Everybody’s got ‘em – those few things that you go to every time you’re in the kitchen, convinced that your food wouldn’t be quite the same without the extra bit of love your special something magically transmits during the process.  Fresh out of the box to something your grandmother passed down, if you like to cook then there’s a favorite sitting in your kitchen, too.

I have quite a few of these goodies on my list, and they run the gamut from new to old.  Some have sentimental value, while others just make my life so much easier that they’ve endeared themselves to me.  I came up with six, although I’m sure my list could go on for a good mile.  Here are my favorites!

• The Master Scraper – This guy is indispensable when baking anything with a thick batter.  It’s got some serious muscles behind it and makes scraping a breeze!  It’s from Pampered Chef* and it rocks – it really is a master!

• Silicone Basting Brush – This thing is awesome!  It’s heat proof with silicone bristles – no more annoying hairs coming off the brush and into your food when you’re basting.  I use it for everything – even just brushing olive oil onto a baking sheet.  Good for the barbecue, too!

• The Masher – okay, that’s not what it’s really called, but it’s been so long since I’ve had anything to do with Pampered Chef that I can’t remember it’s real name.  It’s original purpose is for “mashing up” ground beef – and I’m telling you, this one cannot be underrated!  I love, love, love it for mixing spices into raw ground beef, too (don’t you hate getting that raw meat all over your hands and underneath your fingernails?).  It’s also good for mashing potatoes if you like them with a few extra lumps.  It’s one of those things that I don’t use often, but when I do it’s the perfect tool for the task!

• My juicer – I cook with citrus all the time.  I buy my lemons and limes by the bag and put it in everything!  I make a lot of mexican food, but even other cuisines can use a squeeze of lemon to bring out all the other flavors (think pasta!).  This juicer is super easy and works like a charm.  It’s not quite big enough for oranges although I’ve been known to quarter them and it works fine for me!

• My mom’s measuring spoons – Need I say more?  Probably not, but I will anyway! ;-)  I remember using these spoons as a kid, meticulously scooping out my baking ingredients like a “big girl”.  They’ve been around so long I’m not sure I was even potty trained when they first arrived (and it was probably even before that, maybe a wedding gift for my parents?).  I always get a little jolt of sentiment when I pull these babies out – how many cakes, muffins and cookies were created with the help of these little spoons?  Pretty groovy, if you ask me!

• The most awesome salt and pepper shakers in the history of the planet – These beauties are, by far, my most treasured kitchen possessions, and right up there with my most treasured possessions period.  They’re new but very sentimental.  My dad, one of the most awesome human beings on the planet, made them for me!  They were my Christmas gift last year, and it wouldn’t have been possible to have gotten anything better.  He made them out of a black walnut tree from my parents back yard.  The core of this tree is dark, with the outside much lighter in color – my shakers came from core.  My dad is retired and now makes all kinds of cool things out of wood – can’t wait for next year’s Christmas! ;-)

So that’s my list of favorites – what are yours?  Let me know and send a picture if you’d like, too!  Leave a comment and/or send a pic to me at kristy@thewickednoodle.com.  Oh, and here’s my disclaimer:

*I was a Pampered Chef rep for about nine months just to get all the killer products.  I no longer sell it, have no plans to return nor do I know anyone personally who is currently selling it.  If you’d like to purchase a product, go to the Pampered Chef website and request to have a consultant in your area contact you.  My first four favorite products are all from PC (I didn’t realize this until I started writing the post)!  Obviously, I highly recommend Pampered Chef, but I assure you I won’t make a dime from these recommendations! ;-)

btw…”The Masher” is called the “Mix & Chop” – it was driving me crazy not being able to think of the name so I went to the website and found it!

Have a great day!