Stocking the Pantry

I'm not an exotic cook so you won't find kippers or smoked oysters in my pantry but I do stock my pantry with staples.  I also use my pantry to save money and buy canned goods when they are on sale.

Here is what you can usually find in my pantry at all times:

• Pastas:  thin spaghetti, fettuccine and angel hair, a box or two of penne or rotini, and yes...a box or two of that yellow mac and cheese.  I like to keep gnocchi and tortellini (but they are usually refrigerated or frozen).

• Rice: a large bag of brown rice, a few boxes of wild rice and usually a box of Spanish rice.  I also like to keep at least one box of several flavors of Zatarrains rice mixes (Dirty Rice and Red Beans and rice are good bases for a meal). 

• Canned Goods:  Canned tomatoes (my dads canned tomatoes, large-2, petite diced-3,) tomato sauce (large-2, regular-3, mini-3) and at least one can of tomato paste.

• Pasta Sauce:  Both Red and Alfredo sauces (I stock up on these when they are on sale).

• Canned Vegetables:  canned corn both kernels and creamed corn, green beans (again-my dads home canned beans), soups for a quick meal, black beans, kidney beans and re fried beans.  Add any staples your family regularly enjoys.  And...in the winter I always have some mini cans of peas and carrots to add to my container of vegetable soup.  

• Baking Staples:  Flour, sugar, yeast, brown sugar and confectionery sugar.  I always have a chocolate and yellow cake mix on hand plus mini-semi-sweet baking chips and a package or two of brownie, quick-bread and muffin mix in case I need to make a meal and include a dessert.  Plus Italian breadcrumbs, oil (both canola and Olive Oil)

• Other:  In the cooler months I usually have a bag or two of instant soup mix on hand to whip up a quick meal, stuffing mix for stuffed pork chops.

Now you are ready to prepare a meal with out running out of a staple!  Group like items together and be sure to rotate the older items to the front when yo purchase new.  I keep a list on my fridge and always replace an item after I use it.  Now if I could JUST convince the younger daughter to do the same!  LOL

Here is a Link to the original post on my old blog.