Passing the Torch

Newer isn't always better when it comes to baking gadgets...

My mom's measuring spoons, acquired many moons ago, passed on to me when I was 18.

I was almost seduced by the sparkle from a measuring spoon set at Sur la Table in Houston last weekend, drawn in by its narrow profile and inclusion of the elusive 1/8 teaspoon measure. Armed with a "$10 off your purchase" coupon, the $12.95 price tag was much easier to stomach. In my hands their shininess and heft were tempting, and the appeal of digging their slim spoons into narrow jars was almost too much. Until I remembered how much I loved the set I had at home. Lightweight yet durable, with spoons too big to fit into most of my spice jars, they served my mom well in the height of her baking days--while she was pregnant with me! ♥

A tidy little nutmeg grater, possibly as old as my mom's measuring spoons, passed on to me last weekend by the very generous Ms. Betty.

I’d been looking for an old-timey nutmeg grater for some time now, having been introduced to such a gadget by the Emeril Live show. A tiny little grater? With a cubby hole to store a nutmeg? What could be cuter?!? I was determined to find one at Sur la Table, but alas…they didn’t have any of that type (despite the salesman’s claims that he “might have seen one in the clearance bins a few days ago”). As luck would have it, I left Houston with an even better nutmeg grater than I could have hoped for: an honest-to-goodness, well-used-and-cared-for, vintage nutmeg grater from my weekend host. Thanks, Ms. Betty!

I was also lucky enough to come home on Sunday with a bunch of well-speckled bananas, and even luckier to find out that very same day that September’s Cupcake Hero theme is…BANANAS! Stay tuned to see my entry for the event hosted by Clara over at I ♥ Cuppycakes!