You should know by now that the kitchen is my favourite room in the house. (Although since we bought the new sofa, the living room comes in at a close second!) I love cooking and even working at the kitchen table brings me a sense of calm that no other room can compete with. Today, I want to talk about the kitchen essentials that I use which bring simplicity to my life.
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Kitchen Essentials from Take a Paws
My cookbooks
I mentioned my cookbooks in the ‘How to improve your cooking skills‘ blog post a few weeks ago. In all honesty, I would be nowhere without my cookbooks. They keep my meals varied, balanced and exciting. Plus, as confident as I am at cooking, I’m still learning. This is why I love having a range of cookbooks with several difficulty levels.
This cookbook actually belongs to James’ dad so I need to buy my own now that we’ve moved house. I’m missing it a lot but because it’s the cookbook that I use the most, not having one with me right now has given me a push to try other recipes.
Most of the recipes are incredibly simple and quick to make. I’ve noticed that the more I make them, the quicker I get at making them. The book breaks the instructions down so that you feel at ease with cooking. As you build your confidence with the recipes, you’ll find that you can multi-task and make certain dinners in under 30 minutes!
This cookbook is amazing if you’re looking to include more meat-free meals into your diet. There are so many different sections, my favourites being one pot wonders and traybakes.
I was so excited when I received this cookbook for Christmas. Italian food is my absolute favourite and this book has not disappointed me. It’s also great because the recipes are slightly more complex than some of my other cookbooks which means I get to challenge myself and improve my skills.
Davina’s 5 Weeks to Sugar Free
I always like to be transparent on my blog which is why I’ve included this cookbook rather than leaving it out. I bought 5 Weeks to Sugar Free when I was still obsessed with finding ways to lose weight. In essence, this book is a product of diet culture and the only reason I haven’t got rid of it is because there are certain recipes (including kedgeree and homemade granola) that are super tasty.
I haven’t linked it to Amazon. If you decide to purchase this book, that’s completely up to you. Personally, I don’t want any commission from a product of diet culture.
And finally, we have Classic by Mary Berry. This was also a Christmas present and it is full of traditional homemade meals. It’s a book that I’m more likely to use when I have guests over because the serving sizes tend to be for 4-6 people. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful book with recipes that are perfect for dinner parties.
Weighing and measuring utensils
If you follow recipes regularly, you’ll be aware that different people use different measuring systems to portion out their ingredients. I mainly use Pinterest to find new recipes so I never know if the ingredients will be in grams or cups.
That’s why I really recommend having weighing scales, as well as measuring cups and measuring spoons. The Salter weighing scales I use are lightweight, have multiple weighing options (grams, fl oz, ml etc.) and are budget friendly (only £10!!)
Food storage containers
This isn’t even the full amount of containers as I already have some filled with food in the fridge. I try to use as little single use plastic as possible which is why I have so many containers. Did you know that if you take your containers to the deli counters in the supermarket, they’ll put your food in the containers instead of inside plastic wrappers? I know the deli counters are shut at the moment due to the virus but it’s something to think about for the future.
Amazon Alexa
When these devices first came out, I rolled my eyes. But after using one at my mum’s house, I knew this would be a great addition to my kitchen.
I use Alexa mostly for listening to the radio and setting timers. It’s actually a time saver because I can be cutting up vegetables and skipping a song without having to stop what I’m doing. It’s also great if my hands are wet or have food on them.
Alexa is also really useful in the kitchen for keeping your shopping list up to date. If you run out of a staple item, like milk or bread, you can add it to your shopping list. You’ll never forget a shopping item again!
I hope that you’ve found this post interesting and useful. I’m always looking for ways to improve myself in the kitchen and the products that I use really help to keep cooking and food prep efficient.
Let me know if you decide to try any of my recommendations! I always love to hear what you think!
Take a Paws and Tell Me:
What are your kitchen essentials?
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I loved this – am always looking for new cookbook inspo! (Even if I already probably own far too many haha)
My fav kitchen essential is definitely my cat measuring cups because they’re super cute (and also useful of course haha)
Awh they sound adorable! I think you can never have too many cookbooks! Thanks for reading Carla 🙂 x