Over the years, I’ve leaned toward keeping things as simple as possible, in preparation time and energy. It makes sense to have few ingredients because everything is easy to put away, shop for, and everything is fresh. One of the only things I bake is blueberry muffins, and I will post my recipe next. I try to only keep multi-purpose ingredients. Ingenuity and simplicity in the kitchen make for manageable and pleasant cooking and cleaning.

Pantry staples:

tomato juice
almond milk
olive oil
honey

all-purpose flour
sugar

onion
garlic
potato

crackers
rice
tortilla chips
salt and vinegar chips
mini cookies

beef stew packets
low-sodium packets
curry packet

kidney bean cans
tomato sauce cans
Rotel

Fridge staples:

ketchup
mayonnaise
Worcestershire sauce
salsa

hummus
turkey
butter
chicken

lettuce
carrots
celery
apples

Freezer staples:

beef (or beef substitute)
blueberries
kale or spinach

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Baking staples:

These are rarely used and kept in a separate area.
vegetable oil, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, chocolate chips, cornstarch

Consume on occasion:

peanut butter
coconut milk
tortillas
walnuts
pine nuts
mustard
beef broth
cornichons
cheese substitute
teriyaki sauce
Italian dressing