This is a guest post from one of my favorite bloggers, Nina at Peace, Love, & Good Food. Thank you, Nina, for sharing your top 11 kitchen must-have items! I need to take notes!

Hello, House of Rose Readers! My name is Nina, and I blog over at my little corner of the internet, also known as Peace, Love & Good Food.

I’m a twenty-something newly(ish)-wed Southern girl who was transplanted to the Midwest about a year and a half ago. My handsome husband and I met at the gym. We are crazy in love and have made the best team together ever since.

The love of good food was something ingrained in me since I was a tiny Italian as my family sat down at the table together every single night. I can’t wait to create the same kind of warm, loving sense of family when the Mini Moores arrive someday. I’m the oldest of three girls, and I could eat Caprese Salad (tomato, basil, and mozzarella) every day. My sisters tried to honor my 8th grade request and hire NSYNC to sing at our wedding, but sadly, they were booked. I hope you’ll stop by to say hello!

Since I have a love for all things kitchen related I thought it would be fun to do a “What are your favorite things in your kitchen?” post. GAH! I love all of it. Really, I do. My kitchen is my happy place. There are few things I love more than pouring a glass of wine, cranking up my Lionel Richie Pandora station and making dinner for Mark and myself. It’s therapeutic for me. And sitting down to eat together is my FAVORITE part of the day.

I started paying attention to what items in my kitchen I am constantly using to prep and cook with. These are the things that I could not imagine myself living without in a kitchen. A well stocked kitchen is a must for anyone that enjoys cooking and entertaining as much as I do, but for me on most days, it boils down to a list of undeniable favorites.

Some are the invest in once and have forever type of deal. Others may seem so small and funny, but seriously get used every single day. So, here, in no particular order, are my top 11 kitchen must-haves…

 

1. LeCreuset 5 ½ QuartDutchOven in Flame. I love this little baby so much and use it several times per week. It’s great for sauces, sautes, soups, and even roasting an entire chicken! One of my favorite things is that it goes easily from oven to table and still looks pretty. This is a pricey item, but I will have it forever. I hope my grandchildren use it.

 

2. LeCreusetGrillPan. My Godmother is a phenomenal cook and insisted I register for it, only so that she could purchase it for us. I had no clue how much I would use this but this is another one that’s constantly on the stove. It’s great for grilling meats when it’s not warm enough to fire the one up outside. We also love grilling our vegetables on it!

 

3. EmileHenrySaltPig. Probably the funniest thing on this list, no? I’m obsessed with this little guy. I keep it by my stove filled with coarse kosher salt, the only salt I use for cooking. My parents got me hooked on this and my dad surprised me with my own. It’s a good conversation piece. “What’s that?” “Oh, hey, meet my salt pig”.

 

4. SurLaTableSiliconeSlottedSpoon. This is by far my favorite kitchen utensil. I barely use anything else because this one works so well. Scrambling eggs, sauteing garlic, stirring sauces. This thing does it all.

 

5. WusthofClassicChef’sKnife. We are stocked with a full set of Wusthof Classics but if I could only pick one, the Chef’s Knife would be it. You can never go wrong with a good chef’s knife. It makes a huge difference. Period.

 

 

 

6. AnthropologieIzmirMeasuringCups. How cute are these measuring cups? I mostly use them as prep bowls. Sometimes I even use the smaller one to set out my vitamins for the next day next to the coffee pot. I’m an old lady like that. These are an excellent gift idea for any of your foodie friends!

 

7. CitrusJuicer. Cooking with fresh citrus is a way of life around here. It often makes its way into marinades, dips, and dressings. This juicer is the best I’ve used yet and it was only $10 at Target!

 

8. Microplane. Another tool for my love of citrus! This is great for zesting lemon and lime rind, which really gives the best flavor of all. It also works well for cheese and fresh ginger. And chocolate.

 

9. CuisinartSmartStickImmersionHandBlender. This gadget does it all! It’s an immersion blender, electric whisk, and food processor in one. I have a mini food processor and I think this tool works just as well. It’s like three appliances for the price of one.

 

10. KitchenAidStandMixer. 6 Qt. Pro. I think the angel choirs sang when I finally got my kitchen aid for a Wedding Gift. Although most everything that gets made in this thing is virtually unhealthy, I can’t imagine how lonely my kitchen countertop would be without it. Our Friday nights wouldn’t be the same either. If you read my blog, you know that Friday is pizza night at the Moore house and I use my mixer to make my homemade dough. Heaven, I tell you.

 

11.  Williams–SonomaPizzaStone. If you are into the homemade pizza thing, do yourself a favor and invest in one of these. Actually, I think this is tied with #10. Means to make the pizza dough plus the stone. It should be considered a package deal.

 

This list could have been much longer but alas, these items are the ones that make my heart beat the fastest.

So what are your favorite items for the kitchen? Am I missing anything good?