How Many Can Openers?

by Elizabeth Kelly

With the holiday season over, all my baking done, gifts, wrapped, and unwrapped I decided to take stock of my kitchen, since I had added a lot to my baking and spice cupboards over the holidays and received some new kitchen accessories, one of which was a red can opener. Why is that important, you ask, well, its red. Yes, red. My kitchen is red and white and I now have a red can opener. Sadly, that is the 4th can opener.

As I put away the can opener and other kitchen accessories I received and started reorganizing the cupboards, I contemplated the stand mixer on the counter, and where it should go. I have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, probably my most favourite appliance. Many years ago, I knit a blanket, sweater, pants, booties, and hat for a set of twins. My hands were never the same, and I couldn't make cookies, stirring was just too painful. Taking pity on my, and feeling sorry for my kids, my Mum and Dad got me the stand mixer and I happily adapted my favourite cookie recipes to fit in the bowl.

Today my kids are grown, and while they still love getting cookies, I don't make them very often, maybe some ginger snaps now and then. What I do make a lot of is bread. I have made bread, in the past, mostly multi grain loaves, pizza dough and dinner rolls. While I liked the kneading, I found the mixing difficult and labourious and never achieved anything more than a dense loaf of bread. I recently learned how to make bread using the stand mixer. That first loaf was heaven. I know white bread is not good for you, but the texture of the bread was excellent, making it taste that much better.

I don't knead with the stand mixer, I still like kneading by hand, but the mixing, it's such a breeze. It takes no time to get the dough to the point of kneading. I make two loaves at a time, and freeze one, every 2 - 3 weeks, and look forward to the chore.

I am amazed that a kitchen appliance can bring delight and joy; delight an having a heavy task made easy, joy at having fresh bread with a wonderful texture and flavour. The mixer is staying on my counter and I am looking forward to making more bread, different types, flavours and shapes.

Now, if only it was red!