These are a Few of My Favorite (Kitchen) Things...

I figure it is about time for another kitchen related post. I haven't posted much about my cooking adventures lately. However, my kitchen is always in action. Since I stay home, I make just about every meal from scratch. The only convenience foods we eat occasionally are cereal and Annie's Mac & Cheese or other such lunch foods. That being said, there are three kitchen appliances that have revolutionized the way I am able to prepare food for my family. I have, over the last seven and a half year of marriage been able to collect these items, one by one. So don't be intimidated, as they are also the most pricey items in my pantry. But with some saving (almost eight years!!) it can be done. :) That being said, let me introduce you to my favorite three kitchen appliances and tell you why I love them.

First up is my Kitchenaid Mixer. We received it as a wedding gift and it is still around and kickin' like the day I pulled it out of the box. I can not begin to count all of the things I have made in this. From whipped cream to cake/cookie batter, to mashed potatoes. I also received the grinder and shredder attachments, but don't really use them very often as I think they are a bit difficult to clean. I also love to make my own bread, especially artisan garlic bread (and soon sourdough after a class next month!), and this is the perfect tool as I can use the dough hook and not have to knead it at all by hand. I'd say my mixer comes out of the pantry at least four times a week, often more.

The second kitchen appliance near and dear to my kitchen heart is the Cuisinart Food Processor. I have the Pro Custom 11, which is the big boy, thanks to a great sale at Macy's a couple of years ago at Christmas time. This thing is perfect for making pizza dough, pie crust, streudel toppings, pumpkin puree, dicing veggies, or even shredding cheese. My husband has a soft spot for Costco muffins and loves to take one for a snack at work. Well, I figure that it is much less expensive, and healthy since I use whole wheat, to make my own. Using the mixer above for the batter and this food processor for the topping, I can make his favorite pumpkin muffins with a flax seed streudel topping. And I can even make my own puree with the food processor, and not have to buy canned pumpkin! This year I was able to get pie pumpkins for .10 a pound. And each pound of raw pumpkin makes about a cup of puree. So that is 10 cups of puree for a dollar, what a bargain! And for his birthday today, I made a breakfast quiche. Instead of buying the $3 roll out pie crusts, I just made my own for around .35, and I have an extra crust in the freezer because the recipe makes a top and bottom! I definately think the kitchenaid is worth it's weight in my kitchen and I pull it out of the pantry at least four times a week.

The final item in my kitchen is the newest, as we just found it last week. It is the Blendtec blender. My old blender got a crack in the bottom and was starting to leak, so we jumped when we found this Blendtec at Costco. This thing will make smoothies at the push of a button, applesauce with the skins left on for fiber, soup (heats it up and everything!), and will even grinds whole grains. SOOO, now I can fresh grind whole wheat to use in my baking! This is something I have desired to do for several years, but have not had an appliance that would do it. I have only made about 20 things in it the past week, but really love it so far and look forward to experimenting with fresh whole grain flours, soups and smoothies.

So there you have it. The three kitchen appliances that are acutally worth their weight and space in the pantry.

Fall Festivities

I love fall. I love the cool, crisp mornings and evenings, the beautiful golden hues found on trees and in the fields. The fall inspires me to get up early to make eggnog lattes for my husband, and drink hot tea every morning. My house is filled with yummy aromas because I get in the mood to bake sweet breads and muffins; And, best of all, big pots of soup that bubble away on the stove or in the crockpot all day. I like to get up with the kids and sit in front of the fireplace all snuggled together watching cartoons. I just love fall. One of the other things I love about fall is going to the pumpkin patch. We took the kids last night, and it was so much fun! We took a hay ride out the the pumpkin field where Caleb picked out way too many pumpkins and lined them up on the hay trailer. Amelia experienced her first taste of fresh plum (and ate a whole one!) and Nattie love running around the hay maze. It is great being a parent and watching my children experience the things I loved, too, as a kid. Yes, I love fall.

Two

It seems as if I should have a good excuse for the silence over the past month, but I don't. Just the normal stuff, three little kids, a husband, and a home to care for have contributed to my lack of posting. So here is a little peek into our wonderful birthday "bash" we had for Nattie. Our dear sweet girlie turned two a few weeks ago and we had a very nice evening at home celebrating as a family. It was a much welcomed change from the usual big parties we've had in the past. Daddy brought home a bouquet of balloons and I made a strawberry cake (fresh strawberry cream filling and whip ceam icing, it tasted like strawberry shortcake!). Then, we skyped with family in Oregon for the opening of her presents. It was relaxed and we had a nice, small, mess at the end. :) Nattie's birthday marks the beginning of the birthday season for our family. So now begins the marthon to Aunt Shell's birthday on New Year's with six birthdays in between. In the meantime, here is the photo documentation of the day: