A collection of a few of my favorite things...
Appliance Heaven!
Before I started working smarter, I was working harder - way harder than necessary. I was oblivious to all the fancy schmancy kitchen appliances out on the market. Appliances which supposedly denounced hard work and shuffled in convenience did not belong in my cooking world. You see - I've never spent more than $100 on an appliance (which was my toaster oven / rotisserie and only because my husband insisted that EVERY household NEEDED a rotisserie for perfectly roasted chicken).
A device that slices and minces vegetables and fruits in under 20 seconds? Who needs it?! Food processors are so overrated - you just need a good, sharp kitchen knife and a handy cutting board. And more than 20 seconds that's for sure. What do you mean an electric blender crushes ice? Blasphemy! Ziploc bag and mallet. Need I say more?
I was totally old-school and the harder I worked to prepare a meal, the better tasting it would be and the more people would appreciate all my efforts. Right? Isn't that a cook's cardinal rule?
Remember watching those black and white shows where the mother would MIX her cake batter with a wooden spoon or whisk? That was me!!! My trusted whisk has been with me through thick and thin (no pun intended). Thus, she deserves to be recognized for her hard work.
A device that slices and minces vegetables and fruits in under 20 seconds? Who needs it?! Food processors are so overrated - you just need a good, sharp kitchen knife and a handy cutting board. And more than 20 seconds that's for sure. What do you mean an electric blender crushes ice? Blasphemy! Ziploc bag and mallet. Need I say more?
I was totally old-school and the harder I worked to prepare a meal, the better tasting it would be and the more people would appreciate all my efforts. Right? Isn't that a cook's cardinal rule?
Remember watching those black and white shows where the mother would MIX her cake batter with a wooden spoon or whisk? That was me!!! My trusted whisk has been with me through thick and thin (no pun intended). Thus, she deserves to be recognized for her hard work.
As I began devoting more and more time to baking, I reluctantly bought a handheld electric mixer. Black and Decker Power Pro -1 horsepower baby - Keeamoku Ross Store $8.99. Circa 2006. I was so disgusted with myself I didn't take the thing out of the box for 8 months. Seriously.
Baking started rolling along (hahaha rolling) and the idea to start up a business emerged. By this time I was completely attached to my handheld B&D. I was baking cakes left and right, but I was literally glued to my handheld because I had to HOLD the darn thing. If you know me well enough, multi-tasking is my expertise...I'm just great at it. But I couldn't do it with my B&D.
Then the husband says it out loud one fateful night, "Maybe it's time to get a real mixer..one that will allow you to do other things while your batter is prepping. How much is your time really worth? Is it worth the 2 hours it takes you to produce one cake? That's not a very smart business tactic."
Damn him.
I'm a perfectionist! Hard worker! I will NEVER give in to such convenience!
I bought the KitchenAid Professional 550 HD 3 days later. For a pretty penny I might add.
Then the husband says it out loud one fateful night, "Maybe it's time to get a real mixer..one that will allow you to do other things while your batter is prepping. How much is your time really worth? Is it worth the 2 hours it takes you to produce one cake? That's not a very smart business tactic."
Damn him.
I'm a perfectionist! Hard worker! I will NEVER give in to such convenience!
I bought the KitchenAid Professional 550 HD 3 days later. For a pretty penny I might add.
Was I impressed. She is a thing of b-e-a-u-t-y.
Powerful. Trustworthy. Independent.
Cake batters are incorporated completely in less than half the time it took with my handheld. Frosting is whipped to perfection. But even with the new addition to my kitchen, I did not forget the little ones who helped me get to where I am today. Every now and then I take out my whisk to sift the dry ingredients or even my B&D handheld so she can whip up the frosting. But obviously the songs and praise belong to the star of the show.
Although my KitchenAid is by all definitions fancy schmancy, she has allowed me to produce more cakes by working smarter, not harder. I guess I should give props to the husband for encouraging me to take my quest for perfection through hard work and combine it with business savvy so that our company could - perhaps - one day be profitable.
That's the goal, right?
Powerful. Trustworthy. Independent.
Cake batters are incorporated completely in less than half the time it took with my handheld. Frosting is whipped to perfection. But even with the new addition to my kitchen, I did not forget the little ones who helped me get to where I am today. Every now and then I take out my whisk to sift the dry ingredients or even my B&D handheld so she can whip up the frosting. But obviously the songs and praise belong to the star of the show.
Although my KitchenAid is by all definitions fancy schmancy, she has allowed me to produce more cakes by working smarter, not harder. I guess I should give props to the husband for encouraging me to take my quest for perfection through hard work and combine it with business savvy so that our company could - perhaps - one day be profitable.
That's the goal, right?
Designing for the Ages
I enjoy creative processes, its challenges, and achieving the sought after results. I can give myself a professional looking pedicure or cut my children's hair. Heck - if I can't do something, you damn well know I'm going to keep trying and trying until I get it right.
Designing? Not so much.
I know nothing about graphic design and I don't pretend to try. That's where the professionals come in and I gladly step back and let their creative juices take over the process.
M.U. Designs is owned and operated by Marivic Ulep and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. I was hesitant to use a company that wasn't within the walls of our tiny rock, but then I saw Marivic's digital portfolio. "Phenomenal" doesn't even justify it! She's created logos and designs for many well known companies in Las Vegas - baby! (I just had to insert that because everyone says baby after Las Vegas!)
I gave her three words - pink, brown, and cake. With those three words she presented an array of fabulous (can you tell it's one of my favorite words?) logo designs for my website, business cards and labels with a turnaround time of four days. Pretty impressive. It was such a difficult choice but the logo we picked screamed K's Sugar & Spice.
Marivic's professionalism was outstanding as we corresponded via email and phone calls. She's a perfectionist yo! I dig that about overly compulsive people such as myself. I know - it's a gift.
I feel like keeping the knowledge of her company all to myself cause I want to be the coolest looking cat out there, but alas, her talents must be shared. Check out her website at http://define1lady.blogspot.com/. Put in a request for her digital portfolio. You'll thank me later.
Marivic's ultra chic and ultra hip and she'll create designs to ensure your company is recognizable - and FAB! Which is why that earns her a spot on my faves list!
Designing? Not so much.
I know nothing about graphic design and I don't pretend to try. That's where the professionals come in and I gladly step back and let their creative juices take over the process.
M.U. Designs is owned and operated by Marivic Ulep and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. I was hesitant to use a company that wasn't within the walls of our tiny rock, but then I saw Marivic's digital portfolio. "Phenomenal" doesn't even justify it! She's created logos and designs for many well known companies in Las Vegas - baby! (I just had to insert that because everyone says baby after Las Vegas!)
I gave her three words - pink, brown, and cake. With those three words she presented an array of fabulous (can you tell it's one of my favorite words?) logo designs for my website, business cards and labels with a turnaround time of four days. Pretty impressive. It was such a difficult choice but the logo we picked screamed K's Sugar & Spice.
Marivic's professionalism was outstanding as we corresponded via email and phone calls. She's a perfectionist yo! I dig that about overly compulsive people such as myself. I know - it's a gift.
I feel like keeping the knowledge of her company all to myself cause I want to be the coolest looking cat out there, but alas, her talents must be shared. Check out her website at http://define1lady.blogspot.com/. Put in a request for her digital portfolio. You'll thank me later.
Marivic's ultra chic and ultra hip and she'll create designs to ensure your company is recognizable - and FAB! Which is why that earns her a spot on my faves list!
Retro kitchenware
Impressing me can be a daunting task. There's not many things I am too fond of and my "perfectionist" nature is more like a curse to those around me. But when I stumble across different approaches to the everyday mundane..I get excited!
See this pattern? Absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. The colors, the lines, the retro squiggles, the sparkle. Everything a pattern should be without being too obnoxious.
What's even more fabulous? It's sewn into an apron.
Modern.
Chic.
Functional.
See this pattern? Absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. The colors, the lines, the retro squiggles, the sparkle. Everything a pattern should be without being too obnoxious.
What's even more fabulous? It's sewn into an apron.
Modern.
Chic.
Functional.
This fab apron was the brainchild of three lovely ladies who own and operate Campus Creations on Oahu, a company that supplies uniforms to various schools in Hawaii. You can check out their website at http://campuscreationshawaii.com/ and inquire about getting one for that rockin' cook in your family.
I'd like to say I looked pretty smokin' hot wearing it, but my budding chef looked a hundred times better! She models it well, but I get to wear it in the kitchen! |
K's Sugar & Spice logo created by the ultra chic Marivic Ulep of M.U. Designs. http://define1lady.blogspot.com/