Kitchen Gadgets that make food fun and luxurious!!!

Well, maybe not luxurious, hehehe!  But I like to have some fun in the kitchen with food preparation.  Some food prep utensils make me feel like I have a state of the art kitchen, which I do not!   My latest find was a small Peugeot Salt Grinder and some fancy coarse salt from the mediterranean.  I already had a large Peugeot Pepper Grinder that I just LOVE to give a few twists and a shake to anything I'm cheffing up! 

What are your favorite kitchen tools of the trade that help you make cooking your healthy meal more fun?

I don't know how I got a long without my Silpat Mat. I no longer have to grease a pan for  everything that I cook or bake when I use it. Nothing burns and it cleans up easily in a soapy sink. For perfectly shaped and uniform cookies or for filling muffin tins with no mess I love my mini ice cream scoop. The little lever pops out a perfectly measured amount without me getting my fingers in the dough. I love finding new gadgets and gizmos to play in the kitchen with!

I am so excited - just today I bought a red silicon steamer! This will replace the foldy metal one that I hate - so hard to clean and always gets bent out of shape.

What is a submersion blender???? I don't know what it is but I'm sure I will want one once someone tells me... EDIT: DOH! I just googled submersion blender and turns out I got one for Christmas - I just didn't know what it was called! Yes, they are great...

My can opener! Ha! Just kidding, but it is pretty handy.

I have this one particular bamboo spatula that I use every time I make scrambled eggs. It was part of a wok set that I bought years ago. My set of IKEA knives are pretty cool.

I love my toaster oven, slow cooker, food processor, GF grill, Belgian waffle-maker, cast iron skillets, and double boiler for pasta and Old Bay shrimp. Oh, and least I forget, my stoneware pizza round (everything I put on it bakes to perfection!).

Things on my wish list: a grill press, a can collander, an Xpress 101 (saw it advertised on a tv infomercial), and a GF rotisserie oven.

*** NOT ADVERTISEMENT!!!***
(just thought I would get that out of the way, haha)

I love my Panda Bear Skillet-->  http://www.fredflare.com/customer/product.php ?productid=3361&cat=316

And my Froggie Spatula--> http://www.fredflare.com/customer/product.php ?productid=3353&cat=316

AAAAnd my Snoopy Snow-Cone machine. Had one as a little Kid, and Its the Exsact same one! Amazing! (the little snow man dude is my fave...)-->
http://www.fredflare.com/customer/product.php ?productid=2859&cat=316

I know this is a super simple tool, but I LOVE my Orange Scorer.  That thing is a freakin life saver.  I absolutely hate getting orange peeling under my nails and it totally prevents it.  I also think the the rice cooker is a life saver.  I cannot cook rice on a stove.  For some unknown it always messes up.  So, the rice cooker has helped tremendously!  I also really love these small glass bowls that I got from pampered chef.  It comes in a set of 6 with plastic lids.  They have measurments right on the bowl too.  They work great in place of ramikins especially for molten chocolate lava cakes (soooo bad for you! but oh so yummy!).  Oh and I love my stoneware round baking stone.  I cook everything on it!

I need to get a rice cooker.  I have always sort of scoffed at them because they are such a one-purpose item but I have the worst time trying to make rice on the stove.

I love my pink Cook for the Cure Kitchenaid Mixer!!!  I use it for everything.  I want a food processor really bad though.  I'm a kitchen utensils conosseur.

A Food Processor is a good investment, especially if you get one like a Cuisinart that has attachments for slicing, grating, etc.  If you've ever grated your knuckle on a box grater you can appreciate the ease of a Cuisinart grating blade! Its especially great for things like cheese (which I find cumbersome to grate.)  It makes good dough as well! I make pizza dough in my food processor instead of my stand mixer because I prefer it for smaller batches.

I have never desired to have an immersion blender myself, looks like many of us either love them or hate them.  I'm not into smoothies at all, so that's probably the reason.  I would use one to smooth out something like cream of broccoli soup or something, but instead I just leave the chunks alone.

I think I am going to investigate and research food processors.  I bought a small 3 cup processor but that thing is worthless.  About ten years ago, I got a nice large food processor as a Christmas present at our work and for some reason, I regifted it as a wedding present for a friend who got married.  I have no idea why I let it go, I love to cook.  I think I would use it for prep/chop work the most, or blending together dough or something like that.

On a side note, I purchased a set of two Santoku Knives from Calphalon and just now started using them.  They ROCK!!  Slices with ease and precision!!  I hate my old dull knives now!!!

shnitzel

I just saw that Xpress 101  today and watched that whole 30min ad....lol

I wanted one too but $40...I was not willing to spend(plus the $15 shipping.)  It said they send you 2 plus a few other handy little utensils to use with it.  I wish they would just sell me one for $20.

- CUTCO KNIVES (they cut through ANYTHING & EVERYTHING - even PENNIES!)

- Broiler (super easy for veggies & meat)

- Steamer (enough said!)

- Wok 

- Can Opener (otherwise, opening a can would be rather difficult?!) ha ha. 

* I don't really have anything too fancy other than good ol' arm power to CHOP up all my veggies! :)