BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!
My
Amazon Store does have a kitchen theme. I've created a few mini-stores that specialize in items mentioned in the blog. Want the fondue equipment that was mentioned in the
Romance Posts? All the options are there. Likes the
5 Favorite Cookbooks post and want to try one of them? They're available in one click. Need a good pizza stone to make a
Barbecue Chicken Pizza? Check out my recommendations in the Pizza Making section.
But if you want any other kitchen item... or a book... or a door handle for a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero... or you want to pre-order the Avengers Blu-Ray? You can do all of that here! It WON'T cost you one red cent more than what you would pay by going through the regular site. Get it, no extra cost to you! And if you have a Prime Account, you still get all of the perks, like free shipping, etc. The only difference is that
Amazon kicks a little bit of their profit from the purchase you were already going to make to us. So every time you purchase something through my
Amazon Store, you're donating to the Johnson Boys College fund. And you've seen
my boys, they're CUTE! They deserve to go to the best school they can.
So please contribute to the kids' college fund today and make your next, and all subsequent
Amazon purchases through my
Amazon store.
Now, onto the post....
It's wedding season. Yes, June is lousy with wedding after wedding where beautiful young couples promise eternal love and devotion. For some (like mine), it will be a lifelong journey of happiness and joy. For others (like my first marriage), it will be referred to as the "starter marriage", the "trial run", or the "mistake".
But no matter what is in store for the happy couple, you have a responsibility. You have to buy them a gift.
Now they may be registered somewhere like Macy's, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc. And they will have a wish list a mile long. Some items are useful, some absolutely worthless. I accompanied one of my friends when they registered at Target. While most of the selections were items that would truly help out, we were so punchy by the time we were done, we started zapping all sorts of stuff with the scanners, like Lucky Charms, toilet paper and a five pound bag of gummi bears.
But sometimes, the couple may not know exactly what they want. Especially here in Utah. There are so many kids getting married between the ages of 19-21. I'm guilty of doing that myself the first time. And for most of these kids, they're going from mommy and daddy's house to their first apartment. They've never had to build a kitchen from scratch, so they have no clue what's good and what's not.
So let me give a couple suggestions on what you can get those newbies that will truly help them build not only a function and inexpensive kitchen, but a stockpile of extremely useful kitchen items they'll use for years
Let's start with the essentials: measuring cups. For your liquid measurements, you could buy the Pyrex or the glass ones. They work just fine, but if you want to make it easy on the newbies, go with a set of angled measuring cops, like the ones from OXO. They sell a 3 piece set for $20 (the perfect wedding gift price for an acquiantance or a distant cousin) that includes a one, two and four cup size. Why are they the best? They have an edge on the inside that displays the measuring markings, easily viewable from above. That means no filling the cup and then holding it up to eye-level to see if you have enough, and then filling it more, checking it, filling it more, etc.. I have this set and they are my workhorses. And you can buy them in my
Amazon store...
Next, the dry measuring cups. Honestly, any brand will do. They can be metal, plastic, melamine, glass, whatever. But when you're buying dry measuring cups and spoons, there is one feature that is mandatory. The labels of the cups and spoons must be molded into the material or cut into the handles. Why? Have you ever bought a set that has the measurements painted or printed on? How many trips through the washer did it take before they wore off? Mine started wearing in about 10 washes, and the measurements were gone by the 25th wash. Don't force them to guess which ones is the 1/3 cup and the 1/4 cup. vSo spend a couple extra bucks and buy ones with clear measurements that are physically part of the cup.
What about cookie sheets? You'll use them for cookies, breads, french fries, etc. But theres one style of cookie sheet that has additional usages. Take a look at these flat sheets. Yes, they can be used for cookies, but they also work well for pizza making. Since there are no edges, you can construct a pizza on it, then slide the pie off onto a pizza stone to cook. Then when it's done, you can scoop the sheet under the pizza and extract it from the stone, just like you would with a pizza peel. Most are insulated as well, so there's less of a chance of burning items. Perfect for the amateur chef.
And speaking of pizza stones, they make great gifts because they are great multitaskers. They do give pizza a great crispy bottom and are great for other bread baking, like baguettes or bread bowls. But they improve the operation of your oven. If you leave your pizza stones on the bottom rack of your oven, they'll heat as you preheat the oven. Once they heat up, they'll radiate heat themselves and help maintain an even amount of heat in your oven. Considering the high quality ovens that can be installed in your basic starter apartment, anything you can do to help in it's operation is a great idea.
We've
discussed digital thermometers before and if the bride and groom haven't cooked anything beyond Kraft Mac and Cheese, ramen or Hot Pockets, the thermometer is essential. It'll allow them to attempt some more complicated meals, like a roast turkey and ensure that it's cooked all the way through. Nothing like preventing a bad case of samonella. And it's an absolute necessity if you're going to fry anything. So a really good basic digital thermometer is great. There a huge variety of them online, have I mentioned that you can get this stuff through the
Amazon Store?
What's the
best cutting board for the new couple? If they're just starting out, go with the plastic sheet cutting boards. Why? Well, they can be rolled up and tucked into any postage stamp-sized apartment kitchen. And they can survive a run through the dishwasher and come out sterile. If either the bride or groom have some experience, think about a bamboo cutting board. The material will be extremely kind to those new knives they'll receive from that one aunt and they're extremely easy to clean.
And finally, maybe you want to get them something that'll help them rekindle the
romance every so often. A couple good ideas are a fondue pot or a picnic backpack. The new fondue pots aren't just for fondue anymore. They have specific heat controls that can allow you to boil a broth for cooking bite-sized meats, or go low and slow to keep a queso dip or an artichoke dip at a perfect temperature for any party. They're also non-stick and completely submergable for easy cleaning.
The picnic backpacks? They're completely frivolous. But they're great for the romantic dinner in the park, a concert up at Red Butte Gardens, or even a lunch up the canyons near a waterfall. Today's models include all of the linens and table settings you need, but they also have insulated pockets, thermoses and wine cozies, so everything can stay at the perfect temperature. They're not cheap, but if you are close to the betrothed, it worth it to buy them something nice like this.
So there are a few wedding suggestions I have. Yeah, they may not be on everyone's bridal registry, but trust me, they'll appreciate them much more. And if you're going to buy these or any item through
Amazon, please do it through our
Amazon Store. Doesn't cost you a penny and you're contributing to my kids' college funds. Thanks!
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