[MUSIC] One of the keys to making simple home cooking easy is having a set of staple foods in your kitchen, that are available any time you need them. If you stock your kitchen with the right basics, then cooking will be easier and much less stressful because you can whip up a health meal without much planning. As a working mother, if I had to go to the grocery store and shop for every single ingredient each time I wanted to make a meal, I'd probably cook much less often than I do. So, here are some things that I like to keep in my kitchen, so that I can cook a meal, even if I don't have time to go shopping that day. Now your staple ingredients might be very different, depending on, what you like to cook and what you like to eat. So, this is just meant to give you a few ideas. In terms of dry goods, I always like to have a few different kinds of pasta, some rice, some oats, some dry beans and lentils. And I also like to keep quinoa, and quinoa is a high protein grain that's also high in fiber. Then, I keep some flour on hand for baking. Our flour has to be gluten free for our little guy who can't eat wheat. But you can keep regular flour, some baking powder, and a little bit of sugar on hand, for days when you feel like baking something. I also love using nut flours, like almond meal and hazelnut flour. But if you're not a big fan, that's totally fine. On the topic of nuts, you might want to keep a few containers of different kinds of nuts and some dried fruit in your food cupboard. As long as your children don't have nut allergies, these can be great weekday treats or lunchbox snacks, if your school allows nuts. I know some schools don't these days. I also keep a small spice drawer, where I store things like chili powder, coriander, black pepper, and dried thyme. There's a bottle of vanilla essence in there too, for days when I want to bake. And again, your spice drawer will vary depending on what spices you like. And it's kind of like a reflection of your food personality. Then I keep a box of onions, garlic, and potatoes in a dark cupboard near my pots and pans. Apparently keeping them in a dark place prevents them from sprouting, at least for a week or so. As far as fridge ingredients, go my fridge will almost always have some eggs, some milk, butter, cheese, and yogurt in it. I usually keep some carrots and tomatoes in the vegetable drawer, and some frozen peas in the freezer. These are kind of like my backup vegetables, in case I don't have time to stop at the market and buy fresh vegetables that day. In some places you can actually order a farm box to be delivered to your door every week, from a local farm. It's kind of an automatic way to increase the variety in your diet. And it's also surprisingly affordable, because the vegetables in the box are always in season. So with these staples that I've mentioned, all you need really are some lemons, some salt, and some olive oil, and you're in business. Even if you don't have time to go shopping. With the ingredients we've just discussed, you can make a simple pasta dish with a tomato sauce and some sprinkled cheese. You can make a quinoa salad with chopped carrots and some fresh lemon juice, or lentils and rice, or beans and rice. And you can dress these up with your favorite spices and flavor them with onions and garlic. For breakfast, you can always make oatmeal or scrambled eggs if you're in a pinch, and you can make pancakes, cakes, or cookies for occasional treats. Now another benefit of storing some non-perishable food items in your kitchen, is that you can buy in bulk, and sort of stock up when these foods are on special at the supermarket. So you end up actually saving money on your meals. Remember that even if you only have time to boil some pasta and sprinkle some grated cheese on top, and maybe cut up a fresh fruit, that meal will almost certainly be healthier for your family than a fast food dinner. My mom used to say, it's better to be real than to be perfect. You don't need to cook like Julia Child in order to feed your family well. Even Julia Child emphasized fearlessness in the kitchen. One of her most famous quotes was this. She said, learn how to cook, try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all, have fun. [MUSIC]
