Gutting the kitchen was a mess and I got to see just how gross and cheaply made my kitchen was originally.  When the guys started bringing the new cabinets, sink, and countertops, I could spot the quality difference immediately without even having to touch anything.  They fabricators had made the cabinets at their own homes and stored them in our garage so I was sorta able to see how they would look but I never imagined how beautiful it would all be in the end and I truly believe that the countertops is what made the biggest difference of all.  Just stunning!

The Wilsonart Sink is much bigger and deeper than the one I had so I was excited about it and the fact I’d be able to finally wash my stock pots in it with ease.

The HD Laminate countertops came in a big ol’ roll.  I was so curious to see how they were gonna cut and lay that on the countertops.  It was so pretty but still did not compare to seeing it completely done.

You can see how he just rolled it out and laid it on the countertop.  No, it’s not THAT easy to do though. There was quite a bit of work involved to make sure it laid smoothly and synced in perfectly with the beveled edging.

When they were laying the countertops and adding the edging, they had a huge plastic sheet closing in the kitchen. They did this to prevent dust from flying everywhere else into my home so I was unable to see progress for a while.  But then, I could and it all started to come together. I could finally see the potential and the beauty shining through.

Most fabricators don’t do plumbing of any kind so we had to make a decision, do we install our new Delta Faucet or do we hire someone to come out and install it professionally?  We chose the latter. Since everything else was getting done by expert installers, we thought it would be best to have everything installed professionally.  You can see in the photo below that he has the faucet part in but was still drilling holes for the additional parts of the faucet.

I know you’re dying to see the the complete kitchen but I’m saving that for another day!  I want you to get a real feel for what goes into it all before sharing the ‘ta-da’ moment.    Stay tuned for more…….

I’m not as obsessed as my mom but close and I often tell you about things that I love, but how do you decipher the things that I love from the things that I REALLY REALLY LOVE? Well it will be easy now thanks to Open Sky. It’s my own little shop of recommended goodies, stamped with the Falcon Crème de la Crème-approval seal, that are guaranteed to make you smile just knowing they are sitting in your kitchen.

What makes Open Sky different, is that you can add products to your shop that are hard to find, unique, and if they don’t have it, they will get it. They are also able to keep costs very low. That magnetic knife strip that I love and recommend in my shop, it’s only $17 bucks. Something else I love about them is that they are personable, which is a pretty great quality to have considering it’s hard to even find someone you can actually talk to that’s not automated.

I will be adding products very slowly to my shop because, as mentioned before, they will be products that I love, love, love and can’t live without. I believe in all the products I talk about here but these are super special. I’ve only added two things to my shop so far; the knife strip I mentioned earlier and the John Boos Maple Cutting Board. *drool* I love me some good cutting boards. I ain’t gonna lie, I hate seeing someone bring out their dingy, stained cutting board. Makes me gag a little.  But this one, oh my, this one is fabulous, beautiful, and a must-have.  It’s super easy to keep in tip-top shape and always looks beautiful.

I’ve requested a couple of other things to put in my shop and as soon as they are available, I’ll let you know about them.  What are YOUR absolute favorite kitchen treasures? And are you one of those folks that has cookbooks coming out your ears?  No, I’m not one of them….I don’t think I am….well, maybe I am….shhh.

Frigidaire is gonna have this mother loading something alright, dishes!   I’m excited because I’m participating in a Test Drive campaign with Frigidaire and the appliance they are asking me to try out is a Frigidaire dishwasher!  Not just any dishwasher, a beautiful stainless steel one. *drool*

Frigidaire wants Moms to do less work to have more time to enjoy life!  They are even giving you a “More Me-Time” Guarantee:

Moms will reduce the amount of time they typically spend on housework by at least 8 hours a month using a combination of three or more select Frigidaire appliances or they can return the appliances to their place of purchase within 30 days and get their money back!

I don’t know about you but I could use some more time for myself each day. I really love that they are realizing how hard we moms work and are doing their part in making it easier for us with day to day living.  I feel like they truly care and even gave a survey tp pick mom’s brains.  Moms spend 200 hours doing things they don’t enjoy and so much less time on things they do love. How sad and shame on us. We really should have more fun and live a little you know?

This dishwasher has a cycle that cuts washing time in half.  IN HALF people! For me, that’s huge, especially when you’re cooking for the ranch like I do!

Frigidaire is launching over 250 brand new appliances in their latest collection and if you’re dying to have one go buy one. BWUAHAHHAHAH! Or, you can try to win them!!  As of today, you can go to the Frigidaire website for some fun interactive things to do and enter to win an ENTIRE collection of appliances!! WOW!  You simply need to tell them 5 things you would do if you had an extra hour to yourself each day.  I would love to hear too so feel free to share them here as well.

I hope you stay tuned ’cause I’ll be sharing more, including video!  Now I’m headed over to Facebook Frigidaire!  See ya there!

I’m excited to bring you my first holiday gift guide this season here at My Wooden Spoon!  With items from unique utensils to gourmet sin for chocolate lovers, you’re sure to find something for that special foodie in this guide.  Price ranges start out as cheap as $10 bucks and go up. I chose to breakdown this guide using product categories so that you can narrow down the type of item you might be looking for.

I hope that you all enjoy it and with that said………………..I present to you, My Wooden Spoon’s 2008 Holiday Gift Guide.

CATEGORIES:

FOOD

BEVERAGES

UTENSILS/CUTLERY & GADGETS

SMALL APPLIANCES

COOKBOOKS & BOOKS

BAKEWARE

COOKWARE

GREAT MISC. MUST-HAVES!

If you didn’t make the guide this year, there’s always next year!  I had sooo many wonderful submissions and it was very hard to choose. I wish I could have put them all in the guide.

Happy Shopping and Have a Safe & Wonderful New Year!!

IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN GIFT GUIDE, LINK IT UP AT THE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES ROUNDUP!

Here you will find some cool, innovative, and very useful small kitchen appliances that anyone would love to have!

Back to the 2008 Holiday Gift Guide Table of Contents

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AeroGrow AeroGarden with Gourmet Herb Seed Kit

* The original indoor garden
* Everything you need to grow now
* Easy, foolproof and 100% guaranteed
* No dirt, no mess, no green thumb required
* Over 400,000 satisfied AeroGardeners

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Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System

* 1500-watt single-cup brewing system for gourmet coffee, tea, or cocoa
* Uses patented K-Cups; removable 48-ounce water reservoir; 3 brew sizes
* Programmable backlit LCD display with digital clock and on/off timer
* Temperature control; removable drip tray; 18 K-Cup variety pack included
* Measures 13-1/4 by 10 by 13 inches; 1-year limited warranty

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BeerTender from Heineken and Krups B95 Home Beer-Tap System

* Home beer-tap system for use with a 5L Heineken DraughtKeg
* Silent cooling system allows for an adjustable temperature of 36,39 or 42 degrees F
* LCD display with volume and temperature indicators
* Maintains freshness for up to 30 days; easy-to-clean detachable parts
* Measures 18 by 12 by 19 1/2 inches

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Excalibur 2900 9 Tray Dehydrator

The family-size economy model, large area ideal for volume drying *Fast, easy, economical, and effic
Adjustable thermostat 85-145 degrees F
Removable door and trays – do not have to be taken apart to check drying or add more food
Almost unbreakable, FDA-approved polycarbonate trays *Polycarbonate plastic cabinet and plexiglass d
9 Trays with 15 square feet of drying area

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KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers

* 325-watt mixer with 10 speeds; 5-quart stainless steel bowl
* Tilt-back head for easy access to mixture
* 2-piece pouring shield with large chute for adding ingredients
* Includes flat beater, dough hook, and wire whip
* Measures 14 by 8-2/3 inches by 14 inches;

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Black & Decker EHC650 3-Cup 2-Speed Food Chopper

* 150-watt electric food chopper for chopping and mincing
* Soft-grip power head provides easy one-handed use
* Stainless-steel blade; 3-cup plastic work bowl
* Slip-resistant base doubles as lid; dishwasher-safe parts
* Measures 4-3/4 by 4-3/4 by 8 inches

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Oster BPST02-B Professional Series Blender

* Measures 8 by 8 by 15 inches; 3-year limited warranty
* Make bartender-quality drinks from a rugged and reformed classic Oster design with a mighty ½ horsepower output making this the most powerful Oster motor available
* Built to last die cast base with fingerprint resistant finish and an exclusive Oster all metal drive that transfers power from the motor to the blade efficiently for years of smooth operation
* Blend like a pro with a 2 speed toggle switch and 5-cup (40 ounce) scratch-resistant, dishwasher safe glass jar
* UL listed with a heavy-duty cord and rubber feet

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T-Fal TT7461002 Avante Deluxe 4-Slice Toaster

* 1800-watt 4-slice toaster with high-speed heating mechanism
* Independent 2- or 4-slice operation; extra-wide, self-adjusting slots
* 7 customized toasting levels; reheat and bagel functions; high-lift lever
* Cancel button; cool-touch exterior for safety; removable crumb tray
* Measures 13 by 14 by 12 inches; 1-year limited warranty

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Presto 03430 Pizzazz Pizza Oven

# 1,235-watt countertop oven makes pizza in about half the time of a conventional oven
# Independently controlled top and bottom heating elements
# Multiple types (frozen or fresh) and sizes (7 to 12 inches) of pizza can be used
# Tmer with automatic shutoff; cooking-time guide for various pizza types

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Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker

# Fully automatic frozen yogurt, sorbet, and ice cream maker
# Brushed stainless-steel housing; heavy-duty motor
# Large ingredient spout for easily adding favorite mix-ins
# Double-insulated 2-quart freezer bowl; instruction book and recipes included

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Frieling Stainless-Steel 35-Ounce French Press

* Double-wall 18/10 stainless-steel French press for coffee or tea
* Mirror finish outside and brushed finish inside
* All-steel mesh plunger mechanism
* Carafe doubles as insulated serving pitcher
* 33 ounces; 9 inches tall; body has a 4-inch diameter

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VillaWare V5225 Crepe Maker

* 900-watt electric appliance makes crepes, blintzes
* Convex, nonstick surface cooks quicker, easier than skillet
* Automatic thermostat with ready-light controls temperature
* Stay-cool plastic handle; 7-1/2-inch-diameter cooking surface
* Simple to use, with dipping plate, recipes, instructions included

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Char-Broil The Big Easy Oil-Less Infrared Turkey Fryer
This is the turkey cooker that uses infrared technology to cook an entire turkey without using any oil, resulting in a safer, healthier alternative with the same gourmet flavor and texture. The propane-fueled, 18,000 BTU burner in the base transfers heat to the cooking chamber, and the stainless steel inner walls distribute heat evenly, ensuring foods are thoroughly cooked. A drop-in basket holds a turkey, whole chicken, or a pork shoulder, and the unit turns on at the touch of a button.

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FoodSaver V2840 Advanced Design
Home vacuum-packaging system vacuums, seals, and shuts off automatically
2 vacuum speeds; CrushFree Instant Seal; extra-wide nonstick sealing strip
Flip-up space-saving design; stainless-steel lid; dishwasher-safe antibacterial drip tray
Bag material, accessory hose, and instructions included
Measures 16-3/4 by 9-3/4 by 14-1/2 inches

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Back to the 2008 Holiday Gift Guide Table of Contents