While I may forever be the “let’s go eat” type of girl, I still spend a fair portion of my time in the kitchen, typically cooking. Our newest HomeChef meal [seriously, a lifesaver when it comes to dinner] with a glass of vino in hand. In my 15 years of marriage [side note: how in the world am I a woman who has been married 15 years already?!] I added a few kitchen utensils to my drawers [my kitchen drawers that is – turns out a meat masher in the ole pants isn’t the most comfortable 🤣]. Here are some dishes that I will never want to cook a meal without again.
I’m telling you if you don’t already own this – do it yourself and buy now. I love this stuff so much that I gave it to all my girlfriends at a party of favorites for a year. Who knew the power a kitchen tool under $10 could have on my life? I use it every time I cook ground beef, turkey, hot dogs, etc. It does exactly what it says – it chops it all up and blends them all together. No one likes big chunks of meat in their banh tet or chili [or at least I don’t ;)] and this baby guarantees the perfect size of meat every time. I also use this to mash potatoes and it works like a champ for that!
I never knew I needed a fancy pan to cook all of my meals, but now that I have it, I wouldn’t want it any other way. First of all, the aesthetics of this pan lies in the point. I don’t mind leaving it on my kitchen because she’s so pretty. But more importantly, let’s talk about functionality. I love that it is a non-toxic, non-stick material [super non-stick at that!] and it has some great features from the built-in spoon rest, to the pouring spout on both sides and more! She is my one-of-a-kind pan that I use for everything!
Although this may look like Well, a giant piece of silicone is in the pan and immediately ordered one once I understood the concept. You stick this in the pan while you’re cooking and it catches all the grease flying everywhere. You might say, “Erin, why don’t you use a pan lid to prevent grease from dripping here, there, and everywhere?” And with that, I’d say “Can you stir, flip, or just stare at your masterpiece when it’s open?” The best part? You dip the baffle in the dishwasher when you’re done and ball it up, ready for the next round of chicken on the stove!
I never felt more like an adult when I bought it my first meat warmer. Now I can’t get the meat off the stove, out of the oven or out of the oven until I plug this handy tool into it to see where it is to make sure it’s fully cooked. This temperature locomotive has a sleeve that holds all the different meats and temperatures on it, it’s rare that you don’t know what the internal temperature of the sheep should be A serious note, I love the peace of mind which it gives me every time we go out to eat AND I love that it prevents me from overcooking!
My beloved silicone baking sheet – another item that I gave as a favorite in a favorites party. I’ve owned mine for many years now and still use them regularly. Here’s why they’re great: For starters, you don’t need to use aluminim foil anymore, saving both waste and aluminum usage. Second, you can also cut down on the amount of oil you need to use to save calories, which means YES, eat a second scoop of ice cream after dinner. Third, after use, you just wash it immediately and put it back in your drawer!
Last but not least, but do you know what WORST is? When you reheat last night’s leftovers and the only thing you taste is the plastic container that kept it overnight. Gone are the days of eating plastic for lunch these glass food containers. I love that they don’t create any taste or smell, are microwave-friendly, allow you to easily see what’s in the fridge, and don’t use plastic. I’m just using glasses now and I’m connected!
And those are my friends, these are 6 kitchen tools that make Chick-fil-a my go-to for making dinner every weekday a little easier 😉 Hungry and need ideas for what to cook now? ! I feel you. We have a lot of great recipes waiting for you here!
LIY founder and creator, Erin has turned her dream of a hobby blog into a full-time career that she now runs with the LIY team! When not in front of her computer screen [with a La Croix or wine in hand] or standing in front of a mirror for a selfie, you can see Erin spending time on the water, cuddling with her two kids and her husband is most likely watching the latest episode of Shark Tank or getting lost on an easy-to-read beach .
