Ever since my mom sliced part of her thumb off on a mandoline, she uses one of those cheap, flexible, flat rubber jar openers to do vegetables. It grips well and protects your fingers.

This is an old trick. My mom and aunt used popcorn to cushion my uncle's care packages when he was in Vietnam. They'd bake things and pack them with popcorn in coffee cans. (Yay for re-purposable p...