What's In My Pantry?

If this were a vlog or fancy home cooking show, this would be the point at which the catchy jingle plays. You know, like a pretty little ding and then a chorus of voices all "what's in my pantryyyyyy tonight, Sonja?" (and then a kitten enacting cartoon violence).

Five points to Ravenclaw if you got that reference!*

Today I'd like to share with you guys a run-down of the items I typically keep on hand in my pantry/fridge. My typical groceries. I find I'm always very interested in this sort of thing when perusing other blogs/cookbooks - it's good to get an idea of ingredient staples so mealtimes don't become such guesswork, and more of a combining of favorites. And of course so I always have items on hand to make yummy goodies!

             

Pantry #1

Nut Butters, always plural (Please don't fall over from shock)

Organic Publix applesauce, unsweetened

Raisins/Amazins/Dried fruit

Almonds or other nuts

Pasta & pasta sauce (gluten free; good for a quick dinner)

Brown rice/quinoa/sweet potatoes

Vitamins (C and D) & probiotic capsules

Canned beans (garbanzo, black beans)

Organic honey, preferably raw

Canned soup for another quick dinner option (Amy's or Wolfgang Puck's)

Not fully pictured (there's a section above & underneath)

Pantry #2 (shared with my roomies)

My tea collection
Flaxseeds
Bananas
Apples
Cereal (Whole O's, Honey Rice Puffins)
Rolled oats
Oil (Canola/Veggie/Olive)
Spices (Cinnamon's my fave!)
Himalayan Pink Salt
Gluten-free flour
Agave nectar
Baking soda/powder, cocoa powder
Chocolate chips :)

Fridge

Almond milk, unsweetened

Greens, greens, greens (spinach, salad mix, kale, swiss chard)

Carrots

Cucumber

Any fruits or veggies that are on sale/in season/catch my eyes

Hummus (usually Sabra classic, occasionally I make my own)

Earth Balance vegan butter spread

Firm tofu, tofu noodles

Apple Cider Vinegar

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Freezer

Veggie burgers/patties

Frozen veggies

Frozen berries

And that's the basics, folks. Soon I'll put up a post about my typical day-to-day eats so you can get an idea of just what I make out of all these goodies! I tend to repeat meals a lot once I find something I like, but it is neat how many different things I can make out of that (relatively) short list above.

What are some of your pantry must-haves?

Sonja

*See The Most Awesome Late Night Show Host Ever. Points not exchangeable for Slytherin, Gryffindor, or Hufflepuff credit.

The Bakery Dream

I think it's about time we talk about something:

The Bakery.

The Bakery is very special to me. To own and operate The Bakery is my dream. More specifically, it's the dream of my hometown bestie, Liz (you know, staunch supporter of carrot juice) and myself.

The Bakery has a real name, but I'm afraid that's top secret for now. Don't want it squirreled away from us before we can even begin!

Liz and I, after having re-created The Portal Cake in delicious German Chocolate form.

Liz and I have been friends and baking partners for some time now, and we've known each other since eighth grade (we're both college juniors currently). It wasn't until about senior year of high school The Bakery Dream began to be realized, however. 

Our brie-apple tarts avec a sprig of mint.

We love to bake. For ourselves, for family, for fun: nearly every time we get together (and that's a lot, when we're both at home visiting parents) we make something delicious. We enjoy both creating our own recipes based on cravings and tackling more complex ones like tiramisu, biscotti, and souffles.

  

One of our favorite go-to treats is pie, particularly apple or strawberry.

We'll make anything. Cupcakes, candy, cookies, tarts...

Fancy pear, white wine, and caramel...things?

We've even made Grace Helbig's sweet weenies for a fun experiment. 

Spoiler alert: they're awesome.

Whatever you want, we want to have at our bakery. The idea is to own the bakery together later in lives, after each of us has sampled our respective careers. It's sort of...the perfect way to settle down, in our eyes.

Maybe some day we'll even be on cupcake wars! Keep an eye out ;)

Sonja