Remember how our moms always seemed to have a great meal every night? Even when times were lean, she came through with fabulous meals and snacks to satisfy even the hungriest of kids. By keeping a few of the essential food staples on hand, you too can be awed for your cooking genius.

Throughout the meals we cook, there are some common items that keep popping up. These are your basic staples that no kitchen should be without. As long as you have a few of these things on hand, you can turn it into an interesting meal even when the cupboards look like there is nothing to eat.

You know how kids are. If there is not a box of cereal or a ready-to-eat meal in the freezer then there is nothing good to eat in their mind. Teaching kids how to create breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks from basic food items will keep them from spending all their money on processed foods once they are on their own. Using basic cooking skills encourages a healthier lifestyle. Satisfying meals can be whipped up from pantry staples without resorting to the expensive alternatives found in today’s grocery stores.

Let’s start with the staples we always saw on the kitchen shelves as a kid but didn’t understand why mom always had them. Staples are basic ingredients that are combined to make other things.

Useful Pantry Items

 Flour
 Sugar
 Rice (white or brown depending on taste)
 Soup (creams and various flavors)
 Broth
 Pasta
 Baking soda
 Baking powder
 Nuts and legumes
 Chocolate squares
 Canned vegetables
 Fresh vegetables like onions and potatoes

Most of us probably have some of these in our cupboards right now. For a quick meal on a cold day, many of these items can be used to create homemade vegetable stew. A pan of rice mixed with a cream soup and a can of mixed vegetables turns into a casserole side dish for dinner. Pasta with mixed veggies is also a great combination. The possibilities are endless.

Here are a few more staples no kitchen pantry should be without.

Useful Condiments and Spice Items

 Ketchup
 Mustard
 Salt (plain and seasoned varieties)
 Pepper
 Vanilla extract (and others that you like)
 Soy sauce
 Chili powder
 Powdered seasoning packets
 Relish
 Mayonnaise (regular and light)
 Cinnamon

It is an eclectic group but they can be used to create wonderful dishes. Periodically check your basic staples for expiration dates. Yes, even flour has an expiration date. Replace them as needed so they are always fresh and available in case you need them in a pinch.

All in all, these pantry items don’t cost much. Combine them and you’ve created meals that would cost five times as much when bought ready-made from the store.

By:
Linda Allen
Webmaster of GirlfriendsCafe.com
http://www.girlfriendscafe.com

We have a winner! Lanijnjax of Jacksonville, Florida was the lucky winner in the GirlfriendsCafe February Trivia Contest!

As the winner, she will receive a gorgeous pendant.

Submitted by:

Linda Allen
GirlfriendsCafe.com
http://www.girlfriendscafe.com

GirlfriendsCafe is proud to announce the winner of our February Pet Photo Contest conducted in our popular Member Photo Gallery.

Holland_Gal of Selah, Washington submitted an adorable photo of her very precious puppy!

The winning photo as judged by the votes of the members was:

As the winner Holland_Gal will receive an American Express Gift Card.

Submitted by:

Linda Allen
Webmaster
GirlfriendsCafe - a social network for women in the United States and Canada.

Although Twitter May Sound Like a Bird Sound - It is a Quick Way to Send Messages to Your Friends and Customers Via the Internet!

One of the newest social networking sites is Twitter. It sounds like a movement birds make. In fact it is a quick way to send messages to your favorite people via the Internet. Due to its popularity with people all over the world, many entrepreneurs wonder if Twitter can actually help them grow their business.

In order to answer that question we first need to find out what exactly Twitter is? It is a social networking site which allows people to keep in touch with friends, family, and others. Through a series of short posts, important information is sent to a person’s followers. Those short posts are called “tweets.”

Read more »

As GirlfriendsCafe has grown from an idea to a thriving social network with over 25,000 members throughout the United States and Canada, we have realized that our members wish to form local chapters and small interest centered groups with fellow members. To satisfy this need, we have added "Member Groups" to our site. In this section, members can form a targeted group. The target can be a geographic locale, hobby or interest.

Be sure to check out this exciting new feature on your next visit to GirlfriendsCafe. Not a member? Membership is free and is open to all women in the United States and Canada.

Submitted by:
Linda Allen
Webmaster of GirlfriendsCafe.com
http://www.girlfriendscafe.com