Kitchen Gadgets. I Heart Them.

Songbird writes:"In a minor domestic crisis, my food processor, or more precisely the part you use for almost everything for which I use a food processor, picked the eve of the festive season of the year to give up the ghost. A crack in the lid expanded such that a batch of squash soup had to be liberated via that column shaped thing that sticks up on top.

Can you tell this is not my area of strength?

Next week, I'm hosting Thanksgiving. I need your help. Please answer the following kitchen-related questions:"

Here are my replies:

1) Do you have a food processor? Can you recommend it? Which is to say, do you actually use it? Yes, I do. Yes, I can. Yes, I do. I have a hand-me-down Cuisinart from my mother that I use often. It is fast. It is super simple. I love it.

2) And if so, do you use the fancy things on it? (Mine came with a mini-blender (used a lot and long ago broken) and these scary disks you used to julienne things (used once).) I do use those fancy gadgets. Not often, because I have a lot of old-fangled gadgets, too. (Disclaimer: cooking was a great love of my parents and my grandmother. In retirement, for fun, my dad has worked for Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma. Great presents!!!!!!)

3) Do you use a standing mixer? Or one of the hand-held varieties?
I've had a standing KitchenAid mixer (navy blue) for about twenty years. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

4) How about a blender? Do you have one? Use it much? Meh. Have one. The kids use it for milkshakes. That's about it.

5) Finally, what old-fashioned, non-electric kitchen tool do you enjoy using the most? I love whisks. And though it's new-fangled, it's non-electric. I really, really love this: (Thanks, Dad.)

Bonus: Is there a kitchen appliance or utensil you ONLY use at Thanksgiving or some other holiday? If so, what is it? The old-fashioned bulb baster.