5 Essential Kitchen Items

The holidays are quickly approaching with Thanksgiving a little over a week away! I've been planning out the recipes that we plan to use and gathering all the necessary ingredients. I'm hopeful that this year will be much better than last year, considering we had a dry turkey, stuffing and potatoes! With that being said, I have a few essential items that help so much while I'm in the kitchen, whether I'm cooking a turkey, baking an apple pie, or simply tossing a salad.  

1. KitchenAid Stand Mixer

This mixer is probably my favorite thing to use in the kitchen. It's so convenient and easy to use, and with the variety of attachments it comes with, you can mix anything from dough to whipped cream. Plus the fact that it's free standing allows you to move around the kitchen and multi-task while it does the work! My husband Freddy loves to bake, so he is very protective of "his mixer", and he would claim that it's his favorite kitchen item, too.

2. Le Creuset French Oven

This little beauty is truly like it's own oven! We have used it the past two years to cook our stuffing, but we also love it for casseroles or homemade mac n cheese. It's design is intended to retain heat and promote even cooking. One of our great friends gave us a Le Creuset as a wedding gift, which happened to be right before Thanksgiving and we have loved it ever since we first used it! With all of the beautiful colors it comes in, what's not to love?

3. KitchenAid Food Processor

Perfect for dicing and chopping, this food processor makes it easy to get a lot done in a short amount of time. It's perfect for making salsa or a yummy pesto sauce. I love using it to make my homemade pie crust, and since it holds 14 cups it's great for large batches!

4. Lemon Squeezer

Never has getting fresh lemon juice been easier! I feel like I'm always making a recipe that calls for a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and when I try to do it by hand I can never seem to get all the juice out of the lemon without calling Freddy in for backup. This handy device makes it so easy and I don't feel like I'm wasting any part of the lemon or getting any seeds in my mixtures! #winning

5. Baking Dishes

If you're looking to bake meals side dishes of various sizes, this set is great for just that! I love our Le Creuset I mentioned earlier and the fact that it has a lid allows the dish to retain heat. But sometimes when we make smaller meals we don't need a large pot for them. I love that this set offers a small, medium and large option for a dish of any size. Heading to a potluck party? Simply wrap foil over the top and you're good to go! 

With these items locked and loaded in our kitchen we're ready to start cooking for the holidays! I love cooking and trying out new recipes, but I think what I love most is cooking for those I love and doing it together. This year it will just be Freddy and I for the holidays, but that won't stop us from having fun and making all our favorite meals! 

Blushfully, 

Belle