I absolutely love providing healthy, whole and nourishing meals for my family, especially when so much of it comes from our own backyard. Our love, sweat and tears go into what we do as Canadian Farmers and it's a job that is 24/7, 365.

It's not only a job, it's a lifestyle.

Growing up on the farm and having our food cared for out our own back door was a gift. Nourishing our livestock daily, watering and tending to a garden and then prepping and preserving foods for winter use. 

Can you cook from scratch and grow your own food too? Absolutely yes!

Whether you're in a condo or acreage, grow that tomato plant and get started with something. The connection and value created and the relationship with food massively shifts when you begin growing or raising your own.

While I was raised seeing whole foods and home cooked meals (thanks mom!), there is no better time to start than yesterday. Let me share some of my favourite items to use when we cook.

Hand Tools and Measuring Cups

The best mini spatula and bowl scraper on the planet absolutely goes to Pampered Chef. I've had tons of different brands and there is no doubt these are top shelf when it comes to flexibility, steadiness and ability to scrape the bowls clean! They are also dishwasher safe. There is a larger size as well. 

We also really love wooden spoons. Did you know, if you lay a wooden spoon across the top of a pot of boiling water (think boiling potatoes), the wooden spoon somehow ensures the water doesn't boil over! Wild, but it's true! 
(*Disclaimer: I'm not holding responsibility if for some reason this does not work for you, but I can say this has worked each and every time for me!)

Glass measuring cups that can be heated are my favourite. Though small scoopable stainless steel exists, if you want to pop some butter in the microwave, the glass ones are ideal. They can tolerate tons of abuse and are a great way for kids to get involved and see the various value measurements side by side.

Measuring tablespoon and teaspoons, I like to keep it minimal and get an all in 1. This adjustable measuring spoon set is easy and saves space in your drawers.

Mixing can be done by hand or electronics and these are the items I have in my kitchen. Mixing by hand I use a Danish Dough Whisk. If I want to use an electronic mixer I'll use my hand mixer or my stand mixer. 

Lastly, if you need to weigh out items (like when making bread) then you can use a digital kitchen scale. I got this from Canadian Tire for less than $20 a few years ago and it's so helpful to us, we have a second one in our barn. 

Pots and Pans

We stay away from any non-stick coatings as they are shown to have negative health implications. They're often times seasoned with seed oils and we prefer to reseason everything with plenty of lard or butter if we can't find them unseasoned. This isn't a huge deal by any means nor will this little blimp of seed oil exposure be catastrophic but it's worth mentioning. 

What we want is stainless steel, enamel , cast iron or stoneware. 

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a high quality and in tact product that does not scrape away over time. Have you ever noticed with non-stick products that scrapes and flakes of the pans end up going "missing"? Well, they're not likely missing when you've stirred up your food on top of it. (psst. they're in the food!). We use a mix of Cuisinart and Paderno products and really enjoy them! 

You can use any utensil on stainless steel so we suggest sticking with other metals for easier cleaning and antibacterial reasons. They're also far more sturdy!

Enamel

One pot that reminds me of my grandmother is my Dutch Oven and I use it at every opportunity. I love braising meaty bones like Osso Bucco for hours until they are so tender they've fallen off the bones before we even scoop them out to eat! This pot is also so great for chilli using Wholesome Pastures pastured grass fed and finished ground beef or stew or soup!

Cast Iron

Seasoning it: When you receive your cast iron it's important that you season it, if it isn't already. In short, this means getting the pan really hot and coating it with an high heat point oil (butter or tallow). Let it soak in then wipe clean with a paper towel or otherwise.

When cooking with them, it's important to ensure a nice coating of oil (butter, ghee, lard, tallow) to prevent sticking. You can use any utensil on these so do not fear metal utensils - actually, we prefer them! Toss those plastic ones that can melt on your pans so you aren't ingesting any more micro plastics than necessary! 

The pans will get hot, including the handles. To avoid burning your hands when handling the pan, try our leather handle cover or a silicone option here. 

Cleaning: When washing, don't use soap! Get really hot water and steel wool or chain link scrubber. If you have hard to remove food that you don't want mushed into steel wool, we always have one of these pan scrapers available to prep before scrubbing.

Stoneware

When I need backing sheets I look to my stoneware or stainless steel. What's great about the stone ware is that it's nonstick without the toxins and it seasons itself over time with each use! It does have a heat maximum of 500-550 degrees fahrenheit.

I certainly have more utensils and products than this but I think this a great intro into some commonly used items in our kitchen. I hope you feel inspired to get in the kitchen and try your hand at something new!

 What are some of your favourites kitchen tools? 

Stay active and nourished.

Happy Cooking! 

~ Lindsay

*Disclosure: We only recommend products we do or would use and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, but I may earn a small commission. Thank-you for any support.