I always enjoy looking in cooking stores. I can get sucked right into a Williams-Sonoma or Sur la Table in a heartbeat. Walking through the store my mind wanders thinking of all the wonderful things I could make if I only had one of these, or this, or that. Holding the beautiful shiny new objects in my hands I get all excited…..until I see the price and realize that I might only use the item one time. I mean how often am I really going to bake a vertical lasagna, or would I actually use a fifty-dollar 3″ le creuset pan? Being somewhat practical I seldom leave the store with anything other than ideas.

But I have found a solution for my desire to collect kitchen gadgets. Thrift stores, flea markets, and yard sales. I never know when or where I might find something, but the search is fun and the rewards great. For the past several weeks my sister has been staying with us lending a hand with the elderly parents. She and I both enjoy junk shopping, so to get a bit of an escape from dealing with real life situations, we have sought refuge at a few of the local thrift stores, and the findings have been tremendous.

Located at 21 South Broadway is the Denver Goodwill, or what I refer to as the Macy’s of thrift stores. This beautiful brick building was originally the JC Penney department store. Grand and glorious this building now contains some of the best finds around.

So if you’re the kind of person that enjoys a treasure hunt, appreciates finding bargains, and likes to recycle then check out your local thrift stores. You will be supporting a good cause, and you just never know what you might find.