The Newest Addition To My Kitchen

Black Friday just happened. I’m not one to go crazy over deals and wait in crazy long lines late on Thanksgiving or super early Black Friday morning. It’s just not my thing. However, I did buy myself a brand new Kitchenaid stand mixer online. They were 30% off at a few stores, but I chose Bed Bath and Beyond because of an extra 20% off coupon.

I got the Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer in Majestic Yellow. Yeah, that’s a mouth full. Blue Velvet was my first choice, but Bed Bath and Beyond doesn’t carry that color, so I went with the yellow. Yellow is my favorite color after all. With the extra 20% off coupon I got it for the price of a 5-Quart Tilt Head Mixer.

I ordered it in the afternoon on Thanksgiving with the understanding that it probably wouldn’t come until Dec. 2-4. Which was what the checkout page said, and that was fine because I’ve spent the last 5 years without one, so what was another week. Every time I thought about it, though, I felt giddy. I was so excited to finally get a Kitchenaid Mixer again! I would smile and giggle to myself a little each time it came to mind. I felt like a freak getting so excited over a piece of equipment, but I do love my tools. I’m literally obsessed with having the right tools or fancy tools for things

Earlier this afternoon my sister-in-law came home and the first thing she said was, “Your Kitchenaid is here, they left it just outside the gate.” I immediately brought it inside and opened the box, which was a bit ridiculous because it was a box inside a box inside a box. Once the shipping box was opened I had to open another box before getting to the actual Kitchenaid box.

I pulled it out as fast as I could, it took me almost 5 minutes to get it out of the packaging. I wiped off the dust and Styrofoam bits stuck to it and put the bowl and beaters in the sink to wash. I can’t tell you how good it felt to get a brand new Kitchenaid after waiting 5 1/2 years to save up for one. A few years ago I had planned and tried to get one multiple times, but things kept coming up like, car repairs, needing to get new clothes or shoes for family members, or having to get supplies for school projects. It was rough watching my savings for this specific thing dwindle to nothing over and over again. I think in part I wasn’t ready to splurge on such an expensive piece of equipment until now. Which brings me to my vision board.

A few weeks ago I revamped my vision board, and this will be the first thing I take off it since then. In it’s place I’m going to put a wheat grinder. I need to do some research to decided which one to get, but for now there’s always the grain mill attachment I could get to start out with.

Baking with my daughter isn’t quite fun yet, because she’s three and likes to lick everything, but I decided to let her choose what we’d make first. She said, “Nutella.” I picked a recipe for Nutella Cookie Cups I found here years ago and we proceeded to bake. I made the cookie dough in my new mixer.

I lined the cupcake pan with my silicone liners and used my 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to fill them. The recipe says it makes 12, but I ended up with 36 this time. The first time I tried out this recipe I made them as directed and only got 12, but this time I made them smaller and got a whole lot more. Now I need to find people to give them to so I don’t eat them all myself.

I went through half a jar of Nutella, one of the big jars you get at Costco, but it was only half full when I pulled it off the shelf and therefore only filled 24 of the cookie cups. I filled the remaining 12 with the spiced caramel sauce I made for the pralines and cream ice cream I served for part of Thanksgiving dessert.

After today I’m feeling grateful for the progress I’ve made in my life. Life has a habit of not going according to plan. I’m thankful that I’m moving forward even though it’s a slow process. I’ve done a lot of healing and I feel like I am becoming someone better. I don’t know exactly what the future holds for me, but I’m finally letting myself get excited for all the possibilities. I think it’s funny that we have moments and feelings that are connected with things, objects we use as measurements for our progress. Today my progress comes in the shape of a Kitchenaid.