My Pantry Staples

Every pantry is different, a pantry can say a lot about you and your family.

When you look in a gluten free pantry you can easily tell that it's not like a regular pantry.

Every pantry has some must haves, here are my must haves in my gluten free pantry:

• Corn Tortillas ~ I think this will be a good thing to post all about later on.  Corn Tortillas are a must! They can be scary to cook with though.  Finding the right brand is important as well as learning how to cook with them... I promise they don't have to taste grainy.
• Beans and lentils ~ Keep a variety and have fun with them in different recipes!
• Rice ~ Just buy it in bulk... seriously, you won't regret it!
• GF Pasta ~ At first it took me awhile find a GF pasta I liked, so a rarely at it in the beginning.  Once I found on I like it became a must have for my pantry.  So take your time, taste around.  I will post later on about different pastas.
• Quinoa ~ This is the all around fantastic grain, you can use it with everything! And it is so yummy!!
• GF Soy Sauce ~ If you like asian food this is a must have! If you're not an asian foodie, maybe start trying it with your rice.
• Corn Starch, Rice Flour, & Xanthan Gum ~ I will occasionally get other flours when needed but rice flour is my go too!

Cooking gluten free is easier if you keep these staples on hand, I promise!  As you learn more and adjust to the gluten free lifestyle you will find some of your own must haves.  

Did I also mention I live in the South?  So every now and then I will put a Southern twist on things.  So here are my southern pantry must haves:

• Grits ~ I was so anti grits before moving here! I remember have them at my grandmas once when I was little and hated them!  As Mr. C says, "they weren't true southern grits".  Now that I have come to the South and had some "true southern grits" I am hooked on them!
• Zatarain's Fish Fry ~ We just found out this is gluten free and it is now our go to.  And I have been so tickled pink to have some chicken nuggets again! It's the little things I tell you.
• Zatarain's Creole Seasoning ~ If you live in the south you have to have a good Creole seasoning!  Zatarain's is great and gluten free!!

Living in the south has been a huge adventure! In someways I felt like I was starting gluten free all over again.  Lucky I had already done gluten free, so adjusting it to a southern lifestyle wasn't too hard!

What are the must haves in your pantry?

How does the culture in your area affect your pantry?

Are you new to gluten free or have you been living the lifestyle for years?