When we decided we wanted to build a brand new home about five years ago I had a few items that I really wanted to make sure went into our dream home. In addition to a first floor laundry room I really, really wanted a pantry in the kitchen with plenty of shelves for storage. I got my wish and our beautiful home has a nice big pantry in it with plenty of shelving. My favorite thing about the concept of a pantry is that I would have the room to stock up on items that we use a lot of and I could purchase items that were on sale, store them and save money. Plus, who doesn't love a nice big pantry to stay organized with? Now that we have our pantry and have for the past 4 years or so, I have some great items that are perfect for stocking your pantry with.
Garvey's Gourmet Baking Mixes
I'm a terrible baker. I love to cook and I like to think I'm good at it but ideally I should stay away from baking from scratch. I have a few items I can do with ease like my homemade chocolate chip cookies, a scone recipe I acquired from a B&B in the Finger Lakes and biscuits. Other than that, it's best I don't bake on my own. I do love warming up the house in the winter with an awesome smelling baked good though so I always keep some good baking mixes in the pantry. Garvey's Gourmet Baking Mixes are great products to keep on hand for company, as a gift or as a quick breakfast or snack. Scones are hard to make so when I don't want to take on making my own from scratch I like a good mix. This is a perfect one that tastes good plain but you can add your own additions to it if you want like diced apple, an orange glaze, etc.
Crunchmaster Snacks
I eat gluten free but the rest of my family does not so I like to keep snacks on hand that are safe for me but also that my son and husband will still like and be able to enjoy. This prevents me from having to stock the pantry with tons of different kinds of snacks for each person in the household. Crunchmaster makes really tasty snacks that are gluten free but still taste great. You can get simple multi-grain crackers or something more unique and tasty like the Cheesy Crisps or Grammy Crisps which are made for kids but honestly I love them myself and gobbled them right up!
Simple Mills
I eat gluten free and since I do all of the cooking in our house I make a lot of gluten free foods. I know a gluten free product is good when my husband doesn't say: "Is this gluten free?" Simple Mills makes baking mixes that are gluten free; made with almond flour. Muffins go over well in this house. They're a quick breakfast, a healthy snack and they disappear quick. Simple Mills makes some great flavors like pumpkin and banana muffins. You can make the chocolate muffins for a treat as well!
Cow Wow Cereal Milk
We almost never eat cereal for breakfast in our house. If there's a bowl of cereal on the table then you know Mom is either tired or sick. I do keep a few varieties on hand for an evening snack and a nice way to spruce up a plain, basic cereal is by using Cow Wow Cereal Milk. Fruity Trudy, Cinny Minny and Chocolate Chip Cathy are small milk boxes perfect for one bowl of cereal. You can take them on the go for a school breakfast, on a road trip or use them simply as a milk box in a lunch box. You can skip the cereal all together if you want; that's how tasty this product is.
Mix My Own
I like granola as an afternoon snack and I like to sneak it into my son's favorite snack which is a tortilla with peanut butter on it, a banana inside and I sprinkle some granola in there to make it more healthy. Mix My Own lets you create your own granola using a base oat of your choice, you can add dried fruit, nuts, sweets and more. You can even choose spices like cinnamon.
Florida Candy Factory
Peppermint has long been known to soothe tummy troubles and it's a great way to freshen your breath as well. Angel Mints by the Florida Candy Factory are large, soft mints that are great to keep in your bag to freshen your breath but you'll also get the benefits of their natural peppermint oil. They are also gluten free and contain no harmful preservatives or chemicals.
Sleeping Bear Farms
Honey, especially in its raw form is good for a number of ailments such as illness, allergies and inflammation. Sleeping Bear Farms makes a number of honeys that are great to stock your pantry with. I keep a few different varieties around. Some for tea, some for baking and I even drizzle some honey on our roasted carrots for dinner.
Justin's Peanut Butter
We go through a lot of peanut butter in our house. It's such a quick and easy protein boost that it's hard not to use it for everything from breakfast on a waffle, spread on an apple for a snack or baking it into cookies. Justin's Peanut Butter is natural, healthy and good for you. In addition to their basic peanut butter you can get alternate nut butters (Which my husband loves!) and they even have peanut butter cups. The peanut butter cups are so rich and delicious!
Tree Hugger Bubble Gum
I used to chew gum as a kid but have since stopped because basically every gum you find in the checkout aisle at the supermarket is made with aspartame. Aspartame is a huge no-no in our house so I was thrilled to find Tree Hugger Bubble Gum. This is an all natural gum that is made with ingredients such as brown rice syrup, citrus, beet juice, lemon and more.
Yonanas Dessert Maker
The top shelf of my pantry is all small appliances like a juicer, mixer and a Yonanas Dessert Maker. This awesome appliance is great for someone like me who loves ice cream but probably doesn't need to be eating it on a daily basis. You simply freeze bananas and then put them through the machine to turn them into a frozen dessert that is just like ice cream. You can add other ingredients to make your own varieties. Best part is the end result is healthy!
Lovely Candy Company
I' m more of a cookie, ice cream kind of person myself but we do keep candy in the house as a treat for my son. Lovely Candy Company makes gluten free caramels, fruit chews and licorice drops. The caramels are delicious. They're the perfect mix of sweet and chewy. All the products have good shelf lives as well so you can stock your pantry full of these sweet treats for any occasion.
Element Bars
Element Bars are a great granola bar alternative and you can actually pick your own ingredients to add to each bar. Each bar is made from all natural ingredients, they are fresh and jammed with tons of healthy, energy-providing ingredients. I like to keep bars like Element Bars in the pantry for a quick afternoon snack, a compliment to a healthy lunch or for on the go nourishment. The different ingredients in some of the classic Element Bars boast an antioxidant boost, immunity boost, etc.
Elaine's Toffee
While I do like to keep candy in the house for our own use I also like to keep some around as a quick gift or thank you item. Because of this I like to know of a few high-end candy companies that provide a high quality and tasty product. Elaine's Toffee is a delicious, crunchy and sweet treat that is perfect for an after dinner snack or as a gift. You can also grab Toffee Sauce, Fudge Sauce, Toffee Nuggets and more to make an entire gift basket. I like these products because the basic boxes of toffee are beautiful and have an elegant black bow right on the front. It's like the product is already wrapped and ready to go for me!
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