What I can't live without.....

.....in the kitchen that is :)
Ok for the fun of it I'm going to list a the items in my kitchen that I just can't live without.  If you think of something I'm leaving out please share :)

1.  My Kitchen-Aid mixer and blender (I tried cheaper brands previously but these really kick ass :))  Next I want to get a Kitchen-Aid food processor and the pasta attachments for my mixer.

2.  Silpat ~ saves from using parchment paper and in the long run ends up being cheaper.  I love it so much I need a second one for when one is in the oven already.

3.  iPad ~ This may sound strange but I use it ALL the time.  I set it on my cookbook stand and can access my cookbooks through kindle or view recipes online.  Plus check facebook while I'm waiting for something....hee hee.....not that I ever do that I'm always super productive and wash dishes instead.   If this list was by importance I'd have to move it up to number 1!!!!

4.  Adjustable measuring cups and spoons from Pampered Chef ~ not having to keep getting different sizes out is so nice.  Plus the measuring cup is great for messy things like shortening and peanut butter.....no scraping it out.  The gadget does it all for me.  I do also love my martha stewart measuring cups.  They are one size each but they collapse down and save me space.  Which is a necessity in our tiny kitchen.

5.  Pancake Pen and ice cream scoops ~ I love the pancake pen for dispensing batter into pancake rings or to write out letters.  I bought it online from Williams-Sonoma.  The ice cream scoops (sometimes sold for cookie dough or batter but are all the same thing) are wonderful for making cookies all the same size or filling muffin pans.  Very much a time saver.  I have 3 different sizes.

6.  Electric Griddle ~ There is always too much going on and the griddle allows me to cook a lot at once and still have room on my stove top.

7.  Crock Pot ~ Really doesn't need an explanation why......being able to start dinner in the morning and its ready later rocks.  I do love my most recent one.  It has a thermometer that goes inside and you can cook until your food is the proper temperature......so a necessity for me as I'm the queen of over cooking food to be safe.

8. Fondue Pot ~  So the crock pot reminded me how much I love this.  We don't use it as often as we'd like to but we love fondue.  The Melting Pot is one of our favorite restaurants.....and since we're geographically unable to go now we enjoy it at home.  I have two of them.  An electric one and a fuel one.  I love both just for different reasons.  We also have a Raclette Grill and I love it too.....we just don't use it very much.  Adding Raclette cheese to my grocery list now :)

9. George Foreman Grill ~  I love this because I can make panini sandwiches plus grill meat.  I still have one of the original ones of these....it has to be handwashed....is way too small and is a really big pain in the booty but I'm still trying to decide which one I want instead.  Decisions take me forever....part of me wishes it would die already so I'd be forced to get a new one :).

10.  Dry erase board ~ Sounds strange I know but I have one hanging in my kitchen so I know what meals I have planned, what leftovers need used, and perishable items as well.  As long as I keep it kept up with I find I don't have to throw away a lot of food.  My fridge is always so full we'd forget what's in there if we didn't have a list.  My dream kitchen would have two fridges......one just for produce.  We go through it so quickly that I need a lot of space for it.  I go to the store a lot as it is already.



What I thought I couldn't live it out......

I used to have a bread machine.  It stopped working right......not too bad it was a wedding present so we had it for over 11 years.  I got rid of it and decided to not get a new one.  I've been plenty happy without it. I've found making my own bread is a lot more fulfilling and quite frankly tastes much better.  My family just loves my baguettes.....I'm just getting started.  Lots of new recipes I want to try.

These baguettes are so easy and very yummy as well.....I can't make them fast enough to keep up with my family.
http://steamykitchen.com/6795-no-knead-baguette-stecca.html

Willkommen :)

Welcome to my blog :)  I decided to start blogging since my poor facebook page is constantly full of dinner comments and what not.  This way I can share it all here and write as much as I want.  We'll see how this goes......I may even start a travel blog.  Since I love that too.....but since food is a much more frequent part of my life it trumps out.

Ok, in a nutshell my husband and are both foodies.  We dropped over $300 for dinner for the two of us and didn't even have the slightest bit of regret afterwards.  Instead that meal is what we compare all others to.  I'd be willing to go back to Walt Disney World just so I could eat at Victoria and Alberts again.  He enjoys (or at least does for me) watching cooking shows and the eating part.  Me however loves it all.  I'm a cookbook, gadget, and food network junkie.  Thanks for my iPad because now my books don't take up nearly as much space.  There is no hope for the kitchen.  It's entirely way too small.

Anyone that knows me well knows that food is also a weak spot for me.  I'll forever have to battle with it....and have to measure everything out.  (That is a blog in itself....)  So I'll also try to share my discoveries on how to make food delicious and healthy.  Which can be very difficult.....I mean seriously who wants bland food and salads all the time.  No one I've met!!  I also picked up a Culinary Institute of America textbook....no I'm not going to culinary school but I want to learn so much so I can be an even better cook and baker.  Cooking and baking does good things for my soul.  I just love kneading bread, crumbing butter together with flour, etc. and watching my creations finalize.  What I love the most is sharing those creations with others and enjoying them together.  The dishes on the other hand.......I really hate those!!!!

I'm going to apologize in advance I'm very much scatterbrained.  I start lots of things get distracted and don't get right back to it.  It doesn't take much for me to forget what I was doing.  So I have a lot of ideas whirling around my head that I want to write about and share.....they will most likely not be organized are done all together but thats me.
So please bear with me and enjoy all of my random thoughts :)