Raindrops on roses and red rubber spatulas

People often ask me about my favourite kitchen tools, toys and technologies and I have to confess to not owning many. We live in a small house with a compact kitchen so have to think twice before buying the latest gadget or thingummyjig. No, I don't have a bread maker or an ice cream maker or (heaven forfend) a Thermomix. I don't even have a dishwasher. That said, there are a bunch of kitchen items I use every day and wouldn't want to be without.

Red rubber spatula. I've had this for about thirty years and it shows no signs of giving up. Very handy for squeegeeing the last traces of yoghurt, soup, curry, cookie dough or whatever out of bowls, jugs and saucepans!

Stick blender. Andrew uses this more than I do. He uses it to make his brekkie banana smoothies; I use it for soups and dips.

Slotted spoon. Great when you want to move food from A to B but leave the liquid behind.

Digital scales. I get a weird kick out of measuring ingredients precisely ;-) Andrew brought the scales home one day and I wondered why anyone would bother with battery-operated scales. Then I discovered what fun they were.

Non-stick baking paper. Where has this stuff been all my life?! I used to get frustrated when biscuits and cakes stuck to the containers they were cooked in. This stuff is fantastic. (See also silicone bakeware, below.)

Pyrex jugs. Good for both measuring ingredients and cooking or reheating stuff in the microwave.

Wooden spoon. This one was a freebie from our local fire brigade!

Silicone bakeware. Soooo handy for cooking things like cakes, loaves and muffins without the mixture getting stuck to the sides.

Oh, and last but certainly not least ... our freezer. Full of leftovers stored for nights when there's no time or energy to cook something from scratch.