Kitchen Facts!

Ashley has tagged me for a kitchen meme. I have to name eight random things from my kitchen/cooking. This is re-posted from my other blog, keeping feet, where I was tagged- but it belongs here.

1. My favorite kitchen implement is the wooden spoon. I use it for whatever I can possibly use it for. It is indispensable.

2. I love sunflowers. My plates, bowls, bread box, recipe box, and anything I could get a hold of has sunflowers on it. Even my apron. I prefer designs with fall-colored sunflowers, with oranges and greens, rather than cheery yellow ones.

3. I really hadn't cooked much before getting married a year and a half ago. Since then, I have discovered I love cooking, and treat it as an experiment & an adventure.

4. I hate making a roux & white sauce. I burned it once, and have this fear of doing it again. Besides I think it takes longer than it is worth. I make it, but only when necessary.

5. My knitted dishcloth is my favorite thing to wash dishes or wipe up with. Right now, I have no sponges at my sink. The only thing that gets use is the dishcloth I made.

6. Pies are my favorite thing to bake. Apple, pear, peach, strawberry, sugar cream, chocolate pudding, chicken pot... you name it, I love making pies. Unfortunately, when I cook dessert, its usually for a decent-sized group, and pies will feed 6-8 people, but not many more. I make them anyway.

7. My favorite cookbook is the Joy of Cooking cookbook. It's classic, and I appreciate not only the fact that the recipes have been tested over 60 years, but that there's such a wide variety of them.

8. I cook based on what I have in the house. I don't like having to go to the store to pick something up for a planned meal- I'd much rather use the staples I have to throw something together. As I learn to plan menus further ahead of time, perhaps I'll be able to cook things not in the normal rotation- but currently the 'normal rotation' uses what's always stocked in the pantry.