Image via WikipediaSo these are the items I MUST have in my pantry at all times.( I am not including the incidentals for a new recipe) I love a full pantry. Anyone who visits my house will always find all sorts of freshly baked goodies hiding on it's shelves. I have had a lot of people ask lately what I buy on a monthly or almost monthly basis as far as dry goods go. Hopefully this helps!
So here is my list and where I currently buy items.
8 pounds of organic dried beans (pinto, white, black, lentils, kidney, and garbanzo) all cost under 2 dollars per pound at the local co-op
4 pounds of whole grains brown rice, quinoa, black rice, millet,and/or buckwheat. 6 dollars for 5 pounds of brown rice at costco,
black rice is 3.50 per pound at tropical traditions.com, Millet is 1.19 per pound at the co-op as is buckwheat.
2-4 pounds of either gluten free brown rice pasta or whole wheat pasta ( brown rice pasta 1.99 at trader joes)
2 pounds of rolled or steel cut oats, organic (89 cents per pound at the local co-op)
2 jars of diced tomatoes 2.79 per bottle at
tropical traditions
2 boxes of organic unsweetened almond milk (2 for five dollars at Fred Meyer)
2 cans of organic coconut milk (bpa free brand native forest sold at Whole Foods for 2 dollars per can)
2 28 ounce organic peanut butters (4 dollars at costco)
1 pound each of organic almonds, walnuts and sunflower seeds (local co-op came to a total of 10 dollars)
1 pound each or organic dried apricots, dates and raisins ( local co-op came to a total of 9 dollars)
1 bottle of organic dijon mustard (2.50 at whole foods)
16 ounces of o
rganic apple cider vinegar
1 bottle of
gluten free soy sauce
1 pound of rapadura sugar ( less than two dollars a pound at the co-op)
5 pounds of organic whole wheat flour
(purchased at fred meyers on sale for 2.50)
1 bottle of red wine for cooking (3 dollars at Trader Joe's)
I make my own chicken and beef stock and purchase my spices on a yearly basis so they are not included in this cost.
I have not included here fresh fruits and veggies( I get a delivery from
Klesick every other week), whole grain breads and tortillas, meat, dairy or gluten free flour. I buy my beef once a year through Klesick farms, whole grain breads I have been getting for free through the gleaner's program at church (Ezekiel sprouted breads and flax muffins), tortillas I buy as i need them from trader joe's, dairy is a once a week purchase at the co-op for 10 dollars i get 2 half gallons of raw milk, and Fish is a twice a month event when it is on sale at Fred Meyers.
Image via WikipediaSo today I bit the bullet and made our largest food purchase for the year. I bought a grass fed lamb (which I am sharing with my mother-in-law) and 1/4 of a grass fed cow. I purchased through Klesick Family Farms because I have found their meat to be very tasty and reasonably priced. My total (minus the butcher) came to $300 for the cow and $250 for the lamb. Not a bad price when one considers that a t-bone grass fed steak
at the grocery store is $17 dollars a pound. Grass fed
local lamb has an even higher price! I will get about 4 of these along with many, many other cuts of meat. Now I know that all this talk of meat might be too much for the vegetarians, but I must feed my very meat hungry accountant husband!
(or butcher paper)
.
dried 
l,
, 
(all from trader joes), an italian cookbook (found one that looked new at the goodwill), 
