5 Top Things in the Kitchen

Don’t you love finding out what everyone’s favorite things are? I always learn something new when someone posts a list like that — either I find a product that might come in handy, or I come across an idea I hadn’t considered before. Last week I was in the kitchen thinking about who knows what — when is it going to rain, this insane presidential race, how much I like Lester Holt’s voice — and then I put on my dish washing gloves and thought, “I really like these! I wonder if other people wear gloves when they wash dishes?” And, voila! Here they show up in a blog post, because I’m fancy like that.

Right after I decided to share my 5 top kitchen items with you, I came across a blog by Becky Kiser (www.beckykiser.com), who shared she was starting a link up every Friday inviting other bloggers to share their Top Things. So I’m linking up with her even though I only post on Wednesdays. 🙂 Becky shared some neat things so jump over to her site if you want to check it out.

I know you can hardly bear the suspense. Before I share these, I have to give credit for most of these items to my wonderful mom! She is always thinking of ways to make our lives easier, and I am so grateful. Thanks, Mom!

Without further adieu, my 5 top things in the kitchen are:

1.  Herb scissors.
   

   Herb scissors

   You can’t tell from the photo, but these herb scissors are the sharpest utensil I have ever come across. You could do some serious damage to your fingers if you aren’t careful. It’s like using four scissors with one handle, and the blades may as well be Ginsu knives. But WOW do they make chopping herbs easy! I always hated it when the herbs would stick to the regular old knife, but with these scissors I’m done in just a few easy snips.

2.  Standing mixer.
   

   Scarlet

   I never thought I would use a standing mixer, but it saves so much time! Who knew? I absolutely love the fact I can cream butter and sugar, or beat eggs, all while I’m doing 18 other things at the same time. Great invention. Oh — her name is Scarlet. My friend Darla has one just like this, named Ruby.

3. NutriBullet.
   

   NutriBullet

   The NutriBullet has changed our lives. I know a ton of people swear by the Vitamix, but it’s hugely expensive and I can really only stand one giant appliance hanging out on the counter (see #2). The NutriBullet is a great price point, easy to clean, light weight, and stores easily. We have made hundreds of smoothies with this, and it seems weird to say an appliance has helped us eat our vegetables but it’s TRUE. Love this thing.

   Alright … the coffee snobs need to just keep scrolling past this next one. Don’t judge. And also, don’t knock it ’til you try it.

4. 

   Genius coffee maker

   

   Genius coffee maker in action

   Genius coffee maker. We have a really nice coffee pot. It makes coffee quickly, keeps it hot — basically does all the things a coffee maker should do, and if you come to my house that is what I will use to make your coffee. But during the week I really only drink one cup of coffee per day. Hardly worth dirtying the entire pot, wouldn’t you agree? My mom found this AWESOME filter for me and I use it all the time. It works like this: Boil some water. Put the Genius Coffee Maker on top of your favorite mug. Insert a paper filter. Fill with your favorite coffee grounds, and pour your boiling water over the top! Instant coffee. (Not really instant coffee, because that’s gross, but you know what I mean.) And please notice the cute mug in the picture! Darling Daughter gave me that for Christmas and I love it. It depicts lots of things I love: my bike, books, a basket with a tiny dog, and a girl who can only pull off that outfit on a coffee mug.

5. Dish washing gloves and aprons.
   

   Apron and dish washing gloves

   I love aprons and I love my dish washing gloves. Does anyone besides me wear those anymore? When did people stop wearing aprons all the time? I’ve seen lots of cute ones out there, but some of them are just “skirt” aprons and I don’t understand the point of those. I prefer the whole apron because cooking is messy. Those gloves have saved me many times from scalding myself with hot water!

   So there you have it – my 5 Top Things in the kitchen! I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our daily lives. Now, I want to know — what are YOUR top things in the kitchen?