Here are my ULTIMATE crunchy kitchen must haves…if you’re unfamiliar with the term “crunchy” it basically means a person who is more naturally minded. They have chosen to become mindful of the food their family consumes, they try to eat a “whole food” diet, cutting out processed foods, making things from scratch, less foods made from a box and or foods loaded with chemical ingredients. Believe me when I say this wasn’t always me, because it wasn’t. I’ve enjoyed cooking in the kitchen since college but I didn’t really understand how to cook healthy, with healthy food, or that the tools and gadgets that I chose to cook with are also equally important. For the past 10 years we’ve slowly made dramatic changes and in our home. We try to cook with clean pure water, pure clean ingredients, and clean non-toxic cookware. A lot of cookware can be loaded with lead, Teflon, heavy metals and chemicals like BPA, so we try to be conscious of what we are using. We also chucked our microwave (aka food radiation nuker) 8 years ago, and honestly I don’t miss it one bit.

The bigger gadgets…

If you’re like me and you try your best to make all the food for your family from scratch, then there are a few essential kitchen gadgets that I consider to be a must…Here are the bigger ones that I feel no kitchen should go with out. I realize that all these items are a big investment, but when it comes to your health and trimming down the costs of food, you just can’t go without. Slowly add these big guns to your kitchen. You’ll save so much time and money in the end. You will find that it takes less time to prep and prepare a home cooked meal and therefore you’ll be be less tempted to take the family “out” for dinner. So if you’re looking for a nice big ticket item to add to your Christmas wish list…add one of these.

  1. Berkey Water Filter (& future filters…these) this is how we get clean drinking and cooking water free of heavy metals, bacteria, fluoride, and chlorine. This is extremely important to us because the water we drink and cook with does in fact affect our health.
  2. Vitamix – a must for any crunchy kitchen. You can make amazing smoothies that taste like ice cream and have greens in them and your kids will never know. Make homemade soups, ice creams, nut butters and nut milks. The list of what you can do with a Vitamix is AMAZING. I’ve had mine for 8 years and recently I switched to a Blendtec just for fun and gave my sister-in-law my Vitamix (which she loved) and honestly I prefer my Vitamix. I’ll be going back to the old school style at some point soon!
  3. Cuisinart Food Processor – I use my food processor a few times a week to shred cheese blocks, chop or shred veggies, or mix up homemade granola bars or cookie dough. It’s definitely a must. I have the Waring Commercial one but I’ve heard this one is fabulous as well.
  4. Omega Juicer – store bought green juice is expensive, you can make your own for a fraction of the price, but you need a really good juicer in order to make it worth your while. We have this one and LOVE it. It is a slow masticating juicer which means it doesn’t destroy foods enzymes and your juice will stay good for up to 3 days. And it’s easy to clean.
  5. Breville Immersion Blender – last year I got two of the Kitchen Aid blenders, one for soap making and one for soup, and to be honest they are not worth the money. They are poorly made and extremely frustrating (the blender part falls off while blending! NOT COOL!). If you add one of these to your kitchen be sure to get a good quality one like this one, don’t go cheap, you’ll highly regret it.
  6. Instant Pot (the big one!) I got my instant pot before everyone went crazy for them and I love it, I only wish I had the bigger one so I could get one of my giant farm raised chickens in it. Get the bigger one if you can.

Other considerations not featured above: A really nice electric tea kettle (I love this one!) And a vegetable spiralizer (great for making zoodles-noodles out of veggies)

Kitchen Must haves…

  1. Kitchen Scale – if you are going to cook from scratch or be making homemade herbal products you need a scale. I personally LOVE this one.
  2. Dutch Oven – One really LARGE size dutch oven is all you need. I know they are a BIG investment but quality and the materials used to make your enamel coated dutch oven does matter. I have one of these and I love love it. There are other brands, so do some research before purchasing.
  3. Cast Iron Skillets – I love Lodge skillets, we know own six of them in various sizes. They are extremely cheap, easy to care for and healthy to cook on.
  4. All-Clad Pots – I’m really picky about the pots we cook in. I want them to be 100% stainless steal not just coated. I really try to avoid pots and pans that are “coated” and I do not want aluminum or Teflon in our food. So while this is another expensive investment, the amazing thing about a really high quality, well made item is it will last you a lifetime as long as you take good care of it.
  5. Organic Cutting Board – I prefer wood cutting boards for the look of them and also the feel. There is nothing more natural then wood. Be sure to get a good one coated with a healthy/food safe ingredient. Some prefer to use one for veggies and one for meat keeping them separate, so you may need more then just one.
  6. Really GOOD Kitchen Knives – If you hate cooking or find it frustrating and time consuming, it may be possible it’s because your knives suck and are not sharp and it takes forever to cut anything up. I’ve found this to be true with a lot of my friends. One good knife is all you need and a sharpening tool kit, I personally use and love the WÜSTHOF brand. My parents got me a whole set a few Christmases back and they are hands down THE best knives I’ve ever owned.

More Kitchen Favorites…

  1. Hydro Flask Water Bottle – if you’re like me and you are on the go, headed out to play dates and hikes and other kids’ activities, you need a reusable water bottle that will keep things cold. This way you save money and trips of stopping for water and you always have water on hand when you need it. I’m adding this one to my wish list as I need a new one.
  2. Kids Hydro Flask Water Bottle – Pepper has been using a stainless steal water bottle since she was 2 and we bring it everywhere we go. To the park, to group homeschool activities, to church or ballet, everywhere! We save time and money by always having our own water with us.
  3. Stainless Steal Lunch Container for on-the-go Moms and picnics, along with the water bottle, having some food safe non-plastic containers to bring all your kids snacks/and picnic lunch will keep you away from going through the drive-thru for fast food. Just get in the habit of packing lunches and snacks before you leave the house.
  4. Waterless Airlock Fermentation Lids for Wide Mouth Mason Jars – these are great for the crunchy Mom who is wanting to ferment her own veggies. I only recently got these after years of going with out and I wish I had gotten them sooner.
  5. Fermentation Glass Weights – along with the airlock lids grab some glass weights to hold your veggies down. This is so much easier than doing the plastic bag method and you will have less ruined jars of fermented veggies from the bad case of mold on top.
  6. Mason Jars (wide mouth) ALL sizes – All crunchy kitchens have all the mason jars. We use mason jars to store food, store water for trips, make overnight oats, or store snacks or on-the-go salads. We also use them to drink out of and ferment our homemade veggies. We have little ones and really big ones (half gallon for our raw milk). We also make homemade body butters, sugar scrubs or chest rubs, or natural antibacterial ointments and store those in 4 oz mason jars. A crunchy kitchen can never have enough mason jars.

Kitchen Linens & more…

  1. Kitchen Hand Towels, I don’t personally own these yet but I’ve heard some amazing reviews on the Turkish towels, I hope to get some soon!
  2. Kitchen Tea Towels, you can never have enough organic cotton tea towels in your kitchen, they really are a necessity and the only towels I prefer to use. They may be old school, but they work like a charm for hand drying, cleaning up messes, drying dishes, and for straining cheese or covering up your sourdough bread mix. They are so versatile, if your grandma loved them then so will you.
  3. Kitchen Dish Towel/Rags, Norwex was all the rage for a while, and I tried it twice, and you know what, I’m sadly not a fan, just give me some old school hemp, bamboo. or cotton dish rags and I’m good to go. I try not to spend a lot on dish towels as I find they don’t last long, and I try to switch them out every other day for germ reasons and so they don’t get that nasty “stink” smell to them..you know what I’m talking about?
  4. Kitchen Oven Mitt, you need these, a few of them, unless you want to burn yourself, so you may as well get some cute ones, like these from Anthropologie.
  5. Strainers – I’m sort of obsessed with all things gold right now. I’d love to get a new set of strainers, gold ones please.
  6. Measuring Cups – gold measuring cups too, ugh yes please and thank you!

Naturally Clean kitchen…

  1. Thieves Household Cleaner – I got rid of all the toxic cleaners in my house 10 years ago and I haven’t looked back. At first I made my own with essential oils, water and vinegar but quickly decided I hate the smell of vinegar, so as soon as I discovered the Thieves Household cleaner I was sold and I’ve never looked back. Its highly concentrated and all you need is a capful (the top lid/cap filled with cleaner from bottle) added to your 16 oz spray bottle and you’re good to go. You can clean your kitchen and your whole house with this stuff.
  2. Thieves Dish Soap – We try to use the cleanest most non-toxic dish soap we can find. This stuff is great! It won’t suds much as it doesn’t have the toxic ingredients to make suds, so that will be different for you, for sure, and take some getting used to.
  3. Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak – I use this to wash our farm fresh eggs and veggies. Works like a charm.
  4. Thieves Hand Soap – Hands down my most favorite non-toxic hand soap, the new Christmas Spirit scent is even more amazing!!
  5. Bamboo Drying Rack – We got this drying rack for our kitchen a few months back and I love it.
  6. Hot Pads – Ok, Hello, how cute are these! I know these having nothing to do with a clean kitchen but….I need these!

So where do I buy my Thieves products? You can’t get them on Amazon sadly (if you find them they are not real Young Living Products but counterfeit as we don’t sell on Amazon) Get started with using Young Living by heading over to my Essential Oils post here.

Alright, that is my MEGA list, I know I’ve missed a few many items but this is what I have for you today and I hope this is extremely helpful. Other items I will personally be adding to add to my kitchen in the near future are an air fryer, dehydrator, canning equipment and maybe, just maybe an espresso machine, haha! A girl can dream right?

Well happy shopping and be blessed my friend. AND remember when it comes to living a more wholesome clean life, it’s important that we not get too overwhelmed, and rather just focus on making one healthy change at a time. I’m still doing this 10 years later. It’s a life long process of learning, growing and challenging yourself, because when you know better you do better.

Peace & love,

Brittany

Shortly after we started using essential oils I was introduced to the concept of premade roller bottles. It really does make life easier to have pre-diluted recipes all ready to go…all you need to do is roll them on your pulse points (inner wrists, inner ankles, behind your ear lobes or the back of your neck/or down your spine) We also love applying oils to the bottoms of our feet as that is where the most nerve endings are and where your pores are the largest. As a Mom having things premade and ready to go when needed is a life saver.

Roller Bottle Supplies:

My Favorite Recipes:

de-stress is best: 12 drops Stress Away, 12 drops Valor, 5 drops lavender, 7 drops orange or grapefruit
upset tummy: 15 drops Digize, 10 drops peppermint, 8 drops spearmint
sleep blend: 15 drops lavender, 10 drops cedar wood, 10 Valerian, 5 drops Roman chamomile, 5 drops tangerine
owies blend: 15 drops lavender, 10 drops copaiba, 8 drops tea tree
immune support: 15 drops Thieves, 6 drops oregano,10 drops lemon, 10 drops frankincense
seasonal discomfort: 10 drops lavender, 10 drops lemon, 10 drops peppermint, 5 drops copaiba
respiratory support: 10 drops eucalyptus radiata, 10 drops eucalyptus blue, 5 drops myrtle, 5 drops peppermint, 5 drops lemon, 5 drops Idaho balsam fir
headache & body ache blend for adults: 15 drops peppermint, 15 drops lemongrass, 8 drops copaiba, 5 drops wintergreen, 5 drops frankincense

focus roller: 15 drops cedarwood, 10 drops valor, 10 drops lavender, 10 drops vetiver

happy mama blend: 15 drops bergamot, 10 drops stress away, 6 drops patchouli
ear support blend: 10 drops Purification, 10 drops lavender, 10 drops melrose, 10 drops copiaba

Directions:

  1. Gather all the essential oils you need in order to make the types of rollers you want to make
  2. Drop your EO’s into the roller bottle
  3. Fill the rest of the roller bottle with carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil or V6)
  4. Label your roller & apply as needed

I hope that you enjoy these recipes as much as we do! The trick with oils is to apply often, and you can definitely change up the recipes to your liking (add more or less drops, or add other oils). You can be as creative as you like, just remember when applying “hot” oils like cinnamon or clove to children or adults who are new to oils, to always dilute. This is why premade roller bottles make life more simple since you’ve already diluted the oils and they are ready to go in a easy roller application. Happy rolling!

We go through chapstick or lip balm like water in this house. I blame my husband. He’s a lip balm monster. Organic toxin free lip balm isn’t cheap either, so I started making my own. Here is my tried and true recipe. It’s super easy, fun and you can make 20 for the price of 4…or something like that, I can’t do math, but you get my drift.

The main toxic offenders you want to avoid in your chapstick: BHT (linked to reproductive toxicity), Parabens (carcinogenic – cancer causing), propylene glycol (linked to cancer) , Petroleum, fragrances (hormone disruptor), chemical sunscreens (causes cancer and disrupts hormones). Instead of slapping your gorgeous red lips with cancer and hormonal disruptors, let’s nourish them with some amazing God given plant butters and oils.

My recipe:

Ingredients & supplies

Directions

This recipe makes 7-9 chapstick containers. I usually double the batch and make a whole bunch at once. Using various sizes of containers will render different amounts of final product.

Place your wax, butter, and oil in a double boiler and melt gently over a low-medium heat (or melt in a oven safe bowl at 200 degrees). Once it’s all melted, remove from heat, stir, let cool for 4 minutes or so,then add your essential oils. Pour immediately into your lip balm containers (this is the tricky part — I find using a dish that has a pouring lip is helpful). I’ve also found using lip balm pouring holder thingys help too. Allow to cool fully before placing the caps on the containers. Make some cute labels and boom boom you got a ton of lip balms.

Optional: Add some tint by adding in 1 tsp of Savvy Minerals mineral make up powder (any of the blush colors will be perfect!) Grab your non-toxic mineral make up here.

Other fun essential oil combos for lip balms:

  • grapefruit. tangerine & spearmint
  • Christmas Spirit essential oil blend & orange
  • lavender & spearmint
  • Thieves Essential oil (great for anyone who is prone to canker sores — apply to canker sore for relief & healing.)

Homemade lip balms make great little presents or stocking stuffers too! Enjoy!

Who is a last minute shopper? This girl! I’m trying to get ahead of the game this year. I know I say this every year…but, truthfully I want to be on top of it. Last year our exchange student Noemi told us that her Mother always did this each year for her and her siblings and how much she loved it. So I decided to do the same for her and Pepper last Christmas and now I will continue with the tradition since she loved it so much. How does it work? You wrap and give 24 little tiny gifts to open, one gift every single day from December 1st all the way until December 24th. It’s like a daily advent calendar of gifts.

I haven’t quite planned out Pepper’s daily presents just yet. But I try to keep the costs down. I never give her candy, and instead small little things, what kids don’t love opening a little present every single day? I’ll definitely be sharing more on this year’s gift advent calendar in a future blog post as soon as I figure out all the presents.

I LOVE making DIY (do it yourself) gifts. All of my friends and family are familiar with them because every year this is mostly what they receive. I also love giving small gifts to our mailman, our close neighbors, and our piano teacher as well as the teachers at church. it’s a gesture of thank you for all you do…if your kids go to school, don’t forget to thank the teacher with a little something something. They sure do appreciate it.

When you have a long list of people who you want to give gifts to it can add up fast. So I like create little presents that are very unique and also affordable. One year I knitted everyone I knew a scarf! Over the years my family and friends have gotten all essential oil wellness gifts. Lately though I like to mix the “crafty” gifts with the DIY wellness gifts.

I will say no one complains about a homemade gift! I mean who doesn’t want homemade body butter, a linen sleep spray with a warm fuzzy blanket or a bar of homemade goat soap. People love homemade gifts and I love it too because it helps me not break the bank while still being able to bless everyone with a little something something!

DIY Gift Guide 2019

Some homemade gifts your friends & family will LOVE!

  1. DIY Lip Balm, these make easy affordable gifts or stocking stuffers.
  2. DIY Sleepy Time pillow spray in 2 oz glass bottle or roller bottle & a warm fuzzy blanket like this one makes a great gift. Sleepy Time pillow spray recipe: 10 drops cedar wood, 10 drops lavender, 4 drops orange, 10 drops Valerian essential oils, add 1 tbs witch hazel (fragrance free) and fill rest of bottle with filtered pure water. Roller bottle recipe: Same drops of oils as the spray bottle, but add fractionated coconut oil to the top of the roller bottle.
  3. DIY Body Butter with your favorite essential oils (I personally love a combo of cedar wood, rosemary and lavender)
  4. Make some homemade soup and gift it in a jar with a small loaf of fresh bread (this is a perfect gift for a neighbor friend or elderly friend) Here is a yummy soup recipe. Make a large batch, it’s cheap and it will make a lot of gifts! Make sure to keep your soup stored properly and gift it to your friend/family right away so they know to use it/put it in fridge or freeze it. Be sure to freeze it in a freezer zip lock and not in the glass container or it will explode and make a giant sad mess.
  5. DIY essential oil perfume & DIY knitted scarf, or this one is cute too! Perfume recipe: Add 15 drops Stress Away, 10 drops bergamot, 5 drops patchouli essential oils added to a super cute perfume bottle, fill rest of the bottle with 100% pure vodka. This is a yummy alternative to modern lab made fragrance perfumes. Perfumes are extremely toxic and they greatly damage the endocrine system, which controls all of our hormones. In the US, infertility is currently 1 in 8 couples. Gifting with healthy alternatives & educating our young adolescents on these toxins is extremely important.
  6. Gentle Babies book & a child Immune roller bottle {10 drops frankincense & 8 drops Thieves essential oil + fill 10 ml roller bottle with carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil} Immune rollers are great to roll down the spine and bottoms of your child’s feet (then socks over) a few times a day in order to support their immune system. Gentle Babies is a great book for any Mom with young kiddos or a baby on the way. If they are wanting to go the “natural” route in helping their children stay well by using essential oils then this is a must have!

Some gifts of Wellness…because you care about the health of your family & friends!

  1. DIY Elderberry Syrup would make a great gift for a friend or family member. Be sure to include some instruction on the when and how to take it.
  2. Homemade Sauerkraut is a great affordable gift. It’s easy to make, it’s cheap and it’s super good for you! Read all about the amazing health benefits here at Mama Wellness’s blog.
  3. Tea mug & some echinacea plus tea packets with lavender or thieves essential oil.
  4. Wellness Basket full of must have seasonal wellness goodies {Echinacea Tincture for immune support, Cherry Bark Tincture for respiratory health, Vitamin C to support the immune system, Throat Coat Tea, Young Living Inner Defense, & Thieves Essential Oil}
  5. Herbal Epsom Salt bath with a relaxing essential oil blend like Release, Stress Away or White Angelica…place the Epsom salts in a linen sachet (1 cup or fill the bag as desired) and add 5 drops of Essential oil to each sachet. Be sure to buy Epsom salts that are just 100% Epsom salts with no added fragrance. Lab made fragrances are toxic.
  6. Young Living FeatherOwl Diffuser & with some Sleepygize Essential oil
  1. Wool Dryer balls & some Purification essential Oil. Did you know that dryer sheets are one of the most toxic products that people use in their homes with runner ups being candles, laundry detergent & perfume?? Help a family member ditch the toxins and make the switch to using a natural alternative like wool dryer balls and some 100% pure essential oil. Just add a few drops of oil to one wool dryer ball and throw all the balls into the dryer.
  2. Homemade DIY Essential Oil Gingerbread Ornaments, we made these two years ago and they make great gifts or you can also use them to decorate the outside of a present…bonus: they smell amazing!
  3. Lavender Essential Oil & a sachet of fresh lavender to hang in the closet or a linen drawer. Fill your sachets with fresh lavender and some drops of oil. These little sachets make perfect little gifts.
  4. Some local spice mixes (we love going to our local spice shop to grab locally “made in Tennessee spices”…order up some cooking essential oil like oregano, thyme or rosemary and some kitchen spoons. This makes a great gift for the person who loves to cook.
  5. A lov-ey chew toy for the baby and some Gentle Baby or Seedlings blend Essential oil
  6. Some empty roller bottles and your favorite Essential oils to make many perfume blends as stocking stuffers {in a 10 ml roller bottle). Recipe 1: 10 drops bergamot, 7 drops ylang ylang, 4 drops lavender, 4 drops orange // Recipe 2: 10 drops Stress Away, 8 drops bergamot, 5 drops patchoili}

I hope this helps give you some fun ideas for this holiday season. Be sure to grab your Young Living essential oils by logging into your YL account (FYI: oils sold on AMAZON are not Young Living Oils but counterfeit, so please do not purchase these).

If you are not currently a member check out my post about essential oils or check out this post here. I’m excited to help you get started with your Young Living Journey.

Remember, no matter what your budget is, it’s truly the thought that counts. If all you can afford is a hand written note of “Thank You & Merry Christmas” that’s just perfect and it will truly warm someone’s heart!

Are you ready to get started with Young Living Essential Oils? Go here…I’ll be happy to help you get started. Not all oils are created equal, be sure you get the good stuff!

When Pepper was born I was that crazy Mom who never wanted to take her anywhere for fear of germs. That only lasted a short while because well…life happened, and I also felt empowered by the tools I had as a new mom. I had herbs, essential oils & vitamins…and knowing the power that they had, I felt confident.

I started making elderberry syrup when Pepper was one-year-old. It’s become a fall tradition, ever since. I don’t recall where I first learned about elderberry syrup, but it’s discussed in all of my favorite herbal books.

Why I choose to make my own…

If you’ve seen elderberry syrup at the health food store, you’ll have noticed it’s extremely expensive, but you can make your own for a fraction of the price. The store bought stuff in most cases is not 100% pure elderberry and honey. Frequently, it is diluted with other ingredients and often it contains refined sugar. Sugar is the last ingredient you want to consume when you’re feeling under the weather or when you are sick. Sugar suppresses the immune system, leaving it vulnerable and unable to function properly. That basically means you will be more likely to catch something and you will be slow to recover from something as well. Please read your labels carefully, as sugar is in almost everything processed.

The Benefits of Elderberry…

No child will escape the common cold or the flu, but we can support their immune system naturally…

Elderberry flowers and the fruit have been used for centuries through out Europe in herbal medicine. Elderberry has been known for it’s immune supporting properties. It has been studied for it’s ability to fight viral and bacterial infections. “In the early 1900’s, elderberry extract was used to effectively to treat flu symptoms during an influenza epidemic in Panama.” Davis, 92. It is rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins, a rich flavonoid with “high antioxidant capacities and immunonostimulant effects.” Davis, 93. Believe it or not elderberries contain four times the anthocyanins as any other berries, even blackberries. The sambucus nigra species of elderberry have proven to be antiviral especially against different strains of the influenza virus.

“And in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study, Sambucol decreased the duration of flu symptoms to about three days. In addition to it’s antiviral properties, Sambucol elderberry extract and its formulations have been shown in studies to boost immune function by increasing inflammatory cytokine production, which benefits healthy individuals as well as people with a variety of disease.” Sorrel, 93.

Elderberry has been used to treat wounds, as well. Research also shows that it is anti-inflammatory, reducing swelling of the mucous membranes, it may also be beneficial in supporting the body through hay fever, chronic fatigue, sciatica nerve pain, diabetes and cancer.


Warning: While herbs are powerful, mild nourishing medicines with little to no side effects, we still must always use common sense and caution. Never consume uncooked, unripe or raw elderberries as they may be toxic.

The recipe

Optional herbs to add to recipe during brewing:

  • organic echinacea (2-3 tbs angustifolia root)
  • organic fresh or dried ginger (grated 2-3 tbs)
  • organic cinnamon sticks (2-3)
  • Thieves essential oil (5-10 drops added once syrup has cooled) Learn more about getting your Young Living Oils here.

Directions:

  1. Place the berries in a saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low for 30-45 minutes.
  2. Strain the mixture once it’s cooled with a metal mesh strainer and add honey…you may find the 1 cup is too sweet and you may prefer to use less honey.
  3. Store in a sanitary jar and keep refrigerated for up to 3 months.

Dosage: Dosage varies on you and your families needs. We personally take 1 tbs two to three times a week for prevention and then when we are unwell, 1-2 tbs a few times through out the day to help our body fight off whatever it is fighting. Children under 2 can have their dose in a teaspoon. It’s important to do your own research, but the beauty of herbs is that they are mild but powerful and nourishing. Use common sense as with anything else.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and I advise everyone do their own research in order to make the best informed choice for themselves and their family.

Resources:

  1. Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide
  2. Naturally Healthy Babies and Children by Aviva Jill Romm
  3. Herbal Antivirals by Sorrel Davis
  4. Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health by Rosemary Gladstar