"My Favorite Things"

 

This is one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite movies! I love the sentiment behind it…focus on and enjoy the little things that bring you joy. So that is what I’m going to do in this post…focusing on kitchen tools.

One of the very first kitchen utensils that I got when Dennis and I got engaged was this paring knife. It was a gift from Elkins Hardware, where I had my gift registry set up. I didn’t grow up using good quality knives, so this Chicago knife was my first…and I was hooked. Forty-three years later, it is still one of my favorites…and my go-to every time I have something to peel. Although I don’t put wooden handles in the dishwasher, it has accidentally happened a few times over the years. So the handle is a little worse for wear, but it still cuts beautifully.

Zoom forward a few decades, and we found a Zwilling butcher knife at an estate sale and bought it for $15. We loved it so much that when Dennis found a similar one on sale online, he bought me another one…plus one for each of our girls. If it is in my knife drawer, it is the one that I grab when I need to do some chopping! Good tools are so important!

When Granny passed away, I was asked what I would like to have of hers to remember her by. Without hesitating, I asked for her Saladmaster pots and pans. When I think of Granny, it is usually of her in the kitchen, cooking. I think my love of cooking and feeding others came from her. I don’t remember when she got that set of pans, but they are probably at least 50 years old. We’ve had to replace a few handles over the years, but the pans are still as good as when they were purchased. I love a good set of stainless cookware!  They were all that I used for decades, other than a non-stick skillet for cooking eggs and some cast iron cookware.

Speaking of cast iron, I have always loved a good cast iron skillet or Dutch oven for frying. The downside is, of course, maintaining their seasoning. So a few years back I decided to splurge and get an enameled cast iron Dutch oven. It is now my favorite pot! I use it for soups/stews, deep frying, and even for baking artisan bread in. It has all of the desirable properties of cast iron, plus is easy to clean! (And I love the red color!)

These are all a few of my favorite things in my kitchen. I’ll explore a few more favorite things later on. What are some of your favorite kitchen things?