Spoonie Helpers

I felt like I should really post a recipe as my first post on this blog, but unfortunately that isn't what ended up coming out on the page when I allowed my fingers to type what they felt. Thus my first post is on my list of kitchen gadgets that will help any spoonie foodie (or just someone who doesn't enjoy hand mixing!).

Being a spoonie means that  energy is something of a precious resource and this doesn’t always correlate with what i want to cook or eat. Sometimes this means that I have to scale back my grand ideas or put them aside for another day altogether, but for all the other times I have these little helpers to save my spoons.

Essential

A high stool/chair. High enough that it means you can work at the counter without standing. Perhaps not much of a gadget, but essential none-the-less. I don’t use this too much whilst chopping and prepping, but if I need to stand over a pot stirring, or if I’m using my electric hand mixer, this is vital to ensure I don’t wear myself out. I want to add some wheels to it too, which would mean I don’t have to ask the boy to carry it around for me (plus, chairs with wheels are always fun!).

Electric hand mixer. Without this I couldn’t make cakes, meringues, whipped cream or anything that involve beating or whisking. I will warn you that although this saves loads of spoons, it still can tire your arm out holding it above the mixing bowl. Also – ALWAYS start on the lowest speed possible, otherwise you’ll be in a cloud of flour and sugar!

Mini chopper. The next best thing to a food processor. This can chop vegetables into rough dice, mince garlic and ginger and even make peanut butter. Although it is easy to over chop some vegetables which can turn them into mush, with some practice this can become your best friend.

Stick blender. This is necessary for anybody, not just spoonies.

Optional

Food Processor. Ideally one that slices, grates and chops (mine also cuts chips and has a blender. I got it free from freecycle, but Asda sells one without these extras for £15. Boot sales and charity shops are great places to pick up a kitchen bargain). Once you slice your potatoes for dauphinoise in the food processor once, you’ll wonder why you would ever do it by hand! Although this isn’t in the essentials list, it has opened up a whole new world of food for which I wouldn’t usually be able to put in the prep work, particularly when cooking for a crowd.

Dishwasher. I know that the majority of people probably don’t have the choice in whether or not they have a dishwasher, but getting this installed in my kitchen is BY FAR the best decision I made to enable me to cook. If you live with other people why not exchange your cooking for their clearing up? Without somebody or something to wash my dishes, my kitchen would be revolting and I would never be able to cook like I do today.

Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. Ok, so I accept this is a MASSIVE luxury and it is my most prized possession. However I cannot explain how this has been able to transform what I can do in the kitchen. For one, I’ve been able to tackle baking techniques I’d never have dreamed of before. I use it nearly every day for everything from recently making my sister’s wedding cake (!!!) to kneading bread (homemade bread had long ago become something I just didn’t have the energy/strength for and is something that I missed greatly). Kitchenaid is by no means the only stand mixer around and although I can’t attest to any of the others, anything that stops you having to hold an electric mixer over a bowl for twenty minutes or is able to knead bread for you is going to transform your cooking, spoonie or not!