Many years ago, I shared a post about what I normally had on hand in my refrigerator. I have meant to update that for a while now, and also to add a list for my freezer and pantry. These are items I keep on hand to make quick meals, hors-d'oeuvres for unexpected guests, and to help adorn plain meals. It is part of how I curate abundance. Some of those things have changed and some have been added, so I thought I would give you an updated list, plus the long promised pantry and freezer lists. We go through mustard so quickly now that I don't keep those in the fridge. They don't go stale quickly enough and we use them more quickly than ever. Some of my kids will eat spoonfuls of it. During Lent, the dairy gets pushed aside, so I will give a Lenten alternate (not necessarily a direct parallel, just something that we have more often during Lent - honestly, we also keep some of these around outside of Lent) in parenthesis.

• 1. Milk (from pasture raised cows) (Almond Milk)
• 2. Homemade Yogurt (Poblano Cashew Cream)
• 3. Butter (Avocados)
• 4. Mayonnaise (Toum)
• 5. Garlic Ginger Paste
• 6. Chopped Ginger
• 7. Buttermilk (Harissa)
• 8. Heavy Cream (Coconut Cream)
• 9. Carrots
• 10. Romaine Lettuce
• 11. Celery
• 12. SAF Yeast
• 13. Lemons
• 14. Capers
• 15. Grade B Maple Syrup
• 16. Bacon Grease (Cooked Chickpeas in Aquafaba)
• 17. Homemade Chocolate Syrup
• 18. Sri Racha (Shatta)
• 19. Cheddar Cheese (Trader Joe's Vegan Cream "Cheese")
• 20. Parmesan Cheese (Alfalfa Sprouts)

Freezer:

• 1. Salad Shrimp
• 2. Mixed Cooked Shellfish
• 3. Raw Shrimp
• 4. Fish Fillets - Salmon, Cod, Tuna, Sablefish, Walleye, Rockfish
• 5. Beef Chuck Roast or Steak
• 6. Beef Shortribs or Oxtails
• 7. Ground Beef
• 8. Boneless Chicken (Thighs or Breast)
• 9. Bone in Chicken Pieces
• 10. Whole Chickens
• 11. Whole Turkeys
• 12. Whole Ducks
• 13. Pork Shoulder or Shoulder Cubes
• 14. Ground Pork/Country Sausage/Chorizo/Hot Italian Sausage
• 15. Bacon
• 16. Ham
• 17. Legs of Lamb
• 18. Ground Lamb
• 19. Lamb Shanks and/or Neckbones
• 20. Stock - Mammal (beef/lamb), Poultry (chicken/turkey/duck), Fish, Shellfish
• 21. Frozen Vegetables - Peas, Roasted Corn, Green Beans, Sliced Peppers (sweet and hot), Okra
• 22. Frozen Fruit - Sliced Peaches, Sliced Apples, Blackberries, Raspberries, Sliced Strawberries in Sugar, Rhubarb, etc.
• 23. Butter
• 24. Puff Pastry and Phyllo Dough
• 25. Bread

Pantry:

• 1. Mustards
• 2. Oils - Olive, Safflower, Sunflower, Sesame
• 3. Thai Red Curry Paste
• 4. Worcestershire Sauce
• 5. Tamari Sauce
• 6. Hot Sauce - Peri Peri, Yuzu, Chipotle, Among Others
• 7. Tahina
• 8. Sweeteners - Date Syrup, Honey, Molasses, Brown Sugar, Evaporated Cane Juice
• 9. Canned Vegetables - Artichoke Hearts, Hearts of Palm, Water Chestnuts, Roasted Peppers
• 10. Peanut Butter
• 11. Dried Fruit - Cherries, Pears, Figs, Sultanas, Apricots, Dates, Apples, Peaches, Cranberries
• 12. Seeds and Nuts - Sesame, Poppy, Almonds in various forms, Cashews, Walnuts, Pecans
• 13. Ketchup
• 14. Trader Joe's French Fried Jalapeño Slices
• 15. Panko
• 16. Rice - Basmati, Egyptian, Jasmine
• 17. Dried Beans - Chickpeas, Fava Beans, Black Beans, Pinto/Bolitas, Pinquitos, Hutterite Soup Beans, French Green Lentils, Split Peas
• 18. Canned Tomato Products - Paste, Diced, Crushed, Sauce, Whole, Purée
• 19. Loads of Vinegars - White Wine, Red Wine, Prosecco, Balsamic, Pomegranate, Apple Cider, Rice Wine, White
• 20. Olives of Many Sorts - Black, Kalamata, Spanish, Giant Green, Arabic Country Style, Oil Cured, Brined, Salted and Dried, etc.
• 21. Flours of Many Sorts
• 22. Pastas of Many Sorts
• 23. Homemade Jams and Jellies
• 24. Homemade Pickles of Various Sorts
• 25. Oats - Steel Cut, Rolled

Obviously, we keep many, many other things around, but these are things we basically always have. These lists don't count things like potatoes, onions, and garlic that we buy in huge quantities, either. There are some things I tuck away like extra bits of pie crust, or cheese rinds, or leftover chili, so we can put together a quick and tasty meal, but they are leftovers from other items. What do you keep around to cultivate abundance?

Previous Posts:
Make it at Home
Grocery Shopping
Waste Not, Want Not
Soup
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
Use What You Have
Combining Trips
Storing Bulk Purchases
Turn It Off
Grow Your Own
Buying in Bulk
Gleaning
Entertainment on the Down Low
Finding Fun Locally
Holiday Shopping
Reconsidering Convenience
More Bang for Your Grocery Buck
Preserving the Harvest
Revisiting Kitchen Strategies
Extreme Frugality
Bargain Getaways
Cultivating or Curating Abundance
Making Your Own Snacks and Treats
How Weird Is Too Weird? Things We Don't Think of Eating
Fuel Costs
Quick Hint on Eggs

Labels: Family, Fasting as a Family, Frugality, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Tales from the Kitchen