Cookbooks:

• From Scratch: Easy Recipes for Traditionally Prepared Whole-Food Dishes by Shaye Elliott: I absolutely love this cookbook. I was already a fan of Shaye Elliott's blog (The Elliott Homestead) before her book came out. I knew I had to have it once it finally did. The recipes in this book are just awesome and delicious. When I read this book, I feel like I'm sitting in Shaye's living room and sippin' some kombucha while she shares all these wonderful recipes with me.. explaining how to make them step-by-step.
  
• Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon: This is not just a cookbook.. it is filled with tons of valuable information. This book is a fantastic resource for those just starting to venture into a healthier way of life.

Kitchen Appliances:

• Cuisinart ice cream maker: If you love ice cream.. you have to have an ice cream maker. I haven't found a good source for store bought ice cream.. so homemade is my only option. I can control the ingredients.. the dairy, the flavors. I also make frozen yogurt with it. It seriously tastes better than any junked conventional ice cream. Check out my ice cream board for inspiration.
  
• KitchenAid stand mixer: This is probably my favorite kitchen item.. because I won it on a blog giveaway. But if I knew how much this mixer would change my life I definitely would have bought one. This thing isn't just for mixing up cake mix. I use it to shred chicken, whip butter (to make it spreadable), mash potatoes, make marshmallows.. etc. It has so many other uses I haven't even gotten the chance to explore yet, but it's definitely in my future. (Maybe I'll get brave and make some pasta.)
  
• Vitamix: I have been wanting a Vitamix FOREVER now and I finally have one in my kitchen! It's definitely changed how I'm able to cook by allowing me to make so many things that require a high power blender. I tried winning one on blog giveaways for awhile, but finally broke down and bought one through QVC on their easy payment plan. 
• Yogurt Maker: I'll never go back to store bought yogurt ever again. I make my own yogurt a couple times of week with raw milk. I use the greek yogurt culture, but Cultures for Life has many other yogurt starters to choose from. 

Kitchen Tools:

• Organic bamboo cutting boards: I buy my cutting boards from Core. I love all of my cutting boards, but this extra large one is my favorite.
• Stainless steel ice cube tray: I love this tray because it's non-toxic. It's great for making ice cubes, freezing bone broth.. anything you want to freeze in cube formation. I store my cubes in ZipLoc brand freezer bags because they are BPA free.
  

Pantry:

• Cacao powder: I use cacao to make my own hot chocolate/chocolate milk, cake, brownies, ice cream.. There are so many things you can do with this healthy powder. This is my favorite brand.
• Coconut oil: I have a small selection of brands of coconut oil that I like, and I usually make my purchases based on what's on sale and where I'm shopping that day.  A few brands I usually switch between are Garden of Life, Nutiva and Viva Labs. I use coconut oil for baking, making popcorn (it makes the best popcorn, btw) and even as a deep moisturizing treatment for my hair and scalp.
• Salt: Real Salt is my favorite brand. I originally bought the shaker and I buy the pouches to refill it.... it is more economical that way.
• Gelatin: This is a nutritious food item that also happens to make some really yummy treats. I've only had gelatin for a short while now.. but I've already made marshmallows with it and many batches of "jello" (real food version, of course).
  
• Teas: I love, love, love tea and my cupboard is always stocked with it. Some of the teas you'd find in my collection are: green tea, hibiscus, raspberry leaf, echinacea,throat coat, nighty night, peppermint and raspberry passion perfect energy. I also have a tea wishlist, of course. :)
• Raw honey: I've been enjoying this brand right now.

Laundry Items: 

• Charlie's Soap: I've been using this laundry soap for years now and I love it! A little bit of this soap really goes a long way. In my experience of doing laundry for two people, the giant jug has lasted about a year for me. I can't guarantee how long it would last for others, that's just my experience. Before my purchase of the large amount, I went with the small bottle first to try it out. I'm glad I did this because this bottle has a little measuring thing so that you know how much soap you are using. When my small bottle is just about empty I use a funnel to refill it with the large one.
• Vinegar and baking soda: I like to use vinegar and baking soda in addition to the laundry soap to give it a boost. I buy both at Costco. 
• Wool dryer balls: Dryer sheets are TOXIC. I highly recommend ditching your dryer sheets and investing in some quality wool dryer balls. If you like your laundry to be scented, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to them before you toss them in the dryer w/ your laundry. There are many places where you can buy dryer balls. When possible, I always recommend buying from a small company. I usually check Etsy for things like this. My dryer balls (pictured to the right) came from Good Wool Etc. Alternatively, you can make your own if you're into that sort of thing. :)

Miscellaneous Items that I Love: 

• Glass straws: I absolutely love my handmade (in Michigan) straws from Strawesome. I have 5 of them so far! I have a couple different straws for drinking smoothies, a couple for drinking regular beverages (like water) and a short one that's perfect for margaritas (my niece likes to borrow this straw, too). These straws are guaranteed for life and the company will replace your straw if it breaks. How awesome is that!?!? A great place to start shopping is the clearance section (who doesn't love a great deal??) There are lots of options including: classic, colors, designs, custom and special editon. 

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