These Are a Few of My Favorite Things....

With the holidays approaching, I was thinking yesterday about all the cooking that goes on during them~ preparing special foods for company or visiting relatives, preparing the holiday meals, making specialty foods for gifts, and cooking for parties.
I LOVE cooking. I love making a whole bunch of different things and the best part is knowing that it will be enjoyed by people you care about. It's a lot of effort but it's so worth it.
There's a few things that make all this cooking and preparing even more enjoyable though, and these are a few that I am ga-ga over: the Williams-Sonoma veggie chopper and cute aprons, which you can find HERE.

The veggie chopper is something I wanted ever since I saw it on a TV infomercial, LOL. My mom had one and told me she got hers at Linens N Things or Bed, Bath and Beyond...I forget now. But then, several online cooking friends had all gotten one at Williams-Sonoma, and I just happened to have won a $500 gift card there (which you can read about HERE ), so I got myself down there and that was the first thing I bought! I am THRILLED with it! So much easier than hauling out the food processor for smaller amounts of things and it does quite a nice job. I don't use the garlic mincing part of it, b/c I prefer to chop my own garlic, but it's an option for those who aren't so picky about their garlic, LOL.

And, if you aren't wearing an apron while you cook, you MUST! It gives the whole process a totally different dynamic! These aprons are just the cutest ones I've ever seen, and when you're dressed up (or even if you're not) it's just nice to have something cute and "girly" on. Makes you feel kinda flirty while you're cookin' with gas, LOL.
Plus, it reminds me of simpler times~ grandma always wore an apron.
And what would be cuter on Christmas Day when you're all dolled up than wearing a really beautiful apron over your pretty Christmas ensemble? Love them! Check this catalog out; she's got some gorgeous aprons!


And one of my favorite luxuries is voluptuous vanilla~ and I get the best direct from the vine :D; my dad grows it~! I am currently on the prowl for a phenomenal vanilla muffin of some sort. When I find it and test it, I'll post it.

My other little kitchen luxury is candles~ my all time favorite is Yankee Candle's Fig and Olive, but for the holidays I try to find something a little more festive and fitting, like Bayberry or Christmas Pear~ which you can find HERE, along with some other interesting and unique holiday scents.

After talking about these lovely things, I feel like getting into the kitchen, putting on a cute apron and making something interesting!