College Kitchen Essentials

Long time, no see!

I thought I’d post a bit about what I’ve been doing to prepare for college.  My roommate and I decided to rent an apartment on campus that has a kitchen so we don’t have to eat at the cafeteria all the time.  While our college’s cafeteria is fairly good, it’s still a cafeteria.   I love to cook and bake so this should be exciting to have my own (tiny) kitchen.   This past week I’ve been making a list of kitchen essentials and food to stock my bare cabinets.  I looked at a few kitchen essential lists online and tailored it to my tastes.  Like all of my lists, I’m updating it all of the time.  I even just updated it now.  I’ll post in here in case anyone is interested in reading it.  Feel free to copy it for your own use if you feel so inclined.  Also, if you have anything to add, whether it’s to my shopping list or menu list, tell me in the comments!  I’m quite sure there things I’ve forgotten.  There I go and add another item to my list.  A kitchen cannot go without toothpicks!  The items on my menu list are just off the top of my head.  I just bought a new cook book that has a whole lot more menu ideas. 

It’s exciting to get ready for a new apartment.  I’m buying so many new things (not exciting for my wallet!) and I’ll get to decorate my own little place in a few days.  While I’m not going to have the amenities of living in my parents’ house, there is just something thrilling about living on my own with a friend.  At the same time, it is a bit scary.  When I first started my kitchen essentials list, my Mom had to remind me that I don’t need to plan every single meal I have and it’s okay if I have to go to the store to get one ingredient.  I tend to over-plan things and worry that I won’t have everything that I need.  It’s something I’ve been working on.  So here is my imperfect shopping list.  I know I’m not going to buy everything I need on here right away, and maybe I won’t need some items at all.  And of course, there will be items I will forget about and it won’t be the end of the world. 

Breakfast Items	Frozen Food
Milk	Berries
Granola	Peas
Vanilla yogurt (Greek or regular)	Green beans
Eggs	Green pepper
Ham	Veggie mix
Steel cut oats	Broccoli
Craisins, walnuts	Frozen dinners (2 per week)
Coffee creamer
Coffee	Vegetables/Fruits
Lunch	Whatever looks good!
	Cucumbers
Peanut Butter	Nectarines
Honey	Lettuce
Bread/sandwich rounds/tortillas	Tomatoes
Lunch meat	Green pepper
Cheddar cheese	Apples
Tuna	Bananas
Mac ’n’cheese
Spices/Seasonings	Dinner
Parsley flakes	Pesto
Italian seasonings	Garlic
Taco seasoning	Rice
Basil	Beans –kidney/black
Salt	Spaghetti sauce
Pepper	Spaghetti/pasta noodles
Cinnamon	Olive/vegetable oil
Nutmeg	Onions
Cloves	Diced tomatoes
All-spice	Tomato paste
Paprika	Balsamic vinegar
Oregano	White vinegar
Chili powder	Garlic
Garlic powder	Worcestershire sauce
Chicken/beef bouillon	Salsa
Magic meat stuff	Corn
Onion powder	Soy sauce
Kitchen supplies	Baking
Mixing bowls	Butter
Measuring spoons/cups/liquid	Vanilla
Rubber spatulas	Baking powder
Cookie sheets	Baking soda
Blender	Chocolate Chips
Can opener	Flour
Cutting boards	Sugar (white, brown, powdered)
Knives	Cooking spray
Silverware drawer	Lemon Juice
Whisks	Toothpicks
Grater
Muffin tins	Meats
9*9 Pan
9*13 pan	Sausage/brats
Timer	Ground Beef
Foil	Chicken
Plastic wrap
Cups
Scissors
Colander
Spatulas
Wooden spoon
Vegetable peeler
garlic press

Menu Ideas

Spaghetti –premade sauce (add oregano, basil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic) ground beef or sausage, pasta, bread

Black beans and cheese – Rice, black beans, cheddar cheese, salt, corn, salsa

Pesto Chicken Sandwich – Pesto, chicken, bread crumbs (pre-make some at home), lettuce, tomato, olive oil, deli sandwich round

Macaroni and cheese – peas/frozen veggies, Smokies sausage

Spicy lettuce wraps (check cook book)

Tacos –ground beef, taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, tortillas, cheese

Monterey Rice Beans and Cheese – kidney beans (1), diced tomatoes (1), beef bouillon (1 t), green pepper (1/4 cup), onions (1/4 cup), bacon (four slices), chili powder, cheese

Frozen dinners

Canned tuna or chicken – basil, mayo, salt, pepper, relish, celery

Burgers – ground hamburger, red onion, 2 cloves garlic, fresh (or dried) parsley, salt, pepper, deli mustard, cheese, condiments

Summer torn chicken salad – garlic, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, capers, stale bread, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, fresh basil, chicken

Later:

I just got back from shopping!  Whew, 6 hours of shopping (including a lunch break) can really wear a person out.  But I sure got a great haul!  My mom, Sarah, and I went to Khols, Subway, Sherwin-Williams, TJ Maxx and Target.  A trip to the Starbucks in Target was certainly a necessity!  While it was exhausting, it still was fun and we found several great deals. Mrs. Davis would be proud.  We’re heading home right now to watch the closing ceremonies of the Olympics.  I’ll probably post about that later!

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."
Romans 1:16