FOOD STAPLES FOR YOUR PANTRY, FRIDGE AND FREEZER

After posting the first recipe on this blog, it dawned on me that it might be a good idea to share with readers what I consider to be food staples. These are items I almost always have in my pantry, refrigerator and freezer. Having these items already paid for makes it much easier to come up with something creative, inexpensive, tasty and filling when there isn’t much money around to buy food.

If you live pay check to pay check as so many people do, finances get pretty tight when you’re a few days away from payday. If all you need to do is stop by the grocery on your way home from work to buy celery stalks or other fresh produce, you will be more likely to cook something at home that will feed the entire family rather than falling in to the “just get fast food” trap, which too many people do far too often. It will usually cost you double or triple the cost of a few pounds of ground beef to feed the family at a Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Arby’s, etc.

Read through the following items and adjust for your preferences, i.e., maybe you prefer canned asparagus over canned green beans.

Canned Goods Staples
Canned Green Beans
Canned Potatoes
Canned/Jarred Sliced Mushrooms
Petite Diced Tomatoes
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce
Jar of Spaghetti Sauce/Pasta Sauce
Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup
Cheese Soup
Canned Kidney Beans
Canned Butter Beans
Canned Cannellini Beans
Vinegar (white and apple cider)

Dry Goods Staples

Flour
Sugar
Corn Starch
Honey
Elbow Macaroni
Egg Noodles
Spaghetti Noodles
Starch
Stove Top Stuffing
Gravy Packets (Beef, Pork, Chicken, Brown)

Spice Staples
Salt and Pepper, of course
White Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Sage
Thyme
Rosemary
Basil
Paprika
Poultry Seasoning
Old Bay Seasoning
Garlic Salt
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Minced Onion (in case my onions went bad or I don’t have any)
Jar of chicken bouillon cubes
Jar of beef bouillon cubes

A note about spices: Hopefully you have a wide variety of spices in your spice cabinet; the more the better. They are expensive to buy so if you do not have many spices consider buying 1 different spice each time you grocery shop to spread out the cost. People will tell you that spices will “expire” in that they lose their potency and flavor over time. They may "expire" but that doesn't mean they can no longer be used. If you have a spice you know is very old, put it in a custard cup, then put that custard cup in the microwave along with a microwave safe container with about a cup of water. Microwave on high for about 1 minute; this will release the flavors of older spices saving you the money of buying new.

Refrigerator Staples

Milk
Butter/Margarine
Eggs
Yellow Mustard
Spicy Mustard
Ketchup
Worcestershire Sauce
Italian Dressing
Mayonnaise
Whipped Salad Dressing (such as Miracle Whip)
Hot Sauce
Soy Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce
Cheeses (Shredded Cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella)
Cottage Cheese
Sour Cream
Cream Cheese (un-opened cream cheese has a very long refrigerator life)

Freezer Staples

Frozen Peas
Frozen Corn
Frozen Mixed Vegies
Frozen Leaf Spinach
1 – 2 lbs. ground beef
1 - 2 lbs. bulk sausage
Chicken (thighs, legs, wings, breasts – whatever your preference)
Loaf of bread (so that there is always non-moldy bread in the house)

A special side note about any recipes you may read on this blog. I never claim that these are low-calorie, low-fat food options. All this blog attempts to do is provide you with recipe ideas that aren't boring yet are still an affordable way to feed yourself and your family with as little effort and money as possible when times are financially tough. No doubt, food critics will proclaim many recipes to be too high calorie or too high fat. Probably they are, but this is not necessarily the fare that you are feeding your family every day. The purpose is to make something out of nothing when it counts.