Are you searching for the perfect gift for the healthy cook in your life? Or are you looking for the cooking tools and kitchen utensils that YOU need to run a healthy, from scratch kitchen?

These tools will help you to prepare healthy meals for your family!

And, to make it easier on you, I am including 27 recipes to get you started with your new kitchen toys, I mean tools;)!

 

15 Cooking Tools And Kitchen Utensils That You NEED!

Those of you who know me, know that I am obsessed with natural healthy living.

I am always experimenting with new recipes and trying to find foods that my family will love to eat, and that I will feel just as excited about serving!

I also try to take some of their favorite unhealthy foods and create healthy alternatives that are just as delicious!

To do that I rely on my trusty kitchen tools! This is a list of tools that I use (and a few that I really really want:) to make my healthy kitchen more efficient and to make my life easier!

I am also including recipes to go along with each of these awesome kitchen must haves!

Some of them are recipes from my own kitchen and some are recipes from my friends and fellow bloggers.

Trust me, you will love them!

So, here they are! In no particular order…Drum roll please…

Kitchen Tools

Crockpot and Crockpot Recipes!

Ok, so I know this is one that most people are familiar with, but it has to be on the list!

I could not live without my crockpot! (Well I can’t imagine living without my crockpot;)

I actually have two!

And I totally want another one! Lol

I use my crockpot regularly to make bone broth and stews; and it is amazing for those days when I just don’t have time to cook!

I actually have an entire Pinterest board devoted to crockpot recipes!

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest to get lots of yummy recipes in your news feed!

This fall I am planning on making Apple Butter in my crockpot!

My great-grandmother used to make the best Apple Butter!

She would give me jar after jar of this sweet apple goodness!

It was heavenly! I crave it!

My friend Pam from Brown Thumb Mama gave me this recipe for CrockPot Apple Butter!

It sounds so easy to make and is definitely on my To Make List!

The next crockpot recipe that you are going to love takes us from sweet to savory!

It is Easy Inexpensive Taco Soup That Kids Will LOVE!

This recipe was created by my friend Christina from Little Sprouts Learning. And it is definitely going to be a favorite at my house, I can tell! My family loves all things taco:)

And last but not least, is Crockpot Venison Goulash!

This recipe is from my friend Cery at Back To Our Roots.

And just in time at my house!

It’s hunting season right now and venison is a staple in our home.

I can’t wait to make this!

Instant Pot and Instant Pot Recipes!

Everyone is raving about the Instant Pot, so I think it definitely deserves a spot on our list:)

The Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker.

The Ultra Instant Pot (I want it soooo badly) combines the functions of pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, cake maker, yogurt maker, sauté/searing, steamer, warmer, sterilizer and more!

How awesome is that!

I bet you want one now too;)

My friend Sarah from The Free Range Life makes Instant Pot Chili!

What a great easy way to make chili for a large group!

I’m thinking that this will be a hit at my next bonfire!

Christina from Little Sprouts Learning also shares How to Cook 1 Chicken to Make 3 Meals in the Instant Pot.

She uses one chicken to make stock, chicken fried rice and chicken enchiladas!

Pam from Brown Thumb Mama also makes a yummy Beef and Onion Soup!

 

Soups are something that I make year around, and I am always on the look out for delicious new soups that my family will like:)

Vitamix Blender!

Now, you might be thinking “but I already have a blender.”

But this is no ordinary blender!

This is the ULTIMATE blender!

It blends more smoothly than any other blender I’ve ever used and it lasts FOREVER!

I have had my Vitamix for about 10 years and it is still going strong!

I can’t imagine my kitchen without it, because I use it a lot!

The professional series Vitamix is also a blender that is used in restaurants and smoothie shops.

It’s that good!

It’s the blender that I used when my kids where babies to make baby food.

I use it to Purée and Mix, and I’ve used it to grind dry ingredients as well.

We especially love Smoothies that are made in it!

 

I use my Vitamix to make The Protein Packed Probiotic Smoothie That Your Kids Will Love!

And I use it to make my Mango Kefir Smoothie!

Both of which are incredibly delicious, if I do say so myself:) and kid friendly!

My friend Victoria from A Modern Homestead makes Homemade Almond Milk in her blender!

 

Almond milk is a delicious non-dairy alternative for those that can’t drink cow or goat milk.

Or, for those looking to cut back on their dairy consumption.

It really is yummy!

And you haven’t tasted real Almond Milk until you’ve had homemade!

Grain Mill!

I love my grain grinder, and use it a lot, but I’m sure that most people do not even know that this is an option.

Most people are used to buying their flour already ground.

But when you grind whole grains yourself, your baked goods taste so much better!

The flour is fresh, contains the whole grain, and still contains most of the nutrients in the grain!

You can read more about how to make flour using a grain mill here!

And, to make it even better, its incredibly easy to do!

Simply turn it on, dump the grain in and it spits out fresh flour into a canister!

Simple, healthy and a must for the from scratch kitchen!

This is the Grain Grinder that I use and love in my kitchen!

A recipe that I make using my grain grinder, that my kids love, are Spelt and Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies!

They are sooo yummy!

They are made with fresh ground spelt flour and sweetened with honey.

Unfortunately the kids aren’t the only ones addicted to them, I literally could sit down and eat half a batch in one sitting!

My friend Lesa from Better Hens and Gardens makes her own Whole Wheat Bread using a grain grinder!

Doesn’t that look delicious!

There is nothing better than fresh homemade bread, especially warm from the oven!

And check out these Chocolate Zucchini Muffins With Black Bean Flour!

These are made by Sarah from The Free Range Life as well.

I definitely want to give these a try!

I think these would be a big hit at my house!

Food Processor!

Food processors definitely make life easier!

I have this  Cuisinart 14- cup food processor that is BPA free. I love it!

It makes my life so much easier when chopping cabbage for sauerkraut!

It’s great for many things, but I would still get it if that was the only thing I used it for, it made it that much easier!

Victoria from A Modern Homestead makes The Perfect Pie Crust using einkorn flour in her food processor!

 

 

I love einkorn flour and will definitely be making this crust!

Einkorn is the most original form of wheat available today.

It is highly nutritious and lots of people that have a problem processing and handling wheat and gluten find that they are able to easily eat products made with einkorn.

If you would like to learn about an amazing cookbook that contains recipes using only einkorn flour check out my post Five Healthy Cookbooks That Your Kitchen Needs!

Vicotoria also makes Acorn Chocolate Chip Cookies using her Food Processor!

Yes you read that correctly, acorn cookies!

I think this would be a great project to do with the kids!

My parents have a ton of oak trees at their house.

Maybe we need to take a field trip to Gran’s house to gather some acorns:)

Another recipe worth buying a Food Processor for, is Homemade Easy Pickle Relish!

This recipe is from Sarah over at the Free Range Life and is a healthy alternative to store bought relish.

Store bought relish contains a bunch of nasty, scary ingredients that you want to avoid!

Juicer!

My kids love juice!

We make juice with lots of different veggies and fruits.

Juicing is a great way to get added nutrition into your diet and a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies without even knowing it!

I use this Champion Juicer and it works really well.

It’s also pretty easy to put together and clean.

My mom uses this Greenstar Juicer and she really loves it.

The main difference between the two is that the Greenstar juicer can juice wheatgrass whereas the Champion does not.

Both will make delicious juice!

Dehydrator!

Dehydrators are a great way to preserve food, and a great way to make some tasty snacks:)

If your garden gives you an abundance of fruit and veggies, put them in the dehydrator!

You can use them in recipes and enjoy them by themselves as tasty treats!

My friend Annie from Country Living In a Caribou Valley makes Paprika Kale Chips!

 

And Sarah from A Free Range Life makes this amazing Dried Pineapple Zucchini in her dehydrator! Yummy!

 

One more recipe that will inspire you to start dehydrating, is Victoria from A Modern Homestead’s Strawberry Zucchini Fruit Leather!

 

Toaster Oven!

A toaster oven is basically just a small oven.

But, it is so nice for cooking small amounts, reheating food and of course toasting!

I use my toaster oven to reheat leftovers in place of a microwave.

Microwaves are very harmful and in my opinion have no place in a natural healthy kitchen.

I got rid of my microwave a few years ago and I don’t miss it at all!

You might think that it will be hard without it but it really isn’t, you will adjust really quickly.

Even my husband who was against the idea at first, doesn’t miss it!

To learn more about why you shouldn’t use a microwave read my post How To Survive Without a Microwave and Why You Should.

Pasta Machine!

What is considered more ‘from scratch’ than making your own pasta?!

My friend Mary from Boots and Hooves Homestead has a great post on How To Make Homemade Pasta Noodles!

This is also another great way to use your fresh ground flour that you grind yourself using the Grain Grinder!

Spiralizer!

This is an item that you need in your healthy kitchen!

It will save you time and make your life so much easier, which will allow you to make more healthy foods with your new kitchen toys (I mean tools) 😉

You can use the Spiralizer to make perfect vegetable noodles!

Lisa, from Feathers in the Woods, makes a Spiral Zucchini Noodle Dinner that looks amazing!

 

 

A Spiralizer is also a great tool to use alongside your dehydrator. Use it to slice perefectly thin veggies to dehydrate!

Continuous Brew Kombucha System!

Do you like kombucha?

Do you make your own kombucha?

If you do (or even if you don’t:), take your healthy kitchen up a notch by getting a Kombucha Continuous Brew System!

Kombucha Kamp is the only place that I buy my Kombucha supplies from, and their CB Complete Kit is amazing!

This is the easiest way to make kombucha, and the healthiest!

You can make a new batch of kombucha every few days and you never even have to touch the SCOBY!

You can learn more about Why You Should Use The Kombucha Continuous Brew System here.

What screams healthy kitchen more than homemade Kombucha?!

My favorite kombucha recipes that I make with my  CB Complete Kit are:

Mango Kombucha!

 

Orange Ginger Kombucha!

 And here are additional kombucha flavors that you will enjoy!

Ice Cream Maker!

Doesn’t that sound fun! (And yummy:)

Store bought Ice Cream contains lots of unhealthy ingredients, so make your own!

I have been experimenting a lot lately with ice cream using fresh goat milk from our dairy goats.

So, before long I will be sharing with you some delicious Goat Milk Ice Cream recipes!

Including Mango Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Ice Cream.

Making your own Ice Cream is a great way to give your kids desserts that they love and that you feel good about!

Tea Kettle!

A tea kettle is a must have in the healthy kitchen!

Why, you might ask?

First of all, without a microwave it is a great way to heat water for recipes.

Second of all, herbal teas of course!

My friend Lisa from Feathers in the Woods makes a wonderful Herbal Sleep Tea!

 

And my friend Heidi from Healing Harvest Homestead makes a Happiness Herbal Tea to help you beat the winter blues!

 

Heidi also makes a Throat Soothing Tea which is excellent for sore throats!

 

Not only do these teas have nutritional benefits, they also taste yummy!

I usually make myself tea at night after the kids go to bed:) It’s my time to sit down, relax and sip a wonderful cup of tea!

Popcorn Maker!

You didn’t think that the Ice Cream Maker would be the only tool on this list to make yummy snacks with, did you? 😉

Why make your own popcorn?

Because microwave popcorn is soooo bad for you.

I can’t even think of a strong enough word to describe to you how bad it is!

The flavoring in microwave popcorn is full of some pretty dangerous ingredients.

Not to mention that you have to use a microwave to cook it, and we’ve already had that discussion!

So, the easy solution is to make your own!

It is really easy!

It only takes a few minutes, and only requires coconut oil and either sea salt or pink Himalayan salt.

So simple!

And it tastes amazing!

It is so much better than the microwave stuff anyways!

Also, I will be posting a super yummy popcorn recipe for you soon!

So, get your popcorn maker and stay tuned for a recipe that you and your kids will love!

Masontops Fermentation Kit!

Last, but certainly not least, is something that you need to maintain your health!

Fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria and enzymes.

They help us to digest our foods and to absorb more of the nutrients from the foods that we eat.

They have been included in the human diet for thousands of years and every culture around the world has certain fermented foods that they rely on.

Sadly, we have gotten away from this way of life in the United States and we need to bring it back!

Masontops Fermentation Kit contains everything that you need to ferment your own fruits and vegetables in Mason Jars.

Mary from Boots and Hooves Homestead has a great Fermented Jalapeño recipe that you can make with your fermentation kit!

I looove Fermented jalapeños!

The last time I made them they went so quickly.

I kept a few jars for us and gave a few away to friends. They were a big hit!

Heidi from Healing Harvest Homestead also has a great fermentation recipe.

It’s How to Make Fermented Zucchini Pickles!

 

Well, there you have it!

Cooking Utensils that you need!

If you use any of these tools yourself, please comment below and share with us how you use them!

If not, put them on your shopping list, you will be so glad that you did!

Happy healthy cooking!

Disclaimer:

The information provided on this site is for educational purposes only. I do not prescribe, diagnose or treat any medical conditions. Please consult your health care provider before implementing any of the information provided on this site.
The information provided on this site is completely my own opinion and does not reflect the opinions or beliefs of any other entity.
Any statements or claims regarding health benefits of foods, supplements or essential oils listed on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Read my full disclaimer here.