One of My Favorite Kitchen Tools

When I started this little blog I use to a post about some of my favorite things to use in my kitchen.

Those pictures were pretty horrid (like this one and this one--oh man!) but hey at least we can say that the photography has come a long ways, right!?!

But the tools you use in your kitchen are very important. And because I cook a lot I get quite picky with what I use.

It's like any job, the kitchen tools you use can make the job much easier when you are in your kitchen.

I think the tools I use in my kitchen are pretty great and it makes my day to have things around that are a benefit, but there are definitely some things I have been totally coveting.

A salad spinner is totally one of them.  As we say in our house, they are things that "we want and things that we need".  A salad spinner fit in the category of wanting but man have I been wanting one of those babies for several years now.

Mostly because we tend to eat a lot of salad at our house and I love the way it makes the lettuce so much crispier and crunchy. One of my daughters LOVES salad so it's on the table at least 4-5 times a week.  Because of that I am always rinsing the lettuce and using at least 4 paper towels each time I do, to get all the water off the lettuce. The dressing sticks so much better when all that water is off.

The folks at Zyliss gave me the opportunity to try out some of their kitchen tools and I was way excited. Of course the first thing I picked was a salad spinner. 

And man has it been wonderful.  I have completely loved it. It's amazing the inventions that make our life so much easier. I love that it has a flat top so I can stack other things on top and that I can rinse the lettuce in the bowl I use to spin it around. The kids are fascinated by it and beg to be able to use it.  Perfect! One less chore for this lady.

*I was compensated in product by the good folks at GigaSavvy but the opinions are all my own.

Pastry Cutter

I love to make pies so I searched for many years for a pastry cutter that works well.  When I found this beauty there was no turning back.  It works so well, it comes from The Pampered Chef and is awesome!

Mini Muffin Pan

I recently  purchased this and I have absolutely loved it.  It has been so much fun to try out different recipes.  It is the perfect serving size for kids and so cute.  We have tried mini brownies (with lots of different kinds of toppings) and mini cakes with frosting.  Can't wait to try more.

Bread Pans

These are my favorite, favorite bread pans.  Once I started using stones I have never gone back.  They make breads cook so evenly with yummy crusts and soft insides.  They are awesome for sweet breads also.  They can get kinda pricey but make sure you get a good brand and I think they are worth the investment.

Wheat Grinder

This is an essential item if you are wanting to bake with a lot of wheat flour.  I make a whole wheat bread for my kids, so I grind fresh flour when I am ready.  It makes making wheat bread very easy.  A great site to check these out is the Bosch Kitchen Center.

The Bosch

Boy do I use this all the time.  My mother and grandmother always used a Bosch so I have naturally used one.  It makes making breads so easy and fast.  The dough hook is awesome.  The blender that comes with it is great too.  I have never had one problem with it and I love the attachments that come with it; the slicer, shredder, grater; meat grinder; etc.  If you don't have a Kitchenaid or Bosch and are thinking about getting one, I would highly reccommend checking the Bosches out before making your purchase.  The Bosch Kitchen Center is a great place to look.

Scoops

I use these all the time.  They are so handy and makes things much less messy.  The large scoop is perfect for cupcakes and muffin batter.  The medium scoop is awesome for cookies.  The small one is just right for mini-muffin pans or small cookies for the little kids.  I think these are so helpful in the kitchen and I love to use them.