Helpful Tip: Onions

I have a love-hate relationship with onions. I love to cook with onions, but boy do I hate chopping them up! My eyes are ultra sensitive and tear up the second I make my first cut into an onion. My hands smell like onion for days, even when I've tried the different tricks that are supposed to work.

But, I've finally been doing something that really works for me! On Saturday, I chopped and froze 7 lbs of onions. My hands are onion-smell free and I didn't shed a tear! My method? Well, it involves the following:

• Swimming goggles
• Disposable gloves
• Vidalia Onion Chopper

Yes, you read right. I wear a snug pair of Speedo swimming goggles over my eyes to protect them from the sting of the onions. And on my hands are a pair of non-latex disposable gloves. And the Vidalia Chop Wizard? Amazing. I can chop onions so fast with that thing with a lot less hands-on time with the onions. Incidentally, I use the chopper for many things other than onions: carrots and celery for soup, diced potatoes for hashbrowns, the list goes on. 

 I'll admit, my onion chopping method may not be the most fashionable look on the block, but it's what works for me! Maybe it'll work for you too.

I have to share an almost oops that happened when I was cleaning up. I had taken off my wedding ring and set it on the counter. By the time I got done chopping all those onions, my goggles were slightly fogged. I was sweeping the onion skins and ends into the garbage and then -- you probably guessed it -- I couldn't find my ring! I was looking and feeling around for it and was starting to panic slightly. Luckily it was still in a pile of onion skins I hadn't swept into the trash yet, so Matt rescued it for me. Note to self: keep ring away from discarded materials destined for trash!!