(no subject)

[kleenexwoman]

Moving into the condo this weekend. Dad promised to take me for first grocery trip. Am compiling list of stuff I need.


GRAINS
--Whole-wheat bread
--Oatmeal
--Cereal
--Pita bread?
--Brown or basmati rice
--Triscuits or Wheat Thins
--Whole-wheat noodles (thin, elbow)
--Mac and cheese
--Bagels?
--Tortillas?
--Granola?
--Rice noodles?

VEGETABLES
--Onion
--Cucumber
--Lettuce (pref. romaine or fun salad mix)
--Spinach (whole leaf or frozen)
--Stir-fry mix (frozen)
--Other veggie mixes (frozen)
--Broccoli
--Bell peppers (red or green)
--Potatoes
--Tomatoes
--Mushrooms
--Squash, zucchini, etc.
--???

FRUITS
--Apples (Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp)
--Bananas (green or light yellow)
--Oranges?
--Mangoes?
--Berries (poss. frozen)?
--Grapes?
--Lime, lemon (juice)
--???

DAIRY
--Milk (2%)
--Cheeses:
Sliced: Cheddar?, Muenster?, American prewrapped
Chunk: Cheddar, gouda?, Parmesan
Shredded: Mexican blend, Parmesan (real)
--Butter (real, salted)
--Cream cheese?
--Yogurt? (vanilla)

MEAT
--Eggs
--Lean chicken breasts
--Beef? (ground? strips? chunks?)
--Fish (tilapia or salmon) (frozen)
--Veggie burgers
--Hot dogs
--Canned tuna

MISC.
--Black beans (canned)
--Canned spiced tomatoes
--Soups? (chicken noodle, tomato, lentil)
--Hummus? Stuff for it? (chickpeas, tahini)
--Garlic (minced)
--Salt
--Pepper
--Sugar
--Brown sugar
--Nuts: Almonds? Walnuts?
--Cinnamon
--Curry powder
--Flour
--Baking soda (2x)
--Baking powder
--White vinegar (2x)
--ACV vinegar
--Cocoa (NOT NESTLE)
--Vanilla extract
--Ketchup
--Mustard (yellow)
--Mayo
--Vegetable oil
--Olive oil
--Soy sauce
--Salad dressing (Greek or Caesar)
--Jam/jelly (grape, raspberry, apricot)
--Peanut butter
--Salsa (already have hot sauce)
--Juice (orange, other?)
--Water: Bottled? (NOT ICE MOUNTAIN) Tonic?

UTENSILS
--Big spoon
--Ladle
--Shredder (for cheese, etc)
--Spatulas
--Big mixing bowls
--Oven mitts
--Masher?
--Strainer/sieve/colander
--Drink pitcher
--Toothpaste
--T.P.
--Paper towels
--Napkins?
--Clingwrap
--Plastic baggies
--Trash bags


We already have plates, bowls, silverware, Tupperware, and a set of good knives. I'm not asking him to buy me any booze (although he got a bottle of Kaluha for me when he went to Mexico, so that's all good and fun). And I'm trying to cut down on any sweets I don't make myself, as well as most prepackaged foods (mac and cheese aside because I love that shit with a shameful passion, and canned soups because I don't have a crockpot for easy soups). I already have tea and coffee that I'm bringing. I'm going to have to get things like pots and pans and other major appliances off Freecycle or Goodwill or Craigslist or something.

Any suggestions for a well-stocked kitchen?

Comments

[xjestx.livejournal.com]

Everything on that list goes better with TOFU.

[drworm.livejournal.com]

Make sure you don't get more than you can eat. Get stuff that will freeze or keep in cans or whatever. Don't get too many perishable things like fresh fruits and veggies, because they will go bad before you get to them.

[majorenglishesq.livejournal.com]

you need a generic Italian seasoning, for when you are throwing things together for maybe the 5th time and, half-way through cooking, are suddenly tired of it. throw in random Italian seasON-IN-G B00000M HEADSHOT. suddenly: new meal.

you have a kettle and/or french press and/or good ceramic cups for the microwave, right? TEA and COFFEE are their own food groups.

BUY A LARGE CONTAINER OF KOOL-AID. for when you are tired of being a grown up, also for if you become suddenly broke and have nothing to mix the vodka with.

also: alka-seltzer. Drew found this vid on Howcast about how you can clean anything if you let 2 to 4 alka-seltzer soak on it for 20 minutes & then wipe it clean.

everyday helpers, too, like aspirin, advil, pepto, vitamin Bs to keep you awake, E to help think clearly, C & zinc to ward off colds, BAND AIDS, RUBBING ALCOHOL.

eh.

wire whisk? for OMELETS, DAMMNIT. OM NOM NOM NOMELETS

btw, cooking utensils are surprisingly cheap while still of good quality at places like Ross. idk about Big Lots and shit, Ross is the lowest i'm willing to go.

FOOD!

[sighing-echo.livejournal.com]

At Aldi's you can get cheaper milk and box/canned foods. You'll start knowing waht isn't a btter deal 'cause you'll remember things like "I can get a bigger jar of peanut butter that'sll last a month at...)

I am far too hungry to read this. I'm going to eat a bagel. Bagels are awesome 'cause if you keep 'em in your freezer, you can pretty much microwave them soft and they will remain good forever. Upon bagels, one will not go hungry. I advise house plants as well, for seasoning and such.
Paper towels/napkins: whatever =cheaper.

Also, myself, I always want cheese. Get ALOT of cheese, 'cause it never lasts as long as it's s'posed too.

[josephwaldman.livejournal.com]

Keep it simple when it comes to implements. I am a huge fan of garlic but I have found one of those hand-held garlic crushers to be just about the most useless thing in the world. Impossible to clean, and you can do just as well with a good sharp knife. In fact you really don't need a food processor, either. Too damned difficult to clean. A blender is useful for drinks and shakes and a coffeemaker is of course essential but that's pretty much it when it comes to machines. Oh, wait, a toaster, too. Honestly, I got through the dark winter of 2001-2002 on little more than a frying pan, a cookie sheet, a toaster, a coffeemaker, a small pot for pasta, and a bottle each of scotch, brandy and wine. (I shit you not, I Xeroxed all the best pages from P.J.O'R's "Bachelor Home Companion" and taped 'em up all over my swingin' bachelor studio pad in the appropriate places. Those were mad, dangerous, frightening times.)

And of course do not forget the phone numbers of the nearest convenient pizza and Chinese joints kept in a convenient location.

[josephwaldman.livejournal.com]

Oh, and rice. Rice is always good. You can do so many damn things with it, and it sticks to the ribs a lot better than pasta, and doesn't get boring quite as fast. And oats. I've discovered that the best breakfast in the world is what I call a cereal speedball: cornflakes and cheerios together. You get a quick burst of energy from the corn and then a slow burn from the oats.

[josephwaldman.livejournal.com]

As far as eating cheaply . . . Meijer's is the best bet around here. Wal-Mart is just fucking evil and their prices aren't quite as good. You can get good-quality stuff in reasonable bulk (not those insane things like twelve-gallon jars of mayo, but still something where you know you've gotten a good deal and that will satisfy the packrat within), plus which they sell booze (by which I mean both beer/wine AND liquor), which is always a plus.

[benprime.livejournal.com]

Your list seems pretty comprehensive for food and tools. I have had a skim through and I don't see cleaning products, mainly detergent for dishes or dishwasher, bathroom cleaner, etc.
You can get by without a proper oven mitt if you have teatowels, without a colander if you can juggle the pot and lid cleverly, and without a potato masher if you have a fork or wooden spoon. (do you have wooden spoons? Do you have a budget for this Expotition?
Ditto what someone said about not going mad with fresh food initially. Build up a stock of frozen, canned and dry goods, spices etc. But Farmer's Market ftw!

and finally: good luck and enjoy your new place.

[cobaltnine.livejournal.com]

The way to buy spices is one-at-a-time, usually. If you have a bit more leeway, my most used spices are cumin and chili powder. An italian blend is good, or a mrs dash, to add another genre of spice. As for nuts, you can get away with walnuts about 75% of the time for cooking.

Re vegetables, though, I'd be careful not to buy more fresh produce than you need at a week, at most. That's my biggest problem - veggies that look sooo good and then I forget to cook them. Get frozen broccoli and less tomatoes/mushrooms than you think you'll need. Frozen berries rock, too, as does, suprisingly, frozen asparagus. (You can just grab as many sticks as you want out of the package, because they're so discrete. I love them for omelettes.)

We use a ton of canned diced tomatoes. I also try to use dried beans; if you can plan one day in advance you can soak just as much as you need at a time. Also, chickpeas are freaking fantastic roasted in the oven as proteiny snacky food.

Not sure if you wanted sauce for your pasta; don't see it on the list. Can of unspiced sauce is also useful to have sometimes.