These are a few of my favorite things for the kitchen

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I thought I would take a break from sharing recipes and DIY projects to bring you a series of posts over the next few weeks about my favorite things. To borrow words from the Sound of Music, these are a few of my favorite things for the kitchen.

These are a few of my favorite things for the kitchen…

Cleaning

I never do any cooking, baking or preparation in my kitchen that doesn’t require a little cleaning, tidying up or downright scrubbing. These products help make this dirty chore a little more pleasant.

Dawn Ultra Hand Renewal Dishwashing Liquid with Olay Beauty – Call me old fashioned, but I prefer to wash dishes by hand. I get them clean the first time. I don’t have to load/unload the dishwasher. All the dishes get clean, dried and put away in no time!
Bar Keeper’s Friend – This stuff will clean your stainless steel sinks, glass cooktops, baking dishes, glass baking dishes and even polish silverware. Love it! Use it absolutely all the time!

Baking

I love to bake and having the right tools makes all the difference between perfectly baked goods and just another ordinary batch. These products help ensure your baking results are consistent. I could list a hundred things here, but I’ve tried to narrow it down to the three things that I feel every kitchen should have for their baking tools.

Bakeware – I use my glass bakeware all the time. Contrary to what you may think, glass bakeware cleans up easily.
Cookie Sheets – I bake a lot of cookies and having good cookie sheets that bake evenly are a must!

Cooking

Obviously, if you’re going to spend time in the kitchen, you’ve got to have a nice set of pots and pans, cast iron skillet and utensils. It’s really hard to narrow this category (or any kitchen category) down to just two items, but here’s my two favorite cooking essentials.

Stainless Steel Cookware – I cook all the time and having good quality cookware is an absolute must. Don’t buy aluminum. You’ll just be disappointed and frustrated.
Cast Iron Skillet – A cast iron skillet is a very versatile piece of cookware. You can cook on the stove top, then transfer to the oven. It heats evenly and retains heat. It’s also great for baking (corn bread comes to mind).

Food Preparation

Besides a good set of knives and wooden cutting boards of various sizes (you can never have too many cutting boards), my two favorite food preparation items are my (daughter’s) KitchenAid mixer and my food processor. I’d be lost without both of these items.

Before I go, let me just share the lyrics to “A Few of My Favorite Things.” Sound of Music. I love this musical. It’s probably my favorite musical of all time. Julie Andrews.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad.