There’s nothing more irritating than reading halfway down a cookie recipe and suddenly realizing you don’t have Vanilla Extract. Be prepared! Regardless of where you buy your groceries, it’s time to prepare to cook.  If you’re not a baker, you might want to skip the recommended baking supplies. If you prefer to open a can, you can probably skip most of the dry goods. Just make sure you have everything on hand before you tackle the recipe for that meal that sounds so mouth-watering.

Baking Supplies
Baking Chocolate (bars and chips)
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Cornmeal
Corn Starch
Extracts From Your Favorite Foods (Orange, Lemon, Almond, Coconut)
Flour (All-Purpose, Unbleached)
Vanilla Extract

By no means will you need all of the spices listed below. We’ve mentioned only the most commonly-used spices to give you an idea of what you might expect to need in some recipes.

Spices – Basil (Sweet), Chives, Cilantro, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Curry Powder, Dill, Ginger, Italian Seasoning Blend, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Oregano, Paprika, Parsley, Pepper, Rosemary, Sage, Saffron, Salt, Sugar, Tarragon, Thyme, Turmeric

Canned and Bottled Goods & Refrigerated and Frozen Foods – Some books on cooking list all of the foods they believe you should have in your cupboard or pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. We’re not going to waste your time mentioning everything you could possibly need preparing a meal. The secret is to plan ahead. If you’re on a busy schedule, write out your meal menu for 3 or 4 days, or even an entire week. Once you know the meals you’ll be preparing, make out a full list of everything you’ll need. You might be surprised to find that a week’s menu requires 13 eggs when you normally would’ve bought only a dozen.