Sunday Dinner

We had had no rain during September, and the temperatures were above 90 much of the time. On the first day that we had the tiniest little tinge of crispness in the air, I decided to make chili. I thawed ground beef from the freezer and went through the whole thing, then looked for a can of red kidney beans. No beans. I ended the dish by adding a can of chili with beans to my pot. It was good, but I was still put out with myself for not having the beans. Therefore, today’s column is to help you avoid being without beans.

We should keep our pantries stocked with basics. This doesn’t mean that you run to the grocery and spend a couple of hundred dollars. Add a few of these each week until they are in place, and even more important, when you use an item, replace it during the next shopping trip. You never know when (a) you’ll be sick, (b) the car will be in the shop, or (c) the bridge will be washed out.

Your list will be different from mine, but with the things listed you can make a number of dishes for all the meals at your house.

Canned vegetables: red kidney beans, black beans, green beans, baked beans, stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, whole kernel corn, asparagus, sweet potatoes, peas
Baking needs: all-purpose flour, self-rising flour, self-rising corn meal, granulated sugar, brown sugar, 5x or 10x confectioners sugar, yeast, baking powder, non-sugar sweetener packs, cocoa, corn starch
Starches and pastas: grits, rice, noodles, spaghetti, macaroni, fettuccine, tomato-herb /tomato-meat sauce
Oils: Vegetable, canola, olive, spray-on, shortening or lard
Canned meats: salmon, tuna, crabmeat, corned beef hash, corned beef, ready-to-eat chili
Condiments: mayonnaise, honey, horseradish, ketchup, prepared mustard, dry mustard, hot sauce, corn syrup, honey, maple or other syrup, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, chicken and beef bouillon cubes or broth, minced garlic
Canned fruit: pears, peaches, pineapple, coconut, blueberries
Packaged foods: pancake mix, baking mix, cake mix, macaroni and cheese, creamed potatoes
Beverages: regular, decaffeinated or instant coffee and tea; lemon, orange, cranberry and apple juices
Seasonings/spices: salt, black pepper, chili, cumin, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, onion salt, garlic powder, bay leaves
Miscellaneous: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, pimientos, ripe olives, peanut butter, gelatin, vinegar
Crackers: saltine, butter-flavored, graham, vanilla wafers
Soups: vegetable, cream of chicken, mushroom, tomato
Cereals: Oatmeal, cream of wheat, ready-to-eat favorites
Vegetables: white potatoes, onions, green pepper, carrots
In refrigerator: milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, butter, sour cream, cottage cheese
In freezer: 5 packs of meat, fish, or poultry; frozen pecans; pie shells; chopped parsley; shredded cheese; packs of vegetables

From these basics, you can make many good meals, especially if Uncle Tom from Tucson or Aunt Susie from Savannah arrives unexpectedly for ... Sunday Dinner.