I can't live without...

As you can tell, I haven't been cooking very many exciting dishes lately. I am currently baking pumpkin bread though, so I'll let you know if that turns out well. I'm a bit skeptical at the moment though. Anyway, I thought it would fun to blog the kitchen items that I cannot live without (well, I CAN, and have, but I'd rather not).

First up is my red kitchenaid mixer. 

I absolutely love having a mixer. Everyone needs a nice, expensive, long-lasting kitchen item and this is the one to have. It's worth the investment and it will last a life time, so don't feel eaten up with guilt over the price. There are smaller ones than this though. This one holds about 9 cups of flour pretty effortlessly. If you don't plan on making several loaves of bread at once, then go ahead and get a smaller one if you prefer. A lot of people also wonder the difference between the Professional model and the Artisan model. From what I've read, the Artisan is more for the dessert baker and the Professional can handle the difficult bread dough. I make tons of bread, so I went with the Professional. BUT another reason I didn't go with the Artisan is because I'm fairly certain that every time I would tilt the top up, it would hit the bottom of my cabinets.

Kitchenaid Food Processor.

Ok, I went with the insanely huge red 12-cup one, which isn't necessary at all. I use it for tons of things though, but I especially love it for pastry dough.

A wood cutting board. 

Let me start by saying I DID NOT buy this brand, but I am sure it's great as well. A large wood cutting board (mine is a butcher block, so it's very thick) is essential in a kitchen. It doesn't dull your knives, and it's not a plastic board full of chemicals. You CAN put raw meat on it, but I would never do that in a million years. My board is strictly for vegetables.

Immersion blender.

Definitely not a MUST HAVE, but they sure are useful. Kitchenaid is a great brand, but I'm sure Cuisinart would be just as good (and more affordable). 

Pyrex glass storage. 

I couldn't live without these, no question. They are BPA free (even the lids), very difficult to break, freezer safe and overall awesome. My only complaint is that the lids do get a bit weak over time and they don't want to lock on as tight as they originally did. I do wash the glass part in the dishwasher, but I recommend washing the lids by hand.

A coffee grinder. 

Again, I DO NOT have this brand either. I grabbed the cheapest one I could find at the store. I use it to grind my spices, not coffee. 

Stainless steel bowls.

I don't own this brand either, again, I just grabbed the cheapest I could find. These are useful if you plan to make sauces. Almost every sauce recipe you run across will tell you to place the ingredients in a stainless steel bowl and then over boiling water. They are well worth the tiny investment.

A cast iron stockpot. 

I didn't even buy a good brand, I think this one was $30.00. They last forever and are the BEST for making soups, chili, pot roast and tons of other things. I love cast iron.

A food saver. 

I DO have this brand and it works very well. Now, if you want to seal huge quantities of meat, you might want to upgrade to something bigger. I use this to seal cheese mostly, but you can use it for a whole gaggle of different things. It comes with reusable bags, it's super tiny and convenient.

I bought mine at QVC, click HERE.

Paring knife.

I have Kitchenaid, it came with the set. I use this almost as much as my everyday knife.

Plastic wrap or aluminum foil dispenser.

I RARELY use plastic wrap, but for the rare occasions when I do, this thing makes my life so much easier. I adore this item, I mean I absolutely adore it.

I bought it at qvc, click HERE.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. If you have any kitchen items that you love, let me know! :)