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Kitchen Staples:

As a busy person, you know that staying organized is the key to success. It's the same with a home kitchen. The following list will seem long and maybe a little overwhelming but once you purchase these items for your pantry, you're set. The idea is the same concept as a busy restaurant. You keep an inventory of items available whenever you need them and just replenish what is used. These items remain in your kitchen on a constant basis and all you buy are the fresh items, meat and produce. No more searching through the cookbooks because you don't have enough ingredients to construct a meal.

These items can all be stored in a pantry or a cool, dark cabinet at room temperature. Over time, you'll collect many new items to add to your inventory but try to keep at least these basics on hand at all times.

Here's another restaurant hint. Put a chalk or white board up in a corner of your kitchen and when you run out of an ingredient, put it on the board. The next time you need to go to the grocery store, pick up that item(s).

Cooking:

Necessary Spices: