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I have been settling into my first apartment for the past few weeks, and probably the biggest transition from living on-campus in college to having my own place post-grad is having a kitchen! I love to cook and bake, and it is so exciting to finally have my own space to be able to do this in. Something that I didn't account for though was the fact that a kitchen has to be completely built from scratch. While my apartment might have come with a refrigerator, oven and dishwasher, it did not come with any food in the pantry or kitchen tools or gadgets necessary for cooking! These are certainly all things that I took for granted during the summers that I went home. ;-)
I have some kitchen appliances and tools which my mom and grandma have been collecting for me throughout the past few years, but unfortunately those things are all still at home in Maine. My mom and I are working on a way of getting them down to me later this summer, but until that happens, I've had to figure out some ways to cook with a smaller selection of kitchen tools.
Above is a small list that I have comprised of what I deem to be the absolute must-haves for anyone who is hoping to cook in their first apartment! A set of cookie sheets is much needed, because they are used to so much more than just baking! They are essential for heating up certain frozen items in the oven, or for toasting up leftover food items. And with using the oven comes a need for cute oven mitts! My mom purchased my roommate and I several in varying colors and designs, but I really like these polka dot Kate Spade ones from their home collection.
Even though my roommate and I have a dishwasher, we have yet to use it and prefer to wash our dishes by hand! She picked out this cute dish drying mat for us, it is not only affordable but also blends in nicely with the neutral decor of our kitchen. Something that I had to run out for while cooking one of my first recipes in the new place was a basic set of knives! Knife sets can be a very expensive item and are traditionally a popular wedding registry item. I didn't need anything too fancy for my first place, but this set of three knives was affordable and does the job for now!
Finally, the holy grail of my kitchen: our Crock Pot. This was something else that Ciera, my roommate, bought for us (bless her!). I will admit that I was a bit skeptical about it at first. My mom is a great cook, but the occasional recipes that she would make in her slow cooker when I was growing up were never my favorites. Then once I saw this one in our apartment, I started looking up slow cooker recipes on Pinterest and I was amazed at how much you can make in these! I have already made several recipes in it, and it is the easiest thing in the world for cooking: both in terms of saving you the mess of several pots and pans, and also in the fact that you can "fix it and forget it." So practical for two girls like ourselves with busy schedules! If there is a recent college grad in your life (or a college student with an apartment), BUY THEM A CROCK POT if they don't have one! Best gift- I promise! :-)
And finally- a mug that accurately describes post-grad life! My real-life friends know that I am obsessed with cute mugs. I have a fairly large collection of fun mugs, and that doesn't include my constantly growing collection of the Starbucks You Are Here mugs, which I enjoy picking up when I travel (Although I don't drink out of those- ha!). I personally definitely don't need another mug to add to my kitchen, but this one made me laugh and I think it would be great for any other recent grads!
Fellow new apartment-leasers or anyone who has been through the process of having a first apartment before: what were your must have kitchen essentials before you had your whole kitchen put together? Building a home, whether an actual house or a small apartment, is definitely a process!
And please let me know as well what you thought of today's post! It was one of my blogging goals this summer to incorporate some apartment/new-to-adulthood type blog posts alongside my regular fashion content, so please let me know if this type of post is something that you would like to see more of!
xoxo Miss ALK
The coffee mug is hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI got my mom a mug from that brand for Mother's Day, they're so funny!
ReplyDelete-Anna | www.fivefootandfabulous.com
Crockpots are so essential! We need to start using ours more. Also, I use a cookie sheet every week to make my chicken for lunch haha.
ReplyDeletexoxo, Jenny
I used cookie sheets for everything this past year! I would roast veggies on them and also make tortilla pizzas!
ReplyDeleteX,
Cristina
cristinawashere.com
I use my cookie sheets and muffin pans ((not just for muffins and cupcakes!)) on a pretty much an every other day basis!
ReplyDelete-Morgan
How 2 Wear It [] http://how2wearit.com
I use parchment paper a lot. It makes clean up so easy for everything from chicken to cakes.I love using a crock pot, but more in the winter months.
ReplyDeleteYES! This is the PERFECT roundup of kitchen essentials! If I added anything it would be my Anchor glass measuring cup!! I use it daily!
ReplyDeletexo Ashley
The crock pot is essential for all kitchens! It saves my life regularly, especially when I just don't feel like cooking!!
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to get a crockpot!
ReplyDeleteCrockpots are lifesavers!! I don't use mine a lot, but I have a growing Pinterest board that is waiting to be used!
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I love my crockpot! Totally essential for a first apartment! Decorating your first place is so much fun!
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Hahhaha, need that mug in my life! Shopping for kitchen stuff for my apartment was one of the things I was most excited about!
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Amy | Pastel N Pink
That mug is too funny! I think this is just about what my first kitchen looking like LOL.
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Allison
Totally agree with all these picks! Definitely essentials!
ReplyDeletexo Kylie
www.dressinsparkles.com
These are all great! I moved out of my "first apartment" in January and felt like I had so much under my belt. I would definitely add an awesome vacuum to this list, we had a crappy one at first, and it broke so quick. We have a really nice Shark now and it is absolutely fabulous!
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