Instead of doing a recipe of the week this week, I thought I might share some of my very favorite kitchen tools. These are some that I use weekly. Some of them I use for every meal. If you love to cook and don't own these tools, I encourage you to go buy these utensils for yourself!
This is my collection of must haves!! Lets get started...
First off, CAST IRON SKILLETS. I love, love, love mine! I have three different sizes. The smallest I use for biscuits and the two larger I use for anything else. I use the medium size if I am cooking for me and Jeremy and the larger if I am cooking for more than two. They're such a great tool! They do take a lot of work to keep them clean and from rusting, but it is well worth it! I use mine mostly for frying and cooking skillet potatoes and even making apple pie but you can use them for anything really. Except maybe a crepe... But who is making crepes? Not me. I made double orange glazed pork chops last night and cooked them in my large skillets. It created such a delicious crust on the pork. If you don't have a cast iron skillet... GO GET ONE! You can find them at Wal-mart so you don't have to look far!
Next on my must have list is a stand mixer. My mom gave this one to me when I got married. I have to admit, it was my favorite wedding gift! :) It has endless attachments that you can purchase from a whisk to a ravioli maker to a sausage casing attachment. My favorite attachment by far is the paddle with a rubber edge that my husband got me for Christmas. It scrapes the side of the bowl while mixing, and if you have one of these, you know that you're constantly having to stop to scrape the side of the bowl! I make bread, cookies, cakes, frostings, whipped cream and more with my Kitchen Aid mixer.
I made this next image a little larger than the rest so you could see the text on the photo and know what each individual tool is.
First, a large chefs knife is a MUST HAVE. Chopping is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen. It's just fun to me. There's all sorts of different cuts you can do. Onions are probably my favorite thing to chop. I have a full knife block and the knife pictured is my favorite.
My Pampered Chef Mix'n'Chop is my next tool. I use this one for when I am browning hamburger meat. I HATE when a dish has ground beef in it and there are large chunks. Eww. This tool allows me to not only stir the meat to keep it browning evenly but also I can press down and it breaks up the meat perfectly. You can order it on Pampered Chef's website. Trust me, it's worth it!
Whisk. I think everyone, even if you don't cook, owns a whisk. Surprisingly, I only own one whisk. I don't think I need to explain what you need it for, but trust me you need one! They are so handy and perfect for mixing small batches of stuff up.
For Christmas, Jeremy gave me my very first microplane. I would watch all the TV chefs use theirs and be so jealous. I just never got around to buying one. I didn't even have this on my list, but Jeremy just knows me so well and is such a great husband. I have used it constantly since getting it Christmas morning. You can grate lemons, limes, oranges, garlic, etc. GO GET ONE NOW! :)
My scooper is next. I LOVE this tool. It's probably top three for me. Considering that where I do my chopping is on one counter and my stove is on the other end of the kitchen, this comes in handy almost every meal. I can scoop all my chopped goodness up and transfer it to my nice hot pan without spilling everything on the floor. I bought mine at Bed Bath & Beyond.
Next up, my scoop! I actually have three different sizes of these but the medium is what's pictured here. Baking cookies is one of my favorite things to do and I use this scoop when I do. It makes the perfect size cookie. This is also pampered chef and was given to me as a wedding gift. Again, you can purchase these online.
Who likes peeling potatoes? I do. With my veggie peeler, it's a cinch! If I didn't have this tool, I would never make mashed potatoes. I'm dead serious. Actually, I would but they would always have the skin on them, which my husband hates. I also use this to peel zucchini, squash and eggplant when I am making Rylee's baby food.
Last, but certainly not least, a rubber spatula. Or, if you're Paula Deen a "rubber spatuler." I bought this spatula 2 years ago at Macy's before me and Jeremy got married. I also have the matching blue spoon. I have several spatulas, but this one is my favorite because I love blue :) Just like a whisk, I don't think I need to tell you what I use this for, but I do use it almost every meal. It's the BEST.
Those are my favorite kitchen tools. What are some of your favorites?
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