My Favorite Kitchen Essentials

It's no secret that I love to cook.. with that said I feel like it is so very important to be cooking with the correct equipment. It is easier on  you and makes your recipes taste better! Now before I got married.. I made do with a wooden spoon as my whisk or my hands as my mixer...I didn't really have all of the fancy schmancy cooking equipment that I got from my wedding. Thank gosh for WEDDINGS!! Haha..and husbands too I guess. Anyways the following are some of my absolute favorite items that I use on a daily or weekly basis .. They are fabulous!!!

 

1. The cast iron skillet; I have said it before and I will say it again.. you haven't tasted good home cooked food unless it has been prepared in this skillet!!! I cook everything from eggs, cakes, cornbread, veggies, filet mignon, and various other recipes in this sucker. It holds its flavor so nicely from all the different seasonings and gives each dish a little kick! I am IN LOVE. 

 





2.  The Kitchen aid hand mixer. Any hand mixer is great but the kitchen aid one comes in fun girlie colors so that is why I like this one best:) I didn't really understand what was so cool about a hand mixer until I got one..  now I use it all the time! I whip my potatoes, or my cauliflower mash, cakes, cookie mix, puddings, yogurts you name it..I whip it. I love foods with a smooth texture so I tend to get whip happy and pull this little guy out at all times. Whipped bourbon sweet potatoes are SO good.. I may have to post about those:)

3. Next to the kitchen aid hand mixer.. is the Kitchen aid STAND MIXER. I am currently coveting this and hope to get it for Christmas from Santa.. but I had to put it on this list because obviously its freaking amazing!! Even if I don't  have one.. I am smart enough to know that this is a MUST HAVE.

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

4. Sur La Table potato peeler; sure this seems like just a little " big whoopie do" of a tool but it is SO your best friend when you are peeling potatoes...and even fruit and other veggies. I am so messy when it comes to peeling I get my peels ALL OVER THE PLACE but this little friend helps things stay neat and orderly. Not spilling, not making a huge nasty veggie mess. Clean. Get one.

 

 

 



 



 

5. Last but certainly not least..( In fact this probably should have been number one on my list) is the Keurig. I really feel like this is self explanatory but I will share its fabulousness out of courtesy :) The Keurig is hands down my favorite most beloved item in my kitchen. Every morning when my eyes pop open for the day, I instantly remember that I get to have my one amazing cup of coffee that I allow myself daily. Just standing in my robe waiting on the brewer to mix up the delicious "donut shop" coffee ( that's my fave:)) is totally orgasmic to me. Okay maybe not orgasmic but its really a pretty good start to my morning. If you do not have a Keurig please put one on your birthday list, Christmas list, anniversary list..whatever.. JUST GET ONE!

 

 

 

 

Life the past few months...

Since our wedding life has been a blur! So many wonderful people have come into our life, friends have been made, vacations have happened, and lots and lots of recipies have been made:) One of the biggest blessings Brandon and I have received since moving to San Antonio have been our amazing neighbors. J and E :) We have become so close not just because we are literally a hop-skip-jump away but because we  have practically everything in common! I prayed SO hard to meet a girl who was just like me when we moved here.. someone I could truly relate to in all portals of my life and BAM..I met Elein:) We do a lot together..planning, cooking, hosting, and shopping. One of our greatest joys is cooking. We usually cook at her house once a week and at mine once a week to mix things up, not to mention Brandon and her husband love the fact that they get to play cards together while we slave away in the kitchen:) Aside from meeting a lot of new people we have joined an AMAZING church. Journey Fellowship is a Max Lucado church and has about four locations. We go to the one in Selma which is only 15 minutes from our house...recently we have become more involved and joined Wednesday night youth fellowship. We are the ninth grade leaders!!! It is so much fun to be able to share this experience with my husband ..even though he wasn't thrilled at talking with ninth grade boys about changes they are going through :/ but he is a wonderful spiritual leader and does just fine! I however have NEVER worked with anyone older than the age of 4. Mrs. preschool teacher has upgraded to the ages of 14 and 15 year old girls and I have to say I LOVE IT!!! It is so much fun to be able to talk to these girls, answer their questions, and help guide them in a prosperous way in life. I haven't been a perfect Christian and I have most certainly made my fair share of my mistakes. I mostly just keep my conversations truthful with the girls. I leave out certain details but my goal is to help them NOT make the same mistakes I am and when they have a serious question ..who am I to lie about my past?? I want to make things easier for them. So I live by my golden rule: KEEP IT REAL. San Antonio has been fun so far.. We have our ups and our downs and we are surviving our first year with God, good friends, good food, each other, and family.
xoxo

Some pictures of the past few months

 

My precious baby Calvi <3

My precious baby Calvi <3

A picnic at the Ranch with my love

Snowy day makeovers

San Antonio snow 2014

Oh October!!!!!!

It is crazy to think that just over a year ago we were freshly engaged, living apart, still going on "let me pick you up at 7:00" type of dates, and relishing in the moment of just BEING engaged. I cannot even wrap my brain around the fact that I am about to be a married woman!!! We are homeowners and about to share the same last name! I am so beyond thankful! We have been pretty busy around the Frankhouser home, we have hosted family members and friends, decorated, spent Saturdays doing yard work, discovered our new favorite Mexican spot, had wine at the TPC JW Marriott Resort and Spa, and have watched football on Sundays :) I have to admit that San Antonio was exactly what we needed. I was in such fear that I would miss my parents like crazy, my girls like crazy, and my hometown like crazy. Wrong. Not that I don't miss the "people" It's just so different and free feeling to be independent on our own with my own home, husband (almost), and life. Yes it has been fabulous but it has also been eye-opening. Brandon my sweet hard working future hubby-to-be sat me down(with wine) to discuss for the very first time our newly home owning budget:) HA! yes I have never done that before so I very diligently got my notepad and paper out and started calculating. Maybe its ridiculous at 24 that I haven't had to have a budget however I am learning and Brandon has the patience and the heart to help me. He has helped me establish my own credit, own a credit card, pay our bills (online), and to be mindful of spending:) although I find it VERY hard when I live right next to La Cantera, The Quarry, and the San Marcos outlet :0 aside from that the weather has been absolutely wonderful! as I am typing this I am sitting on my back porch enjoying a 65 degree breeze while watching Brandon mow our very overgrown lawn. Yes life is good. I am enjoying every moment, relishing in the newness of it all, and being thankful to the good Lord for providing our blessings. Ask, believe, and receive.

Just a few pictures from the past year..and a few from the present

Silver and Gold....

I have been eager to move for some time now, I have been chomping at the bit to become a part of something new. A new small group, a new church, a new aerobics class I just want some newness (word?)!!! It dawned on me these past two weeks that I am going to MISS the heck out of all of my girlfriends here in Conroe! Almost five years of girls nights...ten years of being a member at the Gold's Gym on 105, and being part of a fabulous church that I know and love the members of. It's so surreal...I am leaving it ALL behind. I will say however, that I am eager to start my adventure with Mr. Frankhouser and become part of a community in which we are both involved in:) Small groups, girls nights, and a new gym are all in my future...Date nights with Brandon in our new town...it seems so exciting but at times lonely.. I hope I like people there..and better yet I hope they like me!! :/ I also hope my friends come to visit so I can be the hostess with the mostess and introduce all my NEW pinterest recipe's that I am dying to try in my fabulous new kitchen! Time seems to move by so fast these days.. It seems that just yesterday I was crying over not having a plan for the future and now we are closing on our beautiful new house this coming Tuesday. I am so unbelievably proud of Brandon not only is he a wonderful support system for me..and my anxiety..lol but he has worked his butt off to provide this wonderful future for us.. It really is hard to believe that a little over a year ago he was jobless and worrying about the outcome of his future. We have prayed and believed and prayed and believed until we were blue in the face and then we just prayed some more. Things really do work out for the best when you just have faith and a positive attitude. I am so grateful for the things God has done in my life and I am very excited for this next year!!!

I so love this man :) This was last year right after we were engaged!

It's happening...

And its happening FAST

days, weeks, no MONTHS of waiting, wishing, hoping, praying. and crying for an answer to our future we finally have one.

ITS MOVING TIME!!!!

Brandon and I are packing our bags and saying goodbye to the good ole' Conroe, Texas. This is a place where my family has resided for over 45 years. We are longtime conronians (SP*) and I will say that I am going to miss it. I have all of my family here and I have made almost ALL of my friends here. This is going to be a huge change for me but I think I am  going to like it :) Where are we moving you ask?? We are going to San Antonio, Texas!!!! At first I was hesitant to tell people where we were going because I was getting a lot of negative feedback. Like "Ew what are you going to do there?"-well LIVE of course you MO MO.  Or another one " HAVE FUN (totally sarcastic voice)"...these responses irritated me because San Antonio has actually GROWN a TON!!!! I can't wait to be apart of the San Antonio community:) Our neighborhood is gated with a pool AND next to the TPC golf community which Brandon is absolutely thrilled about!! We will be closing on our new home September 3 and moving that week.. its so surreal to be moving this fast when just two weeks ago I was unsure about our future and what we would be doing with our lives....now I'm just trying not to blink :)

some pictures of our NEW HOUSE!

PS: ignore the paint we are having the entire house REPAINTED

These are just a FEW of the many pictures I took.. I want to do a before/after segment after I fix it all up Callie girl style!!!! I am SO loving the Formal/Casual Living situation.. I think I know the perfect spot for our black baby grand piano :p

The fourth continued!!!!!!

We Came down to our beach house for the Fourth of July and just decided to let loose. With the pressure of Brandon's letter, buying our first house, and our wedding three months away we just decided to take it easy and have a good time. It's not often Brandon and I get to spend holidays together so I am both blessed to have my future husband home and also thankful to live in such a wonderful country! God bless America! I love my family so much!!