cooking
Top 5 Favorite Kitchen Gadgets
To prep you all for the upcoming Christmas shopping season, I have composed my “Top 5 Favorite Kitchen Gadget” list! These are some of my tried and true kitchen gadgets that I love and cannot live without. Post to the comments and let me know what you can’t live without in the kitchen!
1. Crock Pot.
This is the most-used and most-favorite item in my kitchen. When I was working, it was a life saver. Throw in dinner before you leave for work, and dinner is practically done when you get home. Plus the house smells amazing. If you don’t have one of these gems yet, you need one! Now!
Crock-Pot SCCPVP550-B Programmable Slow Cooker
2. KitchenAid.
I am a little ashamed at how long it took me to understand the awesomeness of the KitchenAid. I received one exactly one year ago for my birthday. It has changed my life. If you don’t have one, you NEED one. Baking breads and cookies is so much easier. Your arms will thank you if you get one.
KitchenAid Classic 250-Watt 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer
3. Keurig.
The Keurig is a wonderful invention. Is it necessary? No. A regular coffee maker works just fine. Is it a luxury? A little bit. Is it amazing? Yep. I held out on getting a Keurig for a very long time. Then I jumped on the bandwagon last year and haven’t looked back.
Keurig K45 Elite Brewing System
And if you’re going to go all out and get a nice Keurig, you might as well get a neat place to store your K-Cups!
DecoBros K-cup Storage 2 Drawers Holder for Keurig K-cup Coffee Pods
4. Griddle Pan.
This griddle pan is fantastic. You don’t have to haul out a big griddle, just grab this pan when you’re in the mood for pancakes. We also use it for turkey burgers and quesadillas. It’s a great kitchen gadget! And it’s less than $10!
Farberware 20442 Aluminum Nonstick Square Meal Griddle, 11-Inch, Gray
5. OXO Good Grips Peeler.
This is the world’s BEST potato peeler. If you have to peel a lot of potatoes like I do (my family LOVES mashed potatoes!), this is the peeler for you. It makes an otherwise monotonous and annoying task much easier. And it’s really inexpensive!
Check out Amazon.com for other great holiday kitchen gadgets for yourself or to give as gifts!
Cinnamon Roll Cake
Fall is here. Let the baking commence. I found this yummy recipe on Pinterest and had to try it for myself. It IS as good as it looks.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
3 cups flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1½ cups milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
– In an electric or stand mixer add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla.
– Once combined well , slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into the prepared 9×13 baking pan.
– In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together until well combined and creamy.
– Drop evenly over the batter by spoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.
– Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean.
– In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk.
– Drizzle evenly over the warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Applesauce Puffs
I am addicted to Pinterest. Here is another fun and easy recipe I discovered yesterday. These are perfect for a fall day and super easy to whip up. The whole family will devour them in minutes.
Here’s the recipe:
Applesauce Puffs
2 c. baking mix (such as Bisquick)
3/4 c. sugar (divided)
3 t. cinnamon (divided)
1/2 c. applesauce
1/4 c. milk
1 egg
2 T. oil
5 T. melted butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease mini-muffin pan.
Combine baking mix. 1/4 c. sugar and 1 t. cinnamon. Stir in applesauce, milk, egg and oil until well mixed.
Fill muffin pan until each muffin is 3/4 full. Bake at 400 for 10 min.
While that is baking, mix 1/2 c. sugar with 2 t. cinnamon in a bowl. When the puffs come out of the oven and cool for just a few minutes, dip the tops of the warm puffs in bowl of melted butter and then drip them in the bowl of cinnamon sugar. Eat, share and enjoy!
Oatmeal Apple Butter Bars
One word: Yum. These were incredible and so simple to make. Another great find from Pinterest!
Here is the recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup butter, softened to room temperature.
1 cup apple butter
INSTRUCTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, sugars, salt and cinnamon. Add butter and stir until well mixed. Spread half of the mixture into baking pan and pat down until it is flat. Spread the apple butter evenly over crumb layer. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over apple butter and press down gently. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool completely. Enjoy!
