For those serious about cooking, walking into a cooking store is like a kid walking into a candy store - you want everything. Unless you have a huge budget as well as ample storage, it's impractical to buy everything you think you need, because the truth is, most of the things you'll buy will end up shoved in a cabinet or drawer never to see the light of day.

So what should you buy? Well each chef is different, but these items are things I think are invaluable in the kitchen to cut prep time, produce better results or just make your life Test easier.

Slow cooker

A slow cooker is a must have appliance for the busy cook. Simply put your ingredients in, set it and forget it. A few hours later, you'll have a fabulous meal with no major mess to clean up.

Bench scraper

A bench scraper is a rectangular piece of metal that usually has a plastic handle attached. Used a lot in bakeries to cut dough, it can be a great tool for a home kitchen. Use it to scoop chopped veggies off a cutting board into a pan, or even to scrape flour or other loose foodstuff off your counter.

Microplane

This is one of my favorite tools to grate citrus zest, chocolate, hard cheese, even garlic. I probably use it every day for something; I have two, one for sweet, one for savory.

Plastic squeeze bottles

You know the kind that you see on tables with ketchup and mustard? You can buy clear ones and put things like oil, vinegar, chocolate sauce, caramel, basically anything you want to drizzle instead of pour. Buy several because once you start using them, you'll find something you wish you had an extra one for.

Stand Mixer

This is an invaluable appliance, especially if you do a lot of baking. Use it to mix cake batter, cookie dough and whip cream in no time. But where it really shines is bread making. You can also buy attachments that will allow you to grind meat, make pasta or churn ice cream. It's definitely a worthwhile investment if you are serious about cooking.

Mandolin

This is a tool that slices vegetables quickly and uniformly. I have two; one that has a stand that sits on the counter and a smaller handheld one. I use both regularly.

Coffee grinder

Even if you don't use it for coffee beans, it's great for grinding whole spices, turning granulated sugar into powdered or even grinding small amounts of grains into flour.

Oven thermometer

Unless your oven is brand spankin' new, the temperature is probably off. Don't fret, that's just the way things are. Different spots can be different temperatures so be sure to move it around. Knowing your oven will give you much better results when baking or roasting.

Mortar and Pestle

Great for grinding spices, or crushing herbs or garlic, a mortar and pestle is an inexpensive investment that's easy to clean, easy to store and because it's used by hand, good for the environment.

Food Processor

If you want to cut down on the time it takes to chop, grate, or grind, a food processor will make your life much easier. It does more than just chop though

Urban legends are a great way to lighten a party as an ice breaker. It is fascinating to see how people's imaginations are engaged in high gear when these stories are told. Urban legends have interested writes for decades, and eventually these stories make their way into film, television, and other popular media.

1. Baby in the oven

A babysitter is hired to take care of an infant. The babysitter, sometimes mentioned as a hippie, under the influence of narcotics places the baby in either the conventional or microwave. The parents later returned to find the smell of burning flesh in their house. Finally, they traced the smell to the kitchen whereby inspecting the oven find their baby dead.

2. Crocodiles in the sewage

Originally from New York with its large sewage system which lends itself to the imagination. Here a baby alligator is given to a kid as a pet. As the reptile grows it becomes unwieldy and needs to be disposed. The animal is flushed down the toilet, but instead of dieing it manages to survive. Feeding mainly on rodents the gator grows to an astonishing size. Eventually, it seeks revenge on all those who fare into the sewage system.

3. Dial 911 in an emergency

Dialing for emergencies has been publicized as "call nine eleven." Here a scared victim tries to call for assistance, but do to fear can not do so. The reason is the victim doesn't seem to be able to find the button with the number eleven on the phone.

4. The $50 dollar sport scar

A man is required by court to sell his car as part of a divorce settlement. On completion of the sale, he is required to give half to his ex-wife. The irate divorcee sells his very expensive sports car, usually a Porsche or Jaguar, for 50 dollars. On completion of the sale and as required by court, he joyfully mails a check for 25 dollars to his ex-wife.

5. Home from the war

A young man returning from the war calls his family from a distant airport. He tells his mother that he is back and on his way. He wants to bring a fellow soldier to come and live with them. The soldier was completely crippled as a result of wounds sustained. The mother informs him that it would be very hard to take care of this person for the rest of his life and politely refuses. A few days later, the mother gets a call form an officer informing her that her son was found dead in a hotel room. Apparently, the son was the crippled soldiers all a long.

6. Flashing lights

A car drives a desolated highway and sees an upcoming car with the lights off. The concerned driver flashes his lights to let the upcoming vehicle of his error. The car passes by without turning the lights on. The car suddenly makes a turn and catches up to the car that flashed the lights. Upon forcing the car to stop, the offending driver shoots and kills the Good Samaritan. There is evidence to support that some gangs now use this method to initiate their members

7. Mouse in the soft drink bottle

One of the most well known urban legends, a man drinks a soft drink out of the bottle or sometimes a can. As he finishes the drink and much to his dismay, he realizes there is a rodent inside the container all along. There were actually several lawsuits in the 1930 proving that it could happen or at least that i