Favorite Things: Cooking in the Kitchen

Last night I got the urge to start baking. So I made Snickerdoodles. They are my dad's favorite cookie so I loaded up the kids this morning and made a cookie delivery to his office. It was a nice surprise. I know he was busy because he had taken yesterday off, but hopefully we didn't cause too much trouble.

There are a couple more kitchen things on My Favorites list that I wanted to explain.

Brightideas.com: This website has some of the neatest ideas for baking that I've seen in one place. I am on their email list and I'm always amazed at the creativity they display with each season. This is the place to look for cool cakes, cookies, designs, and much, much more.

Kraftfoods.com: The reason everyone should check out kraftfoods.com is to sign up for the FREE Kraft foods cookbook that comes out four times a year. It is full of great recipes and new ways of doing things. I have been receiving this magazine for several years now and I still rave about how good it is. The recipes are mostly quick and easy, plus they use things that we usually already have in the house. It's a great freebie!!

Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks: I was introduced to these cookbooks by my friend Molly about three years ago. I have not been disappointed in any recipe I've tried from these books. They are just incredible. These are not your everyday cookbooks. They are for company and special occasions. Most of the recipes have ingredients that we don't always have on hand and they usually take a little more time. But they are sooo worth it! I highly recommend the Perfect Roast Chicken, Parmesan Chicken, Parmesan Smashed Potatoes, Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad, and the Turkey Sausage Lasagna. My absolute favorite, however, is Cheddar Corn Chowder.

Cuisinart Food Processor: After making a few recipes from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks, I decided that I needed a food processor. We had a mini one but it was really just too small. For Christmas last year, I asked for one and by June I got exactly what I wanted. (long story on why it took so long) Now, I can't imagine my kitchen without it. It saves me so much time on chopping vegetables. I use it every time I can think of reason! I've even taken to calling it my new kitchen toy.