Happy Saturday, all!
Today, I'm taking time to fulfill a request from one of my readers, who asked me to put together a list of ingredients for beginner shoppers, such as newly-weds, or those who've decided to do more cooking and baking in their own kithen instead of eating out or from pre-packaged containers.
Well, sure! Piece of cake! No prob! Easy as pie!... Except that it wasn't.
I've been cooking and baking for soooo long that narrowing down my list of "must have" ingredients was a little tricky. It was actually quite comical, truth be told:
Andrea: Milk. Check. Eggs. Check.
Almond Extract: ... But what about me?
Andrea: You know I love you, Almond... it's just... not everyone is aware of your amazing qualities like I am.
Almond Extract: What are you saying?... I'm not important?
Andrea: No! You'll always matter to me! I think you're wonderful!
Almond Extract: I knew it... you've always loved Vanilla Extract the most anyway. *sniff, sniff
Andrea: (panicking slightly) That's not true! What would I do without you? Think of the cherry bars! The cherry bars would never be the same without you! If I were making a "Specialty Items" list, you'd be on it!
Almond Extract: (brightening)...You mean it?
Andrea: Of course I do... are you going to be okay?
Almond Extract: I suppose so.
Andrea: Okay... Well, then... Fruit. Check. Vegetables. Check.
Feta Cheese: ... And me, right?
Andrea: ...*sigh...
It was kinda tough, but eventually, I narrowed it down to my top 100 ingredients. These are not likely to be on everyone's top 100 list, but they are on mine.
Then I realized that someone JUST starting out probably might not want, or need, 100 ingredients right off the bat, (overwhelming/expensive) so I narrowed it down again, to my top 50 ingredients.
You get BOTH lists. (You lucky reader, you.)
TOP 100 INGREDIENTS {Shopping List}
Milk
Eggs
Cheddar
Mozzarella
Fresh Fruit (Apples, Oranges, Berries, Watermelon etc.)
Fresh Vegetables (Spinach, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Tomatoes etc.)
Applesauce
Jams/Jellies
Salad Dressings
Fresh Cilantro
Mayonaisse
Mustard
Ketchup
Salsa
Hot Sauce
Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
Worchestershire Sauce
Lemon Juice Yogurt
Butter
Heavy Cream
Sour Cream
Cottage Cheese
Cream Cheese
Dry Active Yeast
Poultry
Meat
Fish
Frozen Fruit (Blueberries, Strawberries, Mixed, etc.)
Frozen Vegetables (Spinach, Corn, Peas, etc.)
Juice Concentrates
PANTRY/CUPBOARDS
Evaporated Milk
Condensed Milk
Olive Oil
Canola Oil
Cooking Spray
Vinegar
All-Purpose Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Powdered Sugar
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Baking Soda
Vanilla
Chocolate Chips
Canned Tuna
Canned Cream Soups (Yep. I said it.)
Cornstarch
Dry Pasta
Jarred Pasta Sauce
Bread Crumbs
Graham Crackers
Whole Wheat Crackers
Olives
Enchilada Sauce
Onion Soup Mix
Canned or Dry Black Beans
Canned or Dry Pinto Beans
Canned Kidney Beans
Canned or Dry Great Northern Beans
Canned Garbanzo Beans
Canned Pineapple
Canned Peaches
Tomato Sauce
Brown Rice
White Rice
Oatmeal
Honey
Shortening
Mapeline
Peanut Butter
Nuts
Chicken/Beef/Vegetable Broth or Bullion
Canned Tomatoes
Baking Powder
Bread
Tortillas
Buns
Potatoes
Onions
SPICES
Salt
Pepper
Cinnamon
Chili Powder
Oregano
Basil
Cumin
Ginger
Thyme
Rosemary
Parsley
Red Pepper Flake
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Paprika
Cloves
Nutmeg
Sesame Seeds
Bay Leaves
There you have it. My top 100. If it seems excessive, let me introduce you to my next list, which is much more manageable if you are truly just starting out:
TOP 50 INGREDIENTS {Shopping List}
REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER
Milk
Eggs
Cheddar
Fresh Fruit
Fresh Vegetables
Soy Sauce
Frozen Fruit
Frozen Vegetables
Butter
Yogurt
Dry Active Yeast
Poultry
Meat Fish
PANTRY/CUPBOARDS
Olive Oil
Canola Oil
All-Purpose Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Dry Pasta
Jarred Pasta Sauce
Canned or Dry Black Beans
Canned or Dry Pinto Beans
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Powdered Sugar
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Baking Soda
Vanilla
Chocolate Chips
Canned Tuna
Cornstarch
Canned Tomatoes
Tomato Sauce
Brown Rice
White Rice
Oatmeal
Honey
Peanut Butter
Nuts
Baking Powder
Potatoes
Onions
Bread
Tortillas
SPICES
Salt
Pepper
Cinnamon
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Basil
Chili Powder
That about does it. If any of the items on the list seem out of place to you, or if you have other "must have" ingredients on YOUR list, please share them by commenting below. I'm definitely not the last word in necessary kitchen ingredients, and some of the things I eat may not be things others eat or enjoy, so lets get more ideas rolling!
It's amazing that you can cut the list down to 50! Comes to think of it, I always have those 100 must-have and more. :P I do have a few friends who just started on how to learn cooking. I went to grocery shop with her and realized she doesn't have anything, at all! So we started the simple way, pick a recipe she can prepare easily and we just shopped those items. And on our next trip, we shopped other essential on another recipe. Hopefully, she'll get a better coverage pantry and fridge. :) But, it's quite expensive to really fill the list when she started from 0!
ReplyDeleteNice list! I would leave off the canola oil, powdered sugar, and bread and add canned salmon, dill, and sour cream, I think.
ReplyDeleteHahah! That sounds like my internal monologue. Mainly because this Andrea also adores almond extract, and feta is a staple (i'd trade my right arm for some occasionally).
ReplyDelete:D
I just found your blog and I love it!! This monologue cracked me up this morning. Thanks for an awesome blog on frugality!
ReplyDeleteSave even more money by making your own:
ReplyDeleteApplesauce
Jams/Jellies
Salad Dressings
Mayonnaise....so easy with a stick blender
Cream Soups
Pasta Sauce
Enchilada sauce (very smiple to make own)
Onion soup mix
Use DRIED beans and lentils instead of canned (easy to cook in crockpot)
Chicken/Beef/Vegetable Broth
Bottle your own peaches
Bottle your own tomatoes
Condensed milk using dry milk
I love these lists! I am wondering what you do for salsa. We eat something Mexican-y at least once a week, almost always accompanied by salsa, so we go through quite a bit and it can be kind of pricey. Anyway, do you make your own? I've been thinking of making a big batch to freeze, but not sure how it would hold up.
ReplyDeleteMmmmm... salsa! We go through it like crazy at our house too. Even my little 4 year old loves a good chunky salsa. My favorite to homemade, but unless you have a garden, it's cheaper to buy the big bottles of the cheaper salsa at the store... so really it's your call. As far as freezing homemade salsa goes... it would work fine with cooked salsa, but fresh salsa (thawed after being frozen) isn't going to taste quite the same. Have you ever considered canning salsa? That is your best bet for making a big batch and storing it for later use. Hope that helps!
DeleteMy 3 year old loves salsa too! She just eats it plain off her plate when we have anything Mexican. I will admit, I'm scared of canning. I don't know anything about it, and it just seems daunting. I might look into it though. In the meantime I think I just need to compare prices a little better to make sure I'm getting a good deal. I'm trying to get away from my "brand snob" ways.
DeleteThanks for responding! I made your pizza sauce and homemade bisquick mix this weekend!