Summer is a lovely time to cook: My favorite summer cooking tools

My blogging has been a bit more sporadic than I would like it to be lately. I have plenty of lovely moments, but wrapping up May has proved to be a busy — but fun — time! There was Memorial Day, where I made (and burnt) two racks of ribs. Then there was my love's birthday:

Someone was not thrilled about posing. Still a cute pic...

Present time!

Is that Mr. T? Nope...It's Nathan with his rain chains.

And then there was the last day of school, when the kids brought home these:

Certificates from student council and school crossing guard.

And this is a big one: the President's Award for Educational Excellence!

And these:

The National Physical Fitness Award

And one for student council to match her big brother's...

Then I helped out with a fund-raiser for a local organization. (Volunteering has been proving to bring a wonderful bit of lovely to my life that I had been missing. Definitely a future blog post...) We had awesome weather for the outdoor event, and it was a perfectly lovely day!

I love all these special days, but they leave me without a lot of time to write! That is why for tonight's post, I've chosen a topic that I'm highly passionate about, knowing that the words will poor out fiercely.

The topic? Cooking tools! (I'll give you a moment to collect yourself after that burst of the excitement.) Summer is my favorite time to cook. I know many homecooks love the foods of fall: soups, casseroles, breads, etc., but fresh produce and grilling bring pure flavors to the forefront. The season is truly a celebration of all my favorites: tomatoes, peaches, herbs, steaks and burgers!

At the risk of being dramatic, I will tell you that there are a few kitchen tools that have changed my life. Changed my life! I still get a little rush each time I use them because they are things that were totally worth the money. They make the tasks at hand easier and sometimes even more fun. 

First up, the grill basket. This thing makes grilled veggies so easy: just chop and toss, placing the basket on the grill. The process makes this favorite recipe for warm pasta salad a breeze. I also make my chicken for my Thai chicken tacos in this basket during the warm months. 

This basket is available at Crate & Barrel for about $8!

Next, I refuse to make a salad without my beloved salad spinner. Getting the water off your lettuce leaves can be the difference between Eh? and AWESOME! We are on our second spinner, and you definitely want to spring for the OXO brand. It has already lasted longer than a less expensive version. 

I love this spinner! $30 at Target...

I've already written about my love of cocktails, many of which highlight freshly-squeezed juices. A hand-held citrus press makes this task easy and helps you get all the juice out of your fruit. Plus kids love to use it! I have this fancy red one from Martha Stewart:

Macy's sells my press for around $13.

Summer is a time for my last pair of tools to really shine. The microplane and garlic press can really shine with fresh marinades and salad dressings. (When you start making your own dressings, your salads are taken to a whole new level. Try it...but be warned. You may ruin yourself for bottled dressings all together. 

This microplane is about $15 at Target.

This garlic press, which is not like mine, but looks great is from Amazon,  $20.

I'll be honest: I've never met a kitchen tool I haven't loved, but these five bring a certain about of lovely to my meal prep time. I love them, I love them, I love them! If you try one, or are already a believer, let me know what you think. And if you don't love them like I do, I'll offer you a half dozen new reasons why you should.