Gadgets, Gizmos and Thing-a-mabobs

Have any of you recently dusted off a kitchen gadget or other appliance that you hadn't used in a year or longer? Does anyone else besides me have an entire cabinet dedicated to mostly unused, but very cool gizmos and thing-a-mabobs?

You know.... that fondue maker that looked good in the store. That french fry maker still unopened from the box. And a dozen other things that are just waiting to be utilized when you suddenly decide to become a Food Network Chef, Supergirl or Electronics Guru.

Well, every twelve months to three years, I actually do use one of those gadgets. On Sunday, I had a craving for Mexican (what else is new?). I thought it would be nice to make chicken quesadillas for Kirk on Father's Day. So I dug through the dreaded appliance cabinet. Way in the back, next to a dead fly, I found it - the quesadilla maker.


I believe my cousin gave that to me as a wedding present back in 2002. The fact that I still have it and it's not still in a moving box says something though, right?!

So I wiped the machine down - it had been at least six months or more since I last used it. I plugged it in and let it warm up. I prepared my chicken, laid out the flour tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and shredded cheese. I had my own Taco Bell assembly line going. All I was missing was a hairnet.

Everything was going fine. The first quesadilla came out good, neatly pressed. Sure some cheese oozed out of the machine but that is to be expected. Then it was time for the second quesadilla. That is when I got cocky and gluttonous.

I looked at that lonely flour tortilla and thought.... it needs more cheese, more salsa and more sour cream. So I added more, then a little more. Soon that cheese, salsa and sour cream were just pouring out all over the countertops. It was a complete mess. And what could I do? Nothing! Not until the thing was done cooking and I could unplug the messmaker.

Kirk walked in and uttered some minor profanity in his pure amazement of the chaos the device and I had created. He was really great about the incident though, helping me clean the machine and the cheezy mess that was spreading like the blob.

That's when I remembered why I don't use that damn quesadilla maker very often! It's messy, tedious and a pain to deal with. Just like that cookie shaper that I've used only once since I bought it. Just like that cheap, mini crockpot that I bought for dip - it either causes the contents inside it to be too hot or not hot enough!

Why do I get sucked into these gadgets when I hardly use them or hate myself when I do use them? They just seem so inviting, right? You walk into Dillards, Macy's or J C Penney's during holiday season and they are all lined up on colorful centerpieced tables, just begging for your attention.

How many of you have gotten sucked into buying some appliance for a family member or friend? I know I'm guilty of it. We bought my dad a smoothie maker machine and my sister-in-law a margarita maker gadget. I haven't asked them if they've used it lately because I fear that I already know the answer (they are among the cobwebs of their home, I bet).

Some gadgets are even dangerous if you're not careful. Just ask my friend Jessica Davis who got into a fight with my apple slicer before Christmas dinner, 2007. Sadly, Jess lost that battle and her poor fingers took a serious beating. Sorry Jess, I still feel bad about that every time I use the contraption! It's a good thing we had lots of wine in the house that day.

Here's the culprit that sliced my friend along with her apple:



Not all gadgets are food-related. I also have a foot spa machine that now sits among the pesticides cabinet in our spare bathroom. Before we moved to Ohio, Kirk threw out a buns-buster contraption that I bought off an infomercial (pretty sad, I know). I also have some hair-related and beauty products, like an eyebrow remover and a special curling device, that sit idle in a drawer.

Well, not every gizmo is unwanted or bad. I do use and love my garlic press and my can opener by Pampered Chef. Occasionally I will give my regular size crockpot a workout with a new recipe I want to try. The toaster and the microwave were once considered unique thing-a-mabobs too but they are now used daily in households across the world.

That goes for cell phones and music players too. I know Kirk is addicted to his Zune player. He carries it with him and plays it in his car wherever he goes. Right now the Wii game is really popular and I hear about friends getting back into shape thanks to the Wii Fit.

When it comes to gadgets, I just become excited in the same way that my daughter delights over a new toy. I see a shiny, silver mandolin slicer and I just want it to be part of my world, just like Ariel in The Little Mermaid who wanted to be a part of the human world. In fact she even sings about "thing-a-mabobs" and how attractive they seem. (Now I understand why that is one of my favorite Disney movies. She understands where I'm coming from!)

Electronics, appliances and gizmos are good for us and even fun! But I need to learn to say "No!" to some of them. I should also track how often I use them and if they really do make my life easier and more joyful. Or if they're just leaving me a cheezy mess, like that quesadilla maker.

These cool, adult toys are not going to disappear anytime soon. So I must gain the strength to keep only the useful ones and discard the ridiculous ones.

After all, I don't want my friends and family to surprise me with a gizmo-intervention one day to rid me of my gadget obsession and cluttered cabinets. I also don't want to turn into some comic book character-- Gadget Lady-- with cookie cutters for my arms and fondue sticks with chocolate drizzle for my legs. That would just be a mess.

Then I'd have to find some super-cool cleaning product and machine. Don't they have some new device that comes with the Oxi Clean product endorsed by the screaming man? Or maybe I could buy one of those robotic maids.... Or maybe that other product that someone was just telling me about....