Melamine Dinnerware Review

Williams-Sonoma came out with a beautiful set of melamine dinnerware in my favorite colors a few years ago. I had been wanting some dinnerware that was not glass to be used outdoors and by children, but most of the sets I came across did not seem like good quality (surprisingly, even the ones sold at Pottery Barn). These are a different story - they look like real stoneware and have a rustic look, which I love, but they are also sturdy. These are top-rack dishwasher safe, but I never put them in the dishwasher. They should not be used in the microwave.

I initially purchased a few and mixed and matched two different colors from the Rustic Melamine Dinnerware Collection (Turquoise and Azure Blue) and the Blue Byzantine Melamine Dinnerware. We registered for a few more of each color and received them as bridal shower and wedding gifts from various family members and friends. Unfortunately, the blue byzantine set is no longer available, but the rustic melamine is still available in several more colors. We also have a few serving bowls and platters, which are perfect for bringing to parties without having to carry a heavy glass bowl or worry about it breaking!

The dinner plates, salad plates, and individual bowls are sold in sets of four online. I have also seen them sold individually at the outlet store, but I do not think they are still sold in the regular stores.

We love this dinnerware and the color combo - turquoise is perfect for spring and summer, azure blue is perfect for fall and winter, and they both look amazing with the blue byzantine pattern, which nicely ties all the colors together. Since our glass dinnerware is plain white, I love that these give us some color to use.

If you are looking for a nice set of outdoor dinnerware, look no further. I highly recommend the melamine dinnerware sold at Williams-Sonoma.

Turquoise

Azure Blue

Blue Byzantine

Below are some photos of us enjoying kabobs on our deck on a nice spring evening:

This is a picture of the blue byzantine individual bowl and serving bowl:

Photos by JoJo

Wüsthof Classic Cutlery Review

My mom always had knives in her kitchen that were rather dull. Using dull knives when cooking is actually more dangerous than using sharp knives. A few years ago she purchased a big knife block of Cutco knives, and seems to be enjoying them quite a bit. When she got that set, she gave me her old one, but they did not cut very well. Last year I decided to invest in some new knives and start my own knife block. After lots of research (including Cutco), I chose Wüsthof Classic as the knives I would purchase.

I decided to put my own knife block together for a few reasons. It would allow me to slowly build a collection of the knives I would use most instead of paying a few hundred dollars upfront for a set. None of the knife block sets I saw had all the knives I wanted, and some had ones I knew I would never use. While this may not have been the most cost-effective approach, it was the best option for me. Unfortunately, Wüsthof  is one of those brands that never goes on sale and that you cannot use coupons with. I get $50 Williams-Sonoma gift cards every few months with my Discover Card rewards points, and used those towards several of my purchases that were made at different times. I even found some of the knives at the Williams-Sonoma Outlet, and combined with my husband's 10% military discount, it was a huge savings! I never paid anywhere near full price for any of these knives, so this worked out very well for me. However, all of these knives are excellent and if buying or registering for one of the knife block sets works fine for you, I highly recommend Wüsthof Classic.

The first item I purchased was the Wüsthof 17-Slot Knife Block with Shears and Sharpening Steel to hold all the knives I knew I wanted. The 17-slot knife block alone is priced at $40, so $50 for the block, shears and sharpening steel set was a great price.

Next I bought the Wüsthof Classic 2-Piece Chef & Paring Knife Set. From the first time I used these knives, I loved them. They have a great feel to them, and they cut so well. I later added the Wüsthof Classic 6" Utility Knife and the Wüsthof Classic 4.5" Utility Knife to my collection. It would have been cheaper to start off with the Wüsthof Classic 3-Piece Knife Starter Set, which is the first three of the above mentioned knives. For a while I thought about returning the 6" utility knife, but I have since found it useful for a few things. I mostly use it to cut brownies and other baked goods while they are in glass baking dishes. If you are just starting out, I would recommend purchasing the 3-piece starter set. It's a great value and you can really use these three knives for most things.

Since I am Italian and eat a lot of bread, the next knife was pretty important to me, the Wüsthof Classic Double-Serrated Bread Knife. I like this knife more than the bread knife that comes in the block sets because it is longer (it's 9" and the regular bread knife is 8"), and that extra length can be helpful when cutting large loaves of bread!

Those four knives could have held me over for quite some time, but I added a few more to my collection that I would consider specialty knives. They are not necessities, but they are useful for specific things.

The Wüsthof Classic 5" Serrated Utility Knife cost me less than $4. This one is useful when I want to cut rolls and don't need the big bread knife. It also neatly cuts through peels, rinds and foods with resistant or tough skins, such as tomatoes and citrus. I use this knife often and highly recommend it.

These next two knives are awesome for cutting vegetables. Yes, you could just use the chef's knife for that, but I prefer these knives because they cut very thin slices much easier. I use the chef's knife for meat and other larger foods. I bought the Wüsthof Classic 7" Hollow-Edge Santoku Knife at the outlet for a good price. This knife combines the duties of both a chef's knife and a cleaver. A few months later, I bought the Wüsthof Classic Nakiri Knife. For anyone who watches Food Network's The Pioneer Woman, this knife is commonly referred to as the Pioneer Woman knife. She uses it all the time on her show, which is how I found out about it. This knife is designed like a slender cleaver. The main difference between the two is the shape, as you can see below. The Santoku can rock back and forth, while the Nakiri is more flat. Both of these knives are hollow-edge, meaning they have shallow oval-shaped depressions along the cutting edge that keep foods from sticking to it. While I use and love them both, if I had to choose one, I prefer the Nakiri. I use this knife so often and absolutely love it!

Santoku

Nakiri

The last knife that I've bought was mostly a purchase for my husband. It is the Wüsthof Classic Fish Fillet Knife. I will use this knife to fillet chicken breasts, but I know my husband will enjoy using it for fish. He hasn't even seen this knife yet, but I'm sure he will want to use it soon after returning home from deployment. I never ate fish before I met him, but when he cooks it, it always tastes good.
 

There are a few knives that we still want to add to our collection. My husband would also love the Wüsthof Classic Carving Set. There are two different carving sets for the Classic knives, one with a straight fork and one with a curved fork. This is the one with the curved fork, which I think will be more comfortable to hold. The only problem with this set is that the fork will not fit in the knife block, but the knife will fit in my last spot!

We would also eventually like the Wüsthof Classic 4-Piece Steak Knife Set. I have seen this set at the Williams-Sonoma outlet before, and the knives are usually 30% or 40% off there. Our knife block has six slots for steak knives, and some websites sell these in a 6-piece set. These knives are also sold individually, but it is more cost-effective to purchase a set. (Update January 2024: We purchased the 4-Piece Set a few years ago and we now have a family of 4, so it's perfect for us, although I do wish we had 6 just to fill up all the spaces in our knife block.)

Here are a few tips when using these knives to keep them in good condition:

• Hone your knives at least once a week on a sharpening steel.
• Sharpen knives every 6-12 months. Williams-Sonoma offers knife sharpening for $1 per blade inch. http://www.sharpen-this.com/events/events.htm
• Use plastic cutting boards for raw meat and wash in the dishwasher after each use.
• Use wood cutting board for vegetables and bread. Wash wood cutting board and use mineral oil or board cream on it every now and then. Never submerge a wood cutting board in water or put it in the dishwasher!

I hope my review has been helpful to anyone who is looking for a good set of knives, or wishes to start their own set. There are several other Classic knives, but these are the ones that will be in our knife block. Also, do not confuse the less expensive Wüsthof Gourmet knives with the Wüsthof Classic. I love using these Classic knives, and with proper care, they should last us a lifetime!

Calphalon® Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Review

Every cook needs a good set of cookware in their kitchen, and there are many different types to choose from (stainless steel, nonstick, enamel, aluminum, cast-iron, carbon steel, copper, etc.). How do you narrow down so many choices? Do some research on each type, read reviews, and go see them in person at a store. Since different types of cookware can be beneficial for different types of cooking, you can register for what meets your cooking needs the most. My husband and I have a mixture of cookware: a Lodge 12" cast-iron skillet, 3-quart combo cooker and reversible grill/griddle (these were all bought for my husband - he loves cooking in raw cast-iron but I do not use them much); and two Le Creuset enameled cast-iron dutch ovens (which I love to use), and our big set of stainless steel cookware that we use every day.

I came across the Calphalon® Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware a few years ago when it was on my cousin's wedding registry. I read a lot of great reviews and liked the way the set looked, so the next time I was at Bed Bath & Beyond I checked them out, and loved them! I looked at all the other sets there and still liked this one the most. One thing that I especially liked about these pans are the clear glass lids. It is so nice to be able to see into the pan without lifting the lid off all the time. These pans have a nice heft to them and feel sturdy, while not being too heavy to use daily. They are oven and broiler safe, as well as dishwasher safe (but I never put pots and pans in the dishwasher). The lids and handles sometimes get hot, so use oven mitts when needed. These are not the cheapest pans, but they are also not terribly expensive. To me, they are worth the price.

A lot of people are hesitant to use stainless steel because they think it is difficult to clean. I have never had any trouble cleaning these, even after making eggs (a common complaint). All you have to do is let them soak in hot soapy water for a bit and then use a pan scraper. I have never liked nonstick cookware because it grosses me out that it begins to chip after a while and ends up in your food. Stainless Steel, in my opinion, is much better, safer, and will last a lot longer. After all, I don't want to have to replace my pots and pans down the road! For anyone who has never used stainless steel cookware before, you can read some use and care instructions here.

This set was too expensive to buy for myself when I bought my townhouse, so I decided to get a smaller, less expensive set and that I would register for this one when I got married. At the time, I was single, but a few months later I met a guy who loves to cook! I received the 13-piece set as a bridal shower gift from my aunt and cousins, and was so excited to try them out. These pots and pans are awesome, and come in a variety of sizes. In addition to this set, we also registered for a few additional pans while they were available that I know we will use as our family gets bigger in years to come.

Since I am a visual person, I am including lots of pictures with this post. Pictured below is the 13-piece set which comes with the following:

• 1.5 qt. saucepan with cover
• 2.5 qt. saucepan with cover
• 8" omelet pan
• 10" omelet pan
• 12" omelet pan
• 3 qt. sauté pan with cover
• 3 qt. chef's pan with cover
• 6 qt. stockpot with cover

As you can see from the links above, most of those pans can also be purchased separately, but it is much more cost-effective to buy a set. I have not used all of the pans in our 13-piece set yet, but I know I eventually will. A few of the sizes I use most right now were not part of the set.

The first pan I bought before I was even engaged was the 12-Inch Stir Fry Pan with Lid. My boyfriend at the time (now husband) made stir fry pretty often, so we decided to get this pan to try out, and it did not disappoint! We could tell from the quality of this pan that we definitely wanted to register for more of this cookware when the time came.

Another pot that we registered for is the 8-Quart Stockpot with Lid, which has not been used yet but will definitely come in handy when we have guests over or as our family grows. This is the biggest stockpot for this cookware. My mom frequently uses 12-quart and 16-quart pots to make sauce, pizza dough, soup, etc. for our large family. Luckily, when I need a bigger size, I still have a Farberware 12-quart stockpot that my mom gave to me years ago.

Lately, the 4.5-Quart Saucepan with Lid has been my go-to pot when making pasta. This is a great size to use for just a few people. Sometimes I even use the 2.5-quart saucepan if it is a small amount of pasta for just myself.

We also registered for the 2.5-Quart Shallow Saucepan with Lid. I have not used this one yet, but thought that the shallow pan would be nice to have.

The 1-Quart Saucepan is a great little pan, with one complaint - it does not come with a lid. The lid would be useful, but I still like using this saucepan when heating up soup or other small amounts of food. If I really need a lid, I just use the 1.5-quart pan - problem solved!

We also registered for a few additional pieces. I have not used either yet. The Calphalon® Stainless Steel Steamer Insert (for use with the 2.5 Qt. Saucepan and 4.5 Qt. Saucepan) will be nice to use when we make vegetables, and the Calphalon® Stainless Steel 2-Quart Double Boiler Insert (for use with the 2.5 Qt. Saucepan) will be great when I need to melt chocolate.

Last but not least is the Calphalon® Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 14-Inch Roaster with Rack and Lifters. I also have not used this yet, but can't wait to try it out. I have a feeling my husband will especially enjoy using this!

There are a few other pans that match this cookware that I did not think we would use so we did not register for them, the 5-Quart Saute Pan with Lid (it's huge), the 5-Quart Dutch Oven with Lid (we already have 2 dutch ovens), the 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid (we already have the 12-inch omelet pan), and the 6-Quart Pasta Insert (I just use a colander). Other people might find these sizes useful though, so I wanted to mention them.

5-Quart Saute Pan

5-Quart Dutch Oven

12-Inch Everyday Pan

6-Quart Pasta Insert

I hope this review has been helpful. Since I am just cooking for myself right now, the smallest pans are the ones I have used the most, but I love that there are a lot of choices in shapes and sizes to use so we will never have to add more cookware to this collection! I am very happy with this cookware and thankful for these gifts that were given to us for our wedding from a few different family members and friends. They are excellent quality, and will last us a lifetime! Most importantly, these are what we will use to cook for each other and our family over the years.

Oh, and what did I do with my smaller Farberware set? I gave it to my sister, whose nonstick pans were chipping into her food!

Le Creuset Dutch Oven Review

I will start off my kitchen product reviews with one of my favorite kitchen items, a Le Creuset Dutch Oven. I recently read somewhere that if you own any Le Creuset, you should add it to your will. I laughed at first, and then realized that is probably true - these pieces are rather expensive, but with proper care, they will surely outlast you and should be passed down to others.

Last year, I wanted a dutch oven but could not justify paying for a Le Creuset, so after reading a ton of reviews online, I settled on a 6-Quart Lodge Enameled Cast-Iron Dutch Oven that I purchased on Amazon for $65. I used it a few times to make soup and sauce and everything came out tasting good. But, I still really wanted a Le Creuset...eventually. The Lodge worked just fine, but to me, the difference in quality between the two was evident. So when I got engaged one of the first items I added to our registry was the 7 1/4-quart Le Creuset Signature Cast-Iron Round Dutch Oven in Matte Navy. I debated for a while whether to register for the 5 1/2-quart or the 7 1/4-quart, and decided to go with the bigger size for $50 more so we would not have to upgrade in the future. We did not end up receiving this as a wedding gift, but we were able to purchase it by using some gift cards and our 10% registry completion discount, so this $350 dutch oven ended up costing us nothing!

7 1/4-quart Le Creuset Signature Cast-Iron Round Dutch Oven in Matte Navy

Before our wedding, I realized this dutch oven would be pretty big and aside from making soup and sauce, it would not get too much use while it was just my husband and I, so I read more reviews and decided to also register for the 3 1/2-quart Le Creuset Signature Round Wide Dutch Oven in Matte Navy. At $180, this is significantly less expensive than most Le Creuset dutch ovens, but it is also a very useful size for a couple (or a single person). I also thought that having a more shallow dutch oven with a wider base would come in handy at times. Just to compare, the regular round 3 1/2-quart version that is not wide is $260. I am so glad I registered for this wide one. We received it for our wedding and my husband was able to cook in it once before leaving for his deployment. Since then, I've used it for anything I can possibly make in it. And when it's not in use, it stays on our stove top. This is also a perfect fit for my dutch oven bread recipe!

3 1/2-quart Le Creuset Signature Round Wide Dutch Oven in Matte Navy

While Le Creuset is widely known for their bold colors with glossy finish, I absolutely love the navy color and matte finish on these, which are sold exclusively at Williams-Sonoma. I have never liked bright, bold colors for my kitchen, so the more subtle navy color suits me much better, and is masculine enough for my hubby, who also loves to cook! Navy happens to be one of my favorite colors and one of our wedding colors - perfect! I also prefer the matte finish to the glossy look. Chances are no matter what your favorite color is, Le Creuset carries it. A lot of people like to mix and match colors that compliment each other well. I hope Le Creuset comes out with more items in matte navy, and more matte colors to choose from (right now Williams-Sonoma also offers yellow and white in matte, and Le Creuset's website has a few other matte colors).

Below are some important tips to remember in order to keep your Le Creuset in mint condition (and not void the warranty):

• Only use medium or low heat, unless boiling water.
• The enamel surface is not ideal for dry cooking.
• Silicone or wooden utensils are recommended over metal.
• Hand mixers, immersion blenders and knives should not be used on the enamel.
• Cool hot pan before washing, and do not put a hot pan in cold water.
• Do not use scourers, metallic pads or abrasive cleaners.
• More use and care instructions can be found here.

So, what happened to that Lodge dutch oven I bought last year? I knew I would never use it again, so I returned it!

7 1/4-quart round

3 1/2-quart wide round

I made bread and soup at the same time in our 3 1/2-quart wide & 7 1/4-quart dutch ovens

I am one of those people who posts pics of food I make on Instagram. Here are a few photos I've posted over the last couple of months: marinara sauce (barely fit in the small dutch oven); farfalle pasta with baby bella mushrooms, baby spinach and Marsala wine (in small dutch oven); 4-hour dutch oven bread (in small dutch oven); and hearty Italian sausage soup (in large dutch oven).

Photos by JoJo

Kitchen Product Reviews

As someone who researches everything I buy, I thought I would write a few blog posts on some of my favorite kitchen products. When my sister got married last year, I pretty much put her registry together for her. I bought a townhouse a year before her wedding, and had already done a lot of research on several products, and then did more research when I was putting her registry together, so when I got married a few months ago it was very easy to put my own together. This was extremely helpful because I got married 11 weeks after getting engaged, and did not have time to think about the registry too much with everything else that was going on. I hope these review posts will help others who have some questions about registry items.

My favorite stores to buy kitchen products are Williams-Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, and Bed Bath & Beyond, so those are the three stores where we registered. Something to keep in mind is that these stores give registry completion discounts of 10% off remaining registry items for 6 months after your wedding. We had a few items on our registry that never go on sale (Le Creuset and Wüsthof items), so we used gift cards that were given to us to purchase them after our wedding and used the 10% discount. My husband is in the military, and as an added bonus, some stores also give 10% military discounts on items that you usually cannot apply sales to, like the brands mentioned above. Some of those items can also be found for significantly less at outlet stores if you are lucky enough to have one close by.

When I bought my townhouse, I shopped at TJ Maxx and Home Goods a lot. They always have different items so if you are looking for something specific you will most likely have to keep going back and looking through what's there. I got a lot of my serving utensils, colanders, and other small items from those stores for much cheaper than I would have found them anywhere else. Those were all things we didn't have to register for since they were only about two years old by the time we got married.

Before I review any products, I will start by saying that I tend to like neutral colored items, which some may consider boring. When I bought my townhouse, I purchased white table settings and serving bowls and platters, as I knew that if I got a pattern, I would eventually get sick of it. I would prefer to change up table decor over time rather than all my dishes and bowls. I also think that food stands out more and looks better on white plates. So most of what we have is either clear glass or white, but we did register for a few navy items. Navy has always been one of my favorite colors, and since our wedding colors were navy and grey, I thought it would also be nice to have a reminder of those colors in our kitchen!

I hope you enjoy my reviews and find them helpful. Feel free to ask any questions you come up with about the registry process or about kitchen products in general.

4-Hour Dutch Oven Bread

Last year I bought my then-boyfriend a Lodge cast iron 3-quart dutch oven as part of his Christmas gift (which was themed around camping items), and made dutch oven bread for the first time shortly after. He loved the bread, and ended up using it to make French toast, which was delicious. The no-knead bread recipe was very simple to make, but the dough had to sit for 18-24 hours. One day I was searching recipes online and came across a similar recipe that only has to sit for 4 hours, which means you can bake it the same day. This recipe does say to knead it, although I wonder if that is really necessary since the other recipe does not say to do that (it just says to roll it with flour on your hands into a ball shape). I was curious if the bread would taste any different, but I could not tell a difference. I've made this bread several times since, and we always enjoy it.

Tonight I made it in a Le Creuset 3.5-quart wide dutch oven that my now-husband and I received as a wedding gift. I wasn't sure how well the bread would fit in this dutch oven because it is a bit more shallow than the Lodge, but it was a perfect fit. You can certainly use a larger one if that is all you have, and if you don't have a dutch oven, you can bake this in any pot with a lid that is oven-proof. Just make sure to pre-heat the oven with the dutch oven or pot in it. And if you are making more than one bread, put the empty dutch oven back in the oven in between breads. Homemade bread is delicious, and this recipe is proof that it doesn't have to be difficult or time-consuming!

Edit December 2021: my cousin Vincent said this bread comes out best using King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, not Bread Flour!

4-Hour Dutch Oven Bread

1½ cups warm water

2¾ teaspoons active dry yeast 

Pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups King Arthur bread flour

Pour the warm water into a large bowl. Add yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 minutes.

Add salt and flour and stir until a shaggy ball of dough is formed.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for 4 hours.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. With floured hands, knead the dough 5-10 times. Return dough to the bowl and let rise for another 30 minutes.

While dough is rising, place your dutch oven (uncovered) in the oven and preheat to 400°F.

After 30 minutes, use floured hands to reshape dough into a ball and carefully drop into the dutch oven.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer.

Remove loaf from dutch oven and let cool before slicing.

Shaggy ball of dough

Dough after 4 hours

Turn dough on to flour surface

Knead dough 5-10 times

Preheat oven with dutch oven in it

Put dough ball in to warm dutch oven

Take lid off after 30 minutes in oven

Bake for another 10-15 minutes with lid off

Fresh out of the oven

Let bread cool before slicing

Photos by JoJo