Kitchen Pantry Staples

I am missing my girl and some of our phone calls go like this:
RING.
Me: Hello.
Kendra: Mom, I forgot to thaw the chicken. What do I do?
Me: You can heat it in a skillet with a little oil on medium-high heat.
Kendra: We don't have any oil and the chicken is frozen.
Me: It's fully cooked, right? You can put it on a baking sheet in the oven.
Kendra: Oh, I found some oil. Bye.
*click*

...... must be nice to have a cooking hotline.

So on to the most recent request which is a list of pantry staples. This list is customizable based on the types of things that you like to cook and that the people you are cooking for like to eat.

Here are the bare minimum, must have basics for general cooking:

1. flour - every day run of the mill, unbleached and all-purpose (we don't want to eat something that has been bleached - blech!) There are fancier flours, and eventually I would suggest adding some whole wheat for healthy cooking, bread baking, etc. and others if you want to get real *fancy* - be sure not to get self-rising flour unless that is what a specific recipe calls for - and you can make all-purpose flour into self rising flour by adding 1 1/4 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt for every cup of flour
2. sugar - we use organic sugar that is unrefined, larger crystals and slightly tan in color - but white table sugar is less expensive and works equally as well - in fact it dissolves in a cold drink much more quickly - however, it has a more dramatic impact on your blood sugar - this might be one financial choice you make for health reasons
3. salt - I prefer Celtic sea-salt which has a slightly gray-ish color and is a little bit coarser than table salt - so it doesn't come out of salt shakers very well - but not all brands have iodine - you can find some brands that do.  Regular table salt has been processed and refined and can have a detrimental impact on your blood pressure over time.  
4. baking powder - be sure to buy a brand that is aluminum free
5. baking soda - is used in various recipes, can be used for cleaning, brushing your teeth, deodorizing your refrigerator (once you use it in this way - don't cook with it because it absorbs the odors into the baking soda - yuck!)
6. butter - not margarine - buy in sticks for ease of measuring for cooking or in 1 lb blocks to put in a crock for spreading on toast, etc. 
7. oil - olive oil is the most heart healthy - extra virgin olive oil, first cold-pressed is the healthiest because it is processed without heat - this one is light green in color, but for a lighter flavor use light olive oil which is light gold in color - a cheaper substitute is canola oil
8. garlic - fresh cloves of garlic are relatively inexpensive - for maximum flavor and freshness, don't overbuy - so go for a clove a week versus buying a big bag - you can also use *sigh* garlic powder - if you must - as a cheaper, more convenient alternative - but the flavor is not the same. I have both in my kitchen and use them for different purposes. 
9. onion - I prefer sweet onions, sometimes Vidalias in season - but there are other types of sweet onions - they are less harsh when you cut them.  You can use dried, minced onions or onion powder as a substitute - but again you will sacrifice flavor. 

More pantry basics: dried pasta, dried beans, chicken stock or broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, canned tuna and chicken, peanut butter, vinegar (red wine and white), hot sauce (you are married to Jacob!), bread, cereal, oatmeal, etc. 

For the fridge: jelly, salad dressing, eggs, mayonnaise (for Jacob!), mustard, yogurt, milk, produce, shredded cheese, sliced cheese, lunch meat, etc. 

Once you have some of the basics, cooking becomes so much easier. You have to remember to stock up and look for coupons for these items when you can because these are things you always need.