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on February 4, 2022 ·

5 Kitchen Tools You Need In Your Kitchen Today!

Do you have the most essential kitchen tools in your kitchen? After starting my YouTube channel last year, I realized I was missing a great deal of important tools in my kitchen.  Besides the obvious, good knives, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, what should every kitchen have?   I’ve slowly been adding what I can here and there.  Today however, I thought I’d share some of the tools I have been using and loving and why you need to add them to your kitchen today!

Why do you need these essential tools?

Glad you asked! 😊 Because if you are a mom and short on time, these are the tools that will make your time in the kitchen easier.  Sit back, grab your cup of warm coffee (or whatever you’d like to drink) and let’s get started!

The post may contain affiliate links.  Joann Salas is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

“>Microwave Rice Cooker

I married a Cuban so what does that mean for me? Learn how to make rice! I’m not talking about Success 10-minute Rice, (which I still use on occasion for quick meals) I’m talking about the Goya bag of rice! I can’t even tell you how I struggled with the water to rice ratio until my mother-in-law introduced me to this Microwave rice cooker!  What a life saver!  Although I did have a little trial and error in the beginning, after going through it with my mother-in-law, I was able to get it down to perfection.   Add, oil, a pinch of salt, the amount of rice and water you want to make and voila! Perfectly cooked Rice! It has been a game changer in my world of rice making. It will be a useful tool to have in your kitchen too!

Toaster Bags

I have written about these bags before, but they are worth mentioning again.  Grilled cheese sandwiches are Alex’s favorite thing to eat! I should also mention it’s only one of a handful of foods he will eat.  Ugh story for another day.   These are the best! Place the cheese of your choice in between two slices of bread, stick in the pouch and in the toaster.  That’s all you need to do to get to the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.  You can also make panini sandwiches as well! They are so easy to clean, a little dish soap, and water and that’s it.  You can get about 10 uses out of them before you’ll need to throw them out.  I recommend getting a large pack to keep on hand. 

Avocado cutter

How many times have you destroyed a perfectly good avocado trying to open it? I know it has happened to me in the past a few times.  I found this amazing avocado cutter and the rest is history.  You can use on end to cut it in half, one side grabs the avocado pit to easily remove it.  If you want those perfectly sliced pieces of avocado, the slicer makes it easy to do so. 

Find the most useful kitchen tools that are time savers!

Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage

I think we can all agree that food storage containers have come a long way.  It took some time, but I finally found my forever food storage containers.  I found these through a friend who highly recommended them and I’m so glad she did.  They come in a variety of sizes and shapes! I love them.  They seal the lid completely and lock on the sides to keep your food fresh.  It’s amazing how long I can keep fruits and vegetables, leftovers, you name it, but it keeps everything fresh longer.   The best part to me is how awesome and easy they are to clean.  Especially if you have had to store any leftover pasta sauces, or gravies, you know how difficult the old plastic containers can be to clean.  These clean beautifully, in and out of the dish washer.  I highly recommend you give these a try. 

Salad spinner

Last summer, we planted all our lettuce.  We had a variety of different kinds of leaves, and it was nice to be able to make a good salad with our own home-grown lettuce.   Of course, being in the ground you want to be able to wash it thoroughly and this is where the salad spinner really came in handy.  I love that I can collect all the leaves in the basket and then directly submerge them into the spinner to wash clean.  It’s so easy and it does such a great job.  I also don’t like my lettuce to wilt, so the spinning part is also a great option to remove all the access water from your lettuce.  I’m looking forward to this year’s salad garden as well. 

Honestly, if you only pick up one of these five kitchen tools, you are heading in the right direction towards an easier time spent in the kitchen.   Let me know in the comments below if you think you’ll try any of these and if you do, please don’t forget to let me know how you like it.   I’d love to hear from you!

Looking for more great product recommendations? You can read all about my latest Amazon favorites here.

Thank you for stopping by!  I would love to talk more!  Please come hang out with me on Instagram at @Lovealwaysjoann.  You can also find me on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.  If you want to be alerted when I publish a new post, you can follow me on Bloglovin’, or subscribe via email.

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Filed Under: Cooking & Baking Tagged With: Baking, cooking, Kitchen, kitchen tools

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa | Mind and Body Intertwined says

    February 5, 2022 at 12:28 pm

    Thank you for sharing these! Good storage boxes are definitely essential tools in my mind and I couldn’t do without them.

    • Joann says

      February 7, 2022 at 12:39 pm

      You’re very welcome! I love this collection, they are so easy to clean and really keep your food fresh!

  2. Jamieadstories says

    February 5, 2022 at 10:10 pm

    Great suggestions! I like the salad spinner.

    • Joann says

      February 7, 2022 at 12:38 pm

      Thank you so much. Yes, it’s a great product to have in our kitchen!

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lovealwaysjoann

Lovealways,Joann
We are almost at our hotel for the evening. I am We are almost at our hotel for the evening.  I am happy to report we had very little traffic or delays today. It was a nice smooth ride down. 
We stopped at the famous “South Of The Border” tourist area.  My husband and my boys have never been here. I haven’t been here since 1980, ( or how my husband likes to remind me, 42 years!!) and it brought back a few memories for me.  My parents, my sister and I stay here on our first trip to Walt Disney World.  I remember as a 14 year old girl reading all the billboard signs on 95 South and just being excited to see this place.  My favorite memory is following Pedro on his bike as he took us to our room.  It was so funny! It hasn’t changed much over the years and you can still read all the signs on the way down.  It was a nice way to end our day.  Tomorrow our journey continues.  Have a goodnight everyone.  #vacationmemories #roadtrip
Today was my last day of work until I return from Today was my last day of work until I return from Florida.  Woohoo! I have so much to do but trying not to make it stressful.  I’m going to be doing something different this year… pack light! 😝 I have to stop packing my entire house! I don’t know why I do that? Obviously, My mother-in-law has a washer and dryer! Not only do I over pack clothing, I’m not that good at going light with  my makeup either.  Most of the time we are at the pool or the beach, and I never wear makeup.  I’m going to challenge myself to pack less and only take a few things.  I’ll let you know how I do. 😁 Are you a light packer or do you take everything but the kitchen sink? #vacation #packing #disneycountdown
Just one of my 3 favorite people in my life. I hav Just one of my 3 favorite people in my life. I have loved watching Alex grow into a smart, handsome young boy.  And he’s so funny! In case you missed it, yesterday he joined me on my YouTube channel talking all about our upcoming vacation plans.  I’m so I will always have this memory with him to look back on.  Direct link in bio.  #boymom #boymomlife #corememories
I went to call my mom today. This has happened to I went to call my mom today.  This has happened to me about a handful of times since she passed away.  It’s as though for a moment in time, my mind completely forgets that she is gone.  For a quick second, my world is not aligned with reality.  The second it’s over, it hits hard.  I couldn’t call her but I talked to her anyway.  She didn’t answer me with words, but in my mind I heard her loud and clear. Thank you Mom. ❤️ #imissmymom #griefjourney #motherlessdaughters
Last week I sat down with Alex and we filmed a vid Last week I sat down with Alex and we filmed a video about our upcoming Florida/ Disney trip for my YouTube channel.  All I can say is to strap yourselves in for this one! 😂 I love how enthusiastic he can be but sometimes his ability to be so literal is too much! I can’t even tell you how many times he interrupted me to correct me and get his point across, he is too much.  During the few moments he allowed me to speak, please pay  close attention to all the faces he was making while checking himself out on camera.  You will not want to miss this and I’m hoping to have it up this week. 
In the meantime, if you haven’t had a chance to watch yet, please check out my latest autism video.  I wanted to be able to share more about Michael and an update on how he’s doing.  Please take a moment to subscribe if you haven’t already. Thank you so much and have a evening.  #boymom #hemakesmelaugh #autismmom #autismfamily #autismawareness #autismlife #autismlife #autismheros #autismadvocates #autismeducation #specialneedsmomlife 
#autismacceptance #autismstars 
#specialneeds #ourautismjourney #specialneedsfamily #littlecornerofmyworld #littlestoriesofmylife 
#bloom #teachyourkidaboutmykid #rise
As excited as I am to be going on vacation, I’m As excited as I am to be going on vacation, I’m having all kinds of anxiety leaving Maggie behind.  This is only the second time in Maggie’s 12 years with us that we are not taking her with us.  If you have been following me for awhile, you will remember our last trip to Florida she gave us quite a scare.  I know she will be in good hands, I just need to get a hold of myself 😂🤪 #labsofinstagram #seniordogsofinstagram #anxiety
Next Wednesday will be my last PO Box pickup until Next Wednesday will be my last PO Box pickup until I get back from Florida.  If you have sent me your summer vacation or staycation post card, I’ll be sending my Florida/Disney postcards to you directly from Florida.  If you are going on vacation at the end of August, don’t worry, you still have time.  I can’t wait to see where you traveled to! Direct link in bio for all the information.  #destinations #postcardswap #postcard #postcardexchange #vacation #traveling #roadtrip #staycation #vacationpenpals #disneyvacation
I think it’s magic…✨✨✨18 more days until I think it’s magic…✨✨✨18 more days until we return. #wdw #wdw50 #magickingdom #disneyworld #disneymemories #disneyfamily #disneyvacation
Last week on my YouTube channel I made a recipe fr Last week on my YouTube channel I made a recipe from my first eCookbook, Old Fashioned Ice Box Cake! It’s so easy to make and family friendly! Let me know in the comments below if you ever tried it.  Please don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already.  All eCookbooks are reduced for the summer. Direct link in bio to order your own copy today. Thank you 😊 #oldfashionediceboxcake  #ecooking #etsy #etsyseller #etsysmallshop #ecookbook #ebook #recipes #desserts #summerrecipes #easyrecipes #cookathome #homechef #momsrecipes #familyrecipes #cookbook #weeknightdinners #homemade #baking #cooking #madewithlove  #foodie #firstecookbook #recipecollection #recipeideas #recipesoftheday #dessertinspo #youtuber  #lovealwaysdesignshop
When we went to WDW in 2019, I didn’t have a You When we went to WDW in 2019, I didn’t have a YouTube channel but I wrote all about our trip on my blog.  This time around I’m doing it again.  New post on my blog now! Direct link in bio.  #wdw50 #disneyvacation #disneyfamily #blogger #disneylife #disneylove
A very Happy birthday to my Aunt Chris! We love yo A very Happy birthday to my Aunt Chris! We love you! Enjoy your day!!#happybirthday #specialaunt
When Michael aged out of early intervention, we ha When Michael aged out of early intervention, we had no idea what options would be available to him as he got older.  We only knew that he would need to continue his therapies and, more specifically, his ABA.  I know it’s different from state to state but, in my community, children on the spectrum are placed in the public school system in ABA classrooms.  As the years went by, we knew early on that Michael would need additional and targeted help, especially in communication. 
Without getting into too many details, the last few years have been challenging for Michael. It was time for a change in Michael’s education and the support he needed. 
With that being said, I’m so happy to share with you that starting in September, Michael will be attending a school that can give him the services and support he needs!  My husband and I have prayed for this day to come.  We are beyond excited for Michael as we finally feel he will be in the perfect place for him to grow and succeed. 
We are grateful for the ongoing support and assistance we have had up to this point; it has been a long journey. 
I will talk more about this in my next autism video.  Until then, I just wanted to share our news as so many of you have sent me emails and DM’s to find out what was going on.  Thank you so much for asking and caring about my family.  Have a great evening! 

.
#autism #autismmom #autismfamily #autismawareness #autismlife #autismlife #autismheros #autismadvocates #autismeducation #specialneedsmomlife 
#autismacceptance #autismstars 
#specialneeds #ourautismjourney #specialneedsfamily #littlecornerofmyworld #littlestoriesofmylife 
#bloom #rise
Good afternoon! Today on my YouTube channel I’m Good afternoon! Today on my YouTube channel I’m making a recipe from my first eCookbook, Old Fashioned Ice Box Cake! It’s so easy to make and family friendly! Let me know in the comments below if you ever tried it.  Please don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already.  All eCookbooks are reduced for the summer. Direct link in bio to order your own copy today. Thank you and have a great rest of your day! #oldfashionediceboxcake  #ecooking #etsy #etsyseller #etsysmallshop #ecookbook #ebook #recipes #desserts #summerrecipes #easyrecipes #cookathome #homechef #momsrecipes #familyrecipes #cookbook #weeknightdinners #homemade #baking #cooking #madewithlove  #foodie #firstecookbook #recipecollection #recipeideas #recipesoftheday #dessertinspo #youtuber  #lovealwaysdesignshop
Today was such a great day! I’m feeling so overw Today was such a great day! I’m feeling so overwhelmed but in a good way.  I haven’t felt this happy in a long time and I’m excited to be able tell you all the details soon.  For now let’s just say I see a brighter future for Michael.  I’m so grateful for prayers answered. 🙏❤️🥰😁🎉
Tomorrow is the day I never thought would come. I Tomorrow is the day I never thought would come.  It’s a day I have prayed for and a dream I have wished for.  Tomorrow is the day! I don’t want to share the details just yet, but this is so important for my son Michael and for us as a family.  I may not sleep tonight because the anticipation is killing me. 😂 But if I do sleep tonight it will be with a huge smile on my face. 😁🤣 #anticipation #excitement .
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#autismacceptance #autismstars 
#specialneeds #ourautismjourney #specialneedsfamily #littlecornerofmyworld #littlestoriesofmylife 
#bloom #teachyourkidaboutmykid #rise
Good morning ☀️ 34 more days to go! Have a gre Good morning ☀️ 34 more days to go! Have a great day and a wonderful week! #waltdisneyworld #disneyvacation #disneycountdown #mondaymorning
It’s been awhile since I did an autism post, vid It’s been awhile since I did an autism post, video or update on how Michael has been.  There’s been so many wonderful things happening and I hope to share with you all soon. 

In the meantime I’d like to share this.  If you are an autism parent and you feel like you’re losing the battle, hang in there, you are stronger than you think.  I know there are days when you feel so frustrated and worried that you are not doing enough.  Remind yourself daily that you’re doing the best you can.  There are going to be really hard days, but there are going to be even more beautiful days to come.  Believe me, it really does happen especially when you least expect it. ❤️ Have a great evening. #unexpectedmoments .
#autism #autismmom #autismfamily #autismawareness #autismlife #autismlife #autismheros #autismadvocates #autismeducation #specialneedsmomlife 
#autismacceptance #autismstars 
#specialneeds #ourautismjourney #specialneedsfamily #littlecornerofmyworld #littlestoriesofmylife 
#bloom
Happy Friday! I finally made it to the post office Happy Friday! I finally made it to the post office this week and I was happy to receive a few postcards! Thank you so much for taking the time to send them.  I’m hoping I’ll  have more to share with you by the end of the summer! Also, if you are not going away this year please consider sending me a postcard from where you live!  Staycations count too! 
I will be leaving for Florida in 27 days and going to Disney in 37 days! I’m so ready to get away and send you a postcard! You can find all the information as to where to send your postcards to me in the link in my bio.  So, where are you traveling to this summer?? I can’t wait to find out! #destinations #postcardswap #postcard #postcardexchange #vacation #traveling #roadtrip #staycation #vacationpenpals #disneyvacation
It’s my mom’s 77th birthday today. I try to i It’s my mom’s 77th birthday today.  I try to imagine how she would look today but it’s hard to picture her as an older woman.  I’m pretty sure she would still keep up with her blonde hair and definitely get her nails done.  I highly doubt she’d be wearing skinny jeans but I think she’d enjoy wearing a comfortable pair of leggings.  She would still watch repeats of The Golden Girls and Reba.  She would without a doubt be the first in line to see the new Elvis movie.  She would still enjoy her Leslie Sansone walking videos in her living room but also be happy to walk around her neighborhood.  She would still call me and my sister every night to day goodnight and I love you.  More than likely she would be telling my dad, “Focus John, focus!” She would definitely be spoiling the hell out of her grandsons.  She would still listen patiently to my sister talk about whatever was bothering her and telling her everything will be fine, you’ll see.  I think she would have told me to give myself more grace.  She would say, “One thing at a time Joann.” She’d say, “Remember to breathe, take a break. Go for walk, get a new book… journal, write down your worries and close it up.  Pray, go to church and listen to your heart.  I miss her terribly and today it really  hit me  hard.  But I know she’s still with me.  I also have a feeling she would say, “What the heck were you thinking with those Mickey Pumpkin Cookies, you really screwed that one up Joann!” 😂😂 (If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, go watch) 
A very Happy Heavenly Birthday to you mom!! I love you! I hope they have cannolis in heaven. ❤️😂😘#heavenlybirthday #imissmymom #memories #grief #griefjourney
Happy heavenly birthday Mom! I miss you so much! L Happy heavenly birthday Mom! I miss you so much! Love always, Joann xoxo #heavenlybirthday #imissmymom #memories
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