We all have those regrettable kitchen purchases: that really cool mortar and pestle, that sieve that doubles as something else, your grandma’s cherry pitter.  The worst part is they accumulate and like tribbles, they reproduce, clogging your storage space.  Much like the Island of Misfit Toys, I had a collection of unloved items taking up space.  Everyone  has things in their cabinets that when they prepare to downsize, you realize you had forgotten about.  You wonder why nothing fits under the kitchen island anymore.  So you decide to act.

Now you can get rid of said items the following ways: regifting, tossing, garage sale, or you can start using them again.  I had a number of these items and will share with you my decision-making process.

The cast iron skillet – I had not used mine in 15 years, so I took the time to season it properly, and now it’s my favorite item to cook steaks to perfection.  I also use it to make crunchy fried chicken.

The pasta maker – I sent this to a loving home in Boston (my daughter has given it a home).  The last time I used it was 16 years ago.

All the knifes you have stopped using – I got them sharpened and voila! They are  useful again. Of course, you may find that you didn’t need all those knives after all.

All the items you can’t recognize – Go ahead and toss them because if you don’t know what it is, you don’t know how to use it.

Questions I have for myself:

How did I get 200 kabob skewers?

Why do I have three meat pounders and seven potato peelers?

How come the needles don’t fit the meat injector?

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?

When was I at a Pampered Chef party?

Is this Corning Ware from our wedding and why have we never used it?

Have we ever used a melon baller (yes, I use it to core apples)?

Who bought this?

Are we done yet?

Why don’t we have a pie server?