Products that I love

Clean eating is about back to basics simplicity so let me start with a disclaimer, you don't need anything you don't already have in your home to eat clean and whole.  That said, these are the items I find myself using every week when I do my weekend prep.  I didn't actually go out and purchase these products for our clean eating project.  As you read the information below each item, you'll see a running theme of birthday gifts or Christmas gifts. I'm one of those weird people that asks for home appliances for holidays.  If I had to go out and actually spend the money, I probably wouldn't have any of these except for wooden spoons and my grandmother's old skillet.  If you're just getting started, give a lot of thought to spending a lot of money on this kind of stuff.  Our food bills are actually lower with clean eating so you won't go into debt that way but it would be kind of crummy if you dropped $200 on a standing mixer that you used once and never again.  Before you spend money on big ticket items, think about sticking with the lifestyle for about a month to be sure it works for your family.  Once you've done that, adding these "toys" to your kitchen will just make the process all the easier and more enjoyable. 
Finally, I've pictured & linked the actual models of each item I own and use.  There are cheaper or more expensive as well as just different options.  I only chose the ones below because I can vouch for these specific products. 





http://www.target.com/p/kitchenaid-classic-plus-stand-mixer-empire-red-4-5-quart/-/A-14264291?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=%7C14264291&CPNG=Appliances&kpid=14264291&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=14264291
At Target, $229.99-4.5 qts.
This is a workhorse!  I didn't have one until a few years ago, a Christmas gift from the Mr. that he doubted I'd use.  Well, this sucker sits permanently on my counter top and I use it every single week.  If you are seriously clean eating and making lots of stuff from scratch, save your money and invest in a standing mixer.  You can buy attachments as you need them and do everything from making bread with the bread hook to making sausage with the sausage attachment.  I've had mine for a few years but I understand this is likely to be a once in a lifetime purchase.  And if you are making meringue, it will make your life easier and your meringues higher! 



http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17609181
Bed, Bath & Beyond.  $99.99-72 ounces
I've had less expensive blenders, you can get them as low as $15 or so.  They were fine for very basic smoothies & milk shakes but burned out quickly with frozen ingredients or hard vegetables.  I have a food processor but I don't have enough counter space for every gadget to be kept at my finger tips.  I've found the Ninja can do a lot of what my food processor does in addition to the traditional blender functions so it's almost a 2 for 1 appliance.  I use it to puree vegetables to add to gravy and it's the perfect size to whip up salsa.  The Ninja isn't cheap but it's tough, I can throw frozen fruit in for smoothies or milk shakes and the motor doesn't burn out. 

http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_011W111325110001P?sid=KDx01192011x000001&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=31-148480465-2
$9.99-12 jars (16 oz)
First things first, who doesn't love the look look of a Mason jar?   They're just so sweet, I use them as vases, glasses and candle holders.  I also use them to keep fresh vegetables and herbs fresh in my fridge.  Fill them with water and after you've cleaned and trimmed your herbs, set them into the Mason jar in the fridge and snip off what you need as you need it.  Also great for mixing and storing salad dress and I keep a jar of coffee concentrate for iced coffee.  Oh, and they work really well for canning too ;)



http://www.target.com/p/6qt-cast-iron-covered-casserole-pot/-/A-10514667#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=dutch+oven
$53.99 at Target-6.5 quart.
The Mr. got this for me as a birthday gift a few years ago at my own request but even I am amazed at how often I use this baby.  In fact, it stays on my stove top.  It's perfect for soups and stove-top items but it's really wonderful for those things you want to start on the range top and finish in the oven.  I like to braise my roast in this dutch oven and then into the oven to finish.  It is recommended not to wash cast iron in the dish washer but this cleans up so easily, you won't care. 




 

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=207214
$29.00-keep an eye out for their 20% off coupons or get one online
I've just about beat this horse to death but here it is one more time!  This infusion pitcher, which is the one I have, has a tea/coffee basket and freezer thing to keep it cold in addition to the fruit infuser.  Do you need this?  Nope.  Will you like it?  I think you will. 



http://www.target.com/p/lodge-cast-iron-pre-seasoned-skillet-12-inch/-/A-10291923?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=%7C10291923&CPNG=Kitchen&kpid=10291923&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=10291923
$17.99 at Target (12 in.)
Full disclosure, I didn't purchase my cast iron skillet, I claimed on I found in my grandmother's basement when she passed.  No one else wanted it because it was grody and rusty, but you can't destroy these babies!  I scoured and seasoned it and it's good as new.  You can probably find one in your dad's camping gear and if not, I'm told they are often in thrift shops for less than a buck.  I use my skillet all of the time, for everything from eggs to sauteed vegetables to corn bread.  Like the Dutch oven, don't use the dishwasher.  If you keep it seasoned, your skillet will easily wipe clean with each use.



http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=13835831
$7..99 (6 pice set) on Amazon
It might seem strange to include such a kitchen basic in my list of products but I believe the wooden spoon is under appreciated!  I don't like the idea of metal utensils with nonstick pans because I worry about scraping the Teflon into my food.  Also, when you are cooking fresh vegetables, the wooden spoons are less damaging than the metal ones would be to the veggies themselves.  Plus, you can't beat the price! 

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=18054400&RN=939&
$29.99 at Bed, Bath & Beyond for 4-1 salad spinner.
I got this from Santa in 2012 but didn't even open the box until about a month ago.  Since then, I can't imagine how I lived without a salad spinner!  It's especially useful since I do all of my produce clean and prep on the weekends, it makes everything move more quickly through the process by drying it in the spinner.  I have the one pictured so I can only speak for its usefulness but I've never used the mandolin/grater attachment.  You can get one without the fancy extras for $16.99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  If I use the mandolin, I'll let you know if it's worth the extra money.  If you clean your veggies a week in advance, like I do, using the spinner will get rid of extra moisture that will shorten the shelf life of your produce. 

So there it is, a quick tour through my kitchen helpers.  Again, you DO NOT NEED any of these items to start clean eating today.  One of the best things I've done is to take 15 minutes to sharpen my knives-zero dollars!  If you have a product that makes everything easier and that you would recommend, please share it in comments. 
On my to-do list is to go through my cabinets and get rid of the items I don't use since I find myself going back to my favorite items day after day, but that's a blog for another time!