by Amanda Goetz
School starts for my Senior Kindergartener in less than two weeks. As much as I had fun this summer, I’m totally ready to get back to our routine… and to have some peace and quiet, if only for a few hours a day. Like most parents, I dread the school lunch making. One day they love something, the next it comes back uneaten with a note from the teacher saying your beloved child threw a fit when they were asked to eat their lunch and please don’t send that again. No? Just me? Oh well.
The return to school and activities can also leave a lot of parents struggling with what to make for dinner in the 15 minutes before they have to race out the door again, having everything at your fingertips can ease the strain a bit, that’s why I stock my pantry with all the staples so that making school lunches and dinners will be easy and fast without needing to run to the grocery store cause I’m missing one or two things for a recipe.
Really, I try to keep a well stocked pantry year round no matter what time of year it is. Inspiration hits me often and I don’t like to wait to try out a new recipe or invent something on the fly. I buy a lot of items on sale and really stock up, like when the grocery store has pasta on for 99¢ a bag or cases of soup for 1/2 price, this saves a ton of money in the long run. Couponing is also becoming quite popular and if you keep your eyes peeled you can get some great deals by combining coupons with sales.
I’ve compiled a list of items I always keep on hand for anyone who would like to keep their kitchen well stocked:
Pantry
| Extra virgin olive oil | Canola/Vegetable oil |
| Cooking spray | Chicken, Beef and Veggie broth in tetra packs |
| Canned Tomatoes | Canned Tomato Sauce |
| Canned beans | Canned soups (Cream of Mushroom, Tomato & Cream of Celery) |
| Dried pasta (in many shapes) | Rice |
| Oats | Worcestershire sauce |
| Mustard | Ketchup |
| Pickles | Olives |
| Nuts | BBQ Sauce |
| Red Wine Vinegar | White Vinegar |
| Granola Bars | Snack Pack Pudding |
| Crackers (various kinds) | Melba Toast |
| Dried Fruits (Raisins, Cranberries, Prunes) |
Dried Herbs and Spices
| Bay leaves | Cayenne pepper |
| Cinnamon | Garlic powder |
| Onion Powder | Whole Nutmeg |
| Oregano | Thyme |
| Sea Salt | Kosher salt |
| Smoked Paprika | Italian Seasoning |
| Steak Seasoning | Cajun Seasoning |
| Vanilla Beans |
Baking
| Baking powder | Baking soda |
| Brown sugar | Granulated sugar |
| Powdered Sugar | Cornstarch |
| White flour | Whole wheat flour |
| Chocolate (Chips, Squares, Chunks) | Unsweetened cocoa powder |
| Honey | Pure Vanilla Extract |
| Fat Free Pudding Mix | Shredded coconut |
| Almonds | Evaporated Milk |
| Sweetened Condensed Milk | Pumpkin Purée |
In the Fridge
| Low fat milk | Homogenized Milk |
| Whipped Cream | Half & Half |
| Yogurt | Eggs |
| Cheddar (Marble) | Cheese Strings |
| Deli Meats | Ranch Dressing |
| Italian Dressing | Unsalted Butter |
| Salted Butter |
In the Freezer
| Frozen veggies (peas, corn, broccoli, etc.) | Frozen fruits (berries, pineapple, mango, etc.) |
| Frozen Pizza Dough Balls | Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts |
| Steaks | Pork Tenderloin |
| Pork Shoulder | Pot Roast |
| Ham |
Fresh
| Garlic | Onions |
| Lemons | Potatoes |
| Peppers (of every colour) | Tomatoes |
| Romaine | Iceburg Lettuce |
| Baby Carrots | English Cucumbers |
| Green Onions | Mushrooms |
| Apples | Bananas |
| Pears | Pita Bread |
| Naan Bread |
Breakfast Drawer*
| Bread | Peanut Butter |
| Nutella | Honey |
| Cinnamon Sugar Mix | English Muffins |
| Cereal | Oatmeal |
The Breakfast Drawer is a pot drawer in my kitchen island that has everything related to breakfast in it. I keep the bread, toaster, peanut butter, Nutella, honey, cereal, oatmeal, etc… in there. Why? Well, I have this great wish that one day when my kids are old enough to wake up on Saturday mornings and come down without waking us up, they can easily get themselves a bowl of cereal or some toast because everything is all together and completely accessible to them (I keep their plastic plates and cutlery in the drawer right above the Breakfast Drawer). I like having the toaster in there because it keeps it off the counter freeing up space and keeping the kitchen less cluttered looking. It sits on a cookie sheet to catch crumbs making it easier to keep the drawer neat and clean.
Amanda Goetz is a WAHM to 3 kids under the age of 5. Her love of cooking was fostered when she was a preschooler helping her grandma in the kitchen. After a year long stint as a sous chef, she left the industry to continue cooking as a hobby before the stress and politics of a professional kitchen killed her love of cooking. Now she creates delicious dinners and delectable desserts for her family and friends and blogs about it at The Best Mom on the Block.