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Good morning!

I hope you had a nice weekend! It’s starting to get cooler here in Charlotte, with morning’s in the 40’s. I like it. I’m loving fall, after the hot summer we had!

We had quite the eventful week and weekend. If you follow along on Instagram or snap chat (username: thehurdbird), you may have seen that our family grew by one last week. Meet Tater (named after one of my favorite foods), our sweet new golden doodle!!

She is so fun, playful and cuddly and I just can not get enough of her. Let me tell ya – if you have a rough day, week or month, just have a puppy to come home to and all is right in the world. I don’t want to overload the blog (just yet) with pictures of Tater, but here she is!

We even took her to the Charlotte 49er tailgate this weekend and she was a social butterfly!

I’ll spare you the rest of cuteness overload for now. Let’s talk food and kitchen stuff, which is more likely why you’re here anyway.

As a Registered Dietitian, I often get asked if I like to cook and what types of things I cook most often. While I obviously like to cook, I also like foods I can cook quickly (see tips for quick dinners). I’m all about making recipes easier, quicker, as well as utilizing convenience, so I wanted to share with you some of my favorite kitchen equipment that I love and use pretty frequently.

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, whether it be meal prepping, brain storming, cooking, baking, or cleaning up. If I’m home, 80% of the time, I’m in the dining room or kitchen.

As I’ve evolved in the kitchen, I’ve become much more well versed in utilizing different kitchen appliances, but often stick to the simple things. Here’s a little glimpse into things I use almost daily (definitely weekly).

My Top Kitchen Products:

Ninja

I use my ninja daily, whether it be for smoothies, pureeing things, frozen yogurt after dinner or even use it to blend flours and ingredients in baking. When it comes to the heavier stuff, like these trail mix bites, homemade hummus and homemade peanut butter, I prefer my Kitchen Aid food processor.

Espresso Machine

This Keurig Rivo/Cappucino maker was a wedding present but boy do we love it. I’m a coffeeholic and there’s no way I’d survive without my coffee in the morning. When we have the extra time in the morning, Ed will brew some french press coffee, but I’m usually consistent with starting my personal cup first thing. And when I want my beloved espresso, I pop a pod into the Rivo and froth up a cup of milk!

Salad Spinner

This OXO Salad Spinner has recently become one of my favorites. While I never thought I’d ever need a salad spinner, after getting one for our wedding I’ve come to learn that I needed this more than I thought.

Especially with all of the local produce that we buy, it really helps to wash the greens and use this to help them dry quicker. And there’s really no effort needed on your part! You just press a button and watch them spin.

Slow Cooker

Oh my gosh, you guys. The fact that I didn’t start using this sooner in my life is a total fail on my part. I have the 3-in-1 Multicooker and I love it, especially this time of year. You guys, when I say things are life savers, this is the ULTIMATE life saver.

I mean, how can you deny the ease and convenience of just throwing RAW food in this contraption, and coming home from work at the end of the day to a delicious, personalized meal, with any flavors you want it to take on?

Whoever thought of this was a pure genius. Thanks for creating a portable, quick mini stove option that allows me to cook and not burn the house down while I’m not there. Time is money and I’ve really learned to utilize our slow cooker to my advantage.

I can’t use the excuse “I don’t have time to workout after work, I have to cook,” because this slow cooker is doing it all for me.

Apple Corer

I’m one of those gals that eats an apple a day, anytime of year. I really love just crunching into a juicy apple, but when I pack them for snacks to dip in peanut butter or hummus, I prefer apple slices, and this thing makes it so easy.

Spiralizer

I am so obsessed with my $10 zoodler. This is one of my favorite handheld kitchen tools and can really turn the boring veggie into something great. Zucchini noodles, carrot noodles, sweet potato noodles, there’s just so many options. Great for getting kids to try new foods, too! They are a staple here, especially with my favorite salmon patties!

Honorable mentions:

I love love my waffle maker. I don’t use it on a regular basis, but I love those slow weekend mornings when there’s time to make waffles! And it folds up = best ever!

And my donut pan! It’s fun when I do make donuts!

Those are some of my favorite tools in the kitchen that help make my life easier, and my food more fun. I’d love to hear what you love in the comments below!

What can’t you live without in your kitchen?

What equipment do you use the most?