Crock Pots...

I've had my current Crock Pot since July 1995, it's the same age as our daughter Hannah, LOL! I've been wanting to replace it for over a year now. Crock Pots these days have a "warm" setting in addition to the "high" and "low" settings. And dragging our crock pot around to the various potluck events that we attend throughout the year has been a major pain in the neck. There are several models on the market that come with insulated carriers- oooh momma what an awesome idea!



I've been wanting to purchase one of these for ages, aren't they adorable? I love the oval shape and well the Mary Engelbreit theme makes them YUMMY!

The new coffee pot

So here it is...the NEW coffee pot! I looked in amost every retail store in Rapid City that sells coffee pots and this is what I ended up with. I found this little gem at Target for $40 LESS than the same item at Lowes.

When good appliances go bad...

For weeks now, every morning there has been this small pool of water near my coffee maker. I've been blaming it on my inability to pour water into the reservoir without spilling. Then yesterday after I had filled my coffee maker with water, I noticed some water pooling near it. Knowing full well that I did not spill water this time I went looking around for the source...there it was a steady drip drip drip coming from my beloved appliance. The source of the leak had been located, it was the water level indicator. I've got a temporary fix going on it but alas it needs to be replaced. I went out yesterday and looked at new coffee makers, nothing really caught my eye- well with exception of the Kitchen-Aid coffee maker in red over at Lowe's. There was a Krups coffee maker over at my favorite kitchen store- I want to look at it again. I kind of like the idea of having a small water filter in the coffee reservoir, I think that it would help greatly with water scale (we have very hard water here in this area). I've also been looking at coffee makers on line and have been reading up on the reviews. So for now the search is on for a new coffee maker.

Kitchen-Aid

I love this picture! Then again I do like a rainbow of color in my kitchen.

I received a Kitchen-aid stand mixer for Mothers Day 2001. Yes I specifically asked for this appliance, but this isn't any ordinary appliance. I tell ya, I could not be the cheesecake baking Queen that I am today without my trusty Kitchen-Aid stand mixer. I use it several times a week, and I recommend them to any and everyone! It's so worth the money!

Coffee and Coffee Makers

Last week I had the funniest conversation with my mother in law about coffee and coffee pots. We talked about brands of coffee and how the ground stuff in a can has changed over the years. Sizes for one this...they keep putting less and less in the cans of coffee. I mentioned how I like to grind my own beans (coffee beans that is) from time to time. But I also grind them there at the grocery store/commissary. When we spoke of brands she didn't have a favorite one per say- just what ever was the least expensive in a can. Myself I prefer to buy and use Millstone, my flavor "Swiss Chocolate Almond". Another favorite (it's a seasonal flavor) is Pumpkin Spice- there's something about cinnamon and nutmeg and just a hint of pumpkin, m'm it's so yummy! Since I'm the only coffee drinker in the house I can pretty much make what ever flavor of coffee that what I want.

Our conversation turns to coffee pots, and this is where it gets funny. We both are saying the same thing...it costs more to replace a broken carafe than it does to replace the entire coffee making system. Why is that? I never really understood that concept. I've had a handful of coffee makers over the years and to be honest the best ones were the cheapest ones. The most expensive coffee maker that I ever bought was made by Cuisinart and it was also my biggest disappointment. I was going on reputation for Cuisinart being extremely reliable and have a sterling reputation for quality. Well apparently that didn't apply to their coffee makers- or at least to the 2 that I had, UGH! The first thing to go was the stop and pour system. then the lid to the coffee pot broke...all within 3 weeks of me owning the darn thing! So I take it back to the store and they give me another one...this one makes it a little longer (3 months) then it too does the exact same thing. I deal with the defective coffee pot for nearly a year. We moved here (Ellsworth AFB, SD) in the fall of 2003 and that's when I said "adios" to the coffee pot and I went out in search of a new one. Not being impressed by the last brand of coffee maker that I had owned, I look at discount stores like Wal-Mart, Target, ShopKo and K-Mart for something that will suit my needs. I found one at Target- it's by Phillips. I've had it almost 4 years now and it has by far out preformed that Cuisinart that I had owned while we lived in Virginia. Before that...I would get those free ones from Gevalia Coffee (you've seen the ads in magazines). Those free coffee pots are the best! They are awesome appliances, I know that my little 4 cup coffee pot was made by Krups and it was an awesome appliance!
My mother in laws story is pretty much the same, it would be one name brand appliance after another that would just crap out on her. Her biggest complaints being that 1- the heating element would burn out and 2- the price of replacing the carafe. She's buy a $35 coffee maker and have it cost her $25 for the new carafe. So one day after yet another carafe breaks she starts using her Pyrex measuring cup as a stand in replacement, LOL! Then of course the heating element gives out. My father in law who by the way is not ever in tune with his wife's needs actually does something nice for her...he's at the grocery store and there's this in store sales promotion on of all things...coffee makers and they were $4.99. My father in law remembering something about my m-i-l and her coffee maker issues buys one and brings it home to his wife. My m-i-l looks at this coffee maker and says what the heck lets give it a try. It's some no name off the wall brand...she now SWEARS BY THIS THING! She says that it brews the best pot of coffee, no more high priced name brand coffee makers for her, she too is going for what ever works.

Task Lighting

Do you see the 3 silver little round things under the cabinet? That's task lighting. My husband who is so attentive to my needs installed a touch pad for me to tap to get the lights to come on. It's a cool thing to have to give me extra light when working in that area of my kitchen. The space between the stove and the sink also has under cabinet task lighting.

My Kitchen

So here I am posting a link to my kitchen blog and I look and realize that I don't have any pictures of my kitchen...what is the world coming to?, LOL! So here is an over view of my kitchen.

The modern kitchen is all about "work stations", having a place assigned to certain areas of your kitchen to preform certain tasks. I remember working with an interior designer with the building and construction our first house back in 1994 that persons ideas were all about the work triangle...while I was wanting work stations, who knew that I was only a few years ahead of the industry with my thinking and my kitchen design ideas. In the end I got what I wanted and I was very happy.

So here we are in our 3rd house and there are the things that work for me....

The stove I picked out and bought is a Frigidaire Professional series 5 burner gas range with convection plus it's got a warming drawer that also bakes up to 450 degrees. I adore the 5 burner cook top as the entire surface is covered in a 3 piece grate. It's so easy to clean too! When some friends recently asked me about how it was to clean...I joked with them about the kind of cleaner that I had to use on it. I was asked if it was costly (everyone always assumes that things are costly) so I rolled my eyes and said "Oh you wouldn't believe what I have to pay for the kind of cleaner that I have to use on this stove" so everyone is waiting on baited breath to get the scoop and then I surprise them and tell them that I use Windex, LOL! The look on their faces was priceless! Yes I got a good laugh out of it.

a close up view of the 5 burner cook top
full view of range and microwave oven- bottom drawer on oven is the warming drawer that can cook items up to 450 degrees.

Here you see the convection fan inside of the oven- it's the round thing on the back of the oven wall.

This is the first time for me to have an over the range microwave oven...and I'd do it again in a heart beat! Again with the Frigidaire professional series. The ease of clean up is amazing! Would I do stainless steel appliances again? You better believe it! These are so much easier to clean than the white appliances I've put in our past two kitchens. And the black granite sink, I LOVE that sink! The dishwasher is silent and the control panel is hidden giving it a sleek look.

I have a wide open work area which can be used for many things
My groovy dishwasher- I love the hidden control panel
It's a vaulted ceiling in my kitchen...another feature that I'm growing to love.
Here you see my pantry door, it's set at an is huge on storage space!

my new Kitchen appliances

This is my new dishwasher, it's by Frigidaire. The control panel is hidden so this dishwasher has a clean lines look to it. Next is my over the range microwave...again with the clean lines and do you notice the handle?
The refrigerator is by Kitchen-Aid, and again with the clean lines and the same sleek stainless steel handles. Then there's my range...got to love it! It too has that same look and again with the stainless steel handle. It's no wonder why I'm in appliance heaven!

Buying Kitchen Appliances

Lucien and I set out this afternoon to look at appliances and compare prices from one store and brand to another. We ended up at Lowe's and were looking at the different refrigerators and the sales person tells us that tomorrow is the last day for this terrific sale on some of the appliances that we're looking at buying...too bad the sale ends tomorrow.

So what did we do? Lucien drove home to get our 10% off our entire purchase coupon and I hung out at Lowe's getting other things we needed...like a new kitchen faucet, the one that can pull out and be either a stream of water or a sprayer (love those), a digital programmable thermostat (got to have one of those too) with multiple daytime settings and a weekend setting, another one of those curved shower curtain rods (would have bought two but the store only had the one left). We left that place a few thousand dollars poorer but VERY happy!

Now who wouldn't be happy after buying a $1600 refrigerator and getting it for nearly a third off? I mean really? :-) And that stove...I can hardly wait to use it! Five gas burners, it's duel fuel (electric and gas) plus it's a convection oven and it's also got the duel oven feature. Let me tell you I am in kitchen appliance heaven! I have no idea what the first thing I will cook on that stove or in that oven will be, I just hope that it isn't tuna noodle casserole, LOL!

Deciding on a dishwasher was tougher than the refrigerator. So many to choose from, who ever thought that I'd be spending so much on something to wash my dishes...this baby is sweet!

So between my Kitchen Aid and Frigidaire appliances I am in appliance Heaven! Look to see pictures of my appliances soon!

Immersion Blender

Here it is, my latest kitchen gadget. I bought a Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender through the Kitchen Aid site. Who knew that they have weekly specials...some item at a great sale price. When I saw this gem I knew that it was for me! I've been wanting to get one from Kitchen Aid for quite some time but couldn't part with the $$$ for it. I bought a Hamilton Beach immersion blender a while back and frankly it's wimpy! I used it once and it was so rinky dink it wasn't even funny! So here I am with this bad boy ready to take on the toughest of jobs! Today it's Pasta e Fagioli. I need this immersion blender to churn up a couple of cups of the soup to make it have a creamy consistency. We shall see how my new toy preforms :-)

Kitchen Appliances

What a work of art they are these days. No longer are they ugly looking appliances that you hide underneath of your counter when you’re done using them. Nowadays they are available in a multitude of colors and styles. Take my can opener for instance, it’s by Black and Decker but it looks like a can of Campbell’s soup. Some people like to have everything match a particular color scheme that they have going on in their kitchen…then there’s me. My Kitchen is like a rainbow, with my Fiesta Ware pottery in the cupboards and Fiesta Ware trivets hanging on the walls, well it should be no surprise that my kitchen appliances are different colors too. From my stand mixer in Emerald Green, to my blender being Tangerine Orange to my food processor being Empire Red and a Black Coffee Maker…color is everywhere!

So now to what kinds of appliances I’ve got in my kitchen…

* Bread Machine - I used to use it more often but with the limited amount of counter space that I have, well it’s lucky if it sees daylight every 2 to 3 months.

*Rice Cooker – This little gem gets used at 2 to 3 times a week!

*4 Slice Toaster – we use it every single day.

*Coffee Maker – Used on a daily basis

*George Foreman Grill – known around here as the char-b-cue. Used a few times a month

*Can Open – used near daily, couldn’t live without one!
*Ice Cream Maker – Used greatly during the warmer months
*Stand Mixer – used several times weekly, I don’t know how I got along before without it!
*Hand Mixer- haven’t used it in ages
*Blender – don’t know how I could do without one of these!
*Food Processor – Used all of the time around here!
*Emersion Blender – have it, use it once in a while…I wish that I had a better quality one but can’t justify that purchase
*Espresso Coffee Maker – love this little coffee pot, makes enough just for me!

*Waffle Maker- OOOh Whee do we love to use this here at our house!

*Crock Pot- every household needs one of these!
*Electric Tea Kettle – used daily!
* Coffee Bean Grinder – I use it at least once or twice a month
*Knife Sharpener – this baby see action every three or four months
*Deep Fryer – I used to use this all of the time. I can’t tell you when I used it last though

*Microwave Oven – Our house does not have a built in so we had to buy on that sits on the counter top. I don’t know many people that don’t have one of these in their homes.

I think that this is it for my kitchen appliances. I must say, that is quite the list!