How to Have a Well Stocked Pantry

How to Have a Well Stocked Pantry

Having a well stocked pantry simply means that you have plenty of the basic supplies on hand to cook dinner each day. In addition, a well stocked pantry will have a few things in it to feed your family when you don’t have time to shop.

You don’t need a big walk-in pantry. I have a very small cupboard in my kitchen that keeps my staples.

You don’t need to make a big financial investment. Plan on buying these things a little bit each week when you shop. Before you know it, your pantry will be full of the essential items.

Each week, before you grocery shop, look at the list and check to see what you already have in your pantry. If you have it, cross it off the list. If you don’t have it, you’ll be buying more to stock up.

Here’s a list of things to get you started. Print it out and check your pantry. Go ahead. I’ll wait. B-)

Oils:
Olive oil (stock up when it’s on sale.)
Vegetable oil
Spices:
Salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, thyme, sage, parsley, rosemary, dill, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Baking supplies:
Flour, yeast, corn meal, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract.
Cooking supplies:
Bouillon cubes, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce, (Tabasco and salsa), lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, (rice, red wine, and white vinegars,) Italian dressing.
Dry foods:
Pastas, rice, beans, split peas, noodles, potatoes, onions.
Refrigerated staples:
Real butter (not margarine,) eggs, garlic, milk, cream or half ‘n’ half, mayonnaise, mustard.
Nice to have on hand:
Canned fruits, canned tuna, canned cream soups, canned tomatoes, canned beans, one or two baking mixes.


That’s it! This basic list will get you started. You’ll find there are other essentials you like to always have on hand. For me, it’s peanut butter. I love peanut butter, and I try to never run out of it.

With these things in your pantry, you’ll be able to cook a variety of meals, and you’ll have plenty of ingredients to make a quick dessert or treat out of as well.

Happy cooking!

Dinner Magic Will Help You With Dinner Every Day

Welcome to Dinner Magic! If you're here, you might be looking for help with planning, shopping, and preparing dinner each day. It makes sense to cook and eat at home; it's healthier, it's less expensive, and eating together creates bonds in relationships.

You don't have to spend much time to create delicious meals. It only takes a few minutes to put the ingredients together, set the table, and sit down to healthy, satisfying food. Even the non-cooks among us can serve up meals that the whole family will enjoy.

Each of the menus that are on this website are ones that I have served my family. Most of the menus serve 4-6 people. If your family is smaller, cut the recipes in half. If your family is larger, or very, very hungry, double the recipes.

You can start using Dinner Magic anytime. Each week I will provide seven days of dinner menus, plus the shopping list for all the ingredients. Before you begin, read Keeping a Well-Stocked Pantry. (Coming soon!) By using a checklist, you can keep your pantry stocked with the basics all the time, and only need to shop each week for the fresh or special ingredients.

Dinner doesn't have to be a chore. In fact, dinner can be a fun part of the day. Let Dinner Magic do the planning for you, and then you can enjoy relaxing meals everyday.

How To Use Dinner Magic So It Works For You

Each Wednesday, I will post a list of dinner menus for the week. It will be labeled with the month and the week, like this:

Dinner Magic Menus July Week 4

You can print this out or email it to yourself. At the bottom of the post is a link to the grocery list for that week. It is also named by the month and week, like this:

Dinner Magic Shopping List July Week 4

If you ever need to look up the menus or a shopping list for a week, use words just like my examples in the search box, except with the month and week you need.

The menus are linked to each recipe. Just click on the link.

You can also search for a recipe by typing in what you’re looking for in the search box. You can also scan the Recipes and Categories to see if something catches your eye there. You can scroll down now to see the latest recipes I've posted.

I will try my best to post a short article every week about kitchen tips and tricks to make your life in the kitchen easier. If I find a wonderful gadget, I’ll blog about it too. But during this first year, I’ll be working my tail off to get you all of my family’s favorite recipes, posted here on the blog, so you don’t have to worry about what you’re doing for dinner!

I hope you enjoy the recipes. If you find something odd, please email me and tell me.

Suzannepitner at gmail dot com

I’ll fix it right away! Even good cooks sometimes make mistakes in typing!

Have fun, and Bon Apetit!

Dinner Magic Menus March Week 1

Here are this week's menus. Remember, substitutions are fine. Create the meals with your family's taste in mind. All the meals serve 4-6 hungry people.

Sunday

Roast Beef with Vegetables in the Crockpot
Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Monday

Beef and Barley Vegetable Soup
Whole Wheat Crackers
Strawberry and Orange Fruit Salad

Tuesday

Salmon Burgers
Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Garden Salad

Wednesday

Country Style Ribs with Baked Apples
Green Beans
Home Baked Wheat Bread

Thursday

Tricolor Pasta with Spinach and Meatballs
Green Salad with Italian Dressing
Quick Peach Cobbler

Friday

Red Bean Chili with Baked Potatoes
Fruit and Yogurt Salad

Saturday

Tamale Pie
Fresh Green Salad