting holiday company.

This leave-in thermometer is digital, making it easy to read at a quick glance. Be the host with the most as you let this accessory do the worrying for you with its ultra-accurate readings.

Find this thermometer and more for your kitchen at OXO.com.

Automatic Bread Maker, $129

Tired of purchasing dinner rolls from the store to serve with your delicious homemade holiday meal? A no-knead, automatic dough and bread maker is just what you need (no pun intended) to make the easier loaf of bread you’ve ever served.

Never knead another loaf with this automatic machine. Simply add the ingredients to the bowl and select what kind of loaf you want to make. This appliance stirs, kneads, proofs and bakes all in one, cutting down on the mess and the time-consuming efforts that go into a delicious loaf of homemade bread.

This Cuisinart dough and bread maker is available at Walmart.com.

Motion-Sensor Trash Can, $119.99

Go hands-free this holiday season while cooking with a motion-sensor trash can. Avoid spilling, smearing and dropping disposables while in the kitchen while also keeping trash hidden in a sleek outfit like this reciprocal.

With a simple flick or wave of your hand, foot, elbow or whatever you have available, this trash can will open its top and allow you to drop anything you have in your hand. No more worrying about lifting up the lid or stepping on a lever to open the top. Keep pets and kids out of the trash with the automatic closing lid, too!

Find this trash can and similar ones at Amazon.com.

Find this composter at HomeDepot.com.

2-Stage Compost Tumbler, $249.99

With fall comes lots of compostable waste, such as apple peels and cores, pumpkin guts and other food scraps that the dog just can’t have. If you’re looking to turn that spoil into soil, a dual chamber composter can do just that with ease.

This compost tumbler is designed to generate the most amount of compost over time. Constructed from a zinc-coated metal frame to prevent rust and a body constructed from high-impact UV-protected plastic. The optional compost cart that fits right underneath the composter makes moving your newly made compost simple, clean, and easy. The composter itself can be set up to compost the full 65 gallons at a time or to be split into two composters allowing for compost to be made while the other side is being loaded with fresh compost material, keeping a constant flow of compost from being made.

Lattice Rolling Pin, $13.99

Anyone who has made a homemade pie knows the importance of a perfectly latticed top crust. Whether it be hand-cutting strips and weaving them together or eyeballing the length and pattern of slits to pull apart for that bakery-like lattice, it’s tough.

However, this lattice rolling pin makes it a breeze to cut a perfectly even lattice pattern in your crust. Wow your guests when you tell them the pie is homemade and not from a local bakery once they lay eyes on the intricate pattern laid over the filling.