I went to Community Day at Carson's yesterday for no better reason than to use up the $5 coupon book I purchased for a fundraiser. I did not have a list and so wandered around pretty aimlessly, not too surprised that nothing looked that great. Whenever I am in stores in the last few years, they seem overcrowded with inventory. The aisles are always too small and cluttered to move a cart or stroller through and I feel a bit anxious that all this stuff is supposed to be wanted by people.
Jeff and I have been trying to move more towards giving edible and experiential gifts for special occasions and Christmas. Play tickets, wine, a Bulls game, these aren't easily wrapped, but they seem more worthwhile than another eyeshadow-palette or action figure or pair of slippers.
This photo shows the entire pantry and most of the prep counter space of our kitchen. It is not a lot of space, but we have put out a lot of great from-scratch meals over the last 7 years, mainly because we have an efficiently stocked pantry of common ingredients: It holds about every shelf-stable (or long-frig-life) item on most recipe lists that we have used. Of course we have to get the fresh meat, dairy and produce for each week's menu, but having all the vinegars, spices, and other flavorings usually helps us see that an ingredient list of 15 items is doable since we already have about 12 of the items on hand.
If you are not interested in buying more clothing and toys and grooming gadgets for family members who already have more than they can stuff in their walk-in closets . .here's a couple of pantry gift basket ideas that will encourage your loved-ones to enjoy their kitchen work triangle a little more often and with less up-front expense. Here are some of the ingredients that show up regularly in a lot of cooking and baking recipes we have enjoyed over the years. Do you still have your original mustard seeds from your bridal shower spice rack? Maybe it is time to put a few pantry items on your own wish list! This is my pantry would have if it were fully stocked:
Possible themed collections:
Oil Shelf: Extra-virgin olive oil. Canola oil. Corn oil. Sesame seed oil. Peanut oil. Cooking oil spray.
Vinegar Shelf: Vinegar. Apple-cider vinegar. Balsamic Vinegar. White Wine Vinegar. Red Wine Vinegar. Sweet Rice Wine (Mirin). Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar.
Flavorings Shelf: Soy sauce. Worchestershire sauce. Tobasco sauce. Fish Sauce. Table Salt. Peppercorns/grinder. Kosher Salt. Ketchup. Mustard. Dijon mustard. Whole grain mustard. Mayonnaise. Horseradish. BBQ sauce. Chili garlic paste. Vegetable broth. Chicken stock. Beef base or boullion.
Sweeteners Shelf: Sugar. Honey. Molasses. Bittersweet Chocolate bars for melting. Light brown sugar. Dark Brown Sugar. Mexican chocolate. Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder. Pure maple syrup. Confectioners Sugar.
Spirits shelf: Vanilla Extract. Almond Extract. Peppermint Extract. Brandy. Bourbon. Sherry.
Nuts/seeds/dried fruits Shelf: Sweetened coconut flakes, Pine Nuts, Pecan Halves, Chopped Walnuts, Slivered Almonds, Shelled Pistachios, Peanuts, Peanut Butter, Tahini, Dried Cranberries, Dried Cherries, Golden Raisins, Raisins.
Grains and Beans shelf: Dry lentils, dry peas, dry white beans, canned black beans, canned chick peas (garbanzos), white rice, brown rice, wild rice, corn meal, oats, bulgur, quinoa, wheat bran, various dried pastas, instant polenta, bread crumbs,
Preserved produce shelf (depending on season):cans or jars of: pineapple chunks, tomato paste, tomato sauce, chopped tomatos, capers, black olives, sun-dried oil packed tomatoes, tuna, corn, fruit jelly or marmalade, coconut milk
Baker's shelf: All-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, semi-sweet chips, butterscotch chips, sweetened condensed milk, graham cracker crumbs, corn starch, yeast packets.
Winter Cellar/Root basket: Yellow onion, red onion, white onion, garlic, shallots, potatoes, yams, acorn squash, butternut squash, ginger root (I keep my counter basket stocked with a few of each and throw out anything that starts shriveling up after a few weeks)
Spice/Herb Shelf: ok this alone could add up to a lot of money! In our area there is usually a Mexican food aisle that will carry large portions of these for cheaper than the McCormick bottles that seem to be like $2 a tablespoon.
The coolest gift would be to get a coffee bean grinder, a hand grater, and these whole spices so that they could be ground or grates when needed: whole nutmeg, cumin seeds, whole cloves, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, whole peppercorns.
Or here's the favorites from the Groen spice rack, and it is worth keeping up a supply of everything here, because your spice rack gives you the access to make about anything from any region's cuisine! allspice, dried basil, bay leaves, caraway seeds, ground cardamom, cayenne powder (hot!), chili powder, chinese 5-spice powder, ground cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground coriander, curry powder, ground ginger, ground mustard, mustard seeds, ground nutmeg, dried oregano, sweet paprika, hot paprika, ground white pepper, crushed red pepper, dried rosemary, poppy seeds, saffron!, sesame seeds, star anise, dried thyme, dried tarragon, turmeric, whole vanilla beans, wasabi powder.
And a photo of a woman with a very tedious job, peeling the skins off roasted poblanos. 
We watched them making the sandwiches, and another team was mixing up batches of chocolate hazelnut cookies, there were bags and bags of special torta loaves being unloaded from a Labriola box. They had signs up where we waited of all their food sources: a few we recognized were of course Labriola bread from Alsip, Three Floyds beer from Munster in the beverage case, and flour from New Rinkel mill which is not too far away in Indiana. 
That must be why they use a wood-burning stove. And we shared one of those chocolate hazelnut cookies. A perfect lunch. I was tempted to dance out of the door and sing out to all the waiting people, "Yes, it is so worth your wait!" 
I heard clapping and music upstairs, so went upstairs to see what was drawing the crowds to the second floor demo/teaching auditorium. As I was going up the glassy staircase I heard these words from part of a later verse of the Christmas carol O Holy Night:
Or here's the favorites from the Groen spice rack, and it is worth keeping up a supply of everything here, because your spice rack gives you the access to make about anything from any region's cuisine! allspice, dried basil, bay leaves, caraway seeds, ground cardamom, cayenne powder (hot!), chili powder, chinese 5-spice powder, ground cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground coriander, curry powder, ground ginger, ground mustard, mustard seeds, ground nutmeg, dried oregano, sweet paprika, hot paprika, ground white pepper, crushed red pepper, dried rosemary, poppy seeds, saffron!, sesame seeds, star anise, dried thyme, dried tarragon, turmeric, whole vanilla beans, wasabi powder.
