Annette Sanchez is always looking for better ways to accomplish everyday tasks. Take the tedious job of peeling potatoes. You know the chore that causes such a mess every Thanksgiving when mashed potatoes are on the menu? It’s those peelings that clog the kitchen drain often resulting in an expensive call to the local plumber.

In order to solve this meal-prep dilelmma, San-chez, a Roseville resident, invented a gadget called the Veggie Peel that peels the potato or any other type of vegetable, while trapping the peelings in a small cyclinder-shaped cone.

“I came up with it when I was watching TV about three years ago,” Sanchez said. “I saw someone peeling something and I just thought, what an antiquated, messy way to do it.”

Sanchez said it took several attempts with lots of different prototypes before the final product was ready to market.

“I found lots of containers and tried to put it all together many times,” she said.

But Sanchez’s big break came about 1 ½ years ago when she was watching an episode of the Oprah Winfrey show that featured representatives from the QVC shopping network who put out a call to inventors.

Out of 6,000 people from throughout the country who pitched their invention to Oprah and the shopping channel, Sanchez was selected to be one of eight to appear on the Oprah show last May to demonstrate her product.

“I was really nervous before the show started,” she said. “But as soon as I got out in front of the camera, I was fine. I just presented my product.”

Sanchez said meeting Oprah was “cool.”

“After the show, she took pictures with all of us,” Sanchez said.

But being on TV with Oprah was just the beginning of her inventing career. Sanchez is currently involved promoting the Veggie Peel on QVC with various demonstrations. But the Veggie Peel is just one of several home devices Sanchez plans to market. She’s developed a company called Coast-to-Coast Connection Inc. and said the Veggie Peel is part of a product line called Hometiquette.

“I’m dedicating myself to come up with a whole line of products for people to use throughout their house,” she said. “I have a list of about 15 or more products I’ve thought about improving.”

Sanchez’s Veggie Peel features a peelings receiving chamber made of durable acrylic and a double-sided stainless steel blade for people who are either left-handed or right-handed. A lightweight rubberized easy grip handle and an easy-off cap make the Veggie Peel dishwasher safe. The Veggie Peel is currently being sold at Emigh Ace Hardware in Sacramento and on the Internet for $14.99.

So far the reviews of Sanchez’s handy appliance are good. Sanchez said she’s had calls and comments from people throughout California who are pleased with how the Veggie Peel performs.

“I even had one customer tell me how much easier it is to use for the visually impaired cook,” Sanchez said.

Marcia Garcia of Roseville said she was impressed with the professional packaging job of the Veggie Peel.

“I really love the style and design,” Garcia said. “And when I used it for the first time, I couldn’t believe how easy and simple it was to use.”

Roseville resident Brandon Williams is also impressed with how Sanchez’s invention works.

“Very impressive. I wish I had thought of it,” he said.

Carol-Costa Smith of Sacramento uses Sanchez’s appliance on a regular basis.

“It really makes throwing a salad together much easier,” Smith said.

To order the Veggie Peel, go to www.veggie-peel.com.