It has been a good year for me, finding all the tools I wanted/needed on SALE. Except the Maslin pan, of course, since it's always full price, but so worth it. My 40+ son came for a visit, helped me make Apple Pie Jam, and now wants a Maslin of his own! He's going to need a really big stocking.

I've asked Santa for a pocket camera to take photos of what I bake and can for my farm's Facebook page and website. The Olympus Stylus actually has a setting for "cuisine"!!!! LOL

MY SIL, the chef, gave me a little potato peeler with a ceramic blade - wonderful for apples too large or too soft to fit into the rotary peeler - it looks like a disposable shaver. On my wish list is a Kyocera Mega-peeler with a much wider ceramic blade that could also be used to shave cheese or chocolate, besides those huge Wolf River apples. The little peeler is on my shopping list for gifting my friends who cook, bake, and/or can, and a Side-Swipe blade for my DD's Kitchenaid stand mixer since she keeps drooling over mine when she uses it.

I always love to receive a handmade/homemade gift of any type. Draw it, bake it, can it, knit or sew it - I treasure those gifts the most.

Nancy, whose wish is for peace/truce/contentment for all

Ciao all-

Probably most truly "needed" right now would be a 20 qt/litre stainless steel pot. I use my pressure canner as a stock pot for really large batches of entrees, but then I have to wash it out after I jar everything up before I can pressure can it. It would be nice to have a separate pot for that.

Next would be a peeler/corer device for apples and quince. We make several cases of applesauce every year with very large Mutsu/Crispin apples. I've also fallen in love with the quince so it would be outstanding to find a device that could handle both.

Finally, 2010 is the year I'd like to learn sausage-making with Annie1992's and my Uncle Charlie's help, so a meat grinder/sausage stuffing attachment for my Spremy tomato squisher would be a necessary piece of equipment to add. Also, Annie's suggestion of the cookbook Charcouterie would be something I'd want to pick up as well before I got started.

Wishing you all God's blessings for a wonderful holiday season and bountiful 2010. And please God, if it's not to much trouble, not as much rain next year, eh?

sorellina, I'd be happy to help you with that sausage making any way I can, holidays or not.

I'd love a Maslin pan, but I have no room to store anything, so my wish list is short. More jars and lids, maybe?

Actually I have everything in this world I really need, except more time and more space. I could use some of each of those, LOL.

Oh, and world peace, of course.

Annie

Dear Santa,

I'd like a canning kitchen please if it isn't too much trouble.
I've been as good as I can be this year, honest!

I'd like cupboards for all my equipment, big sinks, a 6-burner stove, a walk-in refrigerator and freezer, open shelving to admire the canned goods and nice thick mats so my feet don't hurt.

If not, I'm fine with a big hug from my DH and kids!

Deanna

So I have to ask. Does a maslin pan make that much of a differance? I have been accumulating MANY kitchen toys and this seems to be a pretty big item for me to obsess over. I can most of the summer and fall and this could be a great addition.
Thanks in advance.
Jon

JWagelin, a Maslin-type pan is wonderful if you do much: cooking down of jams and jellies and spreads (without using pectin for thickener); making chutneys and relishes that require cooking down; and cooking anything that you have to stir, and don't want to get burned by the bubbling volcanic-type spurts!

I haven't yet tried it much for other non-canning-type cooking, but I'm certain I'll happily cook other foods in it.

This year I purchased quite a few new "gadgets", too. I must say: Having all the right tools, plenty of pots, pans, bowls, jars and measuring tools; lots of clean towels and dishcloths; and enough buckets and bins to hold all the fruit we pick ... all of this makes for pleasant times in the canning kitchen. Until this last summer and this one I had over 40 years without all the right equipment.

I'd say that having all the tools and equipment I need and want is much, much better!

Good luck with your decision. Is it too late to ask Santa? ha ha

Kathy

A new mixing bowl. I broke my only large mixing bowl on Thanksgiving. I've cursed myself approximately 14 times for asking for it for Christmas rather than just buying a new one right away, but it's finally here!!!!