Friday Favorites- Ancient Hand Mixer, Discontinued Thermometer, and Paring Knives that you can still get!

TGIF finally! So, since this blog is new, allow me to explain…
Friday Favorites are just that. My favorite cooking product(s) of the week!  This could be anything from utensils to my favorite cheese.

This week I have one very special product that you can’t buy in stores anymore: A burnt orange hand mixer from Sears, circa 1972. This gadget was given to me by my mom when I first moved in with my boyfriend (now husband) almost five years ago. It has ten speeds, but only two of them work: fast and super fast!  I really love it, though. It doesn't match anything, of course, but it gets the job done!  I'm most amazed at how old it is and how well it's still working.  They just don't make products like that anymore...

Now for a product still available for purchase… the Pampered Chef Digital Pocket Thermometer. 

I LOVE this thing. I don’t trust oven temperatures or suggested lengths of time in recipes. I cook all meat to temperature. Cooking to temp ensures you get exactly what you want and there are no surprises when you cut into it.   

UPDATE: Immediately after writing this, I found out the Digital Pocket Thermometer has been discontinued, ugh!  BUT I think any digital thermometer would be just as good.  The whole point is to not poison whomever you're feeding, right?  So, who cares what the brand is?

I've only been to one Pampered Chef party and I find the items to be a little on the spendy side, but I also wouldn't be able to live without the Quikut Paring Knives. I have three of these and they are constantly being run through the dishwasher because I use them so much! The good news is that they don’t dull in the dishwasher, apparently!  The best news is that they're only $2.50 each!

Well, Pampered Chef should probably pay me for these endorsements. I’ll certainly hold my breath for their contact.

What are some of your favorite kitchen/cooking products?