The Kitchen Pack-Rat

I seem to accumulate kitchen "stuff".  Obviously whilst I say "accumulate", Mr M is screaming HOARD in my direction. It's a bit harsh but in his defence, not entirely far from the truth. 

You see, I like to shop, and I like to buy kitchen implements. The only snag is the drawers in my kitchen are bulging. The soft close function is less-functioning now it's got a never-used melon baller wedged down the back of it.  If it grates, shapes, chops, whizzes, peels, balls, minces - I want it.

I've lost count of the amount of herb choppers I've bought on a whim, yet I still return to my old faithful friend when I chopping up that sweet basil - the mezza luna. Of course this doesn't mean that should a new-fangled all-singing all-dancing herb chopper to top all choppers should appear in John Lewis, that I'll ignore it. Oh no.

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Once I succumbed to the devil himself.  Okay, a little bit dramatic but this is a secret I have kept close to my heart. I once bought something from one of those TV shopping channels on Sky. A Nicer Dicer. Oh how I was excited about the Nicer Dicer. I wanted it, more importantly I NEEDED it. It was going to change my life and the way I chopped my onions. Needless to say, it didn't. It was a giant big flopping fail and found itself in the bin quicker than you could blink, mainly because I just don't have the upper body strength required to operate it! My onion-chopping regime was not changed by the Nicer Dicer, however it was by the onion goggles I received as a wedding present...

I've bought more cheese graters that one would care to disclose, yet strangely, they all do the same thing don't they? Erm, yes, grate cheese.  My accumulating tendencies don't stop with the mere basic kitchen implements. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?) I am a kettle-killer. I kill kettles. Not intentionally of course, but after about 18 months of use they just give up and die. I'm blaming hard water - that's my story and I'm sticking to it. The death of a kettle gives me the opportunity to research new kettles - reading reviews online of products before I buy them is probably one of my biggest time-wasters and feeds my procrastinating tendencies but more importantly, I get to buy another new product!

I'd like to take this opportunity to polish my halo and inform you that I own none of the following - ice-cream maker, bread maker, popcorn maker, waffle maker, candy floss maker, cupcake maker or a cake pop maker. I have been extremely restrained and stuck to the basics (although I do own a panini maker and a sandwich toaster...). You understand that exercising this type of self-restraint hurt thought, don't you? 

I realise I have a slight problem when it comes to the kitchen department of stores but to be fair, I use most of the things I buy - I mean with a cookbook collection which currently numbers approx. 320 I need all these useful things in my life! How on earth would I manage to lovingly prepare all these recipes you see on my blog each week? Mr M understands that in order for him to eat, I need my tools.

And, Mr M, just so you know, that new lemon squeezer you said I didn't need? I use it nearly every day, so in your face!

I'm entering this post into the Foodies 100 competition to become a Morphy Richards Innovator. Sorry Mr M.