New Things: Kitchen Edition

This weekend was a weekend of new things for me. Both kitchen related.

New thing #1:

First and for most, I made my very first homemade pie from scratch. A few days ago my neighbour came up to me while I was digging weeds in our garden and asked if I liked rhubarb because she had an abundance in her garden and couldn't possibly use it all. Well, I like rhubarb but I have never baked or cooked with it. My mom makes a killer rhubarb almond mousse, and I love rhubarb and strawberry pie so I thought why not I'll make something and ended up with a pile of rhubarb on my front porch the very next day.

I opted for rhubarb strawberry pie because strawberries were on sale at the local grocery, we had a Sunday dinner coming up, and my inner Martha Stewart emerged. I can make pie, who can't make pie?

Well, turns out I can't make pie. Pie crust, to me, is ridiculously difficult to make and until this afternoon completely beyond me. I googled recipes until I was utterly overwhelmed, and finally remembered my amazing power mama,  domestic goddess extraordinaire, friend-for-all-seasons, Patti, who makes the world's best butter tarts.  Long ago she told me her pie crust recipe was so easy even she could make it (I don't think she'd be the first to claim she's a domestic goddess, but she is to me for this day alone). So I called her up and begged for the recipe and a step by step guide. A bit of phone tag and several messages later she relayed to me (all over voice mail) the exact road I had to walk to get to homemade pie crust success. I followed her every instruction and ended up with and afternoon that looked something like this:

 If I might claim one gloating moment this weekend, may I say that this pie was homemade perfection in every way.... though I only ended up using two stalks of rhubarb and now have to find other means to use up the last six stalks. Ideas anyone?

I need to work on my crust molding technique.

 
New thing #2:

Look and adore.

One of my biggest regrets in life thus far is not registering for one of these for my wedding. At the time I wanted a red kitchen aid mixer more than any other thing on our three page registry, but we lived in an apartment with a tiny kitchen and very little counter space. I thought it was totally unpractical storage wise and so I passed. It has haunted me ever since.  My sister got one for her wedding, my sister-in-law just got hers last fall, my cousin Marsha shakes her head at me every time she comes over to help me make a cake and pulls out my rusty old, no-name, hand held mixer to beat the batter or icing. All kitchen aid owners I know have raved, and insisted there is no better kitchen gadget. A must have, a guaranteed success, but alas I didn't register for one, and as years passed there was always an excuse not to get one. They are pricey, and the colored ones more so than the white one (and I had to have the red one); my kitchen wasn't big enough; did I really need one?  And so I waited, and waited - for the lottery, for disposable income, for a bigger kitchen, divine intervention - I don't know, but I waited for four long years dreaming of this day. Then today at breakfast as I was pouring over a flyer from the local Wal-mart I came across the best ever, cheapest deal on a red kitchen aid mixer I have ever EVER seen.  My eyes glazed over, and still I knew that with our recent home purchase, big move, and step down to one income with me staying home this probably wasn't the best time to buy my mixer. Suddenly my husband, love of my life, maker of all my dreams come true, says to me "let me get you the mixer, an early birthday present." I gawked. He shrugged, "You've wanted it for so long, you deserve it."

I nearly wept at his feet, and he drove me to the store this very morning to get me my mixer. Husband, I love you, for so many reasons more than just this darn mixer, but just a little more because of it. If that's possible.

Anyway, she's home, after four long years, she is home and sitting proudly in her rightful place in my kitchen. I am so excited I have already read the manual three times cover to cover. My husband asked me what the first thing was that I was going to make and I have been pouring over internet recipes ever since, but I can't seem to decide.

Any ideas?  If you are a kitchen aid owner, what was the first thing you made with your baby? Anything that is a 'must make'?  I was thinking buns, but maybe a cake is better - thoughts? 
Marsha, will you come bake cakes for us more often now?