little kitchen loves... Martha's Meat Thermometer

Does your chicken ever look like it is a victim of violence by the time you are ready to serve it?  Ya know, you have stabbed it so many times to check for doneness that it looks wounded?  Well, maybe this is just a personal problem for me, but growing up with a father who was infamous for constantly saying "You don't mess with chicken," I have always been deathly scared to serve undercooked chicken.   However, overcooked chicken is tough and dry so I have always been in a pickle about this.  Every piece of meat is different so how can you cook it just right?!  I have found the answer... a meat thermometer.  Now I know this sounds like another duh moment, but I did not realize how much I would use this little sucker.  I always thought meat thermometers were pricey and something that would just sit on the shelf.

I picked this Martha Stewart thermometer up from Macy's and it has been a life saver.  I am always wary of buying new gadgets that never get used, but now I can't live without this, and don't worry, it's only $24 so you won't be making a huge splurge with this one.  I know there all are kind of great and high tech versions out there, but this one has worked just great for me.  I am able to pick a target temperature, stick it in the meat, and close the oven.  An alarm goes off when the meat is at the perfect internal temperature and voila... perfect meat every time.  I have even used it to test for lukewarm water for my pizza dough. I'm telling you, it's a dream.

In case you are new here, Ashlea's Aisle is simply my favorite products that help me out on a daily basis.   I just like to share things that I find to be useful and this meat thermometer is something I cannot live without.  I am not being sponsored by any of these products, so there is no incentive to me... just like to share what seems to work for me!