Appliances

I love my Kitchenaid Mixer. It makes baking super easy!

I love, love, LOVE my crockpot! I would starve without it! I've had it forever and I think I got it at Target for $20. It's a Rival and it just lasts and lasts. I make all kinds of things in it. Usually, I put a roast or some chicken breasts in it in the morning (along with some seasoning) and let it cook on low all day. By the time I get home, the meat is so tender and delicious and I don't have to do a thing to it. One of my favorite recipes is this Creamy Crockpot Chicken I found on here: http://divinecaroline.com/article/22141/28885 My mouth is watering just typing this.

My Cuisinart mini-prep processor is so handy. I just subscribed to Bon Appetit magazine and have been trying to experiment with something from there every week. It's so nice to not have to drag out the big Cuisinart - the little one just sits on my countertop. It's also very easy to clean - again, not all the drama of the big one.

My favorite thing ever is my cast-iron skillet. I love making all of my mom's and grandmother's southern recipes in them - it's great for frying food since the pan gets so hot. But I learned the hard way that you actually have to season the pan before using (duh). For anyone reading this who doesn't know how, here's what I did: heat up the pan until when you throw water on it, it sizzles. Then take a paper towel and wipe some Crisco or other lard or oil on the pan, place it upside down in a hot oven (around 350) and let it sit for a couple of hours. Make sure to put some aluminum foil underneath it to catch the drippings. You need to do this a few times for the pan to be fully seasoned. Also, cast iron needs to be cleaned differently than other pans. DON'T put soap on it, wash it with hot or boiling water and scrub it with a wire brush. The longer you have your pan the more beat up it will look but don't worry about that - the more beat up it looks the better it cooks!

I have a Kitchen-Aid stand-up mixer that my aunt left me when she passed away. I think it was made in the 70s but it's still going strong! I had no idea how much a new one costs until recently (between $300 and $400) and when I found out I vowed to keep my trusty Kitchen Aid until it dies. Some days I think it will make it longer than me!

my Braun coffee maker!!!! I've had it for years and it has very little wear and tear. Worth every penny.

Dah! The mini toaster oven! No doubt! I can cook/heat up anything in that thing. I can bring bread to a crisp. I can defrost frozen vegetables. I can rotisserie chicken. It's great! If I was asked what thing I would bring with me anywhere if I could, it would be my little toaster oven. Oh yes, it's that great.

I love my grill pan. I can have great tasting grilled food anytime of year with this. It great!

The Senseo Coffee Maker is awesome. You can brew a cup in two minutes and it's really easy. When we have guests over and everyone wants coffee at different times in the morning, instead of making multiple pots of coffee, we can just brew one at a time. You have to use the Senseo pods, but they have great flavors (including decaf) and are not messy. The cup of coffee is topped with a nice, foamy layer, which makes it seem more high end and luxurious.

I love my Vitamix blender. Unfortunately, I hate all my major appliances and want to replace them when I have more money.