"Organize It" Party Continues with Smart Shopper

Welcome back to the "Organize It" Party!
Now that our pantries are organized, what do we need to stock our kitchens with to be prepared, whether it be for an emergency due to snowstorm or just a crazy day when we need a last minute meal. I did some searching and found Michelle Thompson over at She Knows.


MUST-HAVE Pantry list
Written by : Michelle Thomspon, MS
www.sheknows.com


Wouldn’t it be nice if someone just gave you a pantry list of staples that would make dinner an easy-to-fix endeavor? Good news, Sandra Lee, star of Semi-Homemade Cooking on the Food Network and author of Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Money Saving Meals not only shares her basic pantry list for delectable family-friendly dishes, but also her perfect pantry shortcuts that will save you time – and money – in the kitchen.

Perfect Pantry Shortcuts
Whether you make your meals from scratch or use convenient ready-made foods from your local supermarket, keeping your kitchen stocked with the basics can make your cooking time more productive and enjoyable.

1. Stock your pantry well
Add a protein (meat or soy substitute) and/or fresh vegetables to pantry staples (see list on page 2) and you can create a delicious, wholesome meal in mere minutes.

2. Choose double-duty foods
Olives, pickles, pearl onions, pineapples, cherries and peaches can serve as flavor enhancers as well as food and cocktail garnishes.

3. Think small
Buy good-quality herbs and spices in the smallest containers possible. Date them and alphabetize on inside-the-door racks. Herbs and spices start to lose their flavor after six months - are you really going to use that jumbo container of dried thyme in six months? Same goes for olive oil and other oils – only buy in quantities that you can use in a few months.

4. Get milk
Evaporated milk has 60 percent less water. Swap it for regular milk to make a dish richer and creamier. Powdered milk is thrifty for cooking – and it works exactly the same in recipes.

5. Group like items with like items
Store flour, sugar and shortening with sweet spices in one area, while storing savory spices, sauces and marinades in another. Stack food on risers and in clear, airtight containers so you won’t waste time searching for ingredients

Sandra's List

Dry Pantry

Rice (instant, converted)
Canned diced tomatoes (assorted flavors and types)
Canned artichoke hearts
Canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
Canned reduced-sodium beef broth
Canned reduced-sodium vegetable broth
Canned Mexi-corn
Canned sliced black olives
Canned ham
Canned chicken
Canned shrimp
Canned solid white tuna
Canned skinless, boneless salmon
Condensed tomato soup
Condensed cheese soup
Assorted seasoned bread crumbs
Dried pasta
Jarred pesto
Jarred Alfredo sauce
Jarred roasted red peppers
Extra virgin olive oil
Canola oil
Nonstick cooking spray
Balsamic vinegar
Stir-fry sauce
Soy sauce
Ramen noodle packages
Boxed macaroni and cheese
Soft white bread

Freezer

Frozen meatballs
Frozen seasoning blend
Frozen vegetables (carrots, green peppers, green beans, mixed vegetables, stir-fry mix)
Frozen onions (chopped and pearl)
Frozen mashed potatoes
Frozen French fries
Frozen bread dough
Frozen cooked shrimp

Refrigerator

Lemon juice
Eggs
Grated Parmesan cheese
Mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
Scallions (green onions)
Celery
Sour cream
Butter

Seasonings and spices

Salt
Ground black pepper
Garlic salt
Garlic powder
Herbes de Provence
Red pepper flakes
Bottled crushed garlic
Dried oregano
Dried basil

You can purchase Sandra Lee's Money Saving Meals book at the 24/7 MOMS store.


Ready for another FREEbie party favor?

I found a great pantry stocking list you can print for FREE at printable grocery list - http://www.freeprintablegrocerylist.com/preview/Pantry_Grocery_List


Time to open our first GIFT at the "Organize It" Party:

Our First Gift ( giveaway) is the perfect MOM tool for every mom's kitchen to simplify her life and help her to "Plan It".

Ready to go techno when it comes to keeping track of your grocery lists and errands that need to be run? Today we are giving away

a Smart Shopper to one of our 24/7 MOMS “Organize It” Party attendees.

The Smart Shopper is an automated grocery list organizer. Using Nuance's state-of-the-art voice recognition technology, the user simply presses a button on the unit and speaks the name of a grocery item they will need on their next visit to the store.

The unit has a LCD and an embedded thermal printer that actually prints the list right out of the unit. The list will be printed according to the categories in the grocery store,i.e. all of the produce items will be listed together, frozen foods together, etc.

The unit comes with nearly 2,500 grocery items already entered and the user can add their own favorite items or brands.

Another unique feature is the 'errand list'. Before leaving for the store, the user can say the names of errands they may also need to run, such as bank, car wash, post office, dry cleaners and many others. The errands will be the first category to print on the list followed by their grocery list.






Smart Shopper and 24/7 MOMS are giving a way one Smart Shopper. To enter for your chance to win the Smart Shopper giveaway, enter your name and email address in the box below you will be signed up for today's Smart Shopper giveaway as well as be added to the 24/7 MOMS E-list(if you are not already a 24/7 MOMS subscriber). Drawing to be held February 1, 2009.




Stop by for more party fun Tonight at 8:00pm and see what MORE party fun we can have at 24/7 MOMS.