The beginings...again.

So I had this blog for a while, but I haven't done anything with it! so now I have decided that its time to start it up again. Several wives around me have noticed how difficult is it to continually come up with something to put on the menu for their families. Not that there isn't enough choices, rather there seems to be so many, that not many even know where to start.

Lets face it, with difficult times comes the need for someone to help with options. And I am not an expert, but I have been able to put food on the table every night that is edible, so that does make me pretty good right?

Well lets try this! Sample menu's. Lets face it. I have tossed around the idea's of helping people make up menus, shopping lists, anything I can think of to make me money, and save other's a lot of money. So for the next six months I am going to make it a goal to average for a family of 4 two hundred dollars (thats $200.00) a month to feed themselves on. That is 100 every two weeks. I don't know if its going to be possible, but I feel with a well stocked pantry it will be!

So here it is: Pantry Building 101!!

What goes in the pantry: Short answer: Staples! not like the things you put paper together with, but rather the things you put meals together with. Think the basics of every meal. These are going to be the building blocks of your menu. Mine currently has

rice
flour
white sugar
brown sugar
baking soda
baking powder
corn starch
ramen noddles
corn
green beans
tomatoes
pineapple
bbq sauce
spaghetti noodles
lasagna noodles
Marinara sauce
Alfredo sauce
black beans
chickpea's
instant mashed potatoes
ketchup
soy sauce
teriyaki sauce
white vinegar
apple cider vinegar


And that is just the stuff I can list off the top of my head. I probably should go through and make up a formal list of everything just so I have it on hand. Once you have built a good pantry, the spice cabinet is next. This is all the spices you could possibly want to use in cooking. Yes there is a lot more then just salt and black pepper, and each one of them can change how food tastes and interacts with your body!