what do you keep on hand for convience?

**jlaporte** · 09-19-2009, 11:00 PM

I have been wondering this and i dont think it has been posted. forgive me if it has. or if it is wrong place mods please move.
what do you keep on had as a convience. you know some simple stuff that makes life easier or cooking easier.so when your in a mood and you dont wanna do something especially cook.

I keep these on hand...
`chicken patties
`instant rice
`nuggets
`frozen pizzas
`bagels...great lil pizzas
`small individula packages of things

i need to check to see if i missed anything. im not saying i have tons of these but i buy them for meer pennies if not free and i keep em on hand just incase. i do cook mainly from scratch. but man some days i just dont wanna.

so i thought it would be nice to hear if anyone else does the same.

**spyzvixxen** · 09-19-2009, 11:12 PM

Mac & cheese!!!

I normally cook in big batches and freeze leftovers but I'm with you. There are just some days you don't feel like cooking/reheating/defrosting, etc. And, if you get the item for free/pennies, why not???

**jlaporte** · 09-19-2009, 11:15 PM

exactly..yup got a bunch of those too of course generic. my oldest makes it the best and he says mom please unless you have coupon get the other blue box for me. and i do. cuz kids have a night to cook!

**NikoSan999** · 09-19-2009, 11:30 PM

I've never saw this one Joyce. Very good question. Makes me stop and think. I'm sure I will come up with more after other postings.

I cook from scratch also. Tonight I made homemade chicken noodle vegetable soup.

However, even tho I am laid off from work I do help at the business 6 days a week. I'm up at 4, at work or help, whatever, at 8 and get home at 5:30. In bed normally at 9 or 9:30. I'm tired. I admit I keep convience food here. List of what I can think of is below. While I know the cooking from scratch is the preferred there are times that all I want to do at 5:30 is crawl in bed. Convience here is not called convience it's called necessity to continue. I do 1 homemade soup a week which provides leftovers for a couple days. I homemade cook about 2 nights and or weekends. Other than that ( and bought on sale preferrably with coupons)...
Mac & cheese
Tuna for sandwiches
Brownie, cake,muffin mixes and frostings
Salsa and Tostitos
Occasional frozen pizza

I'll have to think on this one. I can't come up with anymore right now but undoubtedly there are more....either that or I scratch cook more than I realize.

**Palooka** · 09-20-2009, 12:10 AM

To many darn snacks for the kids. My dh loves the boxed potatoes from Aldis. Barf! Stuff like mac and cheese or even easy mac for the kids or like canned raveolli(sp)

**calimomx2** · 09-20-2009, 12:29 AM

I have things like instant rice, cake mixes, brownie mixes, cookie mixes, a box or 2 of hamburger helper stuff, packaged flavored noodles, mac and cheese cups, canned ravioli....wow, a lot more than I thought I did!

**NikoSan999** · 09-20-2009, 12:37 AM

Ok, adding more here after reading the above including my first
bought on sale preferrably with coupons)...
Mac & cheese
Tuna for sandwiches
Brownie, cake,muffin mixes and frostings
Salsa and Tostitos
Occasional frozen pizza
Hamburger Helper
BC boxed potatoes ( scalloped etc )
Some canned soup for diabetic hubby

**Contrary Housewife** · 09-20-2009, 12:41 AM

I have some Marie Callender's pot pies in the freezer for when I am too tired to cook. One makes a great quick lunch or dinner for the two of us. Also got a couple frozen meals and some of those gourmet sandwich kits in there for those once in a while days when there are no leftovers for DH to take for lunch. I buy them on sale or marked down because of the freshness date.

Brownie mixes, cornbread mix, etc I don't really consider convenience foods. They are nearly as much work as making it from scratch, you're only saving about two minutes worth of measuring flour and baking powder.

**Palooka** · 09-20-2009, 12:55 AM

Oh, pot pies! I buy those for dh when he spends too much money and then I tell him that is his dinner and he can preheat the oven and cook it himself.

But those are worth the money. Same as Ramen noodles.

**frugalfranny** · 09-20-2009, 02:56 AM

Have found a few things I can 'tolerate'...and what the heck, when you are tired, you don't really care.

I keep one or two Red Baron Pizzas (orTombstone)...only brand I like.
I keep some sort of quick meat thing.......like nuggets, beer battered fish or something like that.
And.......

a couple TV dinners. Yep...I do. I will eat a couple kinds of Marie Callendar and one or two kinds of Hungryman....no others.
Other odds and ends: cold cereal, yogurt, cheese and crackers....not the packaged kind....the slab cheese. Also......peanut butter.

**Grainlady** · 09-20-2009, 07:20 AM

My "convenience" foods are homemade.

1. Homemade baking mix.
2. Homemade pancake/waffle mix.
3. Gifts-In-A-Jar mixes.
4. Dehydrated Soup Mixes
5. "Magic" Mix - http://www.storefood.com/Grain/ldscn/44.html
6. Homemade pudding/cocoa mix.
7. Homemade Par-baked pizza crusts (in the freezer)
8. A freezer loaded with all kinds of homemade breads, meat and soup bases....

**2ndGenGranola** · 09-20-2009, 07:22 AM

Our biggest convenience foods are canned veggies.

I don't buy any of the hamburger helper or mac/cheese boxes because I can make them up as fast from scratch as I can to open the boxes.

Upon occasion we will buy frozen tamales if we get a taste for them. While I love making them, they just take too long for regular use.

**trying to be frugal** · 09-20-2009, 09:50 AM

I have pizza crusts that I make and freeze. Also, all the pizza toppings I portion out and freeze. When I don't want to cook I take my little kit out of the freezer, pour some sauce on the crust, empty my toppings and a meal is done. No hydrogenated oils, no fillers, no nitrites, and easy peasy!

**thefrug** · 09-20-2009, 10:23 AM

frozen lasagna
caned soups
corn muffin mix

**Pemberleyan** · 09-20-2009, 10:39 AM

I'm a big believer in making things from scratch, but because of poor planning I often find myself grabbing something convenient in the pantry for a quick supper. Also, DH likes his chips, pork skins, etc.

Things I never pay full price for:
flavored rice mixes
brownie, cake and muffin mixes
frozen Angus patties
frozen chicken quesadillas

I am doing less baking of bread right now because we've been buying Pepperidge Farm bread at the bargain store for 69 cents a loaf. I use biscuit mix when in a hurry. We keep assorted canned soups on the pantry for cooking ingredients and per DH's preference when he occasionally wants some tomato soup, etc. DH likes to always have chicken pot pies in the freezer.

No frozen pizzas, corn muffin mix or mac and cheese – we prefer homemade.