Pantry and Refrigerator/Freezer Staples

I have a confession to make: I HATE grocery shopping. I have tried doing it solo and buying myself a treat of a coffee before I do it, but that honestly didn't make it much better (and many times I'd spill the coffee!) I realize it is a part of adult life though, but I really would rather hand off the duty to my husband, or go as a family (which is not a great idea at all these days!!). Thankfully, my husband loves grocery shopping! It is one of his ways of having down time, and he actually tells me some evenings "i'm going to Mariano's (our grocery store of choice)" without me even asking him to go buy food. The one problem I have with him doing the shopping though, is that many times when he is prepared to go to the store, I am not ready with my list. This leads to him walking around rather aimlessly and buying things that seem good (basic cuts of meat, for example), and me remembering what I need only once he has left the store and is on his way home.

I am trying to find a solution to this problem to make meal prep a little bit smoother in our home and cut back on emergency trips to the store for missing ingredients or staples. One thing I decided to finally do is make a list of pantry and refrigerator staples: things we use daily that do not really get included into recipes, therefore things that I am constantly forgetting to put on the list.

I am sharing my list here. I got the idea from a book I'm reading called Family Feasts for $75 a Week but of course, this idea of having a "staples list" is not a new one. I went off of the author's list, taking out things I don't use, and adding in other staples, and here is what I came up with so far. I am sure I missed something (or a few things) which I can add later on.

My plan is now when my husband is ready to go to the store, or I am planning my meals and making I can skim my basics list and see what I may be in need of.

Pantry Staples

• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Bananas
• Chocolate chips (regular and mini)
• Coffee (k-cups, Serbian, and regular ground coffee)
• Caffeinated Tea
• Decaffeinated Tea
• Cornmeal
• Cornstarch
• Cream of Tartar
• Coffee creamer
• Bread Flour
• All-purpose flour
• Wheat flour
• Sugar: Regular, Brown, Confectioner’s
• Minced Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Canola/Vegetable Oil
• Onions (red and yellow)
• Pasta: Egg noodles, lasagna noodles, and regular (any shape)
• Peanut Butter
• Jam
• Potatoes (any kind)
• Quick-Cooking Oats
• Rice (Brown and/or white)
• Spices: Garlic powder, paprika, dried parsley
• Soy Sauce
• Worcestire Sauce
• Balsamic Vinegar
• White Vinegar
• Pasta Sauce (non-dairy so it can be used for lent as well)
• Canned Tuna
• Canned Clams
• Cocoa Powder
• Vanilla Extract
• Yeast
• Cereal: Multi-Grain Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Special K
  

Refrigerator/Freezer Staples

• Apples (organic)
• Butter
• Margarine (spreadable and stick form)
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cheeses in shredded form: Cheddar, Mozzarella
• Parmesan Cheese (in any form)
• Cream Cheese
• Cottage Cheese
• Greek Yogurt
• Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
• Eggs
• Flour Tortillas
• Lettuce
• Organic Milk
• Sour Cream
• Caeasar Salad Dressing (natural)
• Salsa (Whole Foods 360 Corn and Bean Salsa)
• Fruit Juice Ice Pops