Staples?

I've heard people talk before about what they consider the *staples* in their kitchen...I've given this a lot of thought and have to be honest and say it wasn't easy. Not because I don't have staples, but because I have so many. LOL So I've tried to narrow it down and thought I would share.

In the cupboards:
Soup - Tomato, Cream of Chicken, Cream of Mushroom specifically
Basic Kid Snacks (Crackers, Chips, Fruit Leathers, etc.)
Oils - Olive and Vegetable
Vinegar - White, Red Wine, Balsamic
Soy Sauce
Sugar and Flour (of course)
Icing Sugar
Honey
Garlic (fresh)

Food Storage: Canned Mushrooms, Canned Corn, Creamed Corn *barf*, Beef Broth, Evaporated Milk, Tomato Paste, Stewed Tomatoes, Spaghetti Sauce, Kidney Beans and Black Beans (newly added), Soups (Mushroom, Tomato, Vegetable, Chicken Noodle), Ichiban, Macaroni and Cheese, Rice

Spices:
Pepper, Garlic Powder, Seasoning Salt, Oregano, Italiano, Montreal Steak Spice, Roasted Garlic and Peppers, Chili Powder, Cumin, Chicken and Beef broth (powdered)

In the fridge (this is the big one):
Veggies: Lettuce (always - except of course when there isn't any at the store *grr*), Peppers (all but green, I don't like green), Cucumbers, Zucchini, Mushrooms, Celery, Carrots, Green Onion, Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash (a new favorite), Snap Peas (newly added as a staple - in the summer, the sugar snap peas are to die for raw....but these snap peas are the flat stir fry kind)
Basics: Milk, Eggs, Margarine, Cheese (I'm an addict remember), Yogurt, Sour Cream (a must!!!)
Other: Apple Sauce or Fruit Cups (I like to alternate), Mayonnaise/Miracle Whip, Pickles (I'm not pregnant - I just loooove pickles...when I'm going to an wedding or even a funeral for that matter I'm always hopeful there will be pickles. LOL), Ketchup, Mustard, Relish, Cheez Whiz (ohhh of course!!!), Anchovie Paste, Dijon Mustard, Lemon Juice, Salad Dressings (I like to have a few on hand just in case I'm not in the mood for home made, or perhaps don't have the time), Tortilla Shells (for tacos and wraps)

Fruit: Ideally I would have a huge variety every grocery trip....but for actual *staples*:
Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Pears, Nectarines (when in season), grapes (when they are worth buying...), and either Strawberries, Cantaloupe, HoneyDew, Pineapple, Watermelon, or Kiwis - rarely every kind at once....but I do like to have at least one *fun* fruit per trip. It changes things up a bit. We do go through banana phases so they aren't always a staple - but I do like having them around as they are quick and easy....

Meat: Chicken Breasts (frozen 4kg box), Hamburger (Deer that Brent got last hunting season), Stew Beef (again, from the Deer), Marinating Steaks (although we've recently gotten more clever and just buy a roast and cut it into our own marinating steaks - waaaay cheaper) and I prefer to have at least one roast just hanging around waiting to be made, but that's not always the case, so I guess it can't really be considered a staple. LOL

Freezer Food: chicken strips and fish sticks - when they are on sale sometimes we pick up a few freezer dinners simply because they can be great in a time crunch...but honestly I absolutely despise having them in my cart and taking them to the till. I much prefer having my cart full of fruit and veggies, etc.

We rarely buy cereal so it's definitely not a staple. And Bread - we really don't eat a lot of bread but of course it is a staple as it's good to have around. We've recently decided to start buying the $0.99 French loaves (that I usually use for my garlic bread) instead of spending $2+ on a loaf! The grilled ham and cheese sandwiches we had for lunch today on the french bread were especially delicious. I'm already liking the change! :D

Snacks: Chips (mmmmmm chips), Popcorn, Ice Cream (ooo we had delicious strawberry milkshakes last night thanks to my fabulous husband!!!)

Equipment: Bosch (How would I ever live without it!), the Mini Chopper, Basic Cutting board and good Knives (we have henkel...thanks auntie Glenda!)

Well those are our staples....I'd love to hear about yours...I'm sure I'll think of a hundred other things I have to have, but I'd say this is a pretty decent list! Thing is we don't buy food we don't eat....so all of these things are items we not only have in our fridge on a regular basis but that we also are eating - we don't get caught up in impulse buying at the grocery store, okay maybe we do sometimes (or maybe I do...lol). What I love is that trying new recipes is rather simple when you have most of the items already....I usually only have to buy a couple of things (like hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil (we had run out actually), etc.) which is nice.

Well this week will bring a few new recipes...I just need to plan it all out and see what I want to try and when! For now, I'm off to bed!

Happy Easter everyone!!