Destress your lifestyle with Shellie’s cooking hacks

This community continues to grow, and we’re so thankful! Whether you’re a new grandma or a seasoned veteran we’re happy to have you with us and we’re eager to walk with you in these grand years. That said, one of the things that continues to surprise us is hearing from so many younger women who are engaging with us online and through our podcast. We thought our demographic would be all grandparents, and we are thrilled to speak to our fellow grandmas, but we welcome those of you in the throes of parenting, too! I’m actually writing this Pantry Cooking post with you in mind. I imagine it will be the most beneficial to our younger audience, but I hope everyone can take away something from it. And if you have your own pantry or freezer hacks, feel free to weigh in below! There’s no way I’ll cover it all in one writing.

My mom (AKA the Queen of Us All) taught me how to cook from the freezer and pantry. It’s such a way of life for me that I find it challenging to unpack in a concise way for others. I want to try, however, because I know so many young women who don’t have this skill, so they find it hard to put a meal on the table without going to the grocery store first. Having a well-stocked fridge is a game-changer all its own, but I’m going to try and do this without listing any refrigerator ingredients, so I can show you that it can be done. These aren’t exhaustive lists. I’ll be hitting the high points. My plan is to give you a host of ingredients and then show you the many ways you could use them. Ready? Let’s go.

Stock your pantry with:

Vegetable oil, Olive oil, Pasta, Rice, Potatoes, Onions, Potatoes, Canned soups, Broths, Canned tomatoes and tomato sauces, Corn, Canned Beans and Dry Beans, Canned Olives, Dry milk mix, Dry buttermilk mix, Canned fruit, Flour, Cornmeal, Sugar, Seasoning mixes for taco, spaghetti, and chili, variety of Pesto and salad dressings, Syrups, sandwich breads

Stock your freezer with:

Hard cheeses like cheddar or Monterey Jack (soft cheese don’t freeze as well), Ground beef, Bacon, Sausage (ground and link), Boneless Chicken breasts and thighs, Shrimp, Vegetables, French breads, Butter, Vegetable Seasoning mix (chopped onions, peppers, celery), Flour and cornmeal (in case you’re out in the pantry), Wild game such as Venison (if you have access to it)

Okay, from the above listings alone I’ll do an off the top of my head run-down of the dishes that could be whipped up at the last minute.

Soups: Potato, Vegetable, Taco, Chili, and Gumbo

Pastas: Spaghetti, of course, you have everything you need! Beyond that, you could prepare your favorite pasta and combine it with a flavorful pesto while it’s still warm and serve it with French Bread. You could make a blond roux with butter and the milk you’ve made from that dry milk or buttermilk mix and top it with grilled shrimp. You could also make a cold pasta by boiling your favorite, dressing it with one of the prepared salad dressings and adding ingredients like canned corn and black olives. (Of course, that shrimp or frozen chicken from the freezer would be a nice add there, too!)

Side dishes: You could prepare potatoes and onions by dicing them into bite-size pieces and cooking them down in butter (with a little olive oil to keep from burning). You could make a loaded baked potato supper with what you have on hand, and you also have the fixings for a good cheese dip if you wanted to go the grilled sandwich and chips route!

I could go on, friends, but my goal here is to jump start your confidence that you can Pantry Cook, too! It just takes a commitment not to run to the store and instead evaluate what you have on hand. After that, all you need is practice. You can find recipes for any of the dishes mentioned online, or run by my place, Shelliet.com! Newbies, let me know if you decide to challenge yourself to be a pantry and freezer cook. I’m available for any questions. You more seasoned helpers, add your own thoughts to the social media or blog post. It’s fun to learn from each other. Happy Cooking!

Hugs, Shellie