…what foods and gadgets would you keep?
90% or more of our worldly goods are crammed into a 10×20′ storage unit while we bunk at my in-laws’ house between selling our home and buying a new one.
Working in someone else’s kitchen is always a challenge, but especially so when you make as many things from scratch as I do (my top 5 are detailed in Tsh Oxenreider’s new book, One Bite at a Time).
Pictured: Homemade Yogurt (I brought the jars, pot, cooler and towel so I didn’t have to rethink the routine)
I had to think long and hard about what items were absolutely necessary for my survival and sanity in the kitchen so that I could bring as little as possible here and be less intrusive. I knew that I was going to offer to plan and cook all the dinner meals, so I’d need some of my favorites to make that work.
Are you curious about the necessities in a Kitchen Stewardship kitchen?
First, let me amaze you with some of the things I decided I would live without:
- my KitchenAid mixer (this means no bread or rolls of any kind, ’cause I
just don’t knead by hand – and yes, I know about the no-knead bread method – and also makes some other baking recipes a major challenge) - my breadmaker
- my Nutrimill grain mill (one of the features at Paula’s Bread)
- my Excalibur dehydrator
- both of my tortilla presses
just don’t knead by hand – and yes, I know about the I made a list and checked with my mother-in-law to see if she had:
- a slow cooker
- a blender
- a hand blender (and then I brought my own anyway and am glad I did! Making homemade mayo is such a tender process, and I wanted a machine I knew and trusted to make it work. I used my MIL’s once in a pinch, and it didn’t get the job done on the orange vegetable pancakes, so I think it would be a big fail on the mayo, too.)
- a bottle brush (for those half gallon raw milk jars)
- measuring cups and spoons (I hope she wasn’t offended that I asked)
- 4-cup glass measuring cup (she has the 8-cupper, even better!) – for draining yogurt cheese
- I knew she had a baking stone and glass storage containers, and I’m so glad I bought them for her at Christmastime!
There were a few things I thought I could do without and am so very, very happy she has them anyway:
- Spoonula (for best ever scrambled eggs)
- Electric griddle (pancake day was soooo long on the stovetop the first day we did it)
Pictured above: a small storage unit I brought in the basement that stores most of the “gadgets” I was able to bring and my bulk oils on the bottom.
I’ve used pretty much everything I brought and patted myself on the back in gratitude for at least 80% of them. I was right; I do use and love these gadgets. They make my life as a from-scratch cook much easier.
- Glass jars. Not as many as I had, but a little assortment of quarts, pints, half gallons, and little guys. I require them for making homemade yogurt, homemade dressings, and storing leftovers, especially chicken stock for the freezer.
- Funnel – for pouring raw milk into different containers.
- Silicone mats to cover cookie sheets; then I don’t have to worry a whit about aluminum.
- Reusable sandwich bags and stainless steel containers for packing lunches.
- Cheesecloth and tea towels for hanging yogurt cheese.
- I actually wish I’d brought my big metal colander, as the medium-sized plastic one here is too small for a huge batch of beans or chicken stock.
- Salad spinner and lettuce knife – Oh, how I love them
- Silicone spoon – I needed something I knew I could leave in the pot and not melt my MIL’s spoons! I only brought one, and I miss its mate when its dirty (every day).
- Rolling pin – for homemade crackers and homemade tortillas
- My favorite knife…ok, two knives. Oh, twist my arm – it was three. Two big ones and a paring knife. And a cutting board to go with them. I knew I didn’t like the knives and glass cutting board here.
- Garlic press
- Food chopper, especially for nuts
- Vegetable peeler (I’m just picky about the shape of mine)
- Cheese knife – looks like a machete, but my kids use it to cut real food since it’s also very dull.
- My Pampered Chef masher tool thingy – love this as a strong whisk, for guacamole or egg salad, and more. I’m glad it’s here.
- Small glass glasses and bowls for the kids (use them ALL the time)
- Food processor – there are just some things I can’t make without a food processor (chickpea wraps, the power bars from Healthy Snacks to Go, and some of the recipes I’m developing for the new desserts book, coming this fall)
- I asked for special permission to bring water kefir (pictured below) along – my kids really appreciate having a third choice beyond water and milk at meals. It takes up counter space, so I had to make sure it wouldn’t drive anyone nuts. Grandma is a sucker for her grandkids, so she said it was okay!
- My canner – it’s great to have the option of buying tomatoes in glass jars from Tropical Traditions, but I still felt it necessary to can my own this year, and I need applesauce from fall apples, too. This item would have gone to the storage unit if we decided there wasn’t room.
- My two largest pots – one for yogurt, and one for huge batches of soup or dry beans, in case the yogurt one was busy incubating. I have used them both dozens of times already!
- My whole freezer! Couldn’t exactly put that into storage…
This is the rest of my “food storage” in the basement. I brought my own shelves and have to run downstairs for lots of things:
- vinegars
- bulk grains and legumes
- dried fruits
- extra supplements
- spices
- coconut flour
- various weird sweeteners for the Sweet, Sweet Summer series
- canned tuna, beans, etc.
- I wasn’t going to, but I couldn’t help it: I ground various grains before I packed up the grain mill and store them in the freezer for biscuits and crackers and treats. I’m nearly out.
This is the upstairs cupboard – I’ll give you one guess which shelf is mine. 
What would you have nearby if you only had one small shelf in the kitchen?
- Fats and oils: extra virgin olive oil, refined and unrefined coconut oil for cooking, baking and oatmeal.
- Everything we need for breakfasts: oats, sweetener, cinnamon, raisins/dried fruit, homemade granola
- Homemade crackers
- Raw honey and stevia for yogurt
- Nuts for snacking
- Peanut butter
- Healthier sweeteners like sucanat and coconut sugar
- Recipes – only my favorites in a folder. Thank goodness 50% of what I make is already online here at KS!
- The themes are quick breakfasts and snacks – I figure I can do some stairs for making bigger recipes at dinnertime.
Sometimes I feel embarrassed that I “needed” so many things for just a few months in someone else’s kitchen. It’s almost silly…but to keep my sanity and keep this blog going, I’m glad I did it.
And someday soon, I still have a “wish list” for more gadgets, including a Bosch mixer, ice cream maker, and high-powered blender. If you’ve got a wish list going, I’m pleased to introduce you to Paula’s Bread, owned by a Christian woman who lives out her faith by feeding her family well (and helping you do the same with safe, real food gadgets and bakeware). She’s a September sponsor of KS, and I’m grateful!
What could you simply not live without in the kitchen?
I am an affiliate of Simple Mom. See my full disclosure statement here.
Beth @ Turn 2 the Simple says
My Kitchen Aid mixer would be a MUST — bread, mayo — I use it at least once a day!
Laurie N says
My big mixing bowl, some wooden spoons and sharp knives. I could not cook properly in my MILs kitchen (tried this a few years ago myself).
Suzanne says
Katie,
What kind of house are you looking for, we are selling ours 🙂 I can tell you all about it.
It has a large kitchen and a large walk in pantry, many shelves to hold all of your gadgets. 😉
Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama says
My Vitamix and large stock pots are MUSTS. There are sometimes entire weeks those pots don’t get put away because the second they’re washed I’m doing something else with them. I can with them, make stock, make soups, make sauces…. I need my santoku knife, bamboo spoons, silicone spatulas, my enameled cast iron pan, a big roasting pan (I make a chicken at least every other week). I would love to have my ice cream maker but it would be on the “if something has to go, this is it” list. I use it daily but could do without it temporarily. If we’re talking a permanent list it’s a must!
Shiree says
I have to ask what tortilla presses you use? I started making my own and can no longer handle the nasty ones in the store. But I HATE making tortillas. Such a lengthy process for me. The other day in the store I saw a tortilla press (didn’t even know they existed!) and now I cannot bring myself to make tortillas until I have one! So, what kind would you reccomend?
Katie says
Shiree,
I have a manual cast iron press and an electric press, both have pros and cons. I will be posting a tortilla race at some point, but probably not until Nov. or Dec… My homemade tortilla post mentions the electric press: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/10/21/recipe-connection-100-whole-grain-homemade-tortillas/
Katie
Shiree says
Thanks so much, Katie! I am planning on getting my tortilla press for Christmas so I can wait for that post listing the pros and cons. 🙂 Thanks for your wonderful blog. I have learned so much and love participating in a green, frugal, whole foods, Christian community. I just feel like I fit right in. 🙂
Heather says
My vitamix, my crock pot, my own knives, my giant jug of honey, and real maple syrup. We did live in my parents’ house for two and a half years (!! yeah, way longer than we originally intended) until earlier this year, so I feel like a newlywed again, learning how to cook in my own kitchen. My favorite thing about having our own place is that there are now leftovers for my husband to take to work! I’ve discovered your blog since our “second start” too, so I’m wading into yogurt making, water kefir, and all the other stuff that’s brand new to me.
Sandra says
My MIL had the poorest kitchen I’ve seen outside of the Berber village in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. She asked me to make her an apple pie and when I went to her kitchen to oblige, I found salt and pepper, no other spices! So, I made a strong cup of Constant Comment tea and proceeded to make one of the best apple pies I”ve ever made. Lemonade from lemons, ha!
I’ve lived similar to how you’re living and *need* my cast iron cook wear, knives, enamel baking pans with lids, waffle maker, coffee maker and that’s about all. Everything else I can make or make do.
Deb says
How timely your post is. We have just sold our house, pick up our caravan tomorrow and need to get rid of everything that won’t fit… permanently.
Jackie says
Things I can’t live without (and regularly schlep to the beach/mountains when we vacation):
Silicone spatulas
Magic Bullet (Doesn’t take up much space and doubles as a coffee grinder & food processor)
My sharp knives & cutting boards
French Press
hand mixer (not as good as the KitchenAid, but takes up MUCH less space)
slow cooker
My cake decorating box (we usually celebrate a birthday and I refuse to subject my family to store-bought cake)
Homemade pancake/muffin mixes
non-microwave popcorn
I also usually bring my spices (and spice mixes) in a tote since they’re expensive, and I use them daily.
elaine says
oh my gosh – we must be separated at birth or something … I just posted about our trip to the beach and what I “schlepped” and that I took my organic spices and after I posted I noticed your comment — we even “talk” the same! 🙂 I love your idea of taking cake decorating items – we celebrated a birthday last week and ended up with cruddy Wal-Mart ingredients – blech!
Jackie says
🙂
elaine says
Oy – I don’t know how you whittled it all down to what you kept – great job! We just went on our 22nd year of family vacation and I have gotten “weirder” every year. My mom, sister and I split up cooking chores for the week but this year I took more than I have ever taken before and our family had separate ingredients for almost everything. I’m just to the point I can’t stomach the store-brand sausages and sauces, etc. I provided most of the meats out of our freezer from our twice-yearly purchase of pastured meats and we took an enormous ice chest for the raw milk. I even took my own organic spices and schleped kombucha and milk kefir to the beach 🙂 I couldn’t imagine having to plan for anything more than a week!
Jenni says
I am actually just packing up my stuff to spend a few months at my parents’ house while we decide where to move! Thankfully, my mom does a lot of stuff the same way we do, even down to drinking raw milk 🙂 I have decided that I can’t live without my Vitamix, though. And I am bringing a few 5 gallon buckets with grains, brown rice, beans, evaporated cane juice, etc. Also, I am bringing all my spices, but they will probably be in a “less-accessible” area.
-Jenni 🙂
Colleen says
90% of my belongings are also in a 10×12. I just started renting a room this week for myself and my 7 yr old and I have 4 shelves and one in the fridge, It was hard to decide what to bring. I did bring my pot and pan to make sure I would not have to use Teflon. I also brought a mini chopper and my own can opener , peeler, cup cake pan for making muffins , glass baking dish and a few knives funny how we like our own. I also brought my mason jars of dry goods. Our glass bowls for lunches and leftovers. I also brought some of our “weird food” It was sad (for me) how much I had to give away but it went to good use as the lady in charge of wel fare in our church took it to a single mom in need. Thank you for this post it is good to know I’m not the only one reading the comments I see we are a strong group, trying to keep ourselves and our children healthy.
Kathleen K says
Depends on circumstances, but when we packed for a cross country move, the following went with us in our cars: Crock Pot, chef’s knife, paring knife, immersion blender, lg mixing bowl, huge cast iron skillet, 6 favorite spices, Celtic sea salt, lg stock pot, Berkey water filter, and 1 set of dishes/silverware per person. I managed just fine for several days until our POD arrived and we got it unloaded.