My friend in the kitchen is approaching "Antique" status!

This morning while I was measuring flour, baking soda and oatmeal to make my husbands favorite Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies I reflected on the life that me and my Kitchen Aid mixer have seen.

I think back to what originally spurred me to make the investment purchase in the first place.  I have been volunteered to make my baby sister's wedding cake!  My Mother said that she would pay for Cake Decorating Classes at OTC if I would make the wedding cake, so off I went.  After several classes and trying to make my decorator icing at home with a hand held beater it became apparent that I NEEDED a Kitchen Aid mixer of my own at home.  This was truly an investment and large spend back in 1988 as it was over $175.00!  With two children under the age of 5 and working part time, money was tight.  I did make that mixer pay off during the next few years of making custom birthday, graduation and anniversary cakes.

My mixer has stood by me throughout the years and NEVER a problem with any part of it for over 24 years!  It tickled me to think of what a great purchase it has been since the style has not ever changed and it looks just like the new off white ones!  I love that all the younger gals I know now wisheth for a Kitchen Aid mixer but now the question is....What Color!  I have actually seen "skins" for them on Pintrest, in which I love because I can "remodel" my kitchen companion without the rejection of replacing her.  Here is a picture of what her daughter might look like now.  Click on the picture to view the going purchase price at Kohl's.  I love to shop Kohl's coupon specials and think that you could even get a better price using their 15% off or Kohl's cash!

Let me count the ways and yummy goodies that have come from my kitchen companion!  I love that it will do all the stirring for me while I multi-task around the kitchen.  It also is the ONLY mixer that will handle the motor demands of decorator icing and stiff cookie dough.  It will whip up some light and lovely whipped cream too!  I have used the dough hook for cinnamon rolls and bread a few times and loved it too.

I also decided that my kitchen companion has missed out on a formal name from me all these years.  I am looking for suggestions.......do you have any?  We have put out many wedding cakes, cookies, and deserts.  Here is her picture too, isn't she a beauty still?

Ella, The Water Bug

It's hard to imagine that our Ella is over a year old and into her second summer on earth!  I get the privilege to send time with her when Katy gets some "Mommy" time away. 


Ella and I play, rock, eat and yes, she sleeps and this time it was for 3 hours!  Katy got her a new pool to play in and I got her a little play swimsuit that she could wear since hers was a little too short in the ka-poot!  After her long nap, we suited her up for some major water play.  First off was this great big smile!

She was just so fun to watch and laugh with.  She totally was in tune with every noise that nature supplied around her....birds flying over, cows mooing, and the dogs trying to join her water fun.

In her own little world she is the expression QUEEN!  Everything produces the "surprised look" that she is famous for complete with the sucking in of air!  She conducted a symphony, Mooed at the cows, insisted on playing with NeeNee's flipflops, holding the toy saxophone as a telephone and invited me to play the sunglasses game...put them on her, she takes them off!

Many more days of fun ahead with this precious, entertaining and sweetness of a grand daughter of mine!  Love you bunches Ella!