Kitchen staples, what are yours?

Being married to a picky meat-and-potatoes-loving husband and having an even pickier 3-year old has turned me into quite the creative cook as we tend to eat the same basic things week after week and in order to get as creative as I can, I have found that keeping a well stocked pantry, fridge and freezer is key!

I also make most things from scratch to stretch my culinary legs and maximize my time in the kitchen (yes, I am one of THOSE women!), with marinades and sauces being my favorites.  How about you?

Here's my most comprehensive list of kitchen staples:

Pantry:
  • Red wine, rice wine, & balsamic vinegars
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Peanut Oil, Sesame Oil, and Canola Oil
  • Anchovey fillets
  • Cornmeal
  • Breadcrumbs and croutons (that I've made from stale bread)
  • Rolled oats
  • Baking soda & baking powder, whole wheat & bread flour, yeast, brown & white sugar, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, honey, and Crisco
  • Jasmin or extra-long grain rice
  • Cold Brew tea bags
  • Hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, sesame seeds
  • Peanut butter and almond butter
  • Canned crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce
  • Chipotle in adobo
  • Chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, nutmeg, cinnamon, oregano, caraway seeds, poultry seasoning, lemon-pepper seasoning, salt, whole pepper corns, ground marjoram, ground thyme, dried parsley, cheyene pepper, ground cloves, ground ginger
  • Whole wheat elbow macaroni, penne and linguini pastas
  • Lasagna and jump shell noodles
  • Whole wheat wraps (for sandwich wraps)
  • Corn and white flour tortillas
  • Chicken, beef and vegetable stocks (love those cardboard containers!)
  • Pizza sauce
  • Refried black beans
  • Albacore tuna in water
Fridge:
  • Dijon mustard, stone-ground mustard, mayo, pickles, sweet relish, capers, Tabasco sauce
  • Crushed garlic, lemon & lime juice, minced ginger
  • Worschestershire sauce, soy sauce, ketch-up, chili paste, hot mustard
  • Sour cream, unsalted butter, SmartBalance spread, cream cheese, plain yogurt
  • Fresh basil, parsley, thyme and rosemary
  • Carrots, celery, yellow onions, green onions, romaine hearts, zucchini, sugar snap peas, russet potatoes
  • Soy milk, fat free milk and 3 dozen eggs (we eat a lot of egg whites for breakfast)
Freezer:
  • Frozen, organic peas, haricot vert, broccoli florets, corn, spinach
  • 2 loaves of bread and a bag of english muffins
  • Walnuts, pecans and pine nuts
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Mexican-style shredded cheese
  • Home-made pizza dough
  • Goat cheese (I buy the large logs from Costco and portion in to 4oz servings) and whole-milk mozzarella
  • Deli-cut salami, canadian bacon and pepperoni for pizzas
  • Breakfast sausage

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