things I can't live without

There are some things that I just find myself using at least once every day.  These are things I just can't live without.  BTW, still working on my photography skills (which are way lacking, even with taking about a million pictures of my kids), so prepare yourselves for some awesome stock pictures I find online of things I love and have in my kitchen.

My kitchenaid is my baby.  I use it constantly.  I got mine when I had tendinitis and it saved my life.  I know some people like the smaller tilt-head model, but I love this huge one.  The bowl is easier to remove and is also deeper, so you don't have to worry about ingredients flying out.

 Cookie scoops are the best for making quick, uniformed cookies.

I lucked out big time with my vitamix.  My mom realized she rarely used hers and let me have it.  Score!  Basically, all other blenders (in my experience) suck compared to this.  It blends whatever you want in about 2 seconds.

Good knives.  I am fond of whustof, but there are a bunch of other good brands too.  The right type of knife for the job (sharpened as often as necessary) can really help you out in the kitchen.

Kitchen scales are great for dieters, very specific recipes, or those few recipes that list ingredients by weight instead of volume.  Bonus if you get the old-fashioned non-digital one like this that look cool on your counter (if you've got the space anyway).