cookin’ stuff

Sorry, no recipe here.  It’s not even about food.  Although it is all about the kitchen.  Which is quickly becoming my favorite room in the house.  Or at least the one I spend the most time in.

I have always had a weakness for china, silver and glassware – blame my grandmother for teaching me the artistry of a well dressed table at a young age.  Recently though, I have really taken a hankering to kitchen tools.  All the things that a kitchen should have to function at it’s peak.  Yes, I know the brush is only as good as the artist holding it.  But a girl can dream.

And today I found a place to dream big.  Unfortunately it’s not a new thrift store.  Cookin’ Stuff is a nearby cooking and bakeware store.  If only I had stepped foot in this place before joining the Compact.  I either could have already fully stocked my kitchen or avoided today’s denial deluge.  If you’re not a kitchen tool kind of person you won’t understand, but just look at all the goodies, stacked row after row…

Okay, so the rainbow of colors isn't really necessary, but they sure are purdy.

I swear, they don't come used. Just ask anyone who owns one if they'll sell it. (And I apologize for the terrible photography, I only had the point and shoot and took this without the flash.)

I don't even know what they're all for, but don't they look cool?

I know this is obnoxiously non-Compact but I will say I was going to the store for wooden skewers and twine, so legitimate purchases by most standards.  (If your standards are higher than that, I applaud you.  And have no desire to be you.)  I just couldn’t help myself wandering the aisles drooling over the possibilities.

Okay, confession time.  You knew it was coming.  I made purchases beyond my skewers (they didn’t have the twine).  I bought a lovely tea cozy and a set of cookie cutters.  The tea cozy is something I have thought about for years – again, blame Grandma – but have never seen a used one and am not of the skill level to make one.

The cookie cutters were purchased to fulfill a birthday party design need.  What’s a birthday party design need?  It’s a designer’s need to have pbj sandwiches cut out with a shape that matches the overall scheme of the party.  And to set the style of all future cookie/sandwich and other cutouts.  I know cookie cutters can be found at the thrift store, I’ve seen them there.  Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any in the last 4 days since I decided to add cutout pbj sandwiches to the menu.  I’ll be keeping my purchase in their wrap until the last possible moment in the hopes of replacing them with a borrowed or used set.  Although, I really do like having a signature style of cookie cutout, and these would be perfect for a lifetime of cutting.

Have I justified yet?

At least I left all the Le Creuset and Kitchenaids on the shelves.

a strip from the strip

Alex Hallatt really tickled my funny bone with this one.  It’s almost an inside joke, made funnier because it is so true.

But that’s another story.  Today I’m just saying a quick hello from Las Vegas.  We came over for a couple of days visit with the in-laws.  And so my husband could watch a lot of basketball.  Somewhere in between those games we will find some time to check out the local thrift stores.

And I can ask my mother-in-law how she made bread before she got her Kitchenaid stand mixer.  (I covet that mixer.  It was sitting on my counter for weeks before being wrapped as her Christmas present last year.)  I’ve heard she did it.  I just want to know how.  I can learn.  Okay, I can try.

If you want to try, take a look at The Frugal Girl.  She makes it look so easy.  But then again, she’s got one of those stand mixers.  That must be it.