18 months!!! Made a loaf today…

It is now a year and a half since I acquired my Kenwood Chef Classic. A lot has happened in that time.

For one, I am now a student at a central London college, part of the University of London. I joined last year, and am studying subjects that I find perplexing and challenging. I wouldn’t be anywhere else. In fact, I’m supposed to be sorting out one of my essays now, as it happens (not typing this guff!) …

…and second, I am still searching for permanent work. I certainly never imagined that I would be ‘out in the cold’ for this length of time. I could just take it easy – after all, 800,000 jobs have been excised from the system – but time really is flying by now, and I am not getting any younger. Who knows what tomorrow may bring?

Patchwork and Quilting skills are combined for my second mixer cover

My father is now truly aged. My mother is still positive, but hampered by a mechanical issue with her back; as is my brother, oddly enough (and he is very fit – if somewhat lacking in protein due to his vegan convictions).

Me, I have a fatty liver(!) according to my doctor, and ultrasound scans of my abdomen. My conversion to butter has been forsworn. Margarine and olive oil rule from now on.

My luxurious little friend posing in the kitchen with its first home-made cover - early October ’09

Get a quality stand mixer if you can manage it. Bread, cakes and other bakes become easier with practice – and often taste much better than the shop-brought variety. I certainly enjoy mine – and yes, it is still a bit of a luxury.

Hello! – Yeah, it’s been a while…

..and my mixer is firmly established in my home. It has become a faithful friend, ready to whip up (so to speak) yet another loaf as I have done today (Sat 12).
It is no longer ‘special’ as in ‘new’, but I would miss it like crazy if it went, or if I lost it.

Every lover of good food should have a kChef in their kitchen,

The first ninety days (or so)…

Well, I’ve had my kChef for 3 months now, or thereabouts.

It has fully fitted into my teeny home. It has kept its plcae on the kitchen counter, and it has also enabled me to make great bread, cakes and batter. Even broken down rock salt in the liquidiser with it.

But I haven’t cracked pastry – yet.

I’ll get there, though.

I used my old food processor for cake mixing. And…

…my cake sunk.

Was I operating in a lack of faith? Or just laziness, because I didn’t want to use big mixer for little cake.

Be honest with me. I pleaded and begged G_D for that mixer, even set up this blog, and I got my wish.

I acted in unbelief.

Lesson learnt. Use what G_D has allowed me to have.

Settling in nicely…

…and not much more to say.

What do you do when you reach the end of the road?

I now have my mixer. I have used it on average three times a week over the past 31 days for bread making (and kneading), cake mixing and grinding rock salt to a more manageable form using the blender (once so far).

I made a cake for Mum’s church’s “HalleluYah Party / Black History Day”. And I have now seen the DVD that came with the mixer about a dozen times now.

The excitement has worn off, and my little friend’s place on the kitchen counter is assured.

But – I must be honest – it was a bit of a gamble. The kChef is rather a luxury and I now see that wanting a mixer was an act of faith.

I do feel lazy at times when I use the kChef.

But I never regret having bought it.

A snide aside…

Watching most of Masterchef: The Professionals a few minutes ago, I couldn’t help but notice the incredibly prominent product placement of the ‘American mixer’ throughout the programme.

How much did Whirlpool pay for the oyster shot of its flagship product?

At one point (hit the clip at 36:00 for a few seconds) it dominates the screen while Messrs. Roux and Wallace decide the fate of the young ‘pro’ chefs.

What about the poor Kenwood Chef? Is there no TV food guru willing to plead its cause?

(I’ve just made a cover for mine…)

Discount claimed. All things work…

Will be watching the price of the kChef over the next couple of weeks – as I have claimed a new discount (not quite as much as the previous price drop, but hey! £16.25 off is a lot more that £0.00 off, no?).

As for me, I’m going to make one more cover for my little helper. Then that’s it. Only clothes sewing from now on – in case I do land that great job.

Now my new friend has a ‘coat’(!)

Here is my first cover for my kChef.

Not going to win any prizes, but it’s made out of remnants, scraps and leftovers from various sewing projects.

The next one I make will have rounded corners. Much easier to negotiate on the sewing machine.

(which I had to clean out and mini-service due to my over-enthusiasm and lots of lint in the cogs)

It does its job, and has a lovely handle to it – slightly ‘washed’ feel on the cotton that can be thrown in with the jeans when it gets dirty.

Use yer loaf – get a kChef

Hark! Look! Come see!

Looks better than the shop-bought variety any day

My first loaf of bread that was made with my new stand mixer.

It sounds as hollow as an empty mansion when you knock the bottom of it.

It looks almost too good to eat.

I shall have to pay for my new helper somehow.

It’s really great.

But it is also very noisy at top speeds.

Ah well – you can’t have everything.

(the liquidiser is also cracked at the top, but I shall wait until Saturday to take it back -
my Sunbeam blender is better and bigger. Not too much of an ask)

Hhuummm… kChef Porn…

Well, it came today – half-past 12PM ish…

And it is large (but not that large).

I might not get the £20 discount after all as the price went back up on Wednesday.

But even with all that, my new arrival is most welcome.

The item did come with a splashguard, which was a pleasant surprise as I had been told by an advisor that the Classic was no longer sold with one.

But it will need a cover, which I will make.

And the top bit is plastic – not quite as robust as the old-school Chefs, but no doubt it will knead my dough. Can’t wait to make a loaf tonight.

Welcome, friend.