KEEPING AMERICA ON TOP: WHOM YOU KNOW CELEBRATES AMERICAN STYLE INTELLIGENCE and EXCELLENCE WITH OUR INAUGURAL COVERAGE OF JONATHAN'S SPOONS: Spouted Lazy Ladle by Jonathan's Spoons Highly Recommended by Whom You Know
Products that are handmade are usually far more spectacular than anything made in a factory. Now that it seems everything is made in China, I tend to gravitate towards things made in the USA. Especially handmade things. Now I am not sure that I would have ever thought of this when it comes to wooden spoons. However, there is a man that is really more of an artisan than anything else. He crafts the most unusual spoons as well out of Wild Cherry Wood. The Spouted Lazy Ladle is so innovative with its built-in indent that allows it to rest on the side of the pot. Plus it has a spout so not one drop can hide from you against the side of the pot. Beautifully crafted, Jonathan's Spoons are a one-of-a-kind gift.
Jonathan's Spoons Spouted Lazy Ladle is awesome! I love everything about this ladle. Not only is it hand crafted but it's beautiful. The shape is perfect. It's also light and not clunky. One of the best features about this ladle is that you can just rest it on the pot. You don't have to worry about finding a place to put the ladles or leave it in the pot. Try it once and you won't use any other again.
One of my favorite things to do in the wintertime is make soups and stews in my slow cooker. It's difficult to find the perfect ladle that gathers the perfect blend of broth and substance. I was so excited when I laid my eyes on Jonathan's spouted lazy ladle! This ladle is handcrafted from select cherry wood and is carved to give your hand the utmost comfort while using it. The "lazy" aspect of it is a niche on the neck of the spoon that allows it to rest comfortably on the edge of your pot. This is great because you don't have to worry about leaving the ladle in the pot directly or setting it down on the counter! The spout makes for easy pouring too, what a great added detail to this fabulous ladle! I can't wait for the next opportunity to show off this ladle off at my next dinner party!
One of our new favorite kitchen utensils comes from Jonathan's Spoons, handmade in America. The Spouted Lazy Ladle is our go-to tool right now. The amazing solid Cherry spoon is unlike anything we have ever used before in our kitchen. In case you didn't know, a Lazy Spoon is a spoon which rests comfortably on the edge of your pot, waiting for use. I know what you are thinking, those don't work. Well, we are here to tell you that Jonathan's Spoons live up to their promise and sit beautifully on pots and pans. Never falling in or on the ground. Now, how great is that! This spoon also features a deep ladle for easy scooping and has one spouted edge for pouring. This has to be the perfect serving spoon. The Spouted Lazy Ladle is functional and beautiful and a welcome addition to our kitchen tools. We will be using the solid cherry wood gem all winter long as we serve up or famous winter stew. Now, don't you want one too?
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All of Jonathan’s® Spoons are handcrafted in the United States in our rural Kempton Pennsylvania spoon shop and finished with food grade, non-toxic oil. I do not use any stains, varnishes or laminating process on any of my utensils, thus removing any question about safety or toxicity. The wood I use is purchased from suppliers who are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. This certification assures me the wood is coming from well managed forests and is sustainably harvested. I also contribute to the Hardwood Forestry Fund, American Forests, and the Pennsylvania Forest Association; these organizations help to protect our native forests through tree planting and educational projects. My products are perfect for the “natural” kitchen. In all aspects of my work, I seek balance; centering on function, I am most interested in creative solutions that work as well as they look and feel.
The Spoons:
Spouted Lazy Ladle® is approx. 11 ½” in length and is designed with a notch in the handle to rest comfortably on the edge of your pot, the spout is designed to reach into the corner of a pan. While using the spout to pour, your soup will always know which way to go. The Spouted Lazy Ladle® is handcrafted from select cherry wood and is available in both right and left hand.
“I love making wooden spoons. They are the simplest tools of the home, and yet remain profound; there are unlimited designs and uses to explore, and for me, this is only the beginning.”
Jonathan S. Simons
History
It all started the day I forgot to put a spoon in my lunch bag when I was working as an apprentice to a furniture maker. I took a piece of scrap wood and quickly shaped a spoon. I had majored in art and design at the University of Illinois, and wanted to create something both beautiful and functional, which led me to explore working with wood. In 1978, following my apprenticeship I worked in a canoe-seat factory in Maine. When I was laid off from my job, I wanted to work for myself. My home workshop was in the garage, and at 20 degrees below zero, it was too cold for glue to set so I could only make single piece products. That is when I remembered spoons.
After trading spoons for food, and barely surviving, I found a sales representative who helped launch my business with a whopping $6000 of sales in my first year. In 1979 I moved back to my home state, Pennsylvania, which has a milder climate and a good supply of native hardwood, began making spoons and selling them. At my first national craft show I under priced my spoons and sold out my year’s production in the first hour of the show.
My spoons have developed over the years. Originally made of uncommon spoon woods such as lilac, plum, and honeysuckle, I have since chosen to make my spoons of Pennsylvania cherry wood. This is a hardwood with handsome color and grain, durable, smooth, and strong. My utensils have a unique sense of balance and warmth because they are designed with the hand and purpose in mind. “Spoons” have become spatulas, tongs, spaghetti forks, spreaders, and more. Today I offer a natural cherry finish, or a flame-blackened finish where I embellish some spoon surfaces with flame-blackened stripes and spots and spirals.
From the start-up days of producing spoons in a chilly workshop in Maine, Jonathan’s® Spoons has grown into a successful craft business. I have a shop in rural Kempton, Pennsylvania with 12 employees helping to meet the supply needs of my wholesale and retail customers. I exhibit my work at select juried craft shows around the country, to include the Smithsonian Craft Show, American Craft Council shows, Craft Boston shows, the Philadelphia Buyer’s Market, and the New York International Gift Fair. A busy show schedule requires a lot of traveling; fortunately my lovely wife, Julia, often accompanies me. Together, we find it rewarding to share in the offering of quality American made arts and crafts.
Jonathan’s® Spoons Media Appearances (a sampling)
Online: Whom You Know!
Magazines: Everyday with Rachael Ray, Countryside, Country Living, Entrepreneur, Better Homes & Gardens Wood, O Magazine, Reader’s Digest (Dec 2005), AARP (Mar/Apr 2008), Taste of the South (Apr/May 2008), Country Home (Dec 2008), Vegetarian Times (Nov/Dec 2008), Northeast Flavor (Nov/Dec/Jan 2010/2011), early Homes (Fall/Winter 2010)
Newspapers: San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, Reading Eagle
Television: QVC, Christine Cooks, Rachael Ray Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show
Recognition and Awards
1980 Director’s Choice Award, Awarded by The Baum School of Art
1996 & 1999 Niche Award Finalist, Functional Art Category
2002 Niche Award, Flame-blackened Serving Spoon
2010 spring/fall New York International Gift Fair Sustainability Status Award -
Flame Blackened Salad Tongs
2011 spring New York International Gift Fair Sustainability Status Award-
Flame Blackened Ladle
2011 Best New Product Award/for the BeeStick™ World Tea Expo
