... but I am no chef! My hopes for this blog are simply to share my joy of cooking with my family and friends. I will post pictures of my successes and my failures... I love trying new things, and I am never scared to take on a challenge. Some of the best things I have ever made have been cooked on a whim, and that's what I like best about cooking.. you don't always need to have a plan, or a list of ingredients. Sometimes you just need a pantry full of staples* and some creativity!
*Pantry staples to have on hand
(aka... items I use at least 3 times a week to cook my meals)
Flour - all purpose AND bread flour
Sugar - regular old granulated, powdered sugar, and brown sugar
Oil - olive, canola (or other veggie based like safflower or soybean; [keep in mind oils can spoil and go rancid])
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Corn Starch
Cocoa Powder
Yeast (I prefer jars [which you store in the fridge] over packets... but its up to you!)
Extracts - almond, lemon, vanilla, orange...
Cornmeal - blue or yellow
Powdered milk
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream of Tartar
Spice Rack (I say this instead of naming all various spices you should have because, it is often easier and cheaper to just buy a pre-filled spice rack and then purchase additional spices as you go. Dried spices last forever.)
Things to always have in your fridge:
Eggs
Milk
Butter
Freezer bonus (items which are helpful to have on hand in the freezer!)
Phillo (Fillo) dough
Puff Pastry
Bagged mixed veggies (carrots, peas, corn)
