F5: Mix and Stir Edition

Songbird offers:

In a minor domestic crisis, my food processor, or more precisely the part you use for almost everything for which I use a food processor, picked the eve of the festive season of the year to give up the ghost. A crack in the lid expanded such that a batch of squash soup had to be liberated via that column shaped thing that sticks up on top.

Can you tell this is not my area of strength?

Next week, I'm hosting Thanksgiving. I need your help. Please answer the following kitchen-related questions:

1) Do you have a food processor? Can you recommend it? Which is to say, do you actually use it?

Nope. I have had, and it's too much trouble to clean. I use a combination of blender, stick blender, and good old-fashioned hand work. Now that I've conned my husband into doing the dishes for me, maybe I should get one...

2) And if so, do you use the fancy things on it? (Mine came with a mini-blender (used a lot and long ago broken) and these scary disks you used to julienne things (used once).)

Nope, never did.

3) Do you use a standing mixer? Or one of the hand-held varieties?

I love my stand mixer. It's not a KitchenAid, but I dream of having an aqua one someday. Mine's boring white. I use it more than any other small appliance in the kitchen, especially now that it's Christmas baking season (see my previous post on this).

(And isn't that color delightfully retro?)

My actual mixer is white. Meh. But the aqua one of my dreams? Most definitely!

4) How about a blender? Do you have one? Use it much?

I don't use it too much, but there's nothing like it when I do. I'm using it more now that my stick mixer is dead. I got the more expensive one with the glass pitcher-compartment thingy and I'm so glad I did. It stands up to very heavy messes and cleaning.

5) Finally, what old-fashioned, non-electric kitchen tool do you enjoy using the most?

Hmmm...so many. Right now it's my AirBake cookie sheet and parchment paper for ease of cookie prep. I also have wonderful Cuisinart pots and pans that I really enjoy.
Oh, wait...old-fashioned...my coffee press?

Bonus: Is there a kitchen appliance or utensil you ONLY use at Thanksgiving or some other holiday? If so, what is it?

The oven? Kidding, mostly. I think the answer here would be my spring-form pans. I love cheesecake too much to make it very often...I'd just eat it! This year, I'm resurrecting my pumpkin cheesecake, which I haven't made since my uncle, who loved it, died.