A farm kitchen is all the rage right now, am I right? And don’t get me wrong I love the farm kitchen look! In fact I have a whole board on Pinterest just for the Farm Stlye Home, if you get a chance go check it out. For us it’s only fitting we actually have that super old Farm-House. So I love the old look, I love that it’s in style right now! However what I want to talk about here is the homestead kitchen.
Farm Kitchen Vs. Homestead kitchen
A few weeks back I was talking about easy ways to be more like a homesteader (check this out here). There I talked about the homestead movement, and how it is about doing more for yourself. Getting back to the old pioneer spirit, and self-reliance. Something I think everyone can benefit from even if that means you just grow herbs in your city apartment kitchen! (I also talked about that here). However there is a huge difference between the farm-house (style of kitchen) and the homestead-kitchen. One is mostly all just a look the other is about having tools and a way to help you function on a homestead level, you know more of that do-it-yourself!
1. The grain grinder
This one seemed huge to us. I thought about it for months, before ultimately deciding grinding our own grain would be healthier for us. In modern America it seemed super weird, you just buy flour right? However with much of my research I learned that most of the healthiest parts of the grain are removed to extend the shelf life of flour sold in the store. So by getting our own grain grinder, I could guarantee the healthiest parts of the grain would be still present in our flour. So I buy a 25 lb bag of different grains every few months. I generally keep oats and wheat on hand in organic and non-gmo of course. You can even get some on regular shipments from Amazons subscribe and save program.
2. Kitchen-Aid mixer
Ok I must admit mine does not look all clean and chic like this one, mine is a version from likely the 60’s, and that’s totally serious. It is even this odd pea green color, and it was a hand-me-down from my grandmother. However the good news is it still runs like a champ, which makes it an amazing small kitchen appliance. They even have dozens of attachments, a grain grinder, noodle makers, and veggie spiralizers and many many more. Which is great to make on appliance go much further.
3. Crock-pot
This item has found its way into most homes now days, so it’s not so surprising. However it is very important, bone broths and healthy kitchen creations of all sorts are made possible with this handy kitchen appliance. Here is one of my favorite things to keep warming in the crock-pot during the winter season here. So in modern America this is something I would guess like 90% of households would have, but it’s comes in especially handy for the homestead kitchen. A crock-pot when you make much of your own food from scratch, is a must!
4. Blender/ food processor
Again a normal kitchen item for many. But oh so important for the homestead kitchen. We have a super handy multi-purpose blender food processor, and it gets used for everything from garden fresh smoothies to preparing veggies to ferment or making salsa out of all those home-grown tomatoes. Whatever needs blended, diced or sliced, hopefully all from the garden and homegrown, right?
5. Popcorn maker
When we talk about the homestead kitchen, it’s really all about doing it yourself and making healthier choices in your life. Modern day life often leads us to convenient food options that are either packed with chemicals and preservatives or lack nutrients all together. Popcorn is one of those chemical filled foods, they often come in the form of a microwave bag. There is so much wrong with this where do I even start! How about this instead we drop the bag of not-so-great microwave popcorn and we find a way to pop it the right way, then it truly can be a healthy snack!
6. Waffle iron
When modern day convenience foods are the norm, and rightly so we are all so busy! However a homestead lifestyle is one where you work to get the unhealthy and most of the time unnatural items out of your life. That being said freezer waffles are so easy to make ahead of time and replace those awful and unhealthy toaster food that we often feed children. Want to give them a better start to their school day? Make healthy oat-flour waffles and freeze until that busy morning when you need them.
7. Cast iron
In days long past, every celebrity chef did not have their own line of cook ware. So your grandparents or great-grandparents instead would likely have had cast iron, skillets, dutch ovens and more. And that was a wise purchase, cause it would still be in the exact same condition today (which will not be true of celebrity chef so-and-so cookware). Cast iron cookware just makes sense it’s a once and done purchase, it is not coated with health-risking non-stick surfaces.
8. Glass jars
Glass jars are used for everything, one good thing to stock up on in many sizes. In our house I use gallon size jars to store a variety of grains that I grind, I ferment kombucha in (check that process out here). I have half gallon size that I ferment raw veggies in or keep my sourdough starter in! These are a super handy item to keep on hand! And a millions time healthier to store food than plastic! The great thing you can find them almost anywhere. Or being a little more frugal and save glass jars from food items (try upcycling those glass jars, check this out here).
9. Coffee pot
Again this might be a common among many households. Rightly so, but it comes in especially handy on early cold mornings where morning animals chores drag you out of bed before you would like. Coffee is the answer there!
10. Double oven
This one I don’t have, but I want one. I do in fact have plans to buy one. For the homestead kitchen where again nearly everything is made from scratch often you have multiple items that need to bake at the same time, and likely at different temperatures. There are a ton of times I can think of in this year alone where I was wishing I had me a super handy double oven, and they are a bit pricey, but I just know it’s worth it!
Something to take away
Even though the homestead lifestyle may not be the norm, or the easiest lifestyle, it is much healthier. Thanks to modern day tools like many I listed here the homesteaders lifestyle is much easier than it once was. Making having a natural and “made from scratch” outlook on food possible for most busy families of today. Giving everyone better health, more energy etc. Really isn’t that what we are all after, isn’t better health? Less weight? More energy? One thing I am convinced of is that eating real food, not processed organically grown can answer most all of the health concerns that most people face today. So really having the weight you want, the energy level you need is all closer than any of us think it starts with our kitchens ♡♡♡
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From our family to yours, thanks for stopping by
Beth is a mother of 6 living on a handful of acres in an old farmhouse in central Kansas. Beth has a background in the military and health and fitness however her passions come from her homestead life. Beth is an enthusiastic homeschooling mom, avid organic gardener, chicken & goat wrangler, who is obsessed with herbs and natural remedies and maintaining an all-around Do-It-Yourself lifestyle. Beth loves to share all she has learned about and sustainable living. While striving for a healthy, natural life, family-centered life.