What I'm Loving... in the Kitchen

                                     

I decided to start this series in one of my favorite places: the kitchen. I really enjoy being in the kitchen whether it's cooking, washing dishes (yes, I really do like washing dishes), or hiding from the kids (kidding?). I also love things that make my life easier and the following are some of those things.


Stick Blender or Emersion Blender

                                           

This little wonder blender gets used daily. I've used this before to puree sweet potatoes for baby food, and that is why I originally asked for one.

Why not just use a regular blender? I had a regular blender and I hated it. It didn't work well and was a pain to get out, put together, clean, and put away.

The stick blended I use fits in all of our kitchen drawers, though I currently keep it in the bowl of my stand mixer since I use the blender so often and the mixer hardly at all. Due to its slender profile it can mix in nearly anything: bowl, cup, bucket, pot, pan, etc. I love using it to mix my Shakeology (see disclosure) shakes in the shaker cup and I've found it powers through the frozen fruit I use. Being able to mix in nearly any container helps to cut down on dishes that need to be washed. This blender is also very easy to clean (especially if you remember to rinse it off) and is even dishwasher safe.

I'm sure that most small kitchen appliance brands have stick or emersion blenders, so you're sure to find one that works for you.

Tablespoon Scoops

I found these gems on Amazon. They're small and seem insignificant, but I love them. I've found them to be exactly what I needed to solve a couple issues. You'll find one in my brown sugar canister, flour canister, and sugar canister, meaning that I don't have to dirty a spoon every time I can't fit the measuring cup in the canister. I also have a scoop in my Rockin' Green laundry detergent and my homemade dishwasher detergent. The scoops work perfectly for these items because they are not some arbitrary size, it's a measured size, so I can scoop my two tablespoons of dishwasher soap with confidence.

simplehuman Slim Trash Can

To say that this trash can is the greatest trash can I have ever used might be an understatement. As sad as it sounds, this was my favorite gift that I received at my bridal shower.

It's slim, but regular trash bags fit in it. It rolls. The lid doesn't slam shut. The lid locks. Let me say that again. The. Lid. Locks. An absolute must with little kids around. The lid easily props open. It's pretty easy to clean. It's durable. We've had this trash can for almost 5 years and it's still like brand new.

Yes, it's on the expensive side, but if I ever need a new trash can, I'll buy the same one.

Cutlery Brush

Hand washing sharp knives has always been a hazardous task for me. One day I when I had once again stabbed myself, I decided enough was enough, and I turned to Google for an answer. Certainly there had to be a tool that would help me wash knives and not stab myself. Enter the Evriholder Cutlery Cleaner. 

This little wonder easily attaches to the side of your sink (via a very strong suction cup) and cleans like a wonder. My sink is unfortunately too shallow to have it attached to the side and still be able to clean large knives, so it stands at the back of the sink ready for use.

I can quickly clean my knives with confidence, and my hands have never been happier. 

Rockin' Green Laundry Detergent

I know what you're thinking, "Laundry detergent? In the kitchen?" Yes, because that's where our washer and dryer are, so that's why we find this here.

When I first started cloth diapering I was using a hand crank washing "machine" and some of our Arm & Hammer free and clear detergent, definitely not the best option. I wasn't sure what to use and there are so many options out there. One day a friend of mine gave me some Rockin' Green to use after I asked her a hundred questions about how she cloth diapers, and I've never turned back.

With soft, normal, and hard water types, it can be hard to know what will work for you. You may have a friend that swears by X detergent, but it just will not get your clothes/diapers clean and the reason for this is probably your water type. This is where Rockin' Green was smart- they have a different formula for soft (Soft Rock), normal (Classic Rock), and hard (Hard Rock) water types. You can get test kit at Target, as well as many other places, that will let you know how hard (or soft) your water is, among other things. They also have great names for their scents (which are distillations of essential oils): Mötley Cleän, Lavender Mint Revival, Smashing Watermelons, and unscented (which used to be Bare Naked Babies). I've used the unscented and the Lavender Mint Revival, which really helps a smelly process not smell that bad. 

Rockin' Green also makes other laundry products: Funk Rock, which is an ammonia bouncer that works wonders, and Athletic Wear detergent. They even have an Auto Dish detergent, pet specific detergent, odor neutralizers for various applications, diaper pail refresher, diaper liners, and are coming out with some new products including liquid laundry.

These are just a few of the things that make my day every time I use them. Keep an eye out in a couple of weeks for the next installment of What I'm loving...