I am very much a minimalist. I despise clutter. I simply cannot function if I have "stuff" surrounding me. One of my favorite things to do is to rent a dumpster and start filling it. If I don't use something for a few months, it's gone. I would assume this is partly because we have five people living in a 55-yr-old very small house. We simply do not have the room to be accumulating. In my opinion, that's a great reason to live here forever! I love our house. For the size and age, we do have 2 and one half baths, plenty of closets, and just enough room for all of us. The size of my kitchen is sometimes a source of discontent, but only because I spend so much of my time there. I'm hoping that a remodel is somewhere in the future, but until then, I will stick to my minimalist ideals. I keep only the "gadgets" I use and although I keep a stocked pantry, I try not to accumulate too much.
My sister-in-law was hoping I'd share my list of pantry items to keep on hand, so...
here it is:
refrigerated items-
greek yogurt
butter
milk
heavy cream
cream cheese
bacon
white wine
red wine
lemons
eggs
various cheeses (parm, mozzarella, cheddar, feta or blue, usually goat)
frozen vegetables (peas, mixed veggies, etc)
baking items-
baking powder
baking soda
honey
molasses
kosher salt
cinnamon
pumpkin pie spice
cream of tartar
cocoa
semisweet chips
powdered sugar
flour
sugar
brown sugar
cornstarch
vanilla
lemon extract
misc items-
olive oil
canola oil
cracked pepper grinder
soy sauce
worcesterchire sauce
smoked paprika
onion powder
garlic powder
garlic cloves
dry pasta
marinara sauce
hot pepper flakes
onions
potatoes
Now, as I've shared before, I am not terrifically organized, but if I keep my kitchen stocked wih these essentials, I am sure to be able to make a quick dinner and always able to make a dessert. And, as always happens, I never have everything I need, so it's always a fun challenge to improvise.
In general, I try to also stock my kitchen with fresh fruits and veggies,mixed greens, blended yogurts (Breyers), granola bars (Kashi's are our favs), peanut butter (jif or skippy natural), mott's applesauce (no sugar added), smartfood popcorn, ice cream (for when I don't make dessert), and Honey Nut Cheerios (I think they're crazy expensive...$5(!), but Rob requires them).
How about you? What do you stock your pantry with for baking/snacking/quick meals?
i feel like i say this on every most- but ME TOO! i love throwing stuff away!
ReplyDeletethose are the same things i keep on hand- heavy cream and cream cheese i often forget. nice thing is that grocery store is seriously 1 min away! :)
i can't agree more--i LOVE chucking. curt's a neymeyer, after all, and we accumulate piles easily. there are many items he has yet to find out i have gotten rid of (hehe). one of my favorite things also is eating leftovers and getting my fridge down to the bare essentials. there is nothing more stressful to me than an over-stocked fridge with things piled on top of each other. it makes me cringe. i like to be able to SEE everything in there. as far as what i keep on hand--i echo all of your items! (right down to the kashi granola bars!). we also always have to have various nuts, frozen veggies for when i'm out of fresh (but i DONT do canned), canned beans (these i DO do canned), frozen chicken breasts/turkey sausage/ground turkey, frozen homemade pizza dough, chicken broth, and apple butter. ha, random assortment but always essential!
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