Refrigerator/Freezer/Pantry Staples

I love going to the grocery store. Secretly everyone has some weird chore they actually love. Mine is grocery shopping. I go to the grocery store, once maybe twice a week. I go a lot also because I buy a lot of fresh produce. I spend a majority of my time in the grocery store in the produce section. And I a produce snob. As much as I make fun of those hippie farm-to-table people, I'm one of them. I try to cook things in season. I buy new things to try out. My zen is found in the produce section.

So I mostly post new and exciting recipes. But we have also have some staples that we like in this house. I have to have avocado, tomato, cheese and eggs on hand for my husband impromptu omelet craving. He also needs potatoes for midnight hashbrowns. My toddler likes fresh noshes like pepper, apples, cheese, cucumbers, crackers. It's her own little fresh charcuterie plate.

Also I like to keep my fresh clean and void of old stuff. At the beginning of the week my fridge is full, but not overflowing. By the end of the week it should look pretty barren. I cook Monday - Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays are for leftovers, Saturday - Sunday are a toss ups. Random fact, I hate leftovers. I've started to try to embrace them at least for a day, but that's the longest I give them. But as long as I have my staples I can make almost anything. It's no iron chef pantry (I have dreams about this pantry), but it does the job.

Fridge:
Heavy Cream
Butter: My husband is huge fan of Kerrygold.
Cheese: I like to try new cheeses out. I found a fantastic cheese blend from Whole Foods.
Eggs
Apples

Seasonal fruits: Watermelon, strawberries, mango
Sweet bell peppers
Ginger: Smoothies, Juices, Chinese food, you name it
My Wheat Meats and other treats: Tofu, Sweet Earth Seitan (my favorite), Westsoy Seitan

Freezer:
Broccoli: My go to when I've failed to properly plan during a grocery trip.
Frozen fruit: Mangoes, pineapples, peaches (these are a teething baby's best friend), strawberries, bananas

Pantry:
Coconut milk
Beans (Canned and Dry): Pinto (dry and canned), garbanzo (dry and canned), lentils (dry)
Onions
Potatoes
Rice: Parboiled on occasion basmati (I just learned how to cook this correctly.)
Flour: All-purpose white because everything else scares the non-baker within me.
Oatmeal
Sugar: I try to not use sugar unless I'm baking. I prefer honey or agave.
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil
Honey: I'm shy about using it right now because I have a baby under 1 in the house. But once he's ready. It'll be back in everything.
Agave: This is what we use instead of honey.
Garlic
Pasta: We have SO much pasta. Mostly because it's what my husband makes his lunch with.

Missing any of these items means a quick trip to the grocery store. I just started keeping butter and cream on hand because it's what makes the world taste good. I'm trying to do more natural cooking, so I'm looking to do more cooking substitutions with applesauce and whole wheat, those may become staples soon too.