Thanks, Michelle, for the tag. So, let’s get down to it. You wanna see my kitchen? I feel like a rap star showcasing his bedroom on MTV’s Cribs. “This is where the magic happens…”

1) Show us your kitchen, and tell us what it is about it that reflects your personality.

First of all, the yellow walls show you that my favorite color is yellow. I grew up eating in my mom’s yellow kitchen, so when I finally had my own house, yellow seemed like a natural choice. We have white tile countertops and the grout is hard to keep clean, so we’re hoping to someday get slab granite countertops. The pink dish towels don’t match our earth-tone decor at all, but I just thought they’d be fun and different and since I’m the only one who cooks in there, it might as well be girly! Above the cabinets, I have three handmade topiaries that I got at the Scripps Ranch Farmer’s Market several years ago. They are blueberry, lemon, and green apple. The blue radio to the left of the sink is there because I like to listen to Dr. Laura while I make my lunch. It’s kind of 70s to have an old non-digital radio around, but that’s the best solution I’ve come up with! The chamsa on the far right is a symbol that basically looks like a hand pointing downwards and it offers protection. It’s supposed to ward off the evil eye. So, don’t even try to give me bad cooking vibes cuz I’m protected!

2) Open a cupboard, take a picture, and tell us what’s inside.

You’ve already seen my pantry, so let me show you something else…

When we moved into this house, we increased our kitchen storage space by 400%! My husband was thrilled because this means that he got a whole cabinet section that he could dedicate to liquor. I told you all that we are lushes, so now you better believe me!

My favorite part of this photo is the tequila in a brown paper bag with the note on it that says, “For use only with Albert & Lydia.” That’s my brother-in-law and his wife. They’re our drinking buddies. We’re famous for our Dance Party USAs in the living room. It’s total debauchery in the comfort of your own home. Try it some time!

3) Show your favorite kitchen appliance

I don’t know how people live and cook without an immersion blender. When a recipe says to dump half of a batch of soup into a food processer and puree it, do people really go through all that hassle? If you don’t have one of these, you really need one! It was actually a bridal shower gift from my little sister, so it’s practically vintage by now. I’m sure they have fancier, better versions available today. But this one still works for me.

4) Take out your favorite ingredients, the one you always have stored

The photo is pretty self-explanatory. I’ll just say that I can’t live without pine nuts on hand, my husband survives off of hummus and whole wheat pita, and isn’t my little olive oil pourer cute? I keep the bulk of my olive oil in the fridge so that it doesn’t go rancid. I read that somewhere and I listen to the advice. Maybe it’s not necessary… who knows?

5) Your favorite cooking/baking tool

This KitchenAid mixer was a 30th birthday gift from my husband. Attached to it was a card that said, “Now go back me some cookies!” I want to bake cookies for that boy for decades and decades to come!

And a little bonus, if you don’t have one of these meat-tenderizer tools, you should get one.

I don’t use it for tenderizing meat, though, because I don’t really cook meat at home. This tool is weighted and it’s perfect for opening garlic cloves, crushing garlic, crushing nuts, and probably dozens of other things that I have yet discover. I love it!

Thanks for touring my kitchen!