Happy Anniversary to Me!

Guess what I got...

On November 3rd Husband and I will be celebrating our first anniversary, it's hard to believe it's already been a year since we married, time sure flies when you're having fun, eh? Last week, being the outstanding man that he is, he surprised the ever loving heck out of me by buying me something I've wanted for EVAR.

Do you have one of those kitchen gadgets that you drool over every time you think of it? Maybe sometimes you even look at it online, tell it how pretty it is and how one day the two of you will be united to conquer the culinary kingdom of tasty goodness? Maybe pet the screen a little?

OK then, I guess that's just me - figures.

My coveted tool is the KitchenAid Mixer. My mother had one when I was younger and I think I almost wore the damn thing out making anything I could possibly think of. Chocolate chip cookies, braided herb breads, zucchini bread - you name it. They are a godsend to have in the kitchen. You can make anything in a KitchenAid; bread, cookies, cakes, quickbreads, pastry dough, shortbread, cheesecake - not to mention all the attachments. Meat grinding, flour milling, ice cream making, pasta rolling, food processing...this thing is like Thomas Keller in a machine. And god knows how much I love that man. (Almost as much as Husband.) (Which according to Husband he is now to be referred to as Mr. Totally Awesome. I think I can manage that considering the cool thing he did.) (Husband, not Thomas Keller.)(Have I used enough parentheses yet?) But, unfortunately KitchenAid Mixers are pretty spendy. Not exactly a small appliance you buy on a whim, and I'm a pretty frugal person when it comes to purchases that aren't completely necessary. I'm the queen of buyer's remorse. So, I'd resort to lovingly fondling my laptop screen, dreaming about the day I could make bread without feeling it in my shoulders for two days afterward.



Then Mr. Totally Awesome (told you so) bought me one for our anniversary! Would you like to know why? Because he is freakin' totally awesome! After years of drooling and thinking about all the wonderful tasty treats I could whip up with a trusty KitchenAid mixer I finally have one! I shall lay the culinary world to the ground with my mixing prowess! Muahahaha! OK, probably not - but I'm going to make some seriously tasty yumminess in this bad boy.



Ain't he purty? Yes, he's a he. I don't know why, but that's what he is. He's the licorice color, which is a pretty semi-matte black. I like it much better than the straight onyx black that's all shiny. The only color I would've preferred was the caviar, unfortunately the caviar wasn't 46% off on Amazon the other day (Go Mr. Totally Awesome at finding a great deal!) He's the bowl lift-style Professional 600 series with the 575 watt motor and the 14 cup capacity. That's right baby, 14 cups! Yeast breads bow before me! Just thinking about the 67 point planetary mixing action and the direct drive transmission makes me weak in the knees. If you get me started on the attachments I may need my smelling salts. (What the hell is in smelling salts anyways?)

Now, I've only got one problem...I don't know what to make with it. I've been thinking of too many different things to make for so long, that I can't decide on one specific thing to christen my lovechild with. So, I'm going to you, my lovely readers (All four of you, hey guys!) to help me decide what to make for its inaugural mission.

Plus I need to come up with an awesome name for it. This guy is now a beloved member of the family, he has to have a name! So, what do you think? CookieMonster 3000? Trogdor the Mixinator? M.O.U.S. (Mixer Of Unusual Size)? Got any better ideas?

For those of you outstanding human beings who already have a KitchenAid Mixer, tell me why you love it, why you hate it, or why you couldn't possibly live without it!

Leave your ideas for recipes and names in the comments. I can't wait to hear what everyone has to say!