Staples - You gotta have these

Of all the ingredients you can have in your kitchen, there are a few that you must keep at all times. Let's call these the Hillbilly staples.

Rice- Rice is a central component in the culinary experiences of many cultures. It has been used thoughout history to feed people quickly and cheaply. In our kitchen, there is always five pounds of rice. We eat it almost daily. Rice is one of the most versatile foods you can have. Whether you eat it steamed, fluffed, fried or as a filler in other dishes, it does not matter. A simple pot of white rice can turn into a filling meal by the addition of a bullion cube and some left over vegetables, want to change that again, throw it in a pan, scramble an egg in it and now you have vegetable fried rice. Three meals, three different tastes, all from one initial cooking. I always cook a little extra, so I have leftovers in the refrigerator. It goes in breads, soup and of course pudding!

Dry Powdered Milk- While we do not use reconstituted milk for drinking, you can if you choose. We keep it for the addition to our bread, for use in recipes calling for milk and in coffee. By using reconstituted milk, you can save a lot of money and not miss any of the flavor. This product has come a long way in the last few years and is actually quite good.

Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Bullion cubes (pick a flavor) - These four spices will provide all the seasoning you need for almost anything. You can branch out and buy what you like, but these four will run you about $5.00 to buy them at once and then they will last for a while. I keep other spices on hand, but when I am cooking on a daily basis, these four are always on the counter.

I always make sure these few things are in the kitchen. With these few items, I can make a multitude of meals, adding only a few other things to it.

In the next post we will explore essential equipment that you need to equip your mountain kitchen.