Dishes, Dishes and More Dishes

Ok, anyone who knows me knows how much I love dishes! Nothing makes me happier than a beautifully decorated table...LOVE it! I own about 6 sets plus lots of chargers, holiday-inspired, you get the idea. Well, now let's change that to 7! I have been looking for a simple, white pattern to change up appetizer plates a la Katie (www.hyperhomemaker.blogspot.com). Seriously, Katie is my idol! While on our Sam's adventure this weekend, I saw this beautiful embossed, flute pattern service for 4 for TEN BUCKS. No joke! So, 2 boxes came home with us! My husband thinks I'm crazy, but I think he secretly loves a beautifully decorated table as much as I do!

...off to find a place to store the off-white service for 12 that this set replaces...

Our New Baby!

Isn't she pretty?! She is even prettier in person. This weekend we went to Sam's Club. We have been wanting to get an enameled cast iron dutch oven. Well, when we saw this 6.5 quart beauty for only $38.44, we figured there was no time like the present (for a present)! She has a lifetime warranty and cooks beautifully. My husband made a chicken curry that turned out beautifully and she cleaned up like a charm. LOVE it!

The Free Knife Set Has Arrived!

Our "free" knife set arrived today! I haven't tried them out yet, but they seem really nice. I'll keep you posted...

New Cookware!

We have been wanting to get some new cookware for a while now. The cookware we had was nonstick and had little flakes coming off on the bottom-not good! So, I did some research trying to find something that was nice, but not so expensive that if something happened to it I'd be devastated! Then, I saw Rachael Ray's hard anodized cookware and fell in love. It's a good weight (not flimsy, but no so heavy I can't pick it up), fairly inexpensive, and the selling point for me: the orange handles! Our kitchen is a tangerine color, so it coordinates well. Rach's cookware was a good fit for me because she actually got me cooking more! I used to get intimidated with cooking and was unsure of my capabilities, but after watching 30 Minute Meals on Food Network I gained some confidence. I'll admit it-Rachael is a bit much these days with her gazillion shows on food network, her talk show, her multiple endorsements, etc., but I still love her! And we got a great deal on this set...Amazon had it for $149.99 with a $20.00 rebate and a FREE 3 piece knife set that was valued at $99.99! So, we scooped it up! We got the cookware set today and the knife set is on it's way!

Now I want to get the oval saute pan and oval pasta pot, the silicone tongs, tools, well-I guess the whole line!

Ok-time to figure out what to cook tomorrow night! YAY for new cookware (and YAY for Rachael Ray)!