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"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31
I love to cook for other people. I love people gathered around my table enjoying themselves; laughing and smiling. Good food just speaks to your soul and it's even better when it's eaten with good people at your table. One of the things we provide to our pilots and employees during our busy season in the summer is a home-cooked meal every evening. After a long hot day of crop spraying, it's nice to have everyone gather together to thank the Lord for another safe and prosperous day and to enjoy a nice meal.
I learned to cook growing up on our family farm. While my parents and brother were out working in the field, I was at home doing laundry and making dinner. I just wasn't in to driving tractors so my contribution was to take care of the home and everyone's bellies. One of my mom's favorite stories is about the time they came home to a true Southern meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I had gotten my Aunt Myrle to help me cut up the chicken and then I breaded and pan fried the chicken just like my Dad's family did every Sunday. I was only 10 years old! My Dad's family hailed from Southern Illinois and enjoyed Southern-style meals. With nine kids, a farm, animals and a big garden, there was always plenty of food on the table! I learned a lot about cooking and canning and gardening from my Dad's family. And my Mom's Mom always had a pie or cookies on hand. Grandma made the most amazing Lemon Meringue Pie!
So while I love to cook, it's only natural that I love kitchen tools, cookware and gadgets. Before I was married I built and owned my own home. I had a beautiful custom kitchen that I absolutely LOVED. It was well stocked with kitchen tools and the like. And then my husband moved in with his stuff. And then I had a bridal shower and wedding. SO MUCH STUFF! But the shower and wedding really gave me the opportunity to go through my things, decide what was the best to keep and then donate the rest. Then after selling my home and moving to our hangar home, it gave me another opportunity to narrow down exactly what was needed and useful. So here is my list of what I use all the time in my kitchen that I think you will love to!
I learned to cook growing up on our family farm. While my parents and brother were out working in the field, I was at home doing laundry and making dinner. I just wasn't in to driving tractors so my contribution was to take care of the home and everyone's bellies. One of my mom's favorite stories is about the time they came home to a true Southern meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I had gotten my Aunt Myrle to help me cut up the chicken and then I breaded and pan fried the chicken just like my Dad's family did every Sunday. I was only 10 years old! My Dad's family hailed from Southern Illinois and enjoyed Southern-style meals. With nine kids, a farm, animals and a big garden, there was always plenty of food on the table! I learned a lot about cooking and canning and gardening from my Dad's family. And my Mom's Mom always had a pie or cookies on hand. Grandma made the most amazing Lemon Meringue Pie!
So while I love to cook, it's only natural that I love kitchen tools, cookware and gadgets. Before I was married I built and owned my own home. I had a beautiful custom kitchen that I absolutely LOVED. It was well stocked with kitchen tools and the like. And then my husband moved in with his stuff. And then I had a bridal shower and wedding. SO MUCH STUFF! But the shower and wedding really gave me the opportunity to go through my things, decide what was the best to keep and then donate the rest. Then after selling my home and moving to our hangar home, it gave me another opportunity to narrow down exactly what was needed and useful. So here is my list of what I use all the time in my kitchen that I think you will love to!
*Disclaimer: Yes. I am a Pampered Chef consultant. Yes I will make a small commission from anything you purchase from my site if you choose to do so. I am recommending these products because I believe that they are high quality and very functional. I really like many Pampered Chef products and use them everyday in my home. If you'd like to save money, host a party with your fave consultant and get lots of freebies and 1/2 price items. I think they have one of the best host rewards programs in the industry.
1. KitchenAid Stand Mixer
So there was a time in my life that I didn't feel like it was necessary to spend the money on a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. But then I received one as a Christmas present. I was mistaken. If you don't have one, you need one. I know they are pricey, but if you're getting married or your family wants to know what you'd like as a gift, this is a nice suggestion. So why do you need one? Well because it looks cool on the counter for one. Have you seen how many color options there are?! This makes it even more difficult to decide which one to get! I have this cobalt blue one and it looks beautiful.No, but seriously, this unit does so many things. It makes baking a breeze. Whipped cream? Meringue? SO EASY. Remember back in the day when you had to hold your little hand mixer up for like 10 minutes "Until Peaks Form?" Ya. Forget it. While this is whipping up sumptuous cloudy peaks of whipped goodness you can be working on the rest of the ingredients. Or yelling at your kids. Whatever! It also comes with so many attachments. You could literally use this every day for something. Just the other night I made these PF Chang Chicken Lettuce wraps and I used my meat grinder attachment to grind the chicken. It was so easy and the meal was a hit!
2. A great set of knives
A nice set of sharp knives is a must. There are good quality knives for every budget. I have everything from Cutco to dollar store knives in my kitchen. For butchering and chopping get something high quality that you can keep sharpened and will last. Cutco is at the high end of the price range and offers a lifetime warranty and replacement. You definitely can't go wrong with Cutco. I also love my Pampered Chef knife block that I purchased at a discount for hosting a party. It's a very nice set and they are holding up very well. In addition, Pampered Chef has a great set of coated knives that I absolutely love. I use them everyday to cut up strawberries for the little man or to chop a veggie. They are super sharp and come with nice sheaths.
3. Cutting Boards
Since you're getting some great knives, be sure to get some nice cutting boards as well. I use these flexible cutting mats from Pampered Chef all. the. time. They are so handy and come in two sizes. I also love to gift these mats and the coated knife set - it's something that anyone can use! I also have an assortment of poly cutting boards from PC. Theirs are nice because they come with rubber grip edges to keep the board in place and they clean up nicely. I don't tend to use my wooden boards for cutting but they make beautiful display pieces or charcuterie boards!
4. Cast Iron
Cast iron is perfect for cooking steaks, sautéing veggies, grilling, broiling and probably a million other things! I love doing a nice filet mignon with sautéed mushrooms and onions. All the flavor from the pan is cooked right into the veggies for added flavor. A couple summers ago I made a stuffed meatloaf and smoked it on the Big Green Egg. The guys still talk about it! The best and most well known brand is Lodge and it's sold most everywhere. Look for an outlet store to find some great deals!
5. Serving Dishes
I love a beautiful or unique serving dish for entertaining. Displaying the food you lovingly prepared is part of the fun. Mix and match to create your own style or a theme. I like to combine a nice white porcelain dish with a wood charcueterie board and then add in my decorations. I also have several pieces of Fiestaware in cobalt blue that I really love. They look lovely for any setting and the large platter works really well as a charcueterie board as well.
6. Tea Kettle/Coffee Pot
I have a confession. I used to be a coffee addict. I blame it on my stint as a manager at Starbucks. What was better than free cups of caffeinated deliciousness? I was up to a pot a day until I discovered that coffee and large amounts of caffeine and I did not get along. So I made the switch to tea. And now. I'm a tea addict! So I won't get into comparing coffeemakers because I'm sure everyone has their favorite Keurig or coffee pot by now. I will tell you, though, that there is an AMAZING small appliance out there that would be an awesome addition to your kitchen or coffee bar. It was another wonderful Christmas gift from my mother and sister-in-law of course. This Cuisinart Tea Kettle is the bomb.com. It heats the tea to the perfect temp for the type of tea you are brewing. It takes all the guess work out of making the perfect cup! Oh, and, if you'd like to learn all about tea and it's amazing health benefits check out this book Cancer Hates Tea by Maria Uspenski.
7. Awesome Utensils
Don't buy the cheap spoons and spatulas at the dollar store. They're just not going to last. Invest a little bit more money into some nice pieces and you won't have to worry about the handle snapping in mid flip or dropping a heap of spaghetti on the floor because your spoon was too flimsy. Nylon, metal or bamboo are all good choices and all serve a purpose. Of course, you won't want to use metal on any of your nonstick cookware, but it's fine for cast iron or grilling. I tend to use my bamboo spoons when I'm cooking Italian. It just seems like it goes together! The OXO brand you can find at Target and other retailers has a nice lineup of quality products. Their can opener is really awesome too! Of, Pampered Chef has a great selection of high quality tools in every kind and size. I think most kitchens in America have a Mix 'n Chop - and you if don't, you need to get one! This makes chopping up and browning meat a breeze. And don't be fooled by the one being sold on Amazon. Definitely not the same!
8. Stoneware
Stoneware is great for pizzas, roasting veggies, baking or quick cooking in the microwave. The stone is great because is becomes cured and it holds its heat really well. Pampered Chef's stoneware is very popular and many of the pieces double as beautiful serving dishes as well. The pizza stone is probably one of the most popular products they sell.
9. Pots & Pans
I haven't talked about large appliances here because that's a whole different conversation! There are some really beautiful ranges out there that I'd love to put in my kitchen. I mean have you seen the range that Joanna Gaines uses on her cooking show? It's amazeballs. Click here to see a pic if you haven't seen it. But anyway, I digress. Bottom line - if you have a cooking surface of any type, I'd venture to guess you need a set of pots and pans. Now heating elements and surfaces do vary. I am a fan of gas myself because it puts out some serious heat and I feel like it cooks more evenly. The type of pans you use are also important. Some lean toward stainless steel, others toward copper, while non-stick seems to be the most popular. I've tried them all. I'm not a big fan of a stainless steel skillet because I couldn't keep it from sticking. Idk. Just me probably. But I need something easy to clean up that doesn't pull that nice breading off your perfectly coated chicken or fish. Now my stainless steel pots are awesome. I use them all of the time. I received a set for Christmas a long time ago and they're still going strong. I have a wonderful heavy-duty saucepan from Pampered Chef. And one of my most recent purchases was this set from Pampered Chef. It is non-stick and has REMOVABLE HANDLES for easy storage. How cool is that? They now have a non-stick stainless steel set which looks amazing. Definitely on my wish list!
10. Bakeware
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Pampered Chef comes in for the win again with bakeware. Their products are nice and heavy and don't get stained or warped. They have all kinds of sizes for any kind of baking you're doing. Their cooling racks are also super nice and handy for cookies and cupcakes. Don't forget about the square brownie pan if you want edges on alllll of your brownies! And they just released nice 9 x 13s with lids for those church potlucks or family get togethers! I purchased this set of modular sheet pans because they were the perfect size to take in our camper!
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11. Spices & Spice Rack
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My mother and sister-in-law always win Christmas. They are amazing gift givers. I know Christmas isn't about the gifts at all. But they put so much thought and love into everything they purchase. Things I didn't even know I needed! Like this amazing magnetic spice rack that sits on top of my stove or this super posh towel warmer. I would have never even thought of that for myself! So since my spices are on display I like to purchase them in nice glass bottles. My sister-in-law also makes her own spice mixes for a select few lucky people. She has a killer secret Italian Blend recipe that adds a very nice zip to spaghetti!
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12. A great grill or smoker
Take your kitchen outside and use your grill! It's a wonderful way to prepare most any food and you keep the heat and mess outside! I use my grill all the time in the summer and even when it gets chilly out. I have a Big Green Egg and a nice gas grill. Why do I need both you ask? Well sometimes I just don't have enough time to get the Big Green Egg going. Gas is fast and easy but it definitely gives a different flavor and requires a different technique. The Big Green Egg produces a flawless product and it's very hard to ruin anything. I had an incident smoking turkeys one Thanksgiving and thought I had completely ruined the poor birds. But lo and behold, they were black on the outside but nice and moist on the inside! Don't be intimidated by the smoker. Read some recipes and give it a whirl. Like I said - it's hard to mess it up!
13. Nice Cookbooks
Ok so I may be dating myself here, but I still love cookbooks. I love to read recipes and look at the gorgeous pictures of delectable dishes. Maybe I just have a strange food addiction?! No I don't think so. A good cookbook will tell you a story about the chef and leave you hungry. They also look lovely in your kitchen and gives it a nice down-to-earth comfort feeling. Like what you get at Grandma's. I'm a Joanna Gaines fan so of course I have her books and The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum is a very informative and thorough book on baking bread. It's a nice sturdy book that looks nice on display as well.