7 MUST HAVE KITCHEN UTENSILS

The kitchen junk drawer.
Why do we have these?
How are they even created?

I took a good look at mine yesterday. I'm almost certain I use about 5 things in this drawer on a regular basis.

3 knives, a can opener, and a pizza cutter.

Why do I have all this other stuff?

I can't tell you the last time I used an apple corer to cut an apple.

Why do we convince ourselves that all of these little gizmos are easier than grabbing a knife?

I am giving us all permission to let it go! Just say no to fancy gadgets and gizmos that claim to make your culinary life easier. We don't need all of this to make a good meal for our family.

A few years ago I read the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker. I tried my best to live it out, but it was difficult. One month we could only eat 7 types of food. A month of chicken. Delicious. I did learn how to live with less and how much "excess" I really have.

This drawer is a prime example. What kitchen tools are a necessity?  Can I narrow it down to only 7?

I can. I did.

I am packing up everything else in my drawer and only using the items on this list for the next few months. I may lose some of the convenience of my other tools, but I don't think I will miss them.

KNIVES - Invest in a good set. You don't need to spend a lot of money. I like this Vremi set. The knives are colorful and sharp. Rachel Ray also has great knives available to purchase. I have this knife set and use them every day in my kitchen.

CAN OPENER - I suggest getting a clean cut can opener. Then you can save food if needed in the can or recycle the can for crafts. I remember making a lot of can lid Christmas ornaments growing up. Anyone else?

TONGS - I used to think tongs were irrelevant. I was flipping my chicken with a fork. A FORK y'all. It got the job done despite how awkward it was. Then I bought a pair of tongs. LIFE CHANGING.

MEASURING CUPS - I am a little bit of this and a dash of that kind of cook. There are times however when measuring and preciseness is crucial to the outcome of what I am cooking up. I really like the flexible measuring cups. They are so convenient!

PIZZA CUTTER - A pizza cutter is not much of a multi-functional tool, but have you ever tried to cut pizza with a knife? Me either. Lame. Who wants to do that. We eat pizza at least once a week. We would perish without it.

WHISK - Again, a fork would do, but we are grown-ups. I prefer the metal whisks vs silicone.

SPATULA - You need a spatula can will flip and one that will scrap. The scraper is more important than the flipper if you have to choose one. If you don't have a scraper, then a lot of brownie and cookie dough batter gets wasted. We can't have that.

What did I leave out? Are there any gadgets or utensils you would be lost without?

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Ideally we get all the nutrients we need from the food we eat. This is the dream scenario. I try hard to make sure my kids get the correct amount of nutrition. I think kids need between 3-4 cups of fruits and vegetables a day. It seems like a small and do able amount. Right?

Not with my kids. Let me tell you how Leah eats. She will have two bites of a banana in the morning and rudely drink half of my smoothie. For lunch she may have a sandwich and some fruit, but it is usually only a few bites. Now at dinner, if it's something she likes AND she didn't eat much lunch, girlfriend will go to town and clean her plate.

I do my best to give them a balanced meal. I know for sure they do not have enough vegetables. Three out of the four cups of fruits and veggies should be vegetables.

I can guarantee that is not happening.

This is why we have supplements. Vitamins are here to fill the gaps that we leave on our plates.

Recently we tried Yummi Bear Organics for the kids because they have 16 essential nutrients for growth and development. We are talking Vitamin A, B6, D, B12, C, and more! They are also free of artificial colors and flavors.

Leah loves them. She of course thinks they are candy and is upset by the small serving size. I like that it is gummy vs other brands with a chalk like consistency. Who eats those on a regular basis? No thanks. I already have to fight my kids over vegetables. Why would I want to fight them over the vitamin to help supplement the vegetables??

I had the Slice of Life vitamins and they were tasty. Like, I could sit there and snack on the whole bottle good. I did refrain myself. I have a little bit of self control. Vitamin B12 is what we need to convert carbs, proteins, and fats from food to energy. Yeah, give me all of that. This mama needs all the energy she can get.

I believe strongly in eating the right foods to fuel our bodies. We can eat ourselves to good health, if we want. HA! I'm still learning how to do this efficiently. In the meantime, I will continue to supplement with supplements that have organic ingredients and are free of GMOs, artificial flavors, and dyes like Yummi Bear Organics.

For more information visit the Hero Nutritionals website.