Stocking your pantry -- The Basics.

As food prices continue to soar, one of the best hedges against inflation is to go back to a time when the pantry served as a storage area of basic foodstufs.

A pantry, you say? Isn't that a bit old fashioned?

Well, yes and no. While the concept is as old as time itself, keeping food stocked in your home is a great way to not only save money, but also lead a healthier lifestyle at the same time.

A well stocked pantry is also a lifesaver when an emergency strikes or guests stop by unannounced. You don't have to make a quick trip to the store or give Domino's or Pizza Hut a call for that old standby, pizza.

While many newer homes have pantry spaces, older homes often don't. No need to worry. A small closet near the kitchen will do or you can use an office supply closet in a spare bedroom or the garage. Laundry rooms are also a good place since they are dry and dark.

If you're starting from stratch, it's easy to create a pantry. Instead of buying just one can or package, buy two or more extra each time you shop. When there's a good sale, say a 10 for $10 on pasta, buy 10. Just be sure that you buy items that your family will eat. There's no reason to stock up on sale items if they will just take up space, awaiting the next neighborhood food drive.

If you've already started a pantry, you want to organize it before adding more to it. Put all the canned items together and separate them, i.e., soups together, vegetables together, etc. Do the same with pastas, sauces and baking ingredients. If you wish, you can make a list of everything in the pantry and post it on the door. That way you know what you have before you even look through the shelves. This saves you a lot of time when you're looking for ingredients and it also helps when you're meal planning, since you can instantly see which ingredients you have on hand that can be made into a meal. For example, you can see that you have spaghetti, some meat sauce, a jar of garlic and dried Parmesan cheese. Pasta and garlic bread it is!

Another benefit of having a pantry is that you don't have to make as many trips to the supermarket. You're never in a panic mode since you always have meal makers on hand. Outside of fresh ingredients, such as bread, milk and eggs, you can make fewer trips and buy in bulk when you do shop.

What to have in your starter pantry

• Cereal/Quick Oats, Cream of Wheat, etc.

• Salt, sugar (plain and brown), pepper, soy sauce, catsup, mustard, salad dressing

• Herbs and spices (cinnamon, bay leaf, nutmeg, chili powder, onion salt, garlic salt,  garlic powder, seasoning salt, pizza spice)

• Oils (olive, vegetable, canola)

• Evaporated milk

• Mushroom soup, chucky style beef vegetable soup

• Sweeteners (honey, syrup) 

• Pastas (shell, spiral, lasagna, macaroni, spaghetti and others)

• Box rice mix and stuffing mix

• Crackers, corn muffin mix, blueberry muffin mix, quick bread mixes

• Sauces (alfredo, taco, cheese, pizza, spaghetti)

• Canned meats: canned tuna, chicken, beef stew

• Peanut butter and jelly/jam

• Pancake mix, baking mix/Bisquick

• Canned tomatoes (pizza sauce, plain sauce, chopped, paste, stewed),

• Canned vegetables (beans, corn, mixed, peas, whatever you like)

• Canned fruits (peaches, pears, your favorites)

• Soups, broths, noodle soups

• Tea, herb tea, coffee, lemonade, orange drink mix (Tang), juice

• Breads (loaves, pitas, English muffins and tortillas) – some can be frozen  

Frozen Items

• Fruits and vegetables

• Bread, pizza dough, waffles

• Meats (breakfast, meatballs, hamburger, steaks)

Produce Items

Don't keep items that go bad quickly. Instead, purchase onions, potatoes, carrots, broccoli and other basics that will keep a while. If you menu plan weekly, you can stock up on the items you'll be using over the next 7 to 10 days.

Personal Items

Soap, toilet paper, toothpaste, medicines, vitamins, deodorant, shampoo, first aid kit

Cleaning items

• Paper towels, clothes detergent, dishwasher liquid, bleach