Happy Monday! It’s been a while; I hope you’ve had a good weekend. I’m finally back after a little break. Moving took longer than I thought, but I’m finally settling in. I’ve never eaten out this much in my life. I can see how it would be easy to fall into eating out every night if you didn’t love cooking. I think it’s funny that I felt so much better once I got the kitchen stocked full of food. Not cooking for two weeks is weird when you are used to making daily meals. I was feeling very lost.
These past few weeks have brought many changes, good and challenging. I moved from my parent’s house to a town about 30 minutes away. I’m choosing to see this as a stepping stone; I’m sure many can relate to living with family, especially after covid. I got too comfortable there and needed to be pushed out of my comfort zone, expand my community, and not be such a homebody all the time. I haven’t been alone since college, so I am adjusting to a new normal. The hardest part will be adjusting to cooking for one person, not four. I have to keep reminding myself to cut everything in half so I don’t waste a ton of food, and dang, it’s challenging.
I’m starting to establish a new routine, and my most important task so far has been creating a pantry. So, I thought I’d take you along in the planning process. Maybe it will be helpful for you if you’re starting or want to curate a better selection to make mealtime a little easier. So far, I have a start, but I am still not quite there yet. I’m still adjusting and making tweaks to make it work for me.
Next week, I’ll continue my recipe series and get back into the swing of things as I finish my pantry and start recipe testing again. As I get more settled and start following a healthier routine, I’m picking up an old habit: weekly meal planning. So here’s what I’m eating this week as I get into the flow of working in a new kitchen.
This weeks meal plan
I’m in the mood for warm and comforting meals that make me feel good. So homemade buttery biscuits, lots of eggs and soups are on the menu this week. Plus, a salad or two for good measure.
Monday: Sesame Ginger Chicken Salad (Spoon Fork Bacon)
Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup (Freeze Leftovers)
Wednesday: Leftover Day
Thursday: Winter Grain Bowl (Pinch of Yum)
Friday: Shakshuka with Homemade Naan (Food by Maria Stuffed Naan)
Saturday: Leftover Day
Sunday: Breakfast For Dinner ( crispy fried eggs, bacon or sausages and homemade einkorn biscuits with jam)
Desserts/Snacks: homemade granola
The Grocery List
polenta
wildrice
goat cheese
feta
1 golden beet
corn tortillas
chicken breast or thighs
1 fennel bulb
quinoa or farro
romaine lettuce
Making my pantry from scratch
There are so many ways that you can categorize a pantry; here’s how I’ve done it based on of course how I like to cook. Everyone’s needs are slightly different. I’m still currently working on getting all of these but as I was taking inventory in my head about what I use often these are the ingredients that came up. I also added a few of my favorite brands I enjoy. Also remembering that most of this only needs to be bought once every few months considering I’m only one person. So no more Costco. My plan is for Saturday’s to be farmers market days and Sunday’s to be grocery shopping days. My favorite place to shop is my local Co-op, somethings can get expensive but for the most part it’s the best. The items I will be buying most often every week are fresh veggies and meat. With a stocked pantry, from there I can make pretty much anything.
So why plan everything out? It saves money because you’re not overbuying things you don’t need but think you do, and it prevents food waste. I don’t know about you, but when I go into a grocery store, I completely forget everything I need, and I start shopping based on how hungry I am, which, in turn, spends more money. Going in with an already thought-out list prevents me from hunger craze shopping.
Ok here are my categories, everything I can’t live without in my pantry. I should probably remind you I love lists so prepare yourself, I’m a list lover.
Oils and Vinegars
Coconut oil
Sesame oil
Olive Oil
Balsamic vinegar
White vinegar
Here are some brand I like:
Cans and Jars
Anchovies
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce
Spices
Sea salt
White Pepper
Red-pepper flakes
Cayenne
Curry powder
Bay leaves
Paprika
Cinnamon
Cumin
Garlic powder
Adobo Seasoning
Chili powder
Coriander seeds
Turmeric
Ground ginger
Za’atar
Allspice
Fennel seeds
Dry mustard
Nutmeg
Grains and Starches
Short grain rice such as arborio
Basmati or Jasmine Rice
Farro
Pasta
Lentils
Panko Bread Crumbs
Nuts, Seeds and Nut butters
Peanut butter
Whole raw Almonds
Whole raw Walnuts
Whole Cashews
Hemp seeds
Flax seeds
Sweeteners
Honey
Maple Syrup
Preserves and Pickles
Jam
Pickles
Condiments and Sauces
Gochujang
Soy sauce
Worcestershire
Red curry paste
Fish sauce
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Hot Sauce
Dairy
Plain Whole Milk Yogurt and/or Greek Yogurt
Heavy Cream
Milk
Goat Cheese
Parm
Feta
Cheddar or provolone (some kind of good melting cheese)
Unsalted Butter
Staple Produce
Onions
Garlic
Lemons
What I keep in my Freezer
Homemade Chicken Stock (Make Once a month with rotisseries chicken)
All Flours (Einkorn, All Purpose, and Bread flour)
Berries
Hemp Seeds
All Nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios)
Whole Ginger
Baking
Bread Flour
Vanilla
Molasses
Rolled Oats
Cornstarch
Baking powder
Powdered Sugar
Raisins
Dates
Shredded Coconut or Coconut Flakes
Next on the agenda is organizing the pantry, it definitely needs some work. That’s it for today. Let’s have a great week, see ya soon!
