Things You Should Definitely Buy At The Thrift Store If You Can: Cup Top Juicer

So, if you want to go "shopping" for something practical in my town, there are three antique/thrift stores to choose from. Other than that, there are three gift shops, a book store, a store that sells sweatshirts and t-shirts that say Vermont on them, and a country store that sells cool toys, fudge, and that dubs itself a place to buy... you guessed it: "Things That Say Vermont on Them" (that is literally on their sign!).

The good thing is, the antique/thrift stores are extremely awesome.  Two of them are the type where a bunch of vendors rent booths within. The other is your typical "lots of donated old stuff to benefit a church" place (aptly named, "Twice Blessed"). Truth be told you don't usually find what you needed at these shops (and a 40 minute drive to the nearest "big town" ensues), but if you keep an open mind, you do usually find something of use.  In fact, I've come across some very useful things, about which I thought, "Hmm... maybe I'd like to have that," paid the buck or two for it, and then threw it in the drawer.  A lot of the times, within a week of using something, I'll say "Wow! They just don't make stuff like this anymore!" (I can't tell, is that a nerd line? An old lady line? A nerdy old lady line?) And then it's part of the kitchen family.

I decided I should start letting people know about the stuff I've found in case you breeze past a similar low-priced item amidst a bunch of "junk" at a thrift store. So if you happen to see one of these at a thrift store, buy it. This thing is made of titanium steel (no it isn't) and I can tell it'll last me until I'm an actual nerdy little old lady. And as is noted on it in permanent marker, it cost me fifty cents.

It is...

A Cup Top Juicer!

All you do with this handy little thing is put it on top of of a glass and squeeze away. I can't tell you how easy juicing a lemon or lime has become since I got this thing. Before this, I was cutting lemons and limes into quarters and desperately trying to get the juice out of them, sometimes even biting them (a trick I picked up from my college roommate. You can see some stranger I found online doing this here: http://bisforbedstuy.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/img_1955.jpg. Weirder than the fact that I found that girl's picture is that if she had blonde hair she could literally BE my college roommate).

Since finding this neat little contraption, the incidence of me making salsa and guacamole has gone wayyy up. "The juice of one lime" within a recipe is no longer a taunting threat!