A Few Of My Favorites: Kitchen Edition

in ,

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and use a fair number of tools to pull off 30-minute dinners, all day bake-a-thons, breakfasts on the run and celebratory shin-digs.

These made the cut:

  1. Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder, Stainless Steel. Because, coffee first. Grind it fresh people, it’s soooo much better. A burr grinder allows you to adjust the coarseness of the grind for your preferred brewing technique. Size DOES matter.

  2. Global MinoSharp 3 Knife Sharpener in Grey/Black. I like my coffee black, and my Wusthof knives SHARP. It’s not totally foolproof but it’s what the knife sharpening guy at Sur la Table uses...

  3. Pampered Chef Silicone Oven Mitts. Hands down (heehee) the best oven mitts out there. Donate your “hot pads” to Goodwill. These are all you need.

  4. Pampered Chef Large Bar Pan. Okay, I have never been a PC dealer but I can seriously give testimony to these stoneware pans. I love baking on them--roasted vegetables, cookies, salmon, you name it. You only wash with hot water, seasoning it over time like cast iron.

  5. Le Creuset Signature Flame Oval French Oven. Like a little black dress, you can rely on this sexy beast for any occasion--braise your beef and caramelize your shallots, simmer your stew and roast your bird. C’est nécessité!

What are some of YOUR favorite things?

7/100

Mrs. Meyers

I am obsessed with my sample of Caldrea's dishwashing liquid that sports the scent "Ginger Pomelo".  Of course it's by the same company that created my favorite Mrs. Meyers Clean Day products. Although I thought that Mrs. Meyers was already a bit of a "designer" cleaning product that only sometimes will I splurge on, Caldrea is the high end line. Seriously? Yes. And I'm hooked. Not only do these companies have beautifully designed labels, they have sweet smelling scents. Ginger Pomelo is grapefruit, Asian ginger and and sweet basil. I want to wear this smell. It makes me so happy! Former blue chip marketing exec Monica Nassif pays homage to her mom, Thelma Meyer in this fabulous midwest success story. Celebrating the season, Mrs. Meyers is offering an Iowa Pine Holiday Hand Care and Candle Set. You betcha! A female owned business with ties to Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, this entrepreneurial endeavor is a great inspiration.

Breakfast Nook

I guess I was on holiday most of August. Miss me? After popular demand (from my mom) I decided to share the images of my mini remodel. Unfortunately, I must have archived my photos of the kitchen as it was when we bought it. Grrr. It's so nice to have Before and Afters. I've held off long enough though and am sharing now. The paint is Decorator White, Premium by Behr and the table is from IKEA. This will have to do until I inherit a small fortune and can afford a real Saarinen. Sigh.

Our kitchen still sports a rockin' 80's tract home decor--complete with oak cabinets and (now) crumbling brown grout and oatmeal colored tile--but this little upgrade will inspire the rest of the re-do at a later date. In the meantime, I'm pleased as punch. I love this happy place and the boys eat breakfast there everyday while I make their lunches. Yay!

Special thanks to my dad for spending many a weekend building this out....