What’s so great about an electric stand mixer? Well, when it comes to mixing, kneading, whipping, beating, fluffing and even blending nothing works better. Sure, you could do it by hand, but by using an electric mixer, you can use that time and energy you save for something more… enjoyable (wink, wink), like feeding your homemade creations to your loved ones.

Most stand mixers come a whole host of fancy attachments that make your appliance that much more versatile. You can use the paddles, whisks and blades to help you make meringue, sauces, ice cream, citrus juice, fresh pasta, you can even grind meat!

If you spend even just a few hours per week cooking and/or baking, you can be sure that an electric stand mixer will quickly become an indispensable kitchen tool.

Store bought premade sauces can be expensive. It can be more cost effective to create your own sauce using simple ingredients like tomato paste, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and an onion. You can add other spices you might have around the house, like nutmeg, basil, or oregano. An advantage of creating your own pasta sauce is being able to season it to taste. You can also incorporate other vegetables you might have in your refrigerator, like mushrooms, spinach, peppers, asparagus, or broccoli.

When choosing a type of noodle, don’t be afraid to be adventurous. If a certain shape is on sale, try it. Cavatappi or capellini might be the noodles of your dreams. When you are making your pasta, an easy and inexpensive way to add a punch of flavor is to add a bullion cube to your boiling water. A drop of olive oil will keep the noodles separated, and taking them off the heat a few minutes early will ensure that nice chewiness of restaurant Italian cooking.

Whether you are cooking for a date, your loved ones, or just yourself, you do not need to sacrifice on flavor because of your tight budget. You are capable of creating restaurant quality food in your own home for a fraction of the price. Pasta is a good example of how you can impress your guests by cooking on a budget.