Always use protection

 My husband was pretty sad I kept burning my wrists with grease splatters, so he picked me up some multi sized splatter guards.

These two bad boys (Brand: Mainstays, Size: 11" and 13") are available at Wal-Mart for $6.97. I have used them several times with grease bearing products (eggs, burgers, sausage, etc). The lightweight is great at an angle to stop the grease from hitting you while you stick a utensil in to flip or stir-fry. YAY! Intend use works!

. When I cook pasta sauce, I am always stuck as I have to cook it with the lid on and the vaporized water just goes back in to the sauce. I prefer my red sauce thicker, so I like to really cook out the water. The only way to do that is to cook it down with the lid off so the water vapor can escape, however, this has a ton of cleanup because tomato sauce will pop and snap all over the stove, counter, and my wrists.  I figured I'd give this a try as a new use, and it never specifically said "grease" splatter guard, so the theory is sound.

Since the pot I was using was so small, I had to carefully balance the guard, otherwise, the handle threw the weight off and it tipped.

A little while later, I hear it start to boil and I'm investigating progress.

Ooooh, first glance, looks like mission accomplished! Let's get a little closer and see what we can see!

 BOO! The counters don't look any better than if I would have left it uncovered completely, except for that odd shaped shadow on the second picture. We all know what it looks like.  This really deflates my balloons, kids. I was 100% satisfied with this gadgetry expenditure when I only used it for what I bought it for: grease. Unfortunately, because it was advertised as a universal splatter guard, it definitely failed the universal use test. Would I buy it again? Absolutely. $6.97  is worth it for the grease pans, they are very easy to store and clean. If you do a lot of pan frying, I would suggest picking up this set and you can find a home for it even in the most cramped of kitchens.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why it's in my kitchen.