Hey, far be it from me to lecture about too many kitchen tools. I have drawers of them.  That being said, it is time to purge.  As I face an empty nest and the possibilities of downsizing from this oversized, family-size house, I feel the need to evaluate my kitchen tools and see what’s what.  What will be going with me to the next stage when I am cooking for two?

I was in Williams Sonoma recently in search of a new bathroom hand soap and lotion.   Williams Sonoma truly have the best.  Chip and I smelled all of them and left the comfort of the Meyer Lemon and migrated to Sunny Orange Citrus. As we stood at the checkout counter, we were visually stimulated by a stunning array of candy and cookies for Easter.  I was strong and did not partake.  We checked out and headed to the front door.  Oh, not so fast.

I can’t help myself.  I love the gadgets. Peelers, knives, spatulas- oh! Here are some of the teasers we passed on our way out the door:

• A lobster mallet
• Stainless steel seafood scissors
• An awe-inspiring martini mixer (yum)
• A Spiralizer (I have one and love it)
• A Citrus Press (in more than one color)
• An entire dedicated section of smart tech tools

The utensil colors were pretty. The table setting had plates had bunnies on them and the linens were so ‘fun’. I had to leave; had to get out.  Chip and I stood in front of a suitcase that held BBQ tools and a monogrammed basting bucket.  My heart rate accelerated, and my mouth was dry.  We barely escaped the knife section. With prices ranging from under $100 for a single knife to north of $2300.00 for the set, THAT decision was easy!

Moral of the story here.  Think before you buy.  “Will I really use that or is it just too cool to have?”  If you are unsure, stop on over and look through my kitchen cabinets and drawers.  I purged once when we redid the kitchen and there is still a lot odds & ends here.

But… you cannot have the mushroom brush or the truffle shaver. Those are keepers.