wedding registry: essential baking tools

After a little break, today we are continuing on with more "kitchen essentials" for your wedding registry.  I titled this post "essential baking tools," but really you will likely use these items in your kitchen whether you bake or not.  I find that I use my mixing bowls to make salads or to toss veggies in olive oil before roasting, I use my oven mitts to remove ANYTHING from the oven, and I use my measuring cups for all types of cooking.  Really, you will want these tools in your kitchen if you like to bake, but you will also want them for daily meal preparation.

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1. Mixing Bowls: I love my set from Williams Sonoma.  I have a white set and I use them literally everyday.  I also have a set of nice glass bowls, but I predominately use these sturdy, plastic bowls.  A must have for any kitchen.

2. Collapsible Measuring Cups: These are one of my very favorite kitchen items.  My little sister gave these to me for one of my bridal showers when she was just 12- she had great taste even then.  They also make a smaller set for Tbs. and tsp. measurements.  These are perfect for a small kitchen where space is a premium.

3. Silpat Liners: Another must have in any kitchen.  Whether you are baking cookies or roasting veggies, or just heating up a sandwich in the oven- these keep your baking sheets in top condition.  Don't be fooled though- the square is the size for a standard cooking sheet and the one pictured here is for a jelly roll pan.

4. Rolling Pin: While this is a debatable essential, you will find that if you need one and you don't have one- there is no other kitchen tool that really does the job as effectively.  I have tried to use a water bottle or a big tervis tumbler, but take it from me, this doesn't work.  Moral of the story- add a rolling pin to your registry, when you need one, you will really need it!'

5. Baking Set: Even if you don't bake, I think it is still smart to have at least one cookie sheet, a muffin tin, and a cake pan (round or square.)  You never know when you will have a craving for a box of brownies and having the tools to whip up a batch will make life much easier.  I like the Williams Sonoma Gold Touch line- it's non-stick and bakes very evenly.

6. Oven Mitt: Invest in two!  I always wear them when I take things out of the oven and I love the mitt because it covers your whole hand and arm.  It is amazing how quickly you can burn your arm or hand on the door of the oven when you reach in to remove something with just the half mitts or a dish towel.  Grab a pair and keep them handy- I promise you will thank me.

Do you have any other baking tools that you think are essential?

xo,

wedding registry: kitchen tools

Good Morning!  Today I want to talk about kitchen tools.  AND, not just any kitchen tools, but kitchen tools you will actually use.  I know it's easy to go into Williams Sonoma, Sur la Table, or any other kitchen shop and think that you absolutely won't be able to start your married life without that melon baller, pasta maker, or jam spoon.  Rest assured dear readers, I'm here to tell you that you can and will make it without them.

If you are like me, going into a kitchen store can be an overwhelming task.  When I was registering, I had never had my own kitchen, I could make approximately three things (scrambled eggs, cereal, and toast), and I relied heavily on my mom and mother-in-law to tell me what I would actually need.  So today, I want to pass that wisdom along to you.  Keep in mind, this is a list of the basics that I think every kitchen should have.  As you cook and find favorite recipes and meal preparations, you might want to invest in the sushi maker or pastry bag.  Starting off though, these are the essentials...

ladle / tongs / slotted spoon / flipping spatula / oversize spoon / mixing spatulas

A few quick notes:

1. While most stores sell a "set" that has all the kitchen tools you will need, I found it was much more fun and useful to customize a set myself.  We got the set Williams Sonoma advertises, but I have gradually taken things out and added things of my own over the years and now it houses the most used and functional tools in the kitchen.

2. I prefer non-slip tongs - they much easier to use and I am much less likely to drop the chicken, kale, or whatever else I am picking up than I would be with regular tongs.

3. The oversize spoon can be metal or wooden, or you could use both.  I switch between the two, but you could go either way.  One word of warning- a metal spoon gets HOT if you are using it to stir soup or something else on the stove.

4.  Mixing spatulas are definitely the workhorse of our kitchen.  Whether we are baking cookies, roasting sweet potatoes, cooking eggs, or almost any other recipe you can imagine, we are using these guys.  I have four of these and they are all well used and loved.  These are a MUST.

I will be back in the next few weeks with more items geared towards baking and other specialized cooking to round out the list.  In the meantime, do you have any other kitchen tools to add to the list?

xo,

wedding registry: emile henry

Hello!  Sorry for the late post today.  I got my first taste of what the real world will be like after graduation when I had to be at a breakfast meeting in Raleigh at 8am.  I am going to miss my student schedule where my first class doesn't start until after 9am...

Continuing on my theme of wedding registry favorites, today I am excited to share Emile Henry bakeware.

emile henry

We added this to our registry on a whim and I am SO thankful that we did!  I use it almost everyday and it is so easy for cooking, baking and it is even cute enough to use on the table for serving. The color selection is great and the line has multiple shapes and sizes of bakeware to fit any need.  I especially love their bread pan- it is deep enough to make a large loaf of bread and the bread always bakes evenly.

emile henry

We registered for our Emile Henry at Williams Sonoma, but I imagine it is available at multiple kitchen stores.  Any other great registry items to share?

xo,

gifts for your mom

Good Morning!  I hope your shopping season is off to a fabulous start.  Just in case you need a little inspiration today, enjoy round two of my gift picks for the season...

gifts for your mom

cashmere infinity scarf // needle point cuff // baking dish

picture frame // coffee table book // earrings

cook book // throw

Still to come this week:

Wednesday: Gifts for the Little Ones

Thursday: Gifts for the Hostess

Friday: Gifts for the Man in your Life

xo,