Stuff I love

Resources

1. http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/index.html
I love my Real Simple magazine!  Unfortunately, since having 2 kids and working, I'm about 3 months behind (kind of) which used to be unheard of for me!  They have a section on food where I get a lot of EASY and different recipes.  My favorite page, though, is "10 Ideas for..."  (10 Ideas for BROCCOLI, 10 Ideas for HAM, 10 Ideas for TORTILLAS, etc)  It's a fantastic resource and I highly recommend it!

2.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/
I trust Food Network's website for recipes more than any others.  They tell you who each recipe is provided by, (whether it's an actual chef or not), difficulty level, prep/cook time, and provide actual reviews on each recipe.  I used to watch the Food Network all the time and I've tried many recipes from different chefs.  It's nice when you get a feel for what a certain chef or cook's food tastes like, and it makes it easier to sift through recipes and find one you think you'll like.

The Professionals

1. Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)
I have found Ina Garten's recipes to be completely fool-proof!  All of her recipe books have pictures of what you're making, and all ingredients are measured out exactly.  You can't go wrong!  Her food tastes great, and she has impeccable taste and style.

2. Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) http://thepioneerwoman.com/
If I could be anyone else in the world, I think I would be Ree Drummond.  She's a cook, gardener, blogger, and home-schooler of 4 children.  Go figure!  Her quirky personality and love/lust of food comes through in her writing and recipes--which are also fool-proof, I find.  Check her out!

3. Rachael Ray (30 Minute Meals)
I really like Rachael Ray's recipes, but I find that she writes more to the somewhat experienced cook.  (Though I don't think she would think so, since she's not a professional.)  But her recipes often call for a "dash" of this, "handful" of that, "palmful" of this, "eyeball" of that.  It's been my experience that when I have someone who's timid in the kitchen helping me out, they need exact measurements to feel secure in what they're doing, which is why I say Rachael's recipes are written for someone who has to be at least comfortable about flavors and measurements in the kitchen.  Rachael has some great burger recipes, though, and easy Italian dishes.

4. Tyler Florenc (Tyler's Ultimate)
Tyler is my go-to for learning how to make the best basic recipe.  His show (which I don't believe is on anymore, but recipes can still be found on the foodnetwork.com) was all about taking an already popular and somewhat basic dish (pancakes, chicken parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken cordon bleu, etc) and showing how to make it in the best way possible.  So, whenever I want to learn how to make a popular dish taste amazing, I look to him!

Kitchen Utensils

I LOVE my...

1. food processor
Doughs and pie crusts come together in seconds, stale bread crusts turn into homemade breadcrumbs, and fillings and pestos are made in a snap.  If I had a bigger kitchen, my processor would have a home right out in the open on the counter--that's how often I use it!

2.  "J.A. Henckels" knives
These are the knives used on Gordon Ramsay's cooking competition shows, and are given to the chefs as prizes.  They are professional knives that are amazing!  Very heavy handles making chopping, dicing, and slicing a breeze.  Our steak knives are even Henckels, too!

3. Pyrex glass bowls with covers
I love being able to whip up a batter or dough and then refrigerate it covered without having to use plastic wrap or foil.  These bowls allow me to do that--they're awesome!

4. Micro-Plane Zester
I zest and grate all the time!  My tool happens to be Pampered Chef, but I think whatever brand you have is fine, just get one--you'll use it all the time!

5. Stainless Steel Cookware
Yes, I am definitely in the stainless steel camp rather than "non-stick."  It looks nicer, in my opinion, is usually more heavy-duty, and I think is just as easy to clean when done right.

6. Williams Sonoma Dexas Flexi Rectangular Cutting Boards
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my large wooden cutting boards, and my large plastic meat-cutting board, but with a small kitchen, I'm unable to display any cutting board proudly like I want, and I need all the convenience I can get.  These cutting boards are thin, small (not too small) and easy to store.  Plus, they come color-coded so you use each one for a different type of food.  They are also nonabsorbent so they don't hold on to food odor.