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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard

Anyone who knows me knows I like to be well stocked in the kitchen. I rarely run out of things and my cabinets are always full, for which I'm very thankful. With this stuff on hand, I feel confident I can throw together a meal on the fly without having to go to the store. Things that can always be found in my pantry:

Condiments
Oils - olive, vegetable, grape
Vinegars - I am a vinegar ho.
Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce - MFD's. I don't touch the stuff, although I may add some to a recipe if I'm feeling saucy.
Soy Sauce
Heinz Ketchup
Mustards - yellow, spicy brown, dijon.
Hellman's mayo
Ranch and italian dressings. I also use creamy caesar for marinades.


Spices
Salts: coarse kosher salt, sea salt, regular salt.
Beyond that, I have a robust collection of spices. The ones I use most often and find necessary on a weekly or daily basis: chili powder, dill, cumin, garlic salt, garlic powder, ground dry mustard, onion powder, paprika, oregano, thyme.


Dry Goods
Pasta - spaghetti, elbows, rigatoni, bowtie, orzo. I like Barilla Plus or Healthy Harvest, but I keep regular on hand so MFD doesn't have a shit fit.
Quinoa
Brown Rice
White rice
Quaker Oats - I love the Quaker Oat man.
Barley
Lentils
Ramen
Bread - I prefer Sara Lee. I'm also a sucker for rye.
Panko breadcrumbs. If I need regular, I'll make my own.
MFD's requirements: Lipton noodle soup, Kraft Mac & Cheese


Cans and Jars
Beans - pinto, black, and kidney. I make my own black beans from dry and freeze them.
Tomatoes - diced, crushed, and whole peeled plum. I prefer Tuttoroso.
Tomato paste - I use what I need from the can and then freeze the rest in ice cube trays
Peanut Butter - Peter Pan mostly.
Jams and jellies - I love a variety. My least favorite is grape.
Peppers - roasted red, banana, jalapeno, chipotle in adobo sauce
Capers
Pickles - always dill, never sweet or bread & butter
Olives - green and black. Sometimes kalamata. Opa!
Chicken broth - I make my own whenever I can and freeze it, but I always have some on hand in the pantry as well.
Tuna


Baking things
Flour - all purpose and whole wheat
Sugar - white, brown, confectioner's
Cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder
Vanilla extract
Chocolate chips and Baker's chocolate
Pudding - vanilla and chocolate, instant


Beverages
Dunkin Donuts coffee, green tea bags and black tea bags.
CranGrape juice
Assorted sodas


Fridge
Milk - skim for me, 2% for MFD
FF half & half
Greek yogurt - I substitue it for sour cream often.
Sour cream
Cheese - feta, blue, parmesan, extra sharp cheddar, some type of jack. Block over pre-shedded. Nine times out of 10, I grate my own.


Freezer
Homemade marinara sauce, frozen flat in ziploc bags
Veggies: I always have chopped onions, chopped spinach, broccoli crows
Shredded cheese
Bacon
Shrimp
Shredded chicken bagged and frozen in one and two cup portions
Homemade soup - either leftovers or made specifically to freeze.
Ellio's pizza
Chicken breasts and thighs
Garlic bread


Produce
I always have celery, carrots, and potatoes
I usually have cucumbers, peppers, and another veggie.
Fruit I buy the most: naval oranges, granny smith apples, berries, grapes, bananas, stone fruits


Snacks 
Tortilla and regular chips, Utz special dark pretzels, Ritz crackers. I keep all of those on hand in case an impromptu party arises that we are either hosting or attending. If MFD has his way we also have Oreos, gummy bears, Nutty bars, and other assorted processed bad stuff.

What's in your pantry?  Big Hungry Shelby posted on this topic a few weeks back. Check out what she stocks here.

Tomorrow, tommorow, I love ya, TOMORROW!
Tomorrow I'm giving away a Target gift card because I love you.

Kiss kiss.

post signature

20 comments:

  1. Thank GOD you buy the fancy, Grade A, chopped, frozen onions. I would really think less of you if you didn't. Opa!

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    Replies
    1. There's no room for grade F onions when you're trying to save a minute.

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  2. Hahahahahahaha! My kitchen stock ALWAYS consists of enough coffee to last at least a year, 1 to 1 1/2 gallons of cream, wine, and assorted and sundry spices.

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    1. I have coffee out the wazoo. Ice cream is very very dangerous to me.

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  3. you are so organized. I have a lot of stuff but (i'm bad) I have no idea where it is. I need to take a page from your book

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  4. That's my girl! Our motto-DON'T EVER RUN OUT OF ANYTHING!!
    LOL. Happiest with a full pantry/fridge/freezer so we can make whatever we want without a trip to the store, especially in this cold weather.
    Love you!

    your momma

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  5. Okay! I feel like I'm a failure compared to your pantry organization!! Seriously, we keep a large portion of some of the stuff, but I don't always keep the baking stuff on hand. I need to do a better job at that. And yes, I'm like you.... I have so many spices, but I use a lot of garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and onion powder. =) I think the next weekend we are home... I'm going to reorganize our pantry and cabinets. Even though we just moved in 6 months ago! =)

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  6. I love this post! And your organization and your fancy shopping lists!
    Do you make your own shredded chicken for the freezer? If so, how?

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    Replies
    1. I do. I either boil chicken breasts for about 20 minutes in water with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic powder; or I put them in the crockpot with the same stuff for about four hours on low.

      Whenever I have a rotisserie chicken, I pick that sucker dry and bag the leftovers to freeze as well.

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  7. Looks very similar to mine! I can't keep stuff that will go bad stocked (like Sour Cream), since the two of us can't get through all the perishables, but I definitely stock all of the non-perishables! I like being able to make what I want, when I want.

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  8. Don't look for a post like this from me anytime soon. LOL

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  9. It's eerily like looking into my own kitchen. Except I prefer the Sourdough Specials to the Special Dark. Oh, and there is always a bag of Pretzel Crisps in the pantry in some flavor because those things are just amazing.

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  10. Wow, you're VERY well stocked! I'm a bit jealous!

    I'm with you on the vinegars, though. If you don't mind ordering online, check out Seattle Olive Oil Company. They sell THE. BEST. flavored balsamic vinegars. Mango and blueberry are some of my favorites...seriously, it's so good I like to sip it plain.

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  11. Wow, this made me dizzy, but that could be from all the Benedryl I got as premeds this morning. That pantry of yours is uber amazing. Screw Rent-A-Chef, I think I may hire you!!!! I do have many of those items in my own pantry, I just don't know what in bloody hell to do with them.

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  12. Ummmmmmmmm..........can you come organize my kitchen?! It's a hot mess!!!

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  13. Pretty sure you need to come stock my kitchen up ;)
    And teach me how to use all of the items lol!

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  14. I don't think I have room in my kitchen to keep all of that stuff! I'm jealous that you have such a big pantry. And yay to three kinds of mustard. A girl after my own heart!

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  15. And I thought I had a lot of stuff in my pantry! Holy crap, Steph! But like you, I feel that it's comforting to have that stuff on hand knowing I can put something together without having to run to the store.

    And how do you cook your own black beans? Every time I've done it they come out tasting like some dining hall cast off.

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  16. I've never even considered chopped frozen onion - I put onion in EVERYTHING and constantly buy onions but don't cook very often - lots of waste.

    Just as good??

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