Saturday, April 19, 2008

my dream kitchen

I think if you like to cook, even a little bit, you have spent some time planning what your dream kitchen would look like. I can see mine. Restaurant grade appliances, granite counter tops, heated ceramic tile floor, a very large island with seating to keep my girls close while I'm cooking, beautiful pendant lighting, a spice cabinet and pot drawers. Oh how I'd love some pot drawers. But since I don't have a spare $65,000 kicking around I'm content to make do with what I have. To be honest I really do like my kitchen despite it's limitations. It's a large room, but poorly laid out so there isn't much in the way of workable counter space. We're working on that with a hastily scribbled plan for a storage wall that Mike is going to build with his mad woodworking skillz. Until then I have a list that would up the dream kitchen factor for me.

Wooden spoons, I'm down to one. How does that happen? Where did the rest of them go?

Also a ladle, somehow mine has gone missing as well. Is there a kitchen utensil bandit on the loose I haven't heard about?

Silicone spatulas. I have one, but I've always only had one. A gift from Grandma Linda or my Mom perhaps. Anyway it's the best thing ever and I don't understand why I don't have more of them.

A good chef's knife, the kind you see them using on TV.

A kitchen aid mixer. Now my Mom is reading this and she just said out loud, "but you have your Grandmother's mixer!" And it's true I do have my Grandma's kitchen aid mixer and it's a work horse let me tell you. But I'm not above pretty things and ... well the new ones are much prettier. Completely frivolous, yes I know, but still.. they're so pretty.

Cookbooks, just a couple because cookbooks aren't something I use a lot. I prefer the internet, specifically allrecipes.com. I like being able to read a review of a recipe before I dive into it. However, I would love the Eat, Shrink & Be Merry book and Hello Cupcake. Cupcakes are big right now and I'm nothing if not a follower.

Larger rectangular storage containers for storing muffins, biscuits or cookies. I try once a week to bake something suitable for lunches. Something that isn't full of preservatives and that I can cram full of pureed vegetables, but it's always a struggle to find a suitable containers to put them in.

A vast and varied sprinkle collection. I've gotten hooked on creative baking and a nice assortment of sprinkles and other decoration worthy candies would really help out with the Cool Mom Campaign.

Magnetic spice containers. I'm using more spices than I ever have before and I have some stashed here and some stashed there. They are all in different types of containers. On Good Eats I saw Alton Brown had magnetic spice containers stuck to a strip of metal he had attached to the inside of his pantry door. I always thought that man was a genius.

And finally a laptop. For storing my recipes... yeah that's it. What you aren't buying that one? Fine, but it doesn't change the fact that I want a laptop.

What about you? What would it take to make your kitchen your dream kitchen?

4 comments:

Sam said...

Wow! Reading this, I was nodding my head right along with you. My dream would be a built in gas cooktop and then a gas double oven in the wall. Think of the things I could bake. ;) More storage space for bulk items would be lovely too, I buy flour by the 50 lb bag, sugar also like this. For the Silicone spatulas I use the ones from the dollarama, I find they work great, never had one melt in my cast iron pans, and they are so cheap you don't care if the utensil thief takes them. I would like a Kitchenaid mixer too, the pink one. I keep putting it on my list and Jim keep ignoring it. :( I buy a commercial cling wrap and wrap them all individually. Since I make for the kids, Jim and his cousins for their lunch for the week. I put them in the freezer stacked and pop them in the microwave for the kids if they want them, and the guys take them in their lunchs, they are thawed by that time of the day. Aren't sprinkles awesome?? I am collecting them here like mad. I have a spice rack my MIL gave me a few years ago dedicated to this, I go to the Bulk Barn and buy some each time I am there, that way I always have new and interesting one. But I agree that spice rack would be amazing, I have seen it also. They sell them at Canadian Tire now! The only problem here is that I don't have a wall free for it. Maybe when I get that dream kitchen! ;)

Mommy Project said...

You won't even believe me but I *just* bought "Hello Cupcake" and "Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry".

freaky.

Leah said...

I want a walk-in pantry!!!! Instead, I have ZERO panty, and have my things here and there as they fit in the kitchen. So one cupboard is designated for baking stuff (SPRINKLES, flour, sugar, etc etc etc), another is for things like pasta and sauce, and soup, cereal... I have tons of cuboards, which is nice, but I'd rather loose some cupboards and have a pantry.

Then I'd get NEW cupboards (updated and PRETTY), new countertops (solid granite instead of 12X12in granite tiles which are sooooooooooooooo not the way to go (wish someone would have told my FIL that)).

and the list could go on, but this is your post, not mine!

LOL

Shan said...

Sam - Good to hear from you! I never actually thought of cling wrap. Will have to give that a try.

Mommy - SHUT UP! Seriously? Well that seals it, we're soul mates.

Leah - How could I forget a walk in pantry? And a freezer. I only have the freezer in my fridge. Wasn't a big deal when it was just Mike and I and even after Abby came, but a family of four!? I need a freezer. I have a plan that may get me both. Not in the near future mind you, but someday. And yep, this is my post...... sounds like you should write your own *wink*.