I'm Back and Ready to Celebrate!
We have finally moved in to our house. It has been a whirlwind two weeks of moving across the country. Until today I haven’t had any access to the internet (thank goodness for being able to schedule automatic blog posts!), which is why I haven’t responded to your comments and been commenting on any blogs lately. But I promise to get to them soon. After I lay on my couch for a while and detox from all the unpacking, that is.
Enough complaining, what I really want to do today is celebrate! Celebrate that my kitchen is unpacked, that I have actually been cooking and baking again (wahoo!) and celebrate that I am back to blogging.
If there is one thing that unpacking, which I loathe, has done, it has made me realize what things I love. Especially kitchen things. I was practically kissing and hugging my citrus reamer, silpat liners and perfect white platters just from having been without them for so long.
In honor of being back in the blogging world after a crazy move (did I mention that all four of my kids came down with strep throat and ear infections??), I am hereby giving a shout out for two of the kitchen things I unpacked this week that I can’t live without…and I am giving away one of each to two lucky winners!
Here they are (drum roll, please):
Silpat Liner: oh my, I am not exaggerating (and if you know me, you know I love to exaggerate) when I say I use these babies at least three times a week (I have two of them). I line my baking sheets with them every time I make cookies, breadsticks, french bread, rolls, etc. I love them. A lot. They are absolutely nonstick and make clean up a cinch. I’m giving away one of these beauties.
Digital Scale (Salter): If you haven’t been converted to weighing your ingredients, now is the time. For any recipe that gives weights and measures, I ALWAYS weigh. It is accurate and precise and provides practically no-fail results. Plus it makes me feel very culinarily scientific. I have a Salter Digital Scale. I heart it. I’m giving away one just like mine!
Leave me a comment telling me your favorite kitchen item (or just saying hello) and your email address and I’ll enter you in the contest. Only one entry per person, please. Contest ends Friday at 6:00 pm CST. I’ll announce the winners that evening.
By the way, this contest isn’t sponsored by any company. Salter and Silpat (Demarle) have no idea who I am and would probably be embarrassed to know I am waxing poetic about their products. It is simply because I love the products and want to share them with you. Okay, bye now.
I love my cookie scoop! I use it for several different things!
I love kitchen gadgets in general. But if I have to pick one, I really like my garlic press. Mostly because I love garlic.
BChatelain99@hotmail.com
Great giveaways! I love my Viking whisk… it really works better than any others I’ve tried.
i love the slip mats too! and my all time favorite kitchen tool is my kitchen aid.
jacquelynbateman@hotmail.com
I absolutely love my large wooden spoon.
megan.graham4@gmail.com
I love my thin plastic cutting boards from Ikea. They were so cheap but are so incredibly useful. They bend. So, once you are done cutting, you just transport it right to the pot. They also clean so easily.
I love my crockpot. I always feel on top of my game when I have dinner going early. Thanks, Danell
mdnaef@centurytel.net
Welcome back! I’m glad that you got all moved in and unpacked, that is definitely not an easy feat. My favorite kitchen tool is my knives. I use them several times a day and can’t seem to cook anything without them!
Mel,
I’m so glad you’re all moved in! I’m so sorry about the sick kids. I know all about that, except I wasn’t in the middle of a move! I wish we could have seen you when you came down for the temple open house. We live only a few minutes away! Now I guess I’ll have to come to Camille’s house to see you! Thanks so much for your blog. You save me! I have your sweet and spicy chicken in the crockpot right now! I share your blog with everyone! My favorite kitchen tool right now is my Magic Bullet. I love that thing. I freeze bananas and every morning I pour a cup of milk with a little ovaltine and toss in a banana for an amazing chocolate banana milkshake. Sorry for the long post! Love ya! Melissa mnhobson@hotmail.com
Hmm I have so many, I love my kitchen aid lately!
I love my crockpot because it is a sassy red and looks so cute on my counter when it’s on. And I also love my cutco knife set. I feel like a professional chef when I use them…which I couldn’t be further from. The trick is to not cutco off your finger. 🙂
I love my bosch and couldn’t live without it!! tdelekhan@hotmail.com
I love my kitchen aid mixer!!
Csprovbs3130@aol.com
Christi
crap i have a lot of competition…hmm my favorite thing in the kitchen is my WOK ..I cook with it every day and cook endless maels with it..it is my baby!!!
you know my email:)
343 comments! Come on Mel I can’t compete with this! 🙂 Okay my favorite kitchen appliance still has to be my crockpot because nothing is better than something cooking itself all day! My second favorite is probably my kitchenaid mixer (don’t judge- I know you are partial to your bosch!
My favorite kitchen item would have to be my Cutco scissors. Those things can cut a penny in half (no joke)!
Great blog – doable, but not ordinary recipes. My fav kitchen item… my vitamix or my kitchen aid… may be a tie.
mychaelann (at) yahoo.com
So glad the move is settling down for you– sorry you had so much sickness! Hope you are all feeling better. As for the kitchen item I cannot live without it would have to be my pampered chef garlic press. I use it many times each week and it makes me smile every single time I use it!
michhill@gmail.com
I used to work at Williams-Sonoma, so I have lots of fun toys in the kitchen, but my favorite is probably my ceramic vegetable peeler. No rusting. Woo-hoo!
mspimama(at)gmail(dot)com
I can think of quite a few kitchen gadgets I’d like to have. But my favorite that I own is probably my Kitchenaid. Everything is a lot easier with that!
I love my mini muffin pan from pampered chef and I’m lazy by nature and I am completely in love with my kitchen aid. I love your blog, it’s always been one of my favorites. Your awesome, congrats on the big move!
Brit
bhansen12007@yahoo.com
My Kitchen Aid, hands down!!! lovesjunkmail @ yahoo.com
I too share your love for silpats. I have a scale but not a digital one. That would be fabulous.
Thanks for sharing,
Beth
bblascovich@yahoo.com
My favorite kitchen item…my Kitchenaid stand mixer. I wouldn’t make half the recipes I do if I didn’t have it. In fact, I just made cookies with it this afternoon!
sarandipity9702 at yahoo dot com
The two giveaways are on my wish list! I can’t live without my Bosch. candacefielding(at)gmail(dot)com.
Glad you made it across country safe! Been enjoying your recipes all summer.
I LOVE my little plastic cutting board. So easy to use, and clean!
har06033@byui.edu
Jessica
dugnbec at hotmail dot com
I guess I want to win something because I need to discover kitchen gadget love for myself. I’m looking around my kitchen trying to think of an item I wouldn’t want to live without.
I really love my juice pitchers. They are plastic and they have a plunger feature for mashing and mixing the juice. I still use the two I have, even though both of them have broken handles, because I can’t find new ones anywhere. They’re not Pampered Chef, although I know they sell something similar.
Welcome back, Mel. So you already know that I love the recipes on your blog. Those are my favorite thing to look at in the kitchen — just turn the computer around and I have the recipes at my finger tips in the kitchen. 2nd favorite is my boys standing on the stool helping me. 3rd and more what you’re looking for with this comment is my Pampered Chef slicer (mulitple blades, cleans up in a flash, and is always sharp). hecks@comcast.net (you know that) ;o)
Man there are a lot of posts!!! My favorite kitchen appliance is no doubt my dish washer!! There are many things I love, but I don’t think I can live without my dishwasher.
My favorite kitchen item is my kitchen aid. Without it I would be lost!
Cheralyn
cherchristensen@yahoo.com
Welcome back! I love my crock pot and my 10 cup blender with smoothie spout!
jennaconsolo@hotmail.com
I love my food processor, It’s served me well for almost 6 years, the bowl is finally cracking and I’m shopping for a new one. I can’t imagine living without one!
I love having you as my accessory!! My family has benefited from your recipes!!!
smurfe101@hotmail.com
I would love one of those gifts. I have neither and I am sure I could say they are my favorite kitchen tools.
sannarb@gmail.com
I love your blog!! i check it all the time and have tried LOTS of great recipes for here. Thanks for all the great ideas! My favorite kitchen tool is my Blendtec bender!
melissa@basua.com
My Kitchen Aid- hands down! Thanks for the sharing such yummy recipes!
Melanie! I miss you already!!! I’m sooo bummed we didn’t get to hang out one last time! Darn it!! Anyway, I have a bench scraper I use to scrape the fondant off my countertop and also to smooth the edges of buttercream cakes. I also love my pizza cutter because it can cut…pizza, fondant, sandwiches, etc, etc!!
My favorite kitchen item are the silicone spatulas (the ones that Rachael Ray has dubbed ‘spoonula’). I use them for just about everything in the kitchen. Oh, and all my cupcake cookbooks are also my favorite. My email is crownprincess at gmail dot com.
I have to say I am loving my new bosch. Not only does it make the best bread, but it shreds my chicken for me. Note: It has to be piping hot for this to work with the wisk. beckypulsipher(at)gmail(dot)com
My most used, most loved item is a good chef’s knife. I have even bought one for my mom and sister as Christmas gifts. After growing up with dull, bad knives, I never knew that a knife could make such a huge impact on my life in the kitchen!
My husband is still in school so I don’t really have any nifty kitchen tools yet. I do have a long list that I would like someday though =) What a neat post. So glad you all made it safely and that you are starting to get settled in. Have fun making new friends. I made and posted your lemon chicken while you were away. It was delicious of course!
Thanks Melanie!
I love my spatulas. I know they are so basic but I couldn’t bake without them. I just love knowing that I used every last drop of dough. I love your blog!
nataliemfrancis@gmail.com
Definately my Kitchen Aid mixer. I use it almost daily.
Enjoy your new neighborhood!
My favorite item is my nonstick rubber bottom steel mixing bowl. Love it!
Welcome back and good to hear the move went well!
Ok, so my fave kitchen must is you and your boys. We have some good memories in your kitchen. :] amy_gunnell_6@hotmail.com