Serendipitous Saturday - Kitchen Things I LOVE!

It's no secret that I love to cook. There's just something about starting with a few ingredients that might not amount to much on their own and then ending up with something completely yummy.

Over the years, though, I've learned that the right equipment can make any job easier, even more enjoyable.

But there are so many kitchen gadgets out there, each promising to do something amazing. Some are worth the money, while others are just a waste.

So here are some of my favorite things from my kitchen. Things I use almost every day and really wouldn't want to do without.

I bet most of you have at least seen this. It's a Mix n Chop from Pampered Chef.

Now they give you all kinds of things you can do with this nifty guy, but he really only has one job at my house and that's to break up ground meat as it's browning. I've used forks and potato mashers, but if you want nice, crumbly meat, this fella gets the job done like no other.

I've always loved wooden spoons, but these are the bomb.

These spoons are made from olive wood. I picked up the one in the middle on one of my trips to Ouray. You wouldn't believe the really cool culinary store they have there. At any rate, I loved it so much and used it all the time, so I hopped on over to Amazon to find the other two sizes. 

Why do I like them?

Olive wood has a nice, smooth texture. No splinters here. 

And, with proper conditioning, they are made to last forever.

A fish turner?

You betcha. Once you try it, you'll be hooked (no pun intended :).

I'd seen chefs use these on the Food Network and wondered what all the fuss was about, so, in need of a new turner, I picked this one up on Amazon. Forget about fish, I use this baby for everything from cookies to hamburgers. It's flexible, yet sturdy, making it perfect for any job, tough or delicate.

Meet my addiction.

I love enameled cast iron. I bought the small black pot first to test the enameled cast iron waters and I fell in love with the way it distributed the heat to cook things evenly. But I needed something bigger than 3 quarts.

So I went to Amazon and, after looking at several and reading the reviews, I decided on the 6 qt. red one from Lodge. From the moment it arrived, I was sold. The Lodge enameled cast iron has the same features as some of the high-end enameled cast iron, but at an affordable price. I learned something about buying them on Amazon, though. Yes, their prices are competitive, but be sure to click on each color because the price will vary from one color to the next. That means, unless you have your heart set on a particular color, you might even save some more money. And who doesn't like that?

So what are some of your favorite kitchen gadgets and why?