Raindrops on roses......

Happy Julie....

or YOU GET A CAR Oprah????

MY FAVORITE THINGS!!!!!!!

I'm feeling a little...JulieOprah today because this post will ALL about my FAVORITE things...in the kitchen!! I am an admitted GADGET GIRL and cannot resist kitchen toys...but there are certain workhorses that I CANNOT live without...and recommend them for every cook.

But first let me post a little DISCLAIMER: I am NOT, nor have I EVER been paid by ANY of these companies to use their products. I'm pretty sure they don't even know I exist! (but..HEY). This is not an ad or an attempt to sell you a single doggone thing. All opinions are my own...and take them with ALL the grains of salt. Kosher, of course!

Okay, lets get to it!! First up, is a true workhorse. It is a recent purchase, but has quickly morphed into something that I use AT LEAST 3 times a week, if not more. Ladies and Gentleman I present to you the INSTANT POT!!!

Honey, if you don't have an Instant Pot I need you to GET YO' LIFE!! Baby, this thing is NOT your Granny's pressure cooker! It is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker....it sautes, makes steel cut oatmeal in a cool 15 minutes and SO MUCH MORE!!! I made tender, juicy, fall of the bone Oxtail Stew in 35 minutes. Did you hear me? THIRTY FIVE MINUTES!! And it tasted like I had braised it for hours! And if you are one of the smartest people in the world and are a member of Amazon Prime then you can get this baby in 2 days with free shipping for less than $80!! 

Time for a dance break!

Let's keep moving!

Okay, okay...up next is another one of my favorite things. This tool is not only a time saver, but its' large size is perfect for family cooking. Best of all, its' SMART and knows how to think for itself.

No, no, no..it is NOT your very own celebrity chef!! (👀Ahem, but if you ARE looking for a chef, I happen to know one! 👀 )

No, I'm talking about the Hamilton Beach IntelliTime Slow Cooker! 

This bad boy holds 6 quarts of your favorite recipe, but my favorite feature is that I don't have to choose 8 hours on low of 4 hours on high and then make sure to pay attention to it. The IntelliTime feature allows you to just tell it when you want it ready, from 4 hours up to 12 hours later, and THAT'S IT!! You don't have to select the the temperature or anything else. It automatically figures it out for you. Oh, and don't be worried about sad, mushy food which often happens with OTHER slow cookers. Your food will be perfectly cooked, not mushy and when the time is up, it automatically switches to a KEEP WARM function. And if this is just way too much automation for you, you DO have the option of selecting HI MED and LOW temps and setting your own timer...BUT WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU DO THAT??? Again, Amazon is YOUR FRIEND here, the Prime price is only $42.50. I actually got mine at Target on sale for less than $40! 

A True American Classic

Now, while I know that we are all things portable: phones, tablets, laptops, etc. And while I have been a lifelong bibliophile, and at one point in my life the thought of NOT having a library of books in my house was unthinkable....I discovered the Kindle and my reading life was TRANSFORMED. I no longer felt like I was bound to my books! I mean, literally, I never got a library card once I became an adult because I simply couldn't fathom reading a book...and then giving it back!!! I've read Roots 8 times, ya'll!! 


That being said, having a Kindle changed my life. My reading was even MORE portable, because I wasn't carrying a, sometimes, large novel around with me (or several, because I tend to read series books), all I needed was my phone or my small Kindle. Alas, it has been several years since I have lost myself inside of a Borders Bookstore (RIP)...but I digress....

My point is, with the advent of tablets and laptops, it is so easy to purchase books, particularly cookbooks and have them everywhere. Along with all the myriad of food blogs. But I recently purchased the Whole 30 cookbook, an actual, physical hardcover cookbook..and I discovered that I LOVED having a cookbook sitting on my kitchen counter! I LOVED physically turning the pages and seeing the pictures. And while I will NEVER give up my Kindle Fire, for my kitchen, buying physical cookbooks will be my new normal.





Now, that, of course, means that you need an easy way to view these physical recipes while in the midst of actually cooking. Enter: the Oxo Good Grips Pop-up Cookbook Holder.  

Here's a pic of mine in use with my new cookbook from Gordon Ramsay:

What I love about this is the big plastic protector screen that does double duty of both protecting the pages and holding them flat. It also has a base that DOESN'T have cute little non-skid feet on them. Why is this important? If I need to set something down on the counter and I don't have a free hand, I can easily use my elbow to slide the holder out of the way. This holder also folds up flat to the width of an average book, so it stores very easy. I'm working on building my cookbook library back up, so this is going to get ALOT of use. Again: Amazon Prime. Duh. 

Oh, you wanted another dance break!! LETS GO!!

Whew! I'se tiyad!! Okay, the list of things that you could put in your kitchen are endless. Obviously pots and pans, utensils, etc. I think everyone should have an Immersion Blender, a regular blender and a food processor. My Hamilton Beach Immersion blender also has a whisk and small food processor.

WINNING! Various cutting boards are a must (plastic and wooden), as well as all the usual accouterments for cutting and stirring. 




I've got a fantastic set of Pure Komachi knives as well as various other ones (The Pioneer Woman makes a wonderful chef's knife!). Go with what works for you and fits well in your hand.  


But there is ONE item, EVERY SINGLE COOK must have!! We simply cannot exist without it! 

The Kuhn Rikon Corn Zipper

The Corn Zipper.

What? What's that you say? You don't know what a corn zipper is?? Well, how on earth do you get the kernels off the cob???? What? A knife?? PSHAW!! You NEED A Corn Zipper! Look at that happy little face on it! It WANTS to take your kernels off the cob for you!! 

GET YOU ONE!!!!!

p.s.

For real, if you don't have Amazon Prime I seriously question your commitment to society. Prime is BAE. 

Happy Shopping!!!