my kitchen mainstay

I have spent this week packing up my kitchen & dining area in preparation for D-day. That would be Demolition Day. We'll be raising the ceiling, exposing the attic and removing pop corn before the new kitchen is even installed. So everything had to be cleared out. It's sort of like moving, but it's only going into the garage. But here's the deal... it's forcing me to reevaluate and weed out and reassess my possessions, and ask myself "What do I really want back in my shiny new kitchen?" See, when you don't move very often, things just accumulate. But here's another thing... I became aware of some things that I do not want to live without. Things that I've lived with for a very long time.

Handi Wipes- I have used Handi Wipes for most of my 30 years of marriage... thanks to my Mother-in-law who introduced them to me. I use them to clean, scrub, wash & dust. I could never go back to those thick, bulky dish rags... that smell real bad after one use. These can be used over & over... plus laundered. They function better than anything else I've ever tried. A keeper for sure.

Toaster oven- We used the same toaster oven for the first 28 years of marriage and then it died. So on the way home from church a week later I found a toaster oven at a yard sale for $5.00. I can honestly say that I use my toaster oven most every single day... way more than I use my microwave.

But what really took my toaster oven to another level was purchasing the Pampered Chef bar pan. Ideal for chicken fingers, appetizers and sandwiches. Great for reheating leftovers, too. Fits in most toaster ovens. 8 3/4" x 6 1/2".
Btw, I did not grow up with a toaster oven. In fact my Mom got her very first one this past Christmas. And she's almost 80. So it's never too late to explore new time-saving, life-changing gadgets.

The very first wedding gift we received was a package in the mail from Randy's Aunt Ruth. A harvest gold hand-mixer. I used that hand mixer at least a couple times every week for over 25 years before it died. And it was quickly replaced with another. I seriously could not imagine my kitchen without one. And I even have a stand mixer... that I rarely ever use.

And last, but certainly not least... the Pampered Chef Quikut Paring Knife. You know the knives I'm talkin about. Truly the biggest bang for your buck! And guess what, they sold for a buck! I think they're $1.75 now. Anyway, I've acquired several over the years while hosting Pampered Chef parties. They invariably come up missing, so you can never have too many.
Anyway, these knives are the best. Super sharp. In fact I was reminded of my high regard for them while slicing mushrooms for Beef Stroganoff last night. Which btw, was most likely my last meal in my old kitchen. Kinda sad...

SO, what is something, maybe slightly out of the norm, that has been a mainstay in your kitchen over the years? That you couldn't live without? That I've been living without, that could potentially change my life!