All in the pantry...

In the dictionary, "pantry" is defined as "a small room or closet, usually off a kitchen, where food, tableware, linens, and similar items are stored". That would be nice but no such luck in this house. For me "pantry" is just a general term I use for the items I keep stocked in the cupboards, fridge and freezer. These are items that I almost always have on hand and allow me to throw together a bunch of different dishes without having to constantly step out to the grocery store.


Pantry favorites:

eggs
Parmesan cheese
milk
heavy cream
flat leaf parsley or cilantro
other fresh herbs
dried herbs
onions
jar of chopped garlic in oil
capers
olives
lemons
assorted pastas
couscous
rice
mac and cheese
panko bread crumbs
canned chicken noodle soup
canned chicken broth
canned whole tomatoes
tomato paste
canned beans
cornmeal
flour
baking powder
baking soda
vanilla
cinnamon
sugar
brown sugar
powdered sugar
chocolate chips
pine nuts
walnuts
salted and unsalted butter
peanut butter
olive oil
vegetable oil
sesame oil
soy sauce
chili sauce
ketchup
mustard (whole grain Dijon)
assorted vinegars (balsamic, red wine, champagne, apple cider, rice, malt, sherry(I'm like a vinegar hoarder!!!))
maple syrup
frozen shrimp
frozen chicken
frozen meatballs
frozen peas
frozen grilled veggies
good bread
red and white wine


Examples of what I could make with these items.

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, waffles, pancakes, French toast, omelettes, frittatas
Sauces to go on meat/fish and/or pasta: piccata, marinara, Asian peanut, mustard cream, rosé
Desserts: chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies, yellow cake with vanilla buttercream frosting
Quick kid meals: mac and cheese of course; I boil up some extra pasta noodles and add them to the chicken noodle soup (there are never enough noodles for my kids in the can), breakfast foods
Sides: cornbread, polenta, couscous, rice, pasta, crepes, popovers, 
For salads: lemon juice, vinegars and oils to make dressings; nuts; beans