10 Stocking Stuffers & Gift Ideas for a Real Food Kitchen for Under $20

I'll be the first to admit that I have A LOT of kitchen gadgets, some of which I never use. However, now that we are doing so much cooking at home - much of which requires additional prep, like shredding our own cheese - I use a lot of the gadgets that used to sit idle.

Since Christmas is just around the corner, closely followed by New Year's resolutions, I thought I would put together a list of my top 10 kitchen gadgets for under $20. Tell me what you would add to the list in the comments section. 

My 10 Favorite Kitchen Gadgets for Under $20

1. Box Grater - We no longer buy shredded cheese, so our box grater gets a workout. I personally like the graters that also include a receptacle to catch the cheese as you shred. Bonus: box graters work great for shredding vegetables, too. 

My Pick: OXO Good Grips Box Grater - currently $17.95

2. "Y" Vegetable Peeler - Long before we committed to eating "real" food at home, we ate a lot of vegetables. Before we discovered the "Y" style vegetable peeler my husband always opted for a knife to peel fruit and veggies. However, the Zyliss Y peeler was a game changer for us - it's so effective and efficient that I peel raw acorn and butternut squash with it. 

My Pick: Zyliss Vegetable Peeler - currently $9.99

3. Apple Corer - This is one of the tools I've had for a couple of years now that I rarely used until we made the switch to clean eating. Now I use this frequently to make pear and apple chips in our dehydrator, as well as to make peanut butter apple sandwiches for the girls' lunches. 

My Pick: OXO Good Grips Corer - currently $8.95

4. Biscuit Cutter - This is another tool we have had sitting around for awhile, but we have only recently started using much. Homemade whole wheat biscuits have become a common fixture in our house, and thanks to this set of biscuit cutters we get a perfect size and shape each time. The smallest also works great for cutting crackers. 

My Pick: RSVP Endurance Stainless Biscuit Cutters - currently $9.95

5. Silicone Baking Mat - We basically use our silicone baking mats every time we bake or roast anything. They are a great replacement for cooking spray and make cleanup a breeze. Now I can confidently ignore the directions to 'prepare' the pan with butter or cooking spray. We have both the 1/4 sheet size and the 1/2 sheet size, and I am seriously contemplating getting a second 1/2 sheet size just to have an extra because we use it that much. 

My Pick: Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat (Half Sheet) - currently $13.89 

6. Rimmed Baking Sheet - I am guessing a lot of you already own a cookie sheet, but I am adding this one on just in case you don't. We use our quarter and half baking sheets several times a week. Pair this with the Silpat for roasting vegetables and meat, baking cookies, making granola and fruit leather, or dehydrating fruit. I got the Nordic Ware quarter sheet for Christmas last year, and it has held up so well that I have the half sheet on my wish list this year. It seriously looks the same as the day I got it - not even a hint of warping or staining. 

My Pick: Nordic Ware Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet - currently $14.88

7. Salad Spinner - We use our salad spinner so frequently during the spring when we seem to get 5 different types of greens in our vegetable CSA each week. The salad spinner is so much more efficient than hand-washing and drying greens; with a salad spinner, you just put any type of greens in the basket, rinse them with water really well, put them in the spinner, and give them a spin. The best part - our daughters love using the salad spinner, so we can some prep work to them. *I'm cheating on my pick on this one a bit because we have the $40 OXO version, but I think we would be just as happy with a much cheaper, smaller version. 

My Pick*: Prepworks Progressive International 2.5 Quart Salad Spinner - currently $12.70

8. Garlic Press - If you do not already have a garlic press, you seriously need one. Garlic presses are such a time saver; you can throw multiple unpeeled cloves of garlic in the press, squeeze, and have perfectly crushed garlic in seconds. Cleaning the garlic press is not such a breeze; however, my pick separates into two separate pieces, so the handle can be used to scrape the crushed garlic off and clean the leftovers out of the press. Genius! 

My Pick: Joseph Joseph Easy Press Garlic Press with Integrated Scraping Tool - currently $18.86

9. Quality Measuring Spoons & Measuring Cups - Every home cook deserves a quality set of measuring tools that also includes a wide variety of measurements. I highly recommend investing in a stainless steel set of measuring cups and measuring spoons with etched numbers. While they may cost a bit more than the plastic set, you will not need to replace them in a few years when one melts or the numbers start to wear off. I personally have two sets of measuring spoons, so I do not have to constantly rinse spoons as I cook. I am linking to my favorite set of measuring spoons, which are long and narrow so they easily fit in most spice jars. It is so much more convenient to stick the spoon in the jar than to try to carefully pour spices into the spoon. 

My Pick: RSVP Endurance Spice Measuring Spoon Set - currently $13.95 

10. Immersion Blender - While this may not be a 'must-have' for everyone, I use my immersion blender a fair amount especially this time of year when I am making soups. Instead of transferring hot soup to a blender to get a smooth texture, I just use the immersion blender right in the Dutch oven. My sister uses hers to make smoothies (without any ice or frozen fruit) for her kids everyday. Our exact immersion blender has been discontinued, but my pick is an updated version with detachable heads for easy cleaning. 

My Pick: Hamilton Beach 2-Speed Hand Blender - currently $19.99 

Creamy Spinach "Alfredo" Chicken Sausage

I have been thinking about making this all day. It's cold, and I want some creamy comfort food! Trying to accomplish creamy, and stick to real food can have it's challenges. But, I was on a mission, and I was determined to be successful!! And, I was! This turned out exactly how I pictured it would! It was pretty easy, and didn't take too long to make, even though I had several things cooking at one time. You could easily add more seasonings to the sauce, according to your tastes. I probably will next time, but this time I was focused on creaminess! (Is that a word?)
Yum, just yum!!!

Ingredients:

1 box (13.25 oz) cooked pasta of choice. I used 100% Whole Wheat
8 oz block of shredded white sharp cheddar
1 cup fresh or frozen spinach (I buy the bagged frozen so I can use as little as I want to)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp tapioca powder/flour (you can sub corn starch or arrowroot powder)
1 1/4 cup plus 3 tsp milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of Bilinski's Organic Spinach & Feta Chicken Sausage** (or sub meat of choice)



For the Meat:
Just heat and slice! I heated in a skillet while everything else was cooking.
For the Pasta: 
Boil as you normally would, then drain and place in a medium bowl that you can add the rest of the ingredients to as they get done.
For the Spinach:
While you have your pasta boiling, heat the olive oil in a skillet then add the minced garlic. When it is just starting to look toasted, add your spinach and saute until it is done. Add to the cooked pasta.
For the sauce:
Combine the 1 1/4 cup milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small saucepan on low heat. While that is heating, have your shredded cheese close by. In a small bowl combine the 3 tsp milk and tapioca flour and mix until all the lumps are out and it forms a paste.
When your milk is heated, slowly add the cheese, stirring constantly to help it to melt and to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once you have all the cheese melted, add the tapioca paste and continue to stir over the heat until you reach a creamy consistency. This should only take a few short minutes. If you do not think it is thick enough, you can make another paste 1 tsp at a time, equal parts tapioca powder and milk.
Once you get the creamy texture you are looking for, pour it over your cooked pasta and spinach.
Add the meat, and stir.
That's it, you are ready to eat it up!

**Here is the Sausage I found at our local Harris Teeter. For a sausage, it has a pretty minimal ingredient list. It also tastes fantastic!!

Chipotle Black Bean & Sweet Potato Vegetarian Stew

I put this recipe together the other night while trying to figure out something to do with the dozens of sweet potatoes we keep getting from our vegetable CSA. I think my whole family is a little burned out on chili, so I decided to skip the meat and serve this one-pot meal over rice. 

You could easily add chicken, ground beef, or andouille to this one to change up the flavor. If you do, just brown it, cut it up, and mix it in when you add the chicken stock.

Chipotle Black Bean & Sweet Potato Vegetarian Stew

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
3 medium carrots, chopped
¼ - ½ red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 chipotle in adobo, finely chopped (add a tbsp of the adobo sauce for smokier flavor)
1 tsp chili powder
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried parsley
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup vegetable stock (or any stock for non-vegetarian)
sour cream (omit for vegan) & prepared rice for serving 

Instructions:
In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Once oil is heated, add cubed sweet potatoes, chopped carrots, and red onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes, or until vegetables are slightly softened. Add minced garlic, and continue cooking, stirring continuously, for 30 seconds – 1 minute. Add rest of ingredients through salt & pepper, stirring to combine. Add stock, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Continue simmering for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are completely softened and liquid has reduced. Serve over prepared rice, and top with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt. 

Easy Raw Almond Butter

Do you know how much raw almond butter costs? Seriously, that stuff is pricey! Last time I looked at whole foods it was $17 for a 16 oz jar. Say what!? I was so excited to see they had it, but my excitement quickly diminished when I saw the price tag! So, my $5.99 bag of raw almonds from Trader Joe's is getting some good use. I have made this about 5 or 6 times now, and finally learned the secret to making it a little quicker, and with my Ninja food processor.

All you need is a decent food processor, raw almonds, a little coconut oil or additions you want (salt, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, etc).

 I'm sure you can use this same process with any nut, and get the same result, but so far I have only tried almonds.

Ingredients:
16 oz raw almonds

1 tsp salt (more or less to taste, or you can omit)

Optional mix ins (Coconut oil, chocolate)

1) Put your almonds in the food processor and start it up. (Warning, it is going to be loud when you first start it up, but once they break up a little it won't be so bad. I have to warn my kids ahead of time though, so they can cover their ears!!)
2)My Ninja processor is the pulse one, so I let it run for about 30 seconds, then stop to see if I need to stir it up since they seem to stick the the edge the more it processes. I do this on and off for about 6-7 minutes.
3) Once it starts sticking together a little, you want to add any add ins, like salt, coconut oil, chocolate, etc. (see picture below of how it looks when it's starting to stick.)

4) blend again until it is mixed in well, and you have a nice nut butter consistency. The longer you blend it, the creamier it will be. I like it with a little bit of a gritty texture.
5) You're done! See how easy that was?!

I store it in my fridge, and scoop out what I need. It will harden a little when cold, but 30 seconds in the microwave is all you need to soften it back up! This lasts about a week or two, and then it's gone. I love it for my morning and afternoon snack with apple slices! Best stuff ever!

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco Bowls

Time to redefine Taco Night! This dish is easy, and can cook while you work, making dinner prep a breeze! 

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless thighs1 Can Rotel tomatoes 1 cup shredded zucchini (hidden veggies!!)***1 tablespoon chili powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Lime Juice, squeezed from 2 limes

8 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese ( or white cheddar)

1/2 bunch cilantro

2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry + 2 cups water or broth)

Place chicken in slow cooker (I throw it in frozen) and top with Rotel, seasonings, and lime juice. 

Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. About an hour before serving, add the cilantro and zucchini and shred the chicken with a fork to mix it all well. 

Prepare your quinoa, and shred the cheese. Serve with quinoa at the bottom, top with chicken, then top with cheese! Enjoy!! 

*** You could always add corn or black beans, too! We don't eat either due to food allergies, but they would be a great addition if you like them!  

adapted from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/07/taco-chicken-bowls/

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili- kid friendly!

It is Chili season in North Carolina! Cooler temps mean it's time to break out the Crock Pot and let it do all the work for me. I love chili this time of year!

My 3 year old has a bean/pea allergy so we avoid all legumes and lentils. I came across a recipe for sweet potato chili last year, and tried it, but omitted the beans the recipe called for. I've made it several times since then, tweaking the recipe a little each time. I finally got the perfect chili that we will all eat. 

Try it, you will not be disappointed! The sweet potato is the perfect bean replacement, but still gives you a similar texture. I actually double this recipe in my large Crock Pot so I have extra for the freezer.  --C

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground (beef, venison, turkey, chicken)

2-3 sweet potato, peeled and diced into cubes

1- 15oz can of organic diced tomatoes

1- 8oz can organic tomato sauce

1 Homemade Chili seasoning recipe (below)

Chili Seasoning*:

1 TBSP Chili Powder

1.5  TBSP minced onion

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp ground pepper

Instructions:

Line your slow cooker with a liner to reduce clean up, if desired. (Totally worth the money to get these!)

Put meat in bottom of cooker (I put it in frozen, no need to thaw ahead of time!)

Top meat with seasoning, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and diced sweet potatoes. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

About an hour before eating, take a spoon and mix everything well, making sure to crumble the meat.

**I don’t add cayenne pepper to my chili seasoning, because my hubby and kids don’t like spicy foods. If you do want it spicy, add ¼ tsp cayenne, or more to taste.  I usually just sprinkle a little on the top of mine and then mix it up!

100 Days of Real Food and Against All Grain COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY!!!

We're doing a cookbook over on our Facebook page! Head over to Confessions of A Real Food Mom's Facebook page to enter. 

Need a little help getting back into a healthy eating routine after overindulging on a little too much Halloween candy and before the chaos of the holidays? Then head over to Confessions of a Real Food Mom's Facebook page to enter this cookbook giveaway, and check our blog regularly for easy, family-friendly, healthy recipe ideas. 

**This giveaway is in no way sponsored by Facebook, Blogger, Against All Grain, or 100 Days of Real Food.