I thought it might be helpful to post this, and I hope everyone else will put in their 2 cents about what every well stocked pantry and fridge should have: Here's mine: Dry Goods:
Coffee Cornmeal Cornstarch Cream of Wheat Dry Beans (black, pinto, navy, etc...) Dry Cereals Dry Milk Powder (will save you many trips to the store when you are running low on fresh milk) Flour (all-purpose, buy a BIG bag and an airtight container large enough to store the whole thing, flour, stored properly will keep for a year )Granulated Sugar... buy a BIG bag and an airtight container large enough to store the whole thing) Jelly/jam (grape, raspberry, strawberry preserves, etc...) Long-grain White Rice and Brown Rice Oatmeal (quick cooking and regular) Pasta (spaghetti, fettuccini, elbows, penne, rigatoni, shells, twists, lasagna, wide egg noodles, etc...) Peanut Butter (natural is best, stir and store in fridge) Popcorn Ramen Noodles Tea
Extras...
Biscuit Mix Buttermilk Powder Cake Mix Coffee Creamer Gravy Mix (warehouse clubs sell this by the pound!) Pancake Mix Peanuts, Other Nuts & Seeds (almonds, pecans, walnuts, soy nuts, sunflower seeds, etc... store in fridge) Pudding and Jello Mixes
Additional Baking Supplies:
Baking Powder Baking Soda Chocolate Chips Condensed Milk Confectioners' Sugar Dark Brown Sugar Evaporated Milk Light Brown Sugar Light Corn Syrup Vanilla Extract (not flavoring) Yeast Packets (store in fridge) (only if you actually bake)
Spices:
Basil Bay Leaves Bouillon Cubes (chicken, beef and vegetable) Chili Powder Cinnamon Garlic Ginger Nutmeg Onion Powder Oregano Paprika Parsley Pepper (coarse ground) Rosemary Sage Salt
Canned Goods:
Chicken Broth Fruit (sliced peaches, pears, pineapple, fruit cocktail - packed in their own juice!) Soups (chicken noodle, tomato, cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, etc...) Tomatoes (diced, crushed) Tomato Paste Tomato Sauce Tuna (white albacore), or Chicken Vegetables (baked beans, green beans, corn, peas, sliced mushrooms, etc...
(Keep in mind, many regular grocery stores will give you a discount on canned goods if you purchase by the case)
All of the above (with adjustments for personal preferences and eating habits)should be on hand at all times.
Perishable items-Dairy (milk, eggs, real butter, margarine, cheese, sour cream, ice cream, yogurt, etc...) Fresh Fruit in Season or on Sale (apples, bananas, berries, oranges, grapes, melons, etc...) Fresh Vegetables in Season or on Sale (asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, corn on the cob, green peppers, mushrooms, etc...) Garlic Meat, Fish & Poultry - whatever you like, as long as it's on sale! (buy extra when there's a good sale and freeze the excess) Onions (yellow, sweet or red-which are actually purple) Potatoes (white, small red, yellow/gold or sweet) Salad stuff (lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, etc...)
These should be purchased weekly, in the amounts you'll actually USE- no matter how good the price was, it's no bargain if you're gonna wind up throwing it out.
Make a list and stick to it as much as you can.... if you have only a few items to buy, grab a basket, not a cart and you'll be less tempted to buy extras.
Posts: 2239 | Location: Western United States | Registered: 06-03-02
You left out hot sauce. I keep at least one full quart bottle at all times.
In my opinion, you should also keep at least 5 gallons of bottled water per person on hand at all times. In summer and, even more, in winter, under emergency circumstances, this could save your life.
Posts: 17205 | Location: Lincoln Place, Granite City, IL, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
Another staple is frozen flour taco shells. When all you have is some lettuce, and a little ground beer (or not even that), the shells, along with some beans, shredded cheese ( I keel a bag of this in the freezer, too.), and chopped onions, can be a meals for 2-4 people. The shells take up almost no freezer space, and the cheese takes up just a tiny bit more.
I keep the following on hand as well as most of what the well-prepared MrsS lists:
Dehydrated onions Dehydrated garlic Dehydrated parsley flakes Dill weed (Great on baked or grilled fish) Hungarian paprika (Do NOT buy hot paprika unless you are Mexican or related to me.) Red wine vinegar Balsamic vinegar Canned salmon Frozen fake crab meat (This, along with the salmon and some tuna, makes a great seafood salad/ Instead of sweet pickle relish, I make mine out of diced dill pickle chips and dill weed. And, of course, a touch of hot sauce.) Frozen fish fillets (Only on sale) Whole grain bread in the freezer (I only buy when on sale.) -------- In my city, the local Big Lots has some really fresh spices and they are cheaper than I have found anywhere else. For the cooking-impaired, they even carry BBQ spice, steak seasoning, Mexican seasoning, and Italian seasoning. The just recently had red, white, black, and green peppercorns in a disposable grinder for $1.40. It is McCormick brand, and would cost three times as much were I to buy it at another in-town store. The difference between freshly ground pepper and what you usually see in someone's home is similar to the difference in McD's fries and a cheap frozen brand that you bake. Pepper is so much more than just hot. (I can taste the difference between black, white, and red pepper, but the taste of green eludes me so far. But I'm learning.)
Posts: 17205 | Location: Lincoln Place, Granite City, IL, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
I thought it might be helpful to post this, and I hope everyone else will put in their 2 cents about what every well stocked pantry and fridge should have:
Carr's Water biscuits A nice Merlot Caviar Some decent cigarettes (not that Indian Reservation junk, I've been smoking lately) Belgian chocolate
I thought it might be helpful to post this, and I hope everyone else will put in their 2 cents about what every well stocked pantry and fridge should have:
Carr's Water biscuits A nice Merlot Caviar Some decent cigarettes (not that Indian Reservation junk, I've been smoking lately) Belgian chocolate
I don't do canned vegetables - prefer my veggies frozen if they can't be fresh.
A big staple for me is Campbell's tomato soup. My pantry is rarely without it. Also Mrs. Grass's chicken noodle soup mix. Neither are the best on the market but they are comfort food.
Posts: 3056 | Location: USA | Registered: 06-04-02
Dang...good thing I don't cook - I'd go broke buying everything on your shopping lists! My basics is always have a frozen pizza and at least a 6 pack. Sometimes I buy the salad fixins but they usually spoil before I am ever in the mood for one. I do like to have finger snack foods on hand (i.e. nuts, cheese squares, chips, crackers)
Posts: 9192 | Location: Atlanta, GA, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
I thought it might be helpful to post this, and I hope everyone else will put in their 2 cents about what every well stocked pantry and fridge should have:
Carr's Water biscuits A nice Merlot Caviar Some decent cigarettes (not that Indian Reservation junk, I've been smoking lately) Belgian chocolate
I'll add more staples later dg
You forgot the Marmite .
Yeah, cross off the caviar; with the extra cash a can afford the Marmite, a couple of packets of Digestive biscuits, and a bag of Walkers crisps.
Don't want to cause offence guys, but I agree with Georgia, one could break the bank stocking all the stuff you list. The Cold War is over, you know. What happened to shopping regularly for good fresh food, as they do in Europe? These lists seem a bit excessive.
Originally posted by dance girl: What happened to shopping regularly for good fresh food, as they do in Europe? These lists seem a bit excessive.
Good question, dg ! Is there a war on in the US ? Dried food? Stuff in cans? Are they stocking up to sit out a siege? Tell them they can come out now. That thing on the 11th of September was years ago.
Walker's crisps? Have you got a sudden crush on that nice Gary Lineker? Not sure we can still get Smith's crisps with the bag of salt in, so maybe you'll have to make do .
You don't buy all this at once; you build towards this. Once you have it, it is amazing how little you have to spend at the store, how easy it is to carry it home, and how seldom you really have to go. Remember, not everyone has a store within waling distance. Further, while Fred and Georgia don't have to worry about it, MrsS and I have at least one spell every winter that reminds one of Zhivago walking through Siberia. You really don't want to leave the house during a week when the highs barely go into double digits F, especially if you have a long way to drive or, worse, depend on a bus to be on schedule.
Having spent 5 days without power just over a year ago, I can tell you that canned food is really important. Just don't forget where the can opener is. The two large grocery stores in town also lost power for several days. And it was late July and early August. No A/C, no fans.
Besides, what if you just want to cook something you can't go out and buy, or you want it when the store is closed? Or you just like to cook?
Posts: 17205 | Location: Lincoln Place, Granite City, IL, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
My nearest market is not exactly around the block,and, Dorian, we have weeks where I long for double digits- heck, we have spells where I'd be happy with "above zero" so I have to take care to stay stocked up on the basics... as it happens, I do buy my fresh foods in small quantities, as needed... and, of course, this pantry list does presuppose that one actually cooks.
Posts: 2239 | Location: Western United States | Registered: 06-03-02
dg
Have you got a sudden crush on that nice Gary Lineker? Not sure we can still get Smith's crisps with the bag of salt in, so maybe you'll have to make do 
.
