stockin' the pantry

I’ve done it. I’ve officially stocked my pantry.

I can say that everything (except dried mushrooms, but you can bet I’ll be picking them up soon) on each of these lists can be found in my pantry...
Savory pantry items
Sweet pantry items

Up until this week, when I bought ground mustard and curry powder, my pantry was ever so slightly incomplete. Now, it is finished. I’ve spent the first months of this year preparing my kitchen for the unlikely event of not being able to purchase any food; we can whip up a tasty, healthy meal from the cupboard (and did just that last weekend when my brother stopped by to do his laundry and I didn’t feel like grocery shopping on such short notice!).

And up until this point in my culinary life, I’ve had to pick up “special” items to make recipes. Now... I just have to keep those items in stock. Oh, it feels so good to know that I always have stock on hand for soup. And I always have bay leaves. And if a recipe calls for confectioner’s sugar, by golly, I won’t be caught empty-handed.

Of course, no pantry list is complete without Nutella and a box of red wine. So keep those on hand, too. There's also a lot to be said for all my glass jars: now that almost nothing's in plastic, I can shop at the bulk bins to replenish my stock without wasting packaging (especially now that I've got my very own cotton muslin bulk bin bags--more about that later).

Now, if only the pantry could stay that organized at all times...