Ingredients to Keep on Hand for Delicious Meals

Fresh ginger-keep it in the freezer to keep it fresh and grate it in when necessary. mmmmm
Dorot- These are about teaspoon size amounts of fresh garlic, basil, and cilantro and other fresh herbs in a little tray like container that are easy to pop found into food. I buy them at Trader Joe's (thank you Alison Leitheiser for showing these to me. you are the bomb.)
Cumin-buy some. mmmm. great for mexican food and to add to beans if you don't have any meat or don't want meat. Somehow cumin tricks you into thinking your eating meat.
Artichoke hearts-canned frozen, whatever. They are so wonderful and make you feel fancy. Plus I feel like they have taste bud altering qualities. It's weird, when you eat ones it makes other food taste sweeter. Try it.
Craisins-you know you love them. They seem so healthy. Cranberries+sugar=<3
Balsamic Vinegar-try FIG if you like to party. And I have some raspberry flavored that is fun too...it's not made with raspberries though:(
Oils- I love oils....Walnut, grapeseed, coconut, those are some of my personal favorites. Olive oil is nice too:). Still haven't tried avocado oil, but I really want to try some.
sundried tomatoes- they come in a can and they are lovely. When they sit in your refrigerator opened, beware that the olive oil mixture will begin to solidify. Don't be alarmed.
Edamame- frozen. They are great to add as a colorful bean in dishes. Or in the pods as an easy snack or appetizer with kosher salt please.
Quinoa-sick of rice and pasta all the time? It is fun to mix things up with this stuff. You can do anything with it! By the way it is pronounced KEENWAH....
Nuts- almonds that are slivered and sliced thinly, walnuts, pistachios, cashews...those are my favorite. 
Pasta-Egg noodle pasta to be fancy....penne for a hearty pretty meal....spaghetti for fun times.
Spinach- I throw spinach in so many things. Sometimes just because I want some green or to place ugly food on. It does wonders.
Peppers-I <3 peppers. All colors all sizes. Costco in San Francisco and Cincinnati carry these tiny red, orange and yellow ones that are awesome in salads and everything that needs color.
Cracked peppercorn- necessity
rice-who doesn't love rice? who?
beans-so many kinds. buy them canned. buy them dry. soak them. cook them. food process them. fry them. re-fry them. I dare you to make 17 bean soup.
yeast- you can buy it in a tiny jar and keep it in your fridge...
eggs- they come from chickens! Chickens are one of the only foods we eat before and after they are born. weird. I like brown ones because I can see the shells more easily in my baking when I'm a bad egg cracker.
flour-It comes from wheat or other grains. Or a potato. Or quinoa!!!
honey-buy it local. buy it raw. eat it by the spoon fool....uhh because it's good for your allergies
sugar- or agave, or syrup..."Is there sugar in syrup?? Then yesssss!" But you might want sugar to coat delicious baked goods with good old fashion sugar.
salt-Kosher and Sea Salt are awesome. So is Pink Hawaiian Salt.