Kitchen

Pantry Items

These are some of the items I always try to keep around – in the pantry, cabinets, or refrigerator:

• Rice Dream Heart Healthy Rice Milk – for the non-dairy child – works well in most recipes as a milk substitute and F(ds) drinks it all the time.
• Earth Balance by the makers of Smart Balance – for the non-dairy child – works well as a butter substitute; it’s easily spreadable and melts like butter. Note: if a recipe calls for softened (or room temperature butter) do not set this butter out to soften; as a matter of fact, use right away and you may need to re-chill slightly before using as for cookies.
• Non-Refined (or Healthy) sugars – this encompasses a wide realm of sugars. The most common sugar bought is refined (white) sugar. Refined sugar has undergone a process which strips it of its natural flavors, vitamins, and minerals (yes, People, sugar has vitamins and minerals).
• Sunspire Chocolate Chips – the best we’ve tasted by far. There are other brands of organic chocolate chips; we like these best with what is near us. I’ve discovered others via the internet but shipping just makes them more expensive.
• Flour – this is necessary for most baking needs. I prefer King Arthur for most things especially bread baking. My husband swears by White Lily for biscuits, but I don’t notice the difference. I haven’t bought self-rising flour in about six years or more. Update: we now buy our own organic red wheat and winter white wheat and grind it ourselves. Oh, man, talk about some good home made bread.