5 Tools to Make Cooking from Scratch Easier

5 Tools to Make Cooking from Scratch Easier
There are many reasons you might want to cook more foods from scratch – saving money, controlling ingredients, not being able to source certain foods in your area.
Many people find it intimidating to start making foods at home. Sometimes, it's because of the equipment they see other people using. Many of us slowly build our arsenal of kitchen tools and gadgets as we get more involved in cooking from scratch, but you don't need much to start. In fact, I'm somewhat of a minimalist when if comes to kitchen items, even after years of scratch cooking.
Here are five items I highly recommend for a versatile cook-from-scratch kitchen.
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Decadent Chocolate and Peanut Butter Brownies (recipe at top)

Decadent Chocolate and Peanut Butter Brownies (recipe at top)
Would you like a decadent treat for Christmas? One that you don't have to feel entirely guilty about because you can control the quality of the ingredients? Would fudgy chocolate brownies topped with peanut butter frosting fit the bill?


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Endless Homemade Vanilla Extract

Endless Homemade Vanilla Extract
If you're thinking that $15 for vanilla beans plus the vodka isn't exactly cheap, you are correct. You're looking at more than the $1.50-2.00 an ounce of buying vanilla. However, your homemade vanilla is nearly endlessly replenishable.
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