I'm married to a scientist, so that fact that I haven't thought of this until now is kind of embarrassing. I currently have a 1000ml Pyrex beaker (well, technically a flask) that I brought home from a wedding. (The bride and groom — also scientists — used them as flower vases at the reception.) I'd been using it as a vase, too, when suddenly it dawned on me. These are actually perfect prep tools for cooking! They're non-porous, heat-, cold-, and crack-resistant, have easy-to-read measurements on the side, and a spout for pouring. So why aren't more people using them in the kitchen? Here are 3 reasons why we should all start: 

How do you organize your kitchen linens? If I'm being honest, I'll admit my system is a little haphazard. I have cloth napkins in a pile at the end of the kitchen counter, while my tea towels and wash clothes are stacked in one of the cabinets — and quite messily, I might add! I like this idea much better. Keeping everything in a basket is so much nicer and neater. I also like seeing the colors and patterns peeking out!

I am so obsessed with whisks. I have, at last count, seven whisks — including one spiral sauce whisk that is still buried in our moving boxes and I miss rather desperately. I use my whisks of varied sizes and shapes all the time for dressings, sauces, and yes, puddings, so this plethora of wire is not just for show. I'm always looking for an excuse to buy a new whisk, and so this incredibly clever design caught my eye — do you see what it does? 

Q: I have an All-Clad, Stainless Nonstick 10" frypan. I got it with the intention of cooking without using fats/oils, however, every time I make my beloved scrambled eggs, they stick! What's up with that? 

Q: I was just gifted the Paderno vegetable slicer. So far I've just made zucchini pasta (great for texture without the carbs). Does anyone have any other suggestions  or recipes for using this tool?

Sent by Gina

The best small kitchen storage ideas are always about the details. You may only have one wall to work with, and only room for one small cart or shelf against that wall. So why not make it really stand out? By painting the wall directly behind this cart a dark blue-black, this storage solution suddenly becomes a stylish tableau all on its own. The colorful painting only adds to the charm.

Item: Vitamix 32-Ounce Dry Grains Container
Price: $144.00
Overall Impression: Not essential but extremely useful

A Vitamix is a hefty (yet worthy!) investment and if you've taken the plunge, you might now be wondering whether you really need to spend more on an additional Dry Grains Container. How different is it from the Vitamix's Standard/Wet Blade Container? Here's what we found... 

As if you need another reason to use a muffin pan besides, well, just making muffins! That should be good enough, we know. But we like it when our kitchen tools do double duty, and it turns out, the ol' muffin pan is quite versatile! Here are 10 other ways you can put it to good use in your kitchen:

Our four-legged friends may be happy to eat whatever food falls on the floor, but we know they deserve something a little better! Have you ever made homemade dog biscuits or pet treats? You may be perfectly happy baking them in the oven, but if not, you could always try this Pet Treat Maker from Holstein. It looks like a panini press or sandwich maker, but it presses out dog biscuits instead. (And yes, they're bone- and- paw-shaped!) 

Your parents may have slipped the occasional note or doodle into your lunch bag, but graphic designer David LaFerriere has taken it one step further, adding a new surprise drawing to his kids' sandwich bags nearly every day. He started snapping photos of the mini works of art and now has a Flickr set boasting over 1,100 photos!