My Weeknight Go-To Kitchen Tools (That Actually Get Used)

Come, come into my kitchen with me — let’s talk and cook. 🍳

Girl, I wanted to mix it up a bit. We always sit and talk… but today? We’re standing at the counter.

As you know, I am a foodie. I love my food. But I also love quick and good. I don’t want to be in the kitchen for three hours on a Tuesday night — I want flavor without the drama.

And let me tell you something…

The one item that has saved my life more times than I can count?

My air fryer.

Child.

I got one for my birthday and thought, “Okay, cute little gadget.” Next thing I knew? I was upgrading to a dual air fryer because I needed my meat and my potatoes done at the same time.

Efficiency is sexy.

There is something about seasoning pork chops, throwing them in, setting the timer, and walking away. No babysitting. No flipping every five minutes. Just press the button and let it work.

View the Air Fryer

This is similar to the dual basket style I use and love:

Sometimes if it’s not potatoes, I switch it up and pull out my rice maker.

And I have to thank my brother for that one.

He bought it for me, and at the time I didn’t realize how much I’d use it. Now? It’s one of those quiet little appliances that just does its job. I press a button, walk away, and somehow dinner feels handled.

It’s not fancy. It’s just dependable.

And honestly? That’s my favorite kind of kitchen tool.

This is the style of rice maker I use and love:
View the Rice Maker

And let’s be honest…

Tools help.
But spices? That’s what makes a meal.

These are my go-to spices — the ones I reach for almost every time I cook meat:

• Garlic powder
• Smoky paprika (sometimes plain, depending on the mood)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Basil or oregano — depends on the mood

Nothing complicated. Nothing fancy. Just flavors that never fail me.

I don’t measure anymore. I sprinkle, taste, adjust. That’s the beauty of cooking long enough — you just know.

And let me tell you — pork chops in the air fryer? That’s my go-to.

Season them with garlic powder, smoky paprika, salt and pepper. A little olive oil. Into the air fryer they go.

Rice steaming quietly in the rice maker.

Green beans in a pan with a pinch of basil.

I drizzle a little Kinders teriyaki sauce over the pork chops and rice. Not drowning it. Just enough to give it that sweet, salty finish that pulls everything together.

This is the Kinders teriyaki sauce I keep stocked in my pantry:
Kinders Teriyaki Sauce

Twenty-five minutes later?

Dinner.

Juicy pork chops. Fluffy rice. Veggies done.

No hovering. No flipping. No stress.

Just a plate that feels like home.

Another small thing I didn’t realize would matter?

A good cutting board. Not the thin plastic one that slides everywhere — a solid one that makes chopping feel steady and intentional.

This is the solid cutting board style I use:
View the Cutting Board

I’ve had a lot of things come through my kitchen over the years.

Some were trends.
Some were gifts.
Some were impulse buys.

But the ones I still reach for?
Those are the keepers.

And these are mine.

✨ Whisper: In life and in the kitchen, the things that last are the ones that quietly make it better.

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If you ever try this combo — pork chops, rice, veggies, and that little drizzle of teriyaki — tell me how it turned out. I love hearing what’s happening in your kitchens.

📩 loveandlifewithlisa@gmail.com

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