Be Prepared.....

...I will be out of town starting tomorrow and will not be able to update my blog until next week!
I am going to a wedding and seeing many old friends so I can pretty much predict what my blog would say....

"...ate bad food...drank alcohol...ate more bad food....went for a walk...ate something healthy....drank alcohol....ate more bad food...." you get the picture!!

What I really meant by being prepared though having a shopping list. :) I have been meaning to do something like this for a while and I figured this was as good as time as any to talk about what I like to have around and are almost always staples in my cart:

Frozen:
Dr. Praeger's Veggie burgers- (any variety- great for a last minute dinner)
Applegate Farms Turkey or Beef burgers- (also great for last minute dinners)
Broccoli-(great to throw in eggs or soup or just to have as a side if you don't have veggies)
Spinach- (great to throw in eggs, dips, or soups, or have as side)
Bag Corn- (I actually keep a bag for my knee when it is sore! HA!)
Bag Peas- (great in soups, pastas, salads etc.)
Fish- (Trader Joe's has great frozen fish)
Chicken-(well, you get it...)
Bacon-(good for soups, BLT's, salads- whatever)

Refrigerator Items:
Sun dried Tomatoes- (great in salads, pastas, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed peppers etc)
Hummus-(any kind- great with crackers, veggies, on sandwiches)
Cold Cuts- (good for a snack, salads or sandwich)
Tuna- (yes, I keep mine in the fridge. That way the tuna is cold when it comes out of the can!)
Olives-(great for snacking)
Sparkling Water
*Dairy- (which i can't have any more but when I did I would always have Parmesan and goat around. It's good in everything! -also good to have butter and yogurt and cheese to have on crackers)
Eggs- (hard boiled alone or in salads, in rice, fried, scrambled)

Veggies: (veggies will vary depending on what you are making but these are my staples)
Celery- (great for snacks and soup)
Lettuce-(salads of course, BLT's, on sandwiches or wraps)
Broccoli- (as a side, in a salad, or with the hummus)
Carrots-(same, also good in soup)
Cucumber-(same)
Onion, Garlic-(great for soups or to add flavor to any meat or veggie dish)
Herbs-(basil, celery, cilantro- what ever you like- personally I hate cilantro!! Yuck!!)

Meat:
**Meat varies for me depending on what I feel like making. You should shop that day for what you want to cook and try and think about your meal and what left overs you might have. **
Chicken- good for soup, stir fry's, baked, sauteed, grilled and then good for salads
Beef- good for meat balls, meat loaf, in pasta sauce,stuffed mushrooms etc.
Sausage- good in eggs, stuffed peppers, stuffed mushrooms, tossed with pasta or in sauce
Fish- broiled or baked (this includes shrimp)

Pantry:
Lentils- (canned or dry- good for soups, stews in salads)
Chick Peas-(good for salads, warm dishes, home made hummus-I always make sure to have lots of cans on hand!)
Diced Tomatoes- (I LOVE these. They are so great to throw in soups, or any recipe to add flavor and sweetness. A quick thing I do is saute onions and celery, throw a can of the "fire roasted tomatoes with chili's" in add chick peas and salt and pepper- you can add chicken too- so easy!)
Almonds- (great for salads or snack)
Pine Nuts- (good to put in hummus, pasta, salads, pesto)
Water Chestnuts- (great for adding texture to dishes)
Black Beans-(salads, black bean dip, in rice)
Brown rice or wild rice- (i love to make a big thing on Sunday and then have it throughout the week- you can have it as a side, in a salad, as an entree w/ your fav ingredients, as breakfast- SO many things you can do with rice)
Quinoa- (same thing! So much you can do with this. It is such a great grain and is a protein grain. Google recipes...)
Pasta- (I prefer gluten free but you can get whole wheat)
Chicken Stock- (great for flavoring so many things. I like the little ones)
Canned Pineapple- (good for random things like pizza topping)
Peanut Butter- (need I say more?)

Condiments: olive oil, vinegar-(cider, balsamic, red wine...) hot sauce, spices, bouillon cubes, relish, mustard, mayo, ketchup, BBQ sauce, curry powder....etc. You get the picture!

Phew! That was a lot of stuff! No wonder our grocery bill is so high!! :)...and I'm sure I left a lot out, but these are the basics...for me anyway.
Hope this gives you some ideas! Bon Appetite!!