Kitchen Gadgets

I have always been a kitchen gadget snob. I wrote about my bread machine snobbery in the last issue of New Harvest Homestead Newsletter. (which, by the way, if you don't subscribe I highly  reccomend it) Now you must understand, I don't mean I am a snob in that I have to have a certain brand. I mean I am a snob in that those things don't belong in the kitchen! All you really need is a couple wooden spoons and a cast iron skillet. All those other things--mixers, bread machines, non-stick pans--are for posers .  For years I revelled in doing things the "old fashioned (read that HARD) way."  My escape from snobbery started when my MIL bought me a bread machine. Wow. I soon discovered how fabulous those things are. Freeing up hours of time but still allowing me to bake fresh bread for my family. Way cool. My newest discovery is the stand mixer. Wow. Talk about a cool toy. Now, I have always mixed by hand, always enjoyed mixing by hand and still advocate hand mixing. But in the last few months I have developed arthritis in my elbow. It hurts. It also robs me of my strength and makes something as simple as hand mixing very painful. Major bummer. So for Christmas my fabulous husband bought me a bright red KitchenAid Mixer.This thing is beyond cool. Not only is it gorgeous, but it mixes up everything from bread dough, to pie crusts, to cookies and donuts. With NO elbow pain. Hallelujah! It will also make light, fluffy, whipped cream out of my fresh cream. Which I was here-to-for unable to accomplish. So I think my kitchen gadget snob days are at an end. Except for non-stick cook ware. That stuff will kill you .