We have two of these handheld blenders - one for soap making and one for soup making (I still get these two words mixed up sometimes!). I got the first one when I started making soap at home (as a hobby) in the winter of 2007, after I hand whisked a batch of soap mixture for an hour and thought my right arm was going to fall off. The stick blender works wonderfully after many batches of soap. Then we bought a second one when I learned to make dahl soup from an Indian friend, and we've been equally pleased with its performance in the kitchen.

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Things We Like: Cuisinart Smart Stick Handheld Blender

After we moved and settled in, I got one of these laundry sorters with 3 bags and a hanging bar. We used to just throw everything in a laundry basket in one corner of our bedroom, and that was all the space I could afford to allocate to dirty laundry. Now our master closet seems to be as big as our old master bathroom, so I figured why not make laundry easier and be more organized :)? I really like this laundry sorter for several reasons:

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Things We Like: Seville Classics 3-Bag Laundry Sorter with Hanger

One cleaning product that we find indispensable in the kitchen is Bar Keeper's Friend. It's a fine white powder that contains no phosphates, bleach, or abrasive substances. It works wonders on getting stainless steel pots and pans sparkling clean, especially after sauteing vegetables or browning meat which often leaves a thin film and slight discoloration on the inside bottom of the pan after normal washing. Regular use of Bar Keeper's Friend also helps to prevent stain buildup.

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Things We Like: Bar Keeper's Friend Multi-Purpose Household Cleanser and Polish

Being a shorter person (5' 4"), I need a step ladder in the house for reaching things on the shelves in the kitchen and closets, as well as for changing light bulbs and doing household projects. We had a steel framed 2-step step ladder which worked well, then I found this ultra-light aluminum step ladder at Home Depot which quickly became my go to step ladder since it's so easy to use and move around.

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Things We Like: Home Depot Ultra-Light Aluminum Step Ladder/Stool

Over the years, we've bought various bed sheets, but found ourselves using the same set over and over - Wamsutta Comfort Soft cotton sheet set, 400-thread count. We like it the best given its soft, smooth, and silky hand and because it stands up to repeated washing with minimal shrinkage and fading.

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Things We Like: Wamsutta Comfort Soft Cotton Sheet Set, 400-Thread Count

I have very dry skin in the winter and have tried many different brands of lotion (conventional and natural) to relieve the itchiness in my arms and legs. Most of the lotions are ok for providing temporary relieve from the tightness and flakiness of dry skin, but none provided long lasting relief from itchiness. Recently I discovered the Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Skin Therapy Lotion with Aloe. I decided to give it a try after reading many positive reviews on Drugstore.com, and have found it to be the "ultimate" lotion that I've been searching for.

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Things We Like: Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Skin Therapy Lotion with Aloe

After running Cooking For Engineers for almost six years, we've had the opportunity to test a variety of kitchen products, both good and bad. In our daily lives, we approach the stuff we use in a similar manner - trying out several different products, brands, or methods until we find what works best for us.

We thought we should put some of this information to good use and share it with our readership. Recommendations we make are not necessarily the best of what's out there, but is the best of what we've used or what works best for our preferences or lifestyle. We'll try to explain why we like each item and hopefully that will help our readers determine if it's something they'll like as well.

Since Michael and I moved to Austin, I have been cooking a lot more. Of all the pots and pans we have in the kitchen (various brands, mostly stainless steel All Clad), my favorite is the Tramontina 12" tri-ply clad saute pan. It not only stands up to the All Clad pans we have but is also most useful due to its size. It's 12" in diameter (without handles) and 3" deep (without lid), ~6 qt in capacity, has a loop (helper handle) in addition to the long handle, and comes with a lid.

We use it to saute vegetables, pan fry meats, make pasta sauce, etc.. It heats up evenly and is easy to clean (a little Bar Keeper's Friend does magic). We use it everyday and sometimes I wish we have more than one! Picked it up at Marshall's a few years ago for $39.95 which is a steal, and haven't seen them around since then. Recently I found it on Walmart.com for $69.97 which is still a great deal considering the All Clad 6 qt saute pan with lid is $250! If you have been looking for cookware that performs similar to All Clad at a fraction of the price, give Tramontina tri-ply clad pots and pans a try.
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Tramontina 12" Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel Saute Pan - Tina's Favorite