Re:Help me stock my pantry/shelves

[Guest guest]

kitchen gadgets:

food processor - i had a mini one at first that was a great help but then i got a big one and it was so much better

a pampered chef chopper for chopping small things like garlic and nuts w/o having to pull out one of your food processors - the kind with the handle you push down at the top. i've tried the wal mart brand and another brand and nothing compares to the pampered chef chopper

hand held cheese grater - again, i've broken 2 other brands that were supposed to be good... go with the pampered chef

excalibur dehydrator - to make yogurt and your own spices and later you can dehydrate foods

immersion (stick) blender - i got the el cheapo at Wal Mart - the first few months, i used it almost everyday

blender

good sharp knives are a big help

stock pot for chicken soup

crock pot for cooking roasts and such

thermos - for bringing hot food "to go"

lots of tupperware type stuff

apple peeler/decorer - i wish i would have invested in one of these

cast iron pots and pans - i can't stress enough how great cast iron is and Wal Mart is now selling pre seasoned stuff that you don't have to "season"

food

salt

pepper

cayenne

if you don't get a dehydrator to make your own spices, single spices like oregeno, basil, rosemary or whatever you like. watch out for spice mixtures. i don't have a dehydrator, but i sure wish i wouldn't have gone the cheap by only purchasing a yogurt maker.

high quality olive oil for cooking

safflower oil for making mayo

dried mustard for making mustard

butter - lots of butter

hard cheeses that you tolerate - i first tolerated cheddar then monterey jack - i put cheese on everything i could

lots of carrots or a veggie that you tolerate very well so you always have it on hand when you need to cook!!!

canned pineapples in their own juice but i only tolerate Dole brand

canned tuna in nothing but water or oil. the only place i've found it w/o broth is Whole Foods.

chicken w/o anything added i've found on Farms (A/G Grocers) or Natural Select (Wal Mart)

knox gelatin for making "jello" - i lived off this stuff with eggs and chicken soup the first month

eggs - lots and lots of eggs - if you tolerate them of course - the first 2 months on the diet i ate about 4 boiled eggs a day!!!! then i moved to omelets. i still eat a lot of eggs.

sugar free bacon (Gwaltney brand at Wal Mart) - bacon is my best friend in cooking

tropicana pure premium orange juice diluted 100% - this was good for me because at my job i traveled and if i felt like my blood sugar was getting too low, i'd stop at a convenient store and they almost always have this brand.