Bet On Dinner

Technically, I’m still missing these things, because our move-in was delayed by a week. But soon we’ll be reunited – the truck is coming on Saturday! (I also miss my puppy buddy Moses up there, who we dog-sat for at the end of our time in Raleigh!)

I’m attached to many things in my kitchen, and I longed for lots of them at least once: my BFF, the Le Creuset dutch oven…the waffle maker…pots with matching lids…basic measuring devices. But these are the things that I missed on a daily basis:

Little silicone spatulas. My mom put them in my stocking a few years ago, and they are The Handiest. I use them for normal spatula duties, like scraping bowls, but because they’re heat-resistant they’re also what I grab for stirring things in a non-stick pan. I love that they’re one piece and so easy to clean, and they don’t stain, even with something like tomato paste (and they’re the perfect size for those little cans). I have 4 or 5 of them and sometimes I still have to retrieve one from the dishwasher and hand-wash it.

I’m not sure where she got the ones I have, but they’re similar to these. All the spatulas of this type on Amazon have a ton of 5-star reviews, because they’re awesome and indispensable!

Click the picture to see them on Amazon!

This chef’s knife. I got it for Christmas a few years ago, and even though we’ve since gotten a nice Wusthof knife set that I love, this is still my favorite. It’s big, but not too big, and it’s a best buy recommended by Cook’s Illustrated, and I just trust them when it comes to kitchen equipment!

This little paring knife.  I like to use scissors for as much baby bite-size food prep as I can (like cutting up toast, meat, or green beans), but for grapes, bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes…it’s perfect! I also use it to slice cheese.

This toaster oven. The rental we’ve been staying at has a pop-up toaster, and while I always thought they were so charming and fun when I was a kid, I seriously miss being able to see what’s going on with my toast. And making pita pizzas without heating up the whole oven. You can cook a frozen pizza in it, too! It’s expensive, but we did our research on it and I think it’s worth it.

These sponges. They have a soft side and a scrubby side that’s safe for non-stick pans, and they really do work as advertised – they don’t get all gunked up with cheese, or dough, or anything else! Love ’em. They’re cheaper at Target!

A disposal. I realize this is going to sound all spoiled and entitled, but I seriously need a disposal. There is something soul-crushing about that little metal cage full of crud in the bottom of the sink, and even though I tell myself it’s just the food I ate for dinner, a little wetter and probably cleaner, I just can’t have a good attitude about it’s existence. I think I’d rather live without a dishwasher.

Bonus: We have now lived for 5 weeks with a glass-topped dining table, and let me tell you, ignorance is bliss when it comes to kids and the underside of your table. Wowza. I’m ready to not know how greasy and smeary it is under there. :o)

I’ll try to have a recipe for you soon…from my new kitchen! Woot!

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means that Amazon will give me a small commission if you buy through my link. It helps cover the costs of running the blog, so I appreciate it! Just click the pictures to visit Amazon.