They are...
1. Flour
Cost: Around $3 for a 5 lb bag Use: Breads, desserts, and coating meats This is the most important and most essential essential ingredient of all. I need it for breads, bakery treats, and even to coat meat for frying. Though it's probably not the most healthy ingredient, it doesn't have to be. I keep a 25 pound bag of flour of all purpose flour in my pantry, but I have a little 5 pound bag of whole wheat as well. If I want to make a bread or muffin healthier, I add half all purpose and half whole wheat. |
2. Eggs
Cost: $1 - $2 per dozen Use: EVERYTHING! Eat in the form of scrambled, boiled, fried, sunny side up, or in the form of an omelette or quiche. Also an important "binding" ingredient for baked goods Eggs are low calorie, high protein, vitamin enriched, and cheap enough to be in every non-vegan's home. I find myself cracking open at least one egg a day either to fry for breakfast, or use to bind ingredients in a baking recipe. |
3. Butter
Cost: about $2 for 4 sticks of sweet cream butter Use: Spreading on breads, adding flavor, greasing pots and pans for cooking This is another essential ingredient for any non-vegan home, if you want your food to taste better. I use the salted butter, and I always leave a stick out on counter in a covered container. It won't go bad, and it's so much easier to spread as a result! |
4. Sugar
5. Leaveners (yeast, baking soda, and baking powder)
Cost: CHEAP! $.75 for 3 packets of yeast, $1 for baking powder and baking soda Use: Leavening. For breads, pizza dough, muffins, cakes, etc. Make sandwich bread, french bread, rolls, pizza dough, muffins, cookies, cakes, and and much more! This stuff is so cheap and so essential to any baked recipe, it just makes sense to have all 3 leaveners stocked in the pantry! |
5. Salt
6. Fruits/ Vegetables
Cost: $1, more or less Use: eat alone, or add for flavor and nutrients to meals and baked goods. If you want to be healthy and you only keep one food in your home, it is vital that you make it a fruit or vegetable. My personal vegetable staple is bell pepper because it tastes great in spaghetti or any pasta. For fruits, I always keep blueberries in the freezer for blueberry muffins and waffles. |
7. Milk
- French Bread (takes an hour, and makes 3 loaves!)
- Wheat dinner rolls
- Sandwich bread (this one requires honey, but you can sub it for sugar... or grab a couple packets at starbucks for free!)
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- Biscuits
- Pizza Dough
- Cake
- Pasta
- Frying batter for meats (additional seasonings are optional)
- Pie Crust (sub butter for shortening)
- Quiches
- Sugar Cookies (sub butter for shortening)