Happy Anniversary to Me!
Robin Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 4:23PM 
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!
Reader Comments (27)
Can I just tell you that the ice cream maker attachment is the best $100 I've ever spent? Next on my list: sausage and pasta makers. Congratulations! I am jealous of the professional series, though. I just have a little guy in a gorgeous gunmetal.
Katie - Oooh! Ice cream maker! I was already looking at those but wasn't sure. That way I could make my own red bean ice cream that I can't find anywhere. Thanks for the tip!
I hate you right now. I would've gotten a black one to boot. If I wasn't broke.
Damn. The pro version, no less. That would be too much pressure for me. Add to that the fact that I have no room for such a brawny piece of machinery in my kitchen, and I guess I won't be getting a stand mixer anytime soon. I'm okay with that though, since I don't do the baking anyway.
So, right. A name . . . You should really ask Jive Turkey. She's an excellent namer. I am not. Which I why I did the same begging for help on my blog with Grasshole. And I got nothin' for a recipe, because I don't like to bake. Whatever it is, it should be something impossible to make without the mixer, though.
Wow, am I supremely unhelpful today or what? I'll be going now.
Happy anniversary!
Hey Little Bird,
Its OM, Max would be a good name maybe, because you can make the maximum of goodness in these babies. I received a pro version too & it makes some mean cakes with icings. I'll have to dig out old spice cake recipe with cream cheese frosting for you (its literally over a 100 yrs). Want snow??? Happy Anniversay!!! Miss you. By the way seeing your mother today!!!! Hurray!!!
Oooh, I'm so jealous. This is one appliance I've never had and have always wanted. Sigh. One of these days! Maybe inaugurate it with ice cream? Have fun!
Lucky Bird! I've recently left the states for Europe and had to leave my KitchenAid behind!
They are truly amazing - when I was working in a restaurant we were using it to knead some sort of tough dough and it was "hopping" a bit on the counter while it was working on the dough. At one point it "hopped" off to the floor. Amazingly, the KitchenAid continued to knead (on its side)! No damage done and I named it Hercules!
i used my aunts pro mixer last weekend to make two batches of triple layer cake (two at one time!) and two batches of italian buttercream. i want. i have the little guy for now and it is still functioning very well...so the pro series will have to wait.
i can't think of a name, but something dark and mysterious seems to fit.
Ooh, congrats on the new addition to the family! I was undecided about Pro vs. Artisan Series, because of price, but a kind soul in our family made the decision for me by buying us an Artisan as a wedding gift. (Sometimes I still think of the Pro...does that count as cheating? On my mixer?)
I say christen it by making something that would be virtually impossible without a mixer; my vote is for marshmallows!
In an extra bonus, it tends to really impress people. I've had them tell me that they didn't know it was possible to make them at home, and one person even said "Wow! I love marshmallows! What's in them?" hahaha
Arn't Hubbys great. My Husband bought my Kitchenaid as a birthday pressie, I was shocked!
I would highly recommend making bread with it. I must use my kitchen aid 3-4 times a week. It also makes awsome mashed potato.
AH! This is what I'll ask for for my 20th anniversary! :) What a great hubby you have!!!
I recommend making homemade marshmallows.
I love my kitchen aid, the best think I like about it is the short amount of time it takes to make merangue and or whipped cream. I use it to make everything!
Your comment said four readers, you just gained another reader! I like your blog!
Name it: "THE MAKER" as all things are conquearable with this bad boy. LOL.
Kitchenator.
Obvy.
I have the old old version. It doesn't fit a lot of flour, I'm drooling okay? (my 14th anni is coming up....)
I suggest...
cookies
cake
bread
mashed taters
whipped cream
Maybe you can make a meal ALL made in the mixer? (for your Anniversary?)
Happy Anniversary!
www.thetopiarylady.blogspot.com
Wow, I'm completely jealous! I just realized I want one of these about a month ago, and I want it in a bad way! But like you said, certainly not something you get on a whim.
Congrats, I'm not sure what you should make first, but I'll bet it will be awesome :)
Welcome to the Kitchenaid club:-) It's definitely my favorite kitchen appliance because it's so versatile (the pasta maker and food mill attachments are awesome). I don't have any good name suggestions but definitely put a big number at the end (numbers always make things sound more impressive:-)
I coveted a KitchenAid too, and then an aunt and uncle were kind enough to get me one for a wedding present - it's the simplest model, I felt bad asking for anything more - and, well, http://www.brokenrecord.ca/images/kitchenaid.jpg" REL="nofollow">see for yourself.
I bought mine a little over a year ago and I don't know how I'd lived without it! I love it because, besides being pretty (mine is the silver one), I can make cookies, cakes, marshmallows and even bread in it. Not to mention that I have made several recipes in it that were supposed to be made in a food processor. What else can one ask for? :)
The black one is absolutely gorgeous, congratulations!
I love my Kitchen Aid. I have one that was made in the 1970s. It was given to me by a friend that wanted to throw it out! I said are you crazy that thing still purrs like it's brand new. The first tools I bought were an extra mixing bowl and paddle for easy change outs between recipes. I say make cookies all the way!
congrats! I too love to own one kitchen aid!