Everyone at my house loves pasta, in all of its shapes and forms, and with dozens of different sauces and toppings. When I found this old copper colander at an estate sale, I knew it would make a perfect gift for my husband and would look great in our kitchen. Total cost -- without the apples and limes -- was under five bucks.
Ray polished it when we first got it, 4 or 5 years ago, and since then it's taken on a nice vintage look, without additional polishing. We use it to hold fresh fruits or vegetables on the counter. I've also used it as a centerpiece, by lining it with a glass bowl filled with crisp veggies and dip.
These rugged russet potatoes aren't actually potatoes at all ... they're rocks, and they've gotten more than a few laughs over the years. I found two of them at Lake Success in central California, and I swiped the other two from the the parking lot of an Anheuser Busch brewery in northern Cal. They get a lot of use in our kitchen, where we use them to hold packages of frozen chicken breasts underwater while they defrost. Total cost: nada. Usefulness-and-Fun rating: a perfect 10.
To see more terrific treasures, please visit Diane at A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words.
