This year, Christmas was a little different for me.  For one, this is the first Christmas in the history of my life that I didn’t receive any clothing.  Albeit slightly foreign, I actually preferred it that way.  I’ve always been ready to move onto the next phase of my life before said phrase had actually arrived, and this year proved no different.  Case in point:  For Christmas I received lots of kitchen gadgets (pots and pans, really sharp knives and a dutch oven, which my beau cannot say without giggling like a school girl) among other goodies that I’ll be needing upon college graduation when I get my first real place, sans roommates.  After tearing the wrapping paper off of my gorgeous new cookware set (photo above), I became so excited picturing them in my first real apartment that I set about making a list of not only what else I’ll need, but specifically which item I would like to buy.  After reading tons of equipment reviews and watching amazing videos on Cook’s Illustrated (aka my new best friend) and shopping around at various houseware shops, I’ve compiled the “Master Kitchen Wish List” for my first place.  Some call it OCD, I call it smart shopping, you can call it what you want.  And because I’m so generous, I’ve decided to share the master list with my loyal fans :)  If you visit my Amazon wishlist, you’ll see nearly all of the items are listed (with the exception of what I already received for Christmas).  I swear, this is not an attempt to get you all to send me gifts… merely a tool that I hope allows you to view the items, their reviews and prices, etc. best.

So with that, I leave you to peruse the list, asking only that you let me know what your favorite kitchen tools are and which ones we’re better off without.  As a side note, you will all be just as surprised as I to find that Crate and Barrel has some of the best prices, so be sure to check them out, too!

--Tagged under: kitchen essentials--

--Tagged under: My First Place--

Cooking.  On the one hand, it can be so fun, it can save you tons of moolah, and you can eat some amazingly delicious food.  On the other hand, it can be a huge pain trying to come up with meal ideas, it can be hard to follow a recipe to the T without screwing something up, and it’s not always easy.  Enter Cooking Light’s new book: Way to Cook.  Not only did I give this book as a gift this year, but I also received it from mon cheri after he saw how much I adored it!  It’s a great cookbook with tons of pictures, delicious recipes, how-to’s and explanations so you’re never left wondering what type of oil you should use or how to tell when chicken thighs are done.  Great for beginner chefs and even those that have been cooking for a while.  I highly recommend this book!

--Tagged under: cookbook--

--Tagged under: kitchen essentials--

--Tagged under: My First Place--

This post is the fourth part of our “Let’s Play House” series, all about how to equip your first place with the essentials… and then some.  Today, we’re talking about how to keep a well-stocked pantry. In the four years that I have been living on my own, read without my mom to do my grocery shopping, I have found that the more stuff I have in my pantry, within reason of course, the less money I spend on a weekly basis and thus overall.  Sometimes, especially if you live alone, having a membership at a warehouse store like Cost Co. may not be worth it.  That said, items that you know you use in most of your meals should be bought in bulk in order to save money, so long as they don’t have short shelf lives.  And if you’re like me, you’ll always have plenty of garlic and onions on hand… not to mention diced tomatoes and cream of mushroom soup. As always, know which ingredients you use the most and stock your pantry accordingly.  And try to steer clear of recipes that involve lots of random ingredients, like fish oil or thai chili paste, that you’ll only use once.  I once made the mistake of making a very complex Curry dish that cost me $30 for all of the ingredients.  The dish turned out terrible and I’ve never used any of those ingredients again.  Your spice rack should only include spices that you’ll use on a regular basis. Another hint:  To save money on spices, check out local farmer’s markets.  In Atlanta, the Decatur’s Farmer’s Market has amazingly cheap fresh spices and herbs and you don’t have to buy a whole jar of them.

This post is the fourth part of our “Let’s Play House” series, all about how to equip your first place with the essentials… and then some.  Today, we’re talking about how to keep a well-stocked pantry.

In the four years that I have been living on my own, read without my mom to do my grocery shopping, I have found that the more stuff I have in my pantry, within reason of course, the less money I spend on a weekly basis and thus overall.  Sometimes, especially if you live alone, having a membership at a warehouse store like Cost Co. may not be worth it.  That said, items that you know you use in most of your meals should be bought in bulk in order to save money, so long as they don’t have short shelf lives.  And if you’re like me, you’ll always have plenty of garlic and onions on hand… not to mention diced tomatoes and cream of mushroom soup.

As always, know which ingredients you use the most and stock your pantry accordingly.  And try to steer clear of recipes that involve lots of random ingredients, like fish oil or thai chili paste, that you’ll only use once.  I once made the mistake of making a very complex Curry dish that cost me $30 for all of the ingredients.  The dish turned out terrible and I’ve never used any of those ingredients again.  Your spice rack should only include spices that you’ll use on a regular basis.

Another hint:  To save money on spices, check out local farmer’s markets.  In Atlanta, the Decatur’s Farmer’s Market has amazingly cheap fresh spices and herbs and you don’t have to buy a whole jar of them.

--Tagged under: equipping your first kitchen--

--Tagged under: kitchen essentials--

--Tagged under: pantry essentials--

--Tagged under: lists--

--Tagged under: My First Place--

This post is the third part of our “Let’s Play House” series, all about how to equip your first place with the essentials… and then some.  Today, we’re looking at Appliances & Tableware.  If you live alone or never cook, some of these things might seem a little excessive.  That said, you never know when you’ll have guests over.  Plus, the savings you will have if you start cooking at home rather than eating out will be astronomical! In the appliance list, I’ve basically just listed those items that you’re sure to use if you cook at home.  There are obviously a million more machines you can buy, but I think this list narrows it down to those that you really need.  If you find that you need an appliance that is not on the list, by all means, go for it!  Again, this list is meant to be used just as a guide.  My hope is that you can print it out and take it with you when you go to buy all the many many things you’ll need for your kitchen. As for the tableware… I think that 8 is a sufficient number that ensures that you’re not constantly having to run a half-full dishwasher just so that you can eat on clean plates and that you’re fully prepared to have friends and family over for dinner (which you should do, and do often.  Dinner parties can be so much fun!)  Have fun with it and don’t feel like you have to buy some fancy dishes from Bergdorf’s.  Save that for when you get married and let somebody else buy it :)

This post is the third part of our “Let’s Play House” series, all about how to equip your first place with the essentials… and then some.  Today, we’re looking at Appliances & Tableware.  If you live alone or never cook, some of these things might seem a little excessive.  That said, you never know when you’ll have guests over.  Plus, the savings you will have if you start cooking at home rather than eating out will be astronomical!

In the appliance list, I’ve basically just listed those items that you’re sure to use if you cook at home.  There are obviously a million more machines you can buy, but I think this list narrows it down to those that you really need.  If you find that you need an appliance that is not on the list, by all means, go for it!  Again, this list is meant to be used just as a guide.  My hope is that you can print it out and take it with you when you go to buy all the many many things you’ll need for your kitchen.

As for the tableware… I think that 8 is a sufficient number that ensures that you’re not constantly having to run a half-full dishwasher just so that you can eat on clean plates and that you’re fully prepared to have friends and family over for dinner (which you should do, and do often.  Dinner parties can be so much fun!)  Have fun with it and don’t feel like you have to buy some fancy dishes from Bergdorf’s.  Save that for when you get married and let somebody else buy it :)

--Tagged under: appliances--

--Tagged under: equipping your first kitchen--

--Tagged under: kitchen essentials--

--Tagged under: tableware--

--Tagged under: lists--

--Tagged under: my first place--

This post is the second part of our “Let’s Play House” series, all about how to equip your first place with the essentials… and then some.  Today, we’re looking at Tools & Utensils.  If you’ve ever been to a Sur la Table or a Williams Sonoma, you  know that there are about a million little gadgets that you “need” for kitchen.  Here at Get Smart, we’ve gone through and narrowed all those “needs” down to the essentials, so you don’t have to waste your money on cherry pitters and corn zippers (yes, those actually exist).  As always, know your personal style and tailor this list to fit your needs.  Chop away!

This post is the second part of our “Let’s Play House” series, all about how to equip your first place with the essentials… and then some.  Today, we’re looking at Tools & Utensils.  If you’ve ever been to a Sur la Table or a Williams Sonoma, you  know that there are about a million little gadgets that you “need” for kitchen.  Here at Get Smart, we’ve gone through and narrowed all those “needs” down to the essentials, so you don’t have to waste your money on cherry pitters and corn zippers (yes, those actually exist).  As always, know your personal style and tailor this list to fit your needs.  Chop away!

--Tagged under: equipping your first kitchen--

--Tagged under: kitchen essentials--

--Tagged under: kitchen tools--

--Tagged under: kitchen utensils--

--Tagged under: lists--

--Tagged under: my first place--

This is going to be a great series, all about how to equip your first place with the essentials… and then some.  Use it as a guide, not the end all be all for your “to buy list” and feel free to tailor it to your own needs.  And boys, don’t be deterred.  When you get your own place, you’re going to have to buy cookware, too.  So listen up!  The first part of this series is Cooking & Baking.  Believe you me… I never knew how much stuff I would need to equip a kitchen. While this list is clearly more than the bare minimum, it is obviously not exhaustive.  This list is meant to be a guide so that you can see what the most well-equipped kitchens are made of and then equip your kitchen accordingly.   Some key points to remember when shopping for kitchen supplies: The most important thing to remember when equipping your kitchen is to know your personal cooking style.  If you never bake, maybe you don’t need to go out and buy muffin and cake pans right now. I would recommend starting out with the essentials, the goods you know you’ll use, and then working your way up.  One way to go might be to start buying a new piece on an as needed basis.  Another way might be to save a little bit each month and then at the end, choose a new piece.  The beauty is, it’s your life.  It’s your kitchen.  You can FINALLY do whatever you want. If you’re anything like me, after doing your research, you’ll quickly realize this stuff ain’t cheap.  So take your time, shop around, and go with your own personal style.   I personally am a Food Network Addict, so one thing I try to do when wasting my time lounging in front of the tube is to check out what my favorite chefs are using.  Which ones like stainless steel?  Who prefers non-stick?  Do they use wooden spoons or plastic?  You get the idea. Still not convinced?  For those of you that are wondering how you’re ever going to pay for all of this stuff, just think of all the money you’ll save when you stop eating out at $20 a pop.  That’s almost a casserole dish!  MMMM! Some great resources: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/space-saving-kitchen-ideas-pots-knives/ http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/essential-kitchen-tools/ http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/checklist-for-what-every-house-needs

This is going to be a great series, all about how to equip your first place with the essentials… and then some.  Use it as a guide, not the end all be all for your “to buy list” and feel free to tailor it to your own needs.  And boys, don’t be deterred.  When you get your own place, you’re going to have to buy cookware, too.  So listen up!  The first part of this series is Cooking & Baking.  Believe you me… I never knew how much stuff I would need to equip a kitchen.

While this list is clearly more than the bare minimum, it is obviously not exhaustive.  This list is meant to be a guide so that you can see what the most well-equipped kitchens are made of and then equip your kitchen accordingly.   Some key points to remember when shopping for kitchen supplies:

  1. The most important thing to remember when equipping your kitchen is to know your personal cooking style.  If you never bake, maybe you don’t need to go out and buy muffin and cake pans right now.
  2. I would recommend starting out with the essentials, the goods you know you’ll use, and then working your way up.  One way to go might be to start buying a new piece on an as needed basis.  Another way might be to save a little bit each month and then at the end, choose a new piece.  The beauty is, it’s your life.  It’s your kitchen.  You can FINALLY do whatever you want.
  3. If you’re anything like me, after doing your research, you’ll quickly realize this stuff ain’t cheap.  So take your time, shop around, and go with your own personal style.   I personally am a Food Network Addict, so one thing I try to do when wasting my time lounging in front of the tube is to check out what my favorite chefs are using.  Which ones like stainless steel?  Who prefers non-stick?  Do they use wooden spoons or plastic?  You get the idea.

Still not convinced?  For those of you that are wondering how you’re ever going to pay for all of this stuff, just think of all the money you’ll save when you stop eating out at $20 a pop.  That’s almost a casserole dish!  MMMM!

Some great resources:

--Tagged under: bakeware essentials--

--Tagged under: cookware essentials--

--Tagged under: equipping your first kitchen--

--Tagged under: kitchen essentials--

--Tagged under: lists--

--Tagged under: My First Place--

Theme created by: Roy David Farber and Hunson. Powered By: Tumblr...
1 of 1
Email No spam please. -->