TOOLS OF THE TRADE

My hub is a furniture builder.  He has lots of special tools he needs to make his tables, chairs, swings, etc.  There are saws of many kinds, sanders, drills, tape measure. . . you get the idea.   Most people have some kind of tool or gadget that they use to do their various specialized job.

I am just a housewife/stay at home mom.  I know I should not say "just", but really, there is no glamor whatsoever - you don't really even need to shower if you don't want to (although I always do) :-).
It is not that I don't love being home with my kids, but I do miss getting out and talking with people about more than H1N1, potty training, and what's hot on PBS right now.   Yet, even we dull housewives have special tools we use.  I use my vacuum cleaner and steam vac on a regular basis (this works great for sucking up puke).  I even have a special vacuum for sweeping the stairs and oh how I love my micro dust clothes.  See how exciting being a house woman can be???   

But the tools I love are in my kitchen!  I am a huge fan of Pampered Chef products.  Yes, they can be a bit pricey, but they are sooooo worth it.  I have had my cookie sheet, 9x13, 8x8 and pizza stoneware pans for many years.  My cookies and pizzas have improved tremendously since I switched from the airbake to the stones.  Here are some of my other favorite Pampered Chef gadgets/tools.  I am a gadget girl for sure!  I use these ALL the time.  They are:  garlic press, strawberry huller (good for tomatoes too), the julieanner (not spelled correctly, but a great tool for making carrots look great in salads), the citrus peeler (a must), the basting brush (silicon brush), the can opener, and the hamburger-meat-thingy.  It breaks up ground beef into small wonderful sized crumbs when you're browning it.  I have many more PC items I love, but these are a few of my favorites.

Here are some other great tools in my kitchen I use all the time:

I am a HUGE fan of Pine Springs Pottery (made by my BFF and former neighbor, Marie Lewis).  Here is a link to her website:

http://pinespringspottery.com/
I own a lot of her pieces and in fact use the plates and bowls on a daily basis.  I've been collecting a long time and have many serving pieces also, but I love this colander.  It hangs beside my sink and gets used very often.  I think the legs and handles are just so cute.  The gadget holder was a gift from Marie and it sits beside my stove and holds all the wonderful things we homemaker cooks use a lot - wooden spoons, whisks, etc.  The last thing that I love is the cast iron skillet.  I became the step mother to these babies when I married Dan.  He has all sizes of the skillets. At first I hated them, but the more I used them, they more I loved them and aside from being too heavy for me to lift with one hand, they are perfect!

I'll bet you did not think about how many specialized tools you use in a day in your own home.  Think how much easier these things make your life!  What are some of the tools you like to use in your kitchen???  Please share! 

I made the Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti tonight.  It is in my PC 9x13 stone and baking as I type this.  Here is a link to that recipe.  I'll let you know if the family gives it their approval or not!
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  We gain courage, strength and confidence with each new experience.