Well Stocked Pantry

I often get asked what I keep in my pantry, where do I get my supplies and what do I keep on hand -- so, I thought I'd sit down and write some of it out in a blog post that I can easily share when I get that question!  Complete with links to where I purchase and brands!  Because I'm an Amazon affiliate, I have to mention that there WILL be affiliate links in this post for my favorite items from Amazon Prime.  Don't worry, you don't pay any more than normal, there is NO price increase; I just get a little something back for sharing and encouraging others to buy products I love and use.  

Ok! Now that we have the "business" out of the way, let's get to the good stuff! I keep several things on hand at all times because they go in so many of my recipes and many sub for other things that I may be out of or forgot at the store.

1. Organic Coconut Milk (canned)
In a pinch, it subs for cream in many recipes, can be added to smoothies for extra calories and a healthy fat for your brain health and is great if you're on a more keto based diet or watching your carbs. I don't find that it gives my dishes an especially coconut-y flavor either.

2. Himalayan Pink Salt 
Salt is necessary for many functions in the body (but that's a whole blog post on its own). I don't use regular table salt. It has been bleached and had iodine added to it. Salts like this have naturally occurring minerals and benefit the body. I use it in my dishes and in my salt shakers and for my homemade Electrolyte Drink. Summer is coming so I'll be making this up soon and sharing the recipe with ya!

3. Celtic Pink Salt
Yes, two different kinds of salt from two different sources. They will have slightly different mineral contents and I want to make sure we get plenty of minerals! Minerals are needed by the body to absorb nutrients from foods. Also great for adding to my Electrolyte recipe!

4. Great Lakes Collagen Powder 
Collagen is something we lose over time, as we age, so I supplement with it this way. It is tasteless and non-detectable in smoothies or when added to soups. It helps maintain the health of gut and our joints.

5. Fever Tree Ginger Ale (Bottles or Cans)
For nausea, upset tummy or when feeling slightly "peckish" as my grandmother used to say, this helps so much! This is the BEST ginger ale I have ever tasted and it's not fake, it's the REAL stuff! And let's face it, when our tummies are upset, a cold, fizzy drink does the trick and this one is better for you than the fake stuff or a lemon lime drink. My kids like this better than anything else I've tried when their tummy is rumbling.

6. Protein Powder (Chocolate or Vanilla)
 I like this brand because of the clean ingredients AND my kids love it! It is great on it's own or as a based to add other things you might like. We often add some peanut butter and banana to the chocolate. Vanilla is good with banana and strawberry. The flavors are deep enough and rich enough to add things like kale or spinach for extra nutrients too! I like having a good protein powder on hand for quick breakfasts and even a snack. We just make a smaller serving or split it up between us to tide us over until the next meal. This is so much healthier than chips or a cookie too but it gives that bit of sweetness you might be craving. It's like having a treat that is healthy for you! **BONUS TIP: They make a great frozen treat if you have some popsicle molds!

7. Chocolate Chips
These are my favorite chocolate chips. They are rich chocolate taste made with REAL ingredients and are allergen free too! Which is important for my house. We add these to chocolate chip cookies of course, but also on top of a banana with some nut butter, or in smoothies, in a trail mix, to pancakes, on top of ice cream and more!

8. Shortening
My daughter, 11 years old, is the baker in the family so I need to have shortening on hand at all times. She lets me know if we are out! Haha! I want something that is not full of chemicals or from an unknown source. This one does the trick! Plus it gets used with the next product I keep on hand.....

9. Organic Popcorn
We like popcorn but we also prefer it free of GMO's! YUCK! This one is great and pops good too! The taste of freshly popped popcorn with real butter and some pink salt is so delicious! You have got to try it!

10. Frontier Co-Op Spices
They are the best quality I've ever used with great flavor and I buy in bulk so that I save some $$$ too!
Here is what I like to keep on hand as I use these in a lot of recipes:

Garlic
Pepper
Chili Spice
Minced Onion


Storage:
I like to use jars like this or this to store my bulk spices in in my cabinet. I use jars I've saved to store whatever is left in the bag they came in. You can then either store in an extra cabinet away from moisture or even freeze until you need to refill your jars in your cabinet.

I have racks like this in my cabinet to stack and organize my jars on.  I use labels like this or sharpie to mark on the lid what it in the jar. I like having extra label on hand for lots of things, so extras always come in handy!

These are just some of my basics I use for cooking and making meals. I plan to do another pantry post about flours and other things I have on hand for baking. I hope this list was helpful and gets you on your way to having a healthy, well stocked kitchen!

xoxo

Lori