Well I've had some great feedback for day 1 - thank you all so much!

Today I thought I'd talk about motivation... I don't know about you but if I don't get organised and decide early on what I'm going to cook then my motivation goes down hill as the day goes on. The key to keeping motivated to cook - or try something new, is to be prepared. If you have all the ingredients you need then you are more likely to throw something together. 

That got me thinking, what basics should someone have in their pantry? So here's some ideas for you that might help.

Staples:                                                       Condiments:
Plain Flour                                                     Soy Sauce
Baking Powder                                               Tomato Sauce
Sugar                                                           Worcestershire Sauce
Cornflour                                                       Hoi Sin or Oyster Sauce
Olive Oil
Canola or Vegetable oil
Pasta - spaghetti, penne, macaroni, fettucine or whatever
Rice
Salt and Pepper
Tomato puree
Tomato paste
White vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
Bread Crumbs

Dried Herbs:                                                Spices:
Basil                                                           Chinese 5 spice
Bay leaves                                                   Cinnamon
Mixed Herbs                                                 Cloves
Oregano                                                      Cumin
Rosemary                                                    Curry Powder
Thyme                                                        Turmeric
Coriander

Stock:                                                        Fresh Foods:
Beef                                                           Potatoes
Chicken                                                       Onions
Vegetable                                                    Carrots
(Stocks can be in cubes or liquids)                   Peas
                                                                 Garlic - fresh or crushed in a jar
Canned Foods:                                             Ginger - fresh or crushed in a jar
Coconut Milk/cream
Chopped Tomatoes
Tuna

Meat wise you can get whatever your budget allows - don't be afraid to buy reduced meat, just use your judgement in terms of what it looks and smells like, don't take risks, but definitely buy it when you can - I do! I usually make sure I have mince - beef, lamb and pork at least - you can do SO much with them and they are affordable. I always have chicken, more recently I buy the thighs rather than the breasts, the thighs are much more moist than breast meat and once again more affordable. Chicken pieces or nibbles are great too. Sausages are not really my favourite food, but you can make them into some yummy dishes quite easily, so its good to have some in the freezer.

I'm sure many of you will already have pantries stocked with these things, but for those of you who don't, you don't have to run out and buy everything all at once, add something to your trolley each time and it won't take long to get there. Obviously there are heaps more I could add, but these are basics, that if you have you should be able to throw anything together and get dinner on the table!

What's at ours tonight - well I'm inventing.. I will add some Jamaican Jerk seasoning to some chicken mince, with an egg, breadcrumbs, onion and seasonings and make patties. I'll serve it with lime aioli - which is just mayonnaise with a squeeze of lime juice and some garlic.. easy ;o) and some leftover coleslaw and rice.

I hope thats been helpful, happy cooking,

K