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Simple tools that make herbal living easier for a busy family.
When people imagine an herbalist’s kitchen, they picture shelves of dried herbs, beautiful amber bottles, and rows of neatly labeled glass jars.
Mine has those.
But it also has four kids, Costco-sized vegetables, overnight work schedules, and chicken nuggets in the freezer.
Some days I’m making herbal tea while someone is asking where their shoes are.
Other days I’m labeling tinctures while the air fryer is cooking French fries.
I’ve learned that herbalism doesn’t have to look perfect to be meaningful.
It doesn’t have to happen in a cottage kitchen with linen aprons and fresh bouquets on the counter.
It can happen in the middle of ordinary life.
These are the five tools I reach for almost every single week—the ones that genuinely make herbal living, healthy eating, and feeding a busy family a little easier.
1. My Juicer
If I had to choose one appliance that helps me waste less produce, it would be my juicer.
I love stopping by local natural food stores to check their discounted produce sections. Sometimes I’ll come home with bags of vegetables that need to be used within a day or two.
Add in Costco-sized bags of carrots, celery that somehow multiplied in the refrigerator, apples getting a little soft, beets, fresh ginger, and lemons…
…and it’s the perfect excuse to pull out the juicer.
I don’t juice because I think everyone needs to drink green juice every morning.
I juice because it’s one of the easiest ways to get more vegetables into my family.
Fresh juice is simple.
It’s quick.
And somehow vegetables become much more exciting when they’re poured into a glass instead of sitting on a dinner plate.
My Favorite Tip: Don’t Throw Away the Pulp
The pulp might be my favorite part.
Instead of tossing it into the compost, I spread it onto dehydrator trays and let it dry overnight.
Once it’s completely dry, I blend it into a fine vegetable powder.
That powder gets added to:
- Soups
- Smoothies
- Veggie burgers
- Muffins
- Homemade bread
- Pasta sauce
It’s an easy way to sneak a little more nutrition into meals without wasting perfectly good vegetables.
2. My Vacuum Sealer
This might be the most-used appliance in my kitchen that nobody talks about.
Here’s a sentence that always surprises people:
My grocery budget is usually bigger than my mortgage.
When you’re feeding six people—including four growing kids—you buy food differently.
Costco isn’t just a fun shopping trip.
It’s survival.
Bulk broccoli.
Cauliflower.
Frozen fruit.
Bread.
Tofu.
Chicken nuggets.
French fries.
Everything gets divided into meal-sized portions and vacuum sealed.
The difference is amazing.
No freezer burn.
Less wasted food.
Produce lasts longer.
Frozen foods stay fresher.
And I can buy in bulk without worrying that half of it will end up in the trash.
It helps our grocery trips stretch much farther than they otherwise would.
3. Mason Jars
I honestly don’t know how many mason jars I own anymore.
Every time I think I’ve reached the limit…
I somehow find a reason to buy another case.
They’re probably the hardest-working item in my kitchen.
They hold:
- Dried herbs
- Herbal tea blends
- Tinctures
- Homemade broth
- Vegan gravy
- Cashew cheese sauce
- Leftovers
- Overnight oats
- Beans
- Bulk rice
- Bulk oats
- Frozen soups
- Fresh juice from the juicer
If something can be stored…
There’s a good chance it’s sitting inside a mason jar.
I use them almost every day.
One thing I wish I’d discovered sooner?
Plastic storage lids.
They’re inexpensive, they don’t rust like the traditional metal lids, and they make opening and closing jars so much easier for everyday use.
4. Silicone Baking Mats
This is one purchase I wish I’d made years sooner.
For years I bought parchment paper.
It worked.
But I kept replacing it.
Week after week.
Roll after roll.
Eventually I decided to try reusable silicone baking mats.
I wish I had switched years ago.
My tofu finally browned better.
My zucchini roasted instead of steaming.
My vegetables weren’t sitting on soggy paper.
My marinades stayed on the food instead of soaking into parchment.
Cleanup became ridiculously easy.
Instead of throwing paper away after every meal, I simply wash the mat and use it again.
Sometimes the simplest kitchen upgrades end up making the biggest difference.
5. My Dehydrator
If my juicer helps me use food…
My dehydrator helps me save it.
It’s one tool with almost endless possibilities.
Every week it seems to be drying something different.
Herbs from the garden.
Apple chips for the kids.
Orange slices for tea.
Mushrooms.
Tomatoes.
Zucchini.
Juice pulp.
Fresh herbs that would otherwise wilt in the refrigerator.
Homemade herbal tea ingredients.
Instead of watching food slowly spoil while I promise myself I’ll use it tomorrow…
I preserve it.
Future me is always grateful.
It’s one of those appliances that quietly pays for itself over time simply by reducing waste.
My Philosophy
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you don’t need a perfectly curated kitchen to start living a little more intentionally.
Start with one tool.
Learn to use it well.
Add another when it makes sense.
A slow-built kitchen is often the one that gets used the most.
And yes…
My freezer also contains chicken nuggets, French fries, and corndogs.
Because feeding four kids while working overnight shifts sometimes means dinner is nuggets and apple slices.
Sometimes it’s homemade vegetable broth and fresh herbal tea.
Sometimes it’s both on the same day.
Real life is allowed to look like real life.
That’s actually the kind of herbalism I believe in.
Not perfection.
Not aesthetic.
Just ordinary people using simple tools to nourish themselves and the people they love—one meal, one cup of tea, and one intentional choice at a time.
🌿 Jerica’s Herbal Kitchen
These are the herbs and tools I reach for most often. I’ve linked them below if you’d like to build your own herbal pantry.
With grace,
Jerica
Founder of Sovereign Becoming
Quiet strength. Honest work. Becoming, one gentle step at a time.
