What's in My Kitchen

It took me a really long time to learn, but if you have certain ingredients on hand, you can whip together a meal, from scratch, with very little forethought and planning, that is easy and that your family will love.

My husband does it all the time - he's king of foraging through my pantry and fridge and just throwing a bunch of stuff in a pan. And guess what? It's fabulous.

So, just to share, here's a list of items that I always have on hand. I left off some things that I buy weekly but included others, but I always have staples like milk, eggs and bread on hand, that's a given.

Pantry:

• Pasta - spaghetti or fettuccini, elbow macaroni and orzo

• A jar of really good pasta sauce - for the night when I just don't have it in me to make it from scratch

• Beans, beans and beans - All kinds, cannellini, black, pinto, kidney, garbanzo and northern, usually one can of each

• Tomatoes - diced, crushed, whole, sauce and paste

• Really good canned tomatoes - the Italian kind, crushed

• Soups - cream of mushroom, cream of celery, cream of chicken and tomato

• Stock - a 32 oz box of beef and chicken

• Tuna

• Bread crumbs

• Cornflakes

• Tortilla Chips

• Instant mashed potatoes

• White or brown rice and arborrio

• Boxed brownie or cake mix and frosting

• Chocolate Chips

• Peanut butter

• Flour - King Arthur is the brand I swear by

• Sugar

• Vinegar - white, apple cider, red wine, white wine and rice wine - I use them a lot in the salads that I make so I've got quite the collection going

• Oil - olive and canola

• Canned fruit - pineapple, pears, peaches and mandarin oranges

Produce:

• Lemons

• Limes

• Tomatoes - vine-ripened

• Garlic

• Potatoes

• Onions

• Carrots - whole and baby

• Celery

• Peppers - green and red

• A bag of chopped vegetables - something that could be steamed for a quick side

• Spinach

• Basil

• Cilantro or Parsley

• Mushrooms

Refrigerator:

• Heavy Cream - I just added this to my list recently, my husband uses it in coffee so it doesn't go to waste

• Minced garlic

• Cheese - shredded mozzarella, shredded cheddar, parmesan and a block of something like gouda or Havarti

• Cream cheese

• Greek Yogurt

• Sour Cream

• Butter - sticks and spreadable

• Mustard - Dijon and yellow

• Soy sauce

• Hot sauce

• Mayonnaise

Freezer - I really try to watch the sales and stock up when I have the chance:

• At least 2 pounds of ground beef

• Pork - tenderloin and chops - I usually like to have a shoulder, also

• Chicken - thighs, a whole chicken and boneless, skinless breasts

• Sister Schubert dinner rolls

• Pizza - at least two different kinds

• Vegetables - at least one or two bags, usually more like four, corn, peas, mixed and carrots

Spices:

• Basil

• Oregano

• Cumin

• Minced Onion

• Onion Powder

• Garlic Powder

• Salt - Kosher and Sea Salt

• Peppercorns

• Dill

• Rosemary

• Vanilla

So if you're just starting out, or just need something to compare to, there you go.

What's in your kitchen?