Mix and Stir Friday Five

Songbird writes...
In a minor domestic crisis, my food processor, or more precisely the part you use for almost everything for which I use a food processor, picked the eve of the festive season of the year to give up the ghost. A crack in the lid expanded such that a batch of squash soup had to be liberated via that column shaped thing that sticks up on top.
Can you tell this is not my area of strength?

Next week, I'm hosting Thanksgiving. I need your help. Please answer the following kitchen-related questions:

1) Do you have a food processor? Can you recommend it? Which is to say, do you actually use it?

I have a mini food processor. I hardly ever use it--except to make pesto.  It's more work than it's worth to get it out, use it for small batches of things (particularly anno

ying if I'm making a large batch of something), and then clean it and put it away again.  I normally use my Pampered Chef Food Chopper for chopping (quick and easy!), and a submersible hand blender for pureeing.  I love love love love love these things!!

2) And if so, do you use the fancy things on it? (Mine came with a mini-blender (used a lot and long ago broken) and these scary disks you used to julienne things (used once).)

ha!  no.  Those disks freak me out, and thankfully mini food processors don't come with those. now, for the next one...

3) Do you use a standing mixer? Or one of the hand-held varieties?
I do have an commercial-size/strength Kitchen Aid mixer (white).  It was my mom's.  I love it and use it often!  It does have all kinds of fun attachments to use for shredding or milling or sieving or slicing or goodness only knows what else.  Making a ton of mashed potatoes?  Making cookies?  Making something that requires shredded zucchini or pounds and pounds of cheese?  This is your thing.  It's utterly fabulous, and pretty easy to clean, too.

4) How about a blender? Do you have one? Use it much?

Just a couple of weeks ago I was at church and wondering if I had a blender.  I do, and it's on the counter between the sink and the juicer.  I think that tells you how often I use the blender.

5) Finally, what old-fashioned, non-electric kitchen tool do you enjoy using the most?

ooh, toss up between my fabulous whisk and a potato masher.  There's something so fun about an old fashioned potato masher....

Bonus: Is there a kitchen appliance or utensil you ONLY use at Thanksgiving or some other holiday? If so, what is it?

hmm....this year, maybe.  since Senior Pastor left, I haven't had time to cook.  Sometimes I wonder if I can find my kitchen (plus, see the question about the blender...).  So this year I think the answer to this would be pretty much everything in the kitchen...but hopefully that problem will be remedied soon!!