I am a busy Mom, Wife, Student, Chaperone, Chauffer, Chef, Health Care Provider, and Landscaper (among other things!) who lives a very practical life. I am not interested in knick knacks, collections, jewelry, or anything else that is not 110% practical.
With that in mind, I have 5 things in my kitchen that help keep me organized and sane. They are, in no particular order:
1.
Slow Cooker – I have 4 of them. Actually, I have 3, but one is a double cooker (it’s the greatest thing!) I have at least one on the go twice a week for sure. I love making jam in my double slow cooker – peach on one side and strawberry on the other. They are great for large family functions – you can cook and mash your potatoes early in the day and then keep them warm in the slow cooker until you’re ready to eat. For kid’s birthday parties, throw in a couple packages of hot dogs and let them cook while you’re making crafts or playing games. Homemade spaghetti sauce is so simple – throw in raw ingredients at night, leave it in the fridge overnight, and then in the morning plug it in for fresh sauce at dinner time. It’s terrific for hot summer days, too – no need to turn on the oven! Man, I could go on and on – this is definitely a must have for busy moms.
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2. Crock for large utensils – I love a clean and clutter free counter, so for years I kept all of my serving spoons, potato masher, spatulas, and every other kitchen gadget in 2 large drawers that were difficult to close and tricky to open without something getting stuck. I saw a like-new crock at a thrift store, which I quickly dismissed because of counter clutter. 5 minutes later I changed my mind and I love it. I do a lot of cooking and now everything is at my fingertips by the stove. I was worried about grease and steam from cooking and if they would stay clean right beside the stove, and I’m happy to say that they do! They get used so often that there is no time for them to get grimy. It’s so handy to not have to search for an everyday utensil every time I need it.
3. Rubber spatulas – I like the spatulas with the rubber ends, not the plastic ends. They scrape bowls clean and cause very little waste. These are a simple but sound kitchen tool.
4. Bread machine – I can’t even begin to tell you how many loaves of bread I’ve made with my bread machine. Although, I must admit that I really dislike the mushroom shaped loaves with the giant hole in the middle. I have since learned to use the dough setting then put the dough into pans and bake it in the oven. And I do love the option of waking up to freshly baked bread in the morning. I have not experimented with other food stuffs in the bread machine, though the recipe book contains instructions for jams, jellies, puddings, desserts, and other tasty things. Aside from bread dough, I love pizza dough in the bread machine.
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5. Rice Steamer – a rice steamer is a terrific thing to have! Just yesterday I made rice for 8 people in about 30 minutes. This brilliant little machine steams brown, white, jasmine, basmati and wild rice to perfection. I like that I can take it with me to potlucks and not have to take up stove space and I like that I can plug it in outside on hot summer days.
These are my top 5 kitchen items – what are yours?
