Cooking of food can be sacred - Many are familiar with concept put forward in book (and movie) 'Like Water For Chocolate' - the premise is quite well thought of across many cultures - where intention goes, energy flows.....even into our food.
Deep Nourishment as a Pillar of Care
Taking this part of postpartum on should not be full of discontent. When I cook in a clients home, holding space in the heart of the home is amongst one of my top honors. It is encouraged to clear away some of the clutter, stale, stagnant items, food and fodder that is lurking around. The nesting instinct may have already taken care of this but making way for fresh, clear, vibrant energy is worth taking a moment or two to do.
Keeping this simple + straightforward the Postpartum Kitchen is all of our kitchens. It's the heart of the home, a sacred space that will be full of warmth, nourishment and soon giggles, joy, tears and dishes.
The good news is that most likely your kitchen has everything or nearly everything that is needed. Small Batch Wellness strives for an earth friendly+ sustainable kitchen which is why we created the soon to be available SUSTAIN pack to help bolster this endeavor. Simple swaps over time will get you the kitchen you desire but for now we will focus on the basics.
When we talk about a traditional or ancestral kitchen, it is not to say throw out the science.
While maybe we don't need every uni-tasker gadget out there, modern day tools are timesavers, spacesavers and sanity savers.
Some basics that you most likely have, there are links here to what I have but no need to get the same as me.
Cast Iron Pans: One is good, but more are better! :) These provide pretty easy cooking with deeper flavor and the added benefit that it adds iron to your diet. Something needed, especially right now.
Stainless Steel Pans: One is good, but more are better! Throw out your non-stick pots and pans now. Full of toxic garbage your body (and your baby) does not need.
Glass Bakeware: For the reasons above, baking in glass is a cleaner method.
Stock Pot (especially if you don't have an Instant Pot but seriously you should get an instant pot).
Vegetable Peeler: yerp
Sharp Knives + Cutting Board: yerp
Box Grater: I like the kind that has a container in the center to catch the food.
Unbleached Parchment Paper: The brown paper.
Immersion Blender: A good immersions stick is going to save lots of time from pulling out the blender and cleaning all its parts. Most SBW Recipes will aim to use this (over a blender).
Here are some that I highly recommend be considered for your Postpartum Kitchen:
The Instant Pot: Believe the hype - this is an absolute timesaver (and turns out nutrient saver too). Since many foods are cooked at a lower temperature, more of the foods nutrients are preserved. Many of the SBW Recipes are written for an IP first.
Silicone Mat for Freezing (no heat!): As food is batch prepped, freezing on this flexible mat can be helpful when trying to get the frozen food. Parchment paper can do the trick though!
Lucky Iron Fish: We talk more about the importance of iron to blood build and this little fish can help move the needle forward. (This is the ONLY affiliate link I have and it doesn't cost you any more $).
The Foundational Prepare Pack already includes:
Cotton Flour Bags - your grains will arrive in these. While this is a zero-waste, traditional option for many types of food, you prefer to something else, these bags have a myriad of uses.
RE-Cool by Igloo - a biodegradable cooler that can be reused. This is great to put on your steps if you are having loved ones do a meal train.
Verde Planet Biodegradable Food Storage Containers for your freezer. Once you've prepared some of the dishes in Purposeful Nourishment, these 17 oz disposable containers will come in handy to freeze, warm and serve food (bedside!) once postpartum.
Bamboo Flatware - Just like the above, doing the dishes in early postpartum is a chore that we want to minimize. These bamboo forks, knives and spoons are ready to use (and even reuse a few times) before they are composted.
Organic Cotton Washable Mesh Bag: Nut Milk Bags of Organic Cotton - Reusable, Washable Mesh Strainer Bag - For Almond & Nut Milk, Cold Brew Coffee, Greek Yogurt
Biodegradable Straws: Because laying awkwardly is better with a straw.
NOTE ABOUT FREEZING:
You'll to double check that you have all the typical things for freezer more than the containers that we provide. We recommend large, wide mouth mason jars, glass/pyrex bowls with lids over anything plastic. If you are using plastic tupperware, please make sure that it is BPA free, not full of scratches or stains, and is pretty young. Never pour hot foods into plastic, it's going to leach. Let the food cool first. Likewise, it's a good idea to not heat foods in plastic either.
OTHER ITEMS TO CONSIDER:
A tray or two! Remember, you are resting, ideally in your bedside sanctuary. This means you will need at least one good tray for food to be served on.
Stuff to label the food with what it is, date and sometimes I add who it's for. We like medical tape around here.
Soon, we will have available the SUSTAIN Pack to be included (just ask!). If you are ready to deepen your commitment to an environmentally friendly Postpartum Kitchen then this might be something to consider. This includes
Cotton Bowl Covers
Beeswax Wraps