Friday faves--the gadget edition

It's been a long time since I've done a favorites entry. I've found lots of things to love in the last few months, but I thought today I'd concentrate on my favorite gadgets.

More than a blender
Those of you who follow me on Facebook already know what my favoritest favorite is going to be. I obsessed about it for months. I watched videos. Read blogs. Pored over reviews. And then spent an inordinate amount of time trying to justify spending more money on a blender than I do for my monthly car payment. Thanks to QVC's Easy Pay, I was able to swing it. And guess what? It was totally, totally worth it.

I use it every single day. I make smoothies that are as smooth as milk (not even a teeny tiny piece of spinach), the creamiest mashed cauliflower I've ever had. I made soup out of nothing but red peppers, cashews and water (to die for), ice cream made out of only frozen bananas. I'm convinced this thing can help achieve world peace (seriously, maybe people are just cranky because their smoothies are chunky).

It's hard to try to convince anyone to spend that much money on anything. But if you're thinking about it, can justify the cost and are just wondering if it's worth it, consider this your enthusiastic YES IT IS.

Nooooooooooodles!
I have told y'all before that I'm not really a pasta fan. I like it OK, but it's not something I'd ever order in a restaurant (even an Italian one).

What I do like? Zucchini. One of my very favorite veggies, for sure. I had read a few recipes that featured zucchini noodles, and I was instantly intrigued. But how do you make such pretty ribbons out of a hard, green vegetable?

Zucchini noodles with avocado cream sauce. Yum!

 The first thing I tried was a mandoline slicer. I'm sure this works perfectly well for some people. But I couldn't quite get the hang of it and was left with a mushy pile of zucchini. Not at all the pretty strings for which I was hoping.

Enter the GEFU Spirelli Spiral Cutter. Coolest thing ever. You put your veggie in the little opening and twist it until perfect little noodles come out of the side. It couldn't be easier. I've seen other spiralizers that are huge and take up lots of counter space. This is small and seriously effective. One of my favorite things to do is make a salad with cucumber noodles in a sauce of vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce. So good.

Wrist Party!
Now, for my favorite non-kitchen gadget. Fitbit was another gadget I obsessed over before finally taking the plunge. Several of my friends and co-workers have one, and I wanted to join the cool kids' party. It's been a while since I've been obsessed with something that's fitness-focused. But I'm officially in love with my Fitbit. It tracks your calories burned, your steps, even your sleep.

You can add friends and keep up with their steps, too (even send them jeers or taunts). My favorite thing is that if you hit your goal for the day (which you set yourself. Mine is 10,000 steps), the Fitbit lights up and buzzes, creating, as my friend Laura calls it, a party on your wrist. It's so motivating to be able to see your goal and actually achieve it. Love.

So what are your favorite gadgets that help you stay healthy?