If not now, when?

It may be because I'm at the point where my remaining life is measured in years, not multiple decades.  Or it may be a simple case of "I want it, got to have it, going to get it."  But I fell under the spell of a KitchenAid Stand Mixer.  Oh, drool.  Sigh.

It wasn't the first time I'd heard the KitchenAid siren song.  I read cooking blogs, I watch cooking shows on telly (hello, Great British Baking Show) and I scrutinize kitchen equipment and gadgets.  

Time to face facts: 

Can I afford it?

Yes.  My secret santa fund is healthy, thanks to selling things I no longer needed/wanted.

Do I have a place to put it?

Ah, that's the real problem.  Where to put it?  I went into my 8 x 10 kitchen for a good hard look.  The obvious location was on the 2 x 6 butcher block topped workbench I use for extra counter space.  (First thing I bought for my condo before I'd even closed.  A perfect fit in the area that was originally designed to be a closet.  I removed the sliding doors, kept the shelves as an open pantry, use the hanger rod as a pot rack.)  Easy access power plug in for the mixer.  BUT... too much stuff on the counter.  Too many bowls and cookbooks.  Time to declutter, donate the excess to the flea market.  I won't miss any of it.  That left a nice empty space, but was it big enough?

KitchenAid to the rescue.  The latest addition to the Artisan mixer line is the 3.5 quart mini.  Smaller, lighter than the regular mixer, but with the same power.   I measured, made a template, back to the kitchen.  Yes, it would fit.  With room to maneuver.  Problem solved. 

Time to shop.  Found the mini on sale, with free shipping... and a mail-in rebate for a free grinder attachment.  How could I resist?  If not now, when?  Pressed the buy button on Saturday and Tuesday morning that mini mixer was sitting on my counter like it was made to be there.  Color I chose was Hot Sauce, a ho-ho-ho cheerful Santa Claus red.  Which surprised me because my favorite color is blue.  But Hot Sauce grabbed me... a few days later I bought a matching KitchenAid 3.5 cup mini food processor that will sit next to the mixer.  Both are the perfect size for a one-person household with a small kitchen.

Used the mixer the first time for my weekly cheese biscuit bake.  It purrs quietly like a contented cat while it does what it's made to do: mix.  Couldn't be easier to use.  It's perfect. 

Why did I wait so long to buy one? 

Penny Pincher