Happy Birthday to Me!

Yep, it was my birthday last week. And, as Chet so gently put it, the last time I'll ever see a "2" as the first number in my birthday ever again. Yikes. Where does the time go? Anyway, aside from lots of love and good wishes from family and friends, I got some pretty sweet baking birthday gifts. Wanna see?
A BeaterBlade! Yay! More on this guy later, but it caused quite a stir as I was opening gifts. Chet and my uncle both said, "Tell me how it works! I want one!" Neither of them knew that such a thing existed, and I wouldn't have either, if it weren't for the wonderful world of food blogging! I did try it out (the same day I got it), and it works great!

A mandolin! A while back, I told David I wanted a mandolin, and I had to explain that it's not the musical instrument kind of mandolin I was after. I haven't used it, but it looks extremely sharp. I wish I had some potatoes in the bin...I might have to make a stop to Kroger after work one night this week. It came in a black carrying case that made Larry comment that I'd look like a ninja carrying it. Now I'll be hunting for recipes that require thinly sliced veggies.
And this little cutie...

is from my sister! It's my Kitchen Fraggle! Several months ago, I stopped by Allison and Larry's house to admire her craft room, and I saw a "Fraggle" that she had made. It wasn't really a Fraggle, but it looked so much like it. I was mesmerized by the cuteness. And ever since I've gone to their house, I go admire the Fraggle. So I was so excited when I opened my gift to find this adorable little baker! Can you believe she made this?! She's so talented. If you want to see more of her work, visit her blog, Sew Delightful. She hasn't updated her blog in awhile, so maybe this'll light a little fire under her! She makes precious dolls, purses, aprons, and even clothes! I keep telling her she needs an Etsy store.

And I don't have a picture, but Earl and Shirley gave me subscriptions to Southern Living and Cooking Light. I can't wait till they start showing up in my mailbox!

So there you have it...all of my new kitchen gadgets. I'm sure you'll see more of them soon! Come back tomorrow to see the Dulce de Leche Duos that I mixed with the BeaterBlade.