A few of my favorite things.

1. kitchen magic whisk, Anthropologie...$8.00

2. farmer's market basket, Anthropologie...$14.00

3. egg timer, Crate and Barrell...$4.95

4. Capri Blue Volcano candle, Anthropologie... $28.00

5. baggu reusable grocery bag, Baggu...$8.00

6. microplane zester, Sur la Table... $14.95

We are down to the wire on Christmas. Here are a few of my favorite things that would be great stocking stuffers or last minute gifts.  Everything is under $30 and a few things that might seem unexpected, but will be used over and over.  The whisk adds such a magical touch.  These glass farmer's baskets have a thousand uses in the kitchen.  Have someone on your list that wants nothing to do with the kitchen?  These also happen to be the perfect size for business cards... sure would be a fun pop of color on a desk.  The egg timer might seem like a silly gift, but the person will call you every time they make a hard boil egg and tell you how great you are.  I can't say I make hard boiled eggs all that often, but when I do, I am so glad I have this little gadget and it takes up no space at all.  Anyone who likes to cook is bound to have a lingering smell of fried bacon or a garlic scent that doesn't smell so good at breakfast the next morning.  This is the absolute best smelling candle in the world... homey and fresh all at the same time.  Know a brown bagger or a green grocery shopper?  Baggu bags are perfect.  They are lightweight and portable and you can always have an extra bag on hand and not even realize it because of the small little pouch it scrunches up in.  The microplane zester is such a star.  From zesting citrus to the perfect shaving of parmesan on pasta, it's a necessity.  

My new favorite tool + Summer plans

This could totally be one of those things that everyone knows about and I've just been in the dark about all these years, or maybe it could be new news to you too.  Do you have a marble rolling pin?  I would wager to say this has changed my life.  A little extreme I know, but the fact that I know longer spend time scraping dough of any kind off of my rolling pin is nothing short of wonderful.

My boss gave me this beautiful rolling pin for Christmas and while I was sure I would use it just because  it was so pretty, I had no idea it would work better.  I don't have to flour things to death to keep them from sticking and the glass stays nice and cool.



On to what has been preoccupying most of my time...

We are going to Italy this summer!  I can barely wrap my mind around it still, but Mr. Hungry will be studying abroad in Florence so we will be there for a month.  And on to why I am sharing this with you... I will be going to a few cooking classes while we are there.

To make a very-long-I-could-go-on-for-days story a little shorter, I will sum up why I just can't believe this is happening again.  The summer after I graduated from college, I spent some time in Europe that included two weeks in Florence going to cooking school with my friend Allison.  Every part of the trip was magical and I just never ever thought I would have the chance to spend more than a couple of days there again.

{we can thank our chef Genarro for the angle on this photo that he just insisted was a great idea}

{oh, these markets... I dream about these markets}

I had a love of cooking going into that trip, but it really changed everything.  From learning the importance of kosher salt to making homemade pasta, it sealed my fate for a love of food and cooking.

We are working on planning the details, but I am most excited to share with you my cooking adventures.  Okay, that is all for now... I just felt like I could not go on another day without sharing.  If you have any must see (or eat) places in or around Florence, I would love for you to share.

Oh, and one more thing...

{picture via pinterest}

We are ending our trip with 3 days in Paris and its almost too much to handle.  I have never been and have spent too many nights dreaming of curb side cafes and fresh pastries.  I feel like I'm six again and my parents just told me I finally get to go to Disney World.

thank you FPC.

You might have noticed that my banner got a little face lift. Thanks to the wonderful stylings of Allison, it looks much better. Allison is a co-owner of Frontier Paper Company, which makes amazing paper products that really live up to their tagline... notably fresh paper goods. Each project is custom and dreamy. Check them out if you haven't. Thanks, Frontier Paper Company! And I hope to meet the other co-owner, Libby, soon!

How cute is this invitation for a Valentine's Day party? I'm in love...

little kitchen loves... the stick blender

 

 This is one of those kitchen tools that once you have for awhile you will wonder how you ever lived without it. Number one reason it is amazing... you do not have to use your blender for soups.  This is amazing for 3 reasons.  I hate cleaning a blender, you have to wait till the soup cools in order to blend it and you can blend to just the consistency that you want... for me, that is usually slightly chunky.  

The best part, you can find a good one for under $30.  You just need the hand blender.  Don't bother buying one with all the fancy attachments... I have yet to use anything but the actual blending attachment.  

What better time to buy than right now when you can put it to good use on a few hearty soups.

little kitchen loves... the marta glass

Every once in a while, something makes its way into your kitchen and just makes everything better.  That's how I feel about the Marta glass.  I first read about them here and after staring at the chips and cracks on our current glasses, I decided we needed a change.  I am in love with the Marta glass from CB2.  I can be a little bit of a cheap skate, especially with breakables because we seem to always, well, break them.  So the price tag on these babies was also very attractive because I can rest easy knowing its not going to break the bank if we break one.  

They are light but sturdy and are perfect for everything from water to wine.  We went with two sizes... the middle and the one on the right.  I love them both, but I also wish we had a few of the biggest one too.  Probably my next investment.

They also make great, sleek vases.  Wouldn't a line of these in different sizes be great table decor?  I plan on trying it sometime and will share.

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!

little kitchen loves... Ikea Nonstick Skillet

This is one of my favorite little kitchen secrets.  When it comes to buying pots and pans there are so many options.  Sometimes buying high quality expensive pans is definitely worth the money, but this is not the case with a nonstick skillet.   This is an essential pan to have in any kitchen to cook anything from eggs to any dish with cheese when you want an easy cleanup.  This is actually a tip I got from a friend who is a professional chef.  Whether you buy an expensive nonstick skillet or a cheap one, they will give you the same results and no nonstick pan lasts forever because the nonstick surface will wear out and you will need to throw it away.  My chef friend told me some of the best chefs in the world have cheap nonstick skillets.  This set of two from Ikea is perfect and the price couldn't be better... $7.95 for two! When browning meats and making sauces, you will want to use a good skillet and I will talk about the pans I have invested in on a different post.  But for now, I am suggesting you pick these up from Ikea for all your quick cooking.  Now remember, when you start to see the surface of the pan peeling off, it's time to throw the pan away and get another one.  At least this way you won't be too sad to see that pan you paid a couple bucks for go in the trash!