Why, hello there!
I know it's been forever since I posted...sorry about that! School's back in full swing and we're still plugging along!
If you know me at all, you know how much I love to be in the kitchen. Eating, cooking, baking, and laughing. The kitchen is magical. It's where strangers can become friends. An hour in the kitchen can melt away the day's stress. It's where old friends can reunite like they haven't missed a minute.
So today, instead of telling you some witty story about what's going on in my life, I'm going to share with you my top kitchen essentials. They're in no particular order, but I'd be so sad and life would be much harder without these utensils. I wasn't sure if I should post it here or on our vegan blog, but I hadn't posted here in a longer time, so here it is! But yes, we're still vegan...and loving it! (Pictures are not of my actual utensils.)
1. Garlic Press
I absolutely LOVE my garlic press! I use it almost every day and it makes dealing with garlic cloves much quicker and your hands less sticky. And maybe it's just mental, but I feel like the garlic has less of a smell, too, until you put it in the pan, that is! But really, who doesn't like the smell of garlic frying in a little bit of oil? Well, you should.
2. Wooden Spoons
I use these for absolutely everything. You can never have too many. Need to mix some thick cookie dough? Grab a wooden spoon. Need to sautee that garlic in some oil? Grab a wooden spoon. Need to mix a 1/2 gallon of Crystal Light? Grab a wooden spoon. So, you get the idea. I use them in every shape and size. Also, wooden spoons last for a long time if you get good ones and treat them right. Some of my favorite wooden spoons were handed down to me from my aunt and I've had them for over 10 years. Wooden spoons are also great for nonstick cookware. Speaking of...
3. Nonstick Pans
Depending on what I'm cooking, these can be essential. Sometimes I just don't want to worry about scrubbing the food off a non-nonstick pan. That's where these beautiful babies come in. Especially if I'm using a particularly sticky food, like marshmallows, for example.
4. Cast Iron Pans
Not to be outdone by nonstick pans, cast iron pans are just fantastic. I remember growing up my dad frying eggs in a cast iron skillet. At the time, I just thought the white part of the egg looked cool cooking against the black pan, and of course I knew the eggs tasted great, but I didn't realize the extent of how great a cast iron pan is until later in life. There's just something about food cooked in a cast iron pan that nonstick pans just can't hold a candle to. Plus, if you get a good one, they're pretty heavy, so moving the pan around can be a workout on it's on! Additionally, I love that cast iron pans can go from stove top to oven. My mother in law got me two cast iron pans for Christmas and I just adore them! To top it all off (as if you need another reason to get one!), I feel very pioneer-ish when I serve a dish out of a cast iron pan. Cornbread, a big cookie, stew, or biscuits, I feel as though I'm doing something right. And (yes, yes, I know it's time to move on), you get a little bit of extra iron in your diet from the pan. Bonus!
5. Kitchen Scale
We've had a kitchen scale for a while now, and I don't know why I ever went on without it. I love how it's so easy and quick to use. It's great for...you guessed it, measuring things out. When the cereal box says the serving size is 454 grams, what does that mean? In baking recipes especially, where you need to be precise, it lets me know I'm on the right track. Our scale converts from grams to pounds, which is nice, especially if you're trying to make an older recipe or a recipe a friend sent you from another country.
6. Salad Servers
Okay, so my salad server set looks nothing like the picture. Mine are plastic and they have a plastic interlocking piece, which is one of the reasons I love them. They can be separated to be put in the dishwasher, but then before they go into the drawer they're back together again. I love that I don't have to search through my drawer for the "other half" of my salad servers! Plus, since they are plastic, they can safely be put in the dishwasher. And I love anything that can be put in the dishwasher.
7. Measuring Spoons & Measuring Cups
I use these almost every day. The measuring cup is perfect to make your own buttermilk (milk and vinegar or lemon juice), measuring out liquid ingredients right on top of one another, and boiling a set amount of water in the microwave. The measuring spoons are also used almost every day. I use them so much that I actually have a set and a half (the "half" is a long story). One word of advice with the measuring spoons...if you're going to get some, don't get the plastic ones. The labels wear off after a while, and soon you don't know if the spoon you're holding is 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon. Which can be a problem. And permanent marker just rubs off, too, mostly on your hands. Trust me, I know. I really hope my next set will be metal with the measurements engraved on them.
8. Kitchenaid Mixer
Okay, so technically, I could get along without this, but why would I ever want to?? I use this puppy for everything - mixing bread dough, mixing cookie dough, whipping cream, making homemade icing, making cake batters, making ice cream, ...the list just goes on and on. My sister got me this mixer, and I absolutely LOVE it. It's so quiet, can mix the thick batters, doesn't overheat, has great motor power, and is just allover amazing!! (And yes, you can tell me how awesomely amazing my sisters are!! But I already know that!!!!!) Really, I love this thing. It's totally my kitchen baby. If the house was burning down and I only had time to grab a few things, this would probably make it out. All 26 pounds of it.
9. Mixing Bowls
"Hi. My name is Lori Gail, and I'm obsessed with bowls." Really and truly, you can never have too many mixing bowls. In every size and situation, mixing bowls are just so darn useful. Big ones are needed for bread dough to rise, medium ones are great for mixing most things, small ones are perfect for making spice rubs or if all your cereal bowls are in the dishwasher. Some of my favorite mixing bowls are recessed (like the picture above) and have rubber grips on the bottom. Absolutely perfect for mixing cookie dough or bread dough. I'm also currently intrigued with bowls I saw the other day...they're basically giant measuring cups (the outside is brightly colored and the inside has measurement markings and there's a pour spout and a handle).
10. Good knives
I feel as though I need to make a distinction between good knives and bad knives. Basically, bad knives are dull. They also stain, are not straight, bend, or break. But good knives are sharp and are a kitchen essential for anyone. Being in the kitchen is much more enjoyable when you have good knives that slice right down a tomato or when a bread knife leaves only a few tiny crumbs behind. Personally, I have a few good knives, but good knives are expensive, so be sure to do your research before buying.
So there you have it! I'm sure there are other things that I use every day in the kitchen, but these are some of the top contenders. Hope you has as much fun as I did!
I know it's been forever since I posted...sorry about that! School's back in full swing and we're still plugging along!
If you know me at all, you know how much I love to be in the kitchen. Eating, cooking, baking, and laughing. The kitchen is magical. It's where strangers can become friends. An hour in the kitchen can melt away the day's stress. It's where old friends can reunite like they haven't missed a minute.
So today, instead of telling you some witty story about what's going on in my life, I'm going to share with you my top kitchen essentials. They're in no particular order, but I'd be so sad and life would be much harder without these utensils. I wasn't sure if I should post it here or on our vegan blog, but I hadn't posted here in a longer time, so here it is! But yes, we're still vegan...and loving it! (Pictures are not of my actual utensils.)
1. Garlic Press
I absolutely LOVE my garlic press! I use it almost every day and it makes dealing with garlic cloves much quicker and your hands less sticky. And maybe it's just mental, but I feel like the garlic has less of a smell, too, until you put it in the pan, that is! But really, who doesn't like the smell of garlic frying in a little bit of oil? Well, you should.
2. Wooden Spoons
I use these for absolutely everything. You can never have too many. Need to mix some thick cookie dough? Grab a wooden spoon. Need to sautee that garlic in some oil? Grab a wooden spoon. Need to mix a 1/2 gallon of Crystal Light? Grab a wooden spoon. So, you get the idea. I use them in every shape and size. Also, wooden spoons last for a long time if you get good ones and treat them right. Some of my favorite wooden spoons were handed down to me from my aunt and I've had them for over 10 years. Wooden spoons are also great for nonstick cookware. Speaking of...
3. Nonstick Pans
Depending on what I'm cooking, these can be essential. Sometimes I just don't want to worry about scrubbing the food off a non-nonstick pan. That's where these beautiful babies come in. Especially if I'm using a particularly sticky food, like marshmallows, for example.
4. Cast Iron Pans
Not to be outdone by nonstick pans, cast iron pans are just fantastic. I remember growing up my dad frying eggs in a cast iron skillet. At the time, I just thought the white part of the egg looked cool cooking against the black pan, and of course I knew the eggs tasted great, but I didn't realize the extent of how great a cast iron pan is until later in life. There's just something about food cooked in a cast iron pan that nonstick pans just can't hold a candle to. Plus, if you get a good one, they're pretty heavy, so moving the pan around can be a workout on it's on! Additionally, I love that cast iron pans can go from stove top to oven. My mother in law got me two cast iron pans for Christmas and I just adore them! To top it all off (as if you need another reason to get one!), I feel very pioneer-ish when I serve a dish out of a cast iron pan. Cornbread, a big cookie, stew, or biscuits, I feel as though I'm doing something right. And (yes, yes, I know it's time to move on), you get a little bit of extra iron in your diet from the pan. Bonus!
5. Kitchen Scale
We've had a kitchen scale for a while now, and I don't know why I ever went on without it. I love how it's so easy and quick to use. It's great for...you guessed it, measuring things out. When the cereal box says the serving size is 454 grams, what does that mean? In baking recipes especially, where you need to be precise, it lets me know I'm on the right track. Our scale converts from grams to pounds, which is nice, especially if you're trying to make an older recipe or a recipe a friend sent you from another country.
6. Salad Servers
Okay, so my salad server set looks nothing like the picture. Mine are plastic and they have a plastic interlocking piece, which is one of the reasons I love them. They can be separated to be put in the dishwasher, but then before they go into the drawer they're back together again. I love that I don't have to search through my drawer for the "other half" of my salad servers! Plus, since they are plastic, they can safely be put in the dishwasher. And I love anything that can be put in the dishwasher.
7. Measuring Spoons & Measuring Cups
I use these almost every day. The measuring cup is perfect to make your own buttermilk (milk and vinegar or lemon juice), measuring out liquid ingredients right on top of one another, and boiling a set amount of water in the microwave. The measuring spoons are also used almost every day. I use them so much that I actually have a set and a half (the "half" is a long story). One word of advice with the measuring spoons...if you're going to get some, don't get the plastic ones. The labels wear off after a while, and soon you don't know if the spoon you're holding is 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon. Which can be a problem. And permanent marker just rubs off, too, mostly on your hands. Trust me, I know. I really hope my next set will be metal with the measurements engraved on them.
8. Kitchenaid Mixer
Okay, so technically, I could get along without this, but why would I ever want to?? I use this puppy for everything - mixing bread dough, mixing cookie dough, whipping cream, making homemade icing, making cake batters, making ice cream, ...the list just goes on and on. My sister got me this mixer, and I absolutely LOVE it. It's so quiet, can mix the thick batters, doesn't overheat, has great motor power, and is just allover amazing!! (And yes, you can tell me how awesomely amazing my sisters are!! But I already know that!!!!!) Really, I love this thing. It's totally my kitchen baby. If the house was burning down and I only had time to grab a few things, this would probably make it out. All 26 pounds of it.
9. Mixing Bowls
"Hi. My name is Lori Gail, and I'm obsessed with bowls." Really and truly, you can never have too many mixing bowls. In every size and situation, mixing bowls are just so darn useful. Big ones are needed for bread dough to rise, medium ones are great for mixing most things, small ones are perfect for making spice rubs or if all your cereal bowls are in the dishwasher. Some of my favorite mixing bowls are recessed (like the picture above) and have rubber grips on the bottom. Absolutely perfect for mixing cookie dough or bread dough. I'm also currently intrigued with bowls I saw the other day...they're basically giant measuring cups (the outside is brightly colored and the inside has measurement markings and there's a pour spout and a handle).
10. Good knives
I feel as though I need to make a distinction between good knives and bad knives. Basically, bad knives are dull. They also stain, are not straight, bend, or break. But good knives are sharp and are a kitchen essential for anyone. Being in the kitchen is much more enjoyable when you have good knives that slice right down a tomato or when a bread knife leaves only a few tiny crumbs behind. Personally, I have a few good knives, but good knives are expensive, so be sure to do your research before buying.
So there you have it! I'm sure there are other things that I use every day in the kitchen, but these are some of the top contenders. Hope you has as much fun as I did!
