Jars a plenty

I am a jar saver.  I admit it.  They are one of those favorite things and I will recycle them if they begin to .... stack up.   I reuse them in lots of ways.

A little tip: To remove labels soak the jar in a container with a scoop of washing soda and hot water.  Fill the jar with plain water to weight it.   The label should peel off easily after an hour.

I am very lucky to have a walk-in pantry but there are lots of small items I add to King's food and the jars make it very easy to get my hands on it.  I keep these on a shelf near where I prepare food.  Here are some of those items that I recommend for using with your toddler's menu:

• Raisins
• Dried fruit (unsulphured apricots are our staple)
• Nuts (whole and ground)
• "O" cereal
• Wheat Germ
• Brewer's Yeast (aka Nutritional Yeast)
• Blackstrap Molasses
• Mini whole wheat crackers
• Kelp granules

Pasta Water & Boiling

I use a stainless, lidded, 20-quart stock pot to boil water for my pasta. I bought it at Ross for $10. The thing has held up beautifully. It has a glass top lid with an air pressure hole (see image).

The rule of thumb is to never boil pasta in less then 3 quarts of water to a gallon regardless of how much pasta you are cooking. As well, never use oil in your pasta water - just salt. I generally always crank the heat up on full blast, once the water begins to boil, I throw in a handful of Kosher salt (the only salt I use with the exception of Sea Salt for certain recipes), then reduce the heat to med/high, then add the pasta, stirring gently with tongs. I will stir again a few times during cooking. Depending on the pasta, most will only take 6 - 8 minutes for al dente. At 6 minutes I will pick out a piece, blow on it and give it a taste. =]

What To Keep Stocked Around the Kitchen

Pantry:

• Whole Wheat Flour
• Bread Flour
• White Flour
• Cornmeal
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Sea Salt
• Kosher Salt
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Organic Sugar
• Garlic
• Crystallized Ginger
• Confectioner's Sugar
• Rubs
• Vegetable Stock
• Balsamic Vinegar
• White Wine Vinegar
  

Canned:

• Tomato sauce
• Whole Tomatoes
• Various Beans
• Coconut Milk
  

Dry Spices:

• Onion Powder
• Italian Seasoning
• Cayenne Pepper
• Cream of Tartar
• Cumin
• Whole Peppercorn
  

Fridge:

• Eggs
• Yogurt
• Berries
• Unsalted Butter
• Skim or Reduced Fat Milk
• Ricotta
  

Freezer:

• Phyllo Dough
• Ginger Root*
• Nuts (Sliced Almonds, Pine nuts, walnuts)
• Pureed Squash
• Chopped Spinach
  

* Buy a nice size Ginger root - use a spoon and scrape off the skin - then put the whole thing in a freezer bag and toss in the freezer. It's great to slice when its a bit frozen and will last a super long time.

I also pick up cheap white and red wines that are on sale at my local grocery store that I use only for cooking.