Apartment Basics List

Last summer, I did three posts about what was needed to start a kitchen. (You can check them out here, here and here) This year, I decided to make a list of some of the basics to help. Mind you, this is the bare minimum, I did not even list a rug. But, I did leave two blank columns for you to be able to add things. Feel free to add things, delete things, move things around. Sometimes, you just need a jumping off point when starting. My biggest piece is don’t rush to buy everything on the list, wait, and see what you need. Maybe you realize you don’t need a couch but a futon or several arm chairs that double as dining room chairs. Think carefully before spending tons of money on that adorable printed couch that totally goes with your rug, styles change and furniture is expensive. You are better off picking something plain and adding fun pillows or slip covers.

 

Apartment Basics List

How to Equip a Kitchen

So I decided to compile my three previous lists on how to start a kitchen into one large list! For your viewing pleasure, may I present the First Apartment Living How to Equip a Kitchen Completed list:

Equipment:

Baking Pan (9 x 9)

Blender (drinks don’t mix themselves!)

Bottle opener

Can opener

Cookie Pan

Cutting Boards

-at least 2, so you don’t cross contaminant

- I like the plastic kind that have a picture of fish, vegtable, cow and chicken so you never mix them up

Dish set

-          20 piece set

-          4 large plates, 4 bowls, 4 small plates

Dish towels

                -2 so you have one when the other’s dirty

Glasses/Mugs

-          8 so you don’t have to wash them everyday

Knives (at least 3 plus 4 steak knives)

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Microwave

Mixing bowls

-          A set of three (S, M, and L) that nest are perfect

Oven Mitts

-          2 so you can grab the sides of a baking pan

Pots w/lids

-          10 qt. stock pot

-          8 qt. stock pot

-          5 qt. stock pot

-          2  qt. sauce pan

-          1 qt. sauce pan

Silverware set

-          ( 8 forks, 4 knives, 4 spoons)

-          They don’t have to match, A la Anthro

Spatula

Slotted spoon

Steamer/Cauldron

Vegetable peeler

Additions

 Apron

Baking Pans

-          Casserole dish

-          Glass baking pan

-          Round ones for cakes

Butter Dish

Cake Plate

Cheese grater

Coffee Maker

Dish drying rack

Funnel

Hand mixer

Ladle

Kitchen timer

Knives (different kinds)

Meat pounder

Muffin Tin

Nesting Bowls

Pitcher

Place mats/ table cloth

Rice Steamers

Rolling Pin

Salt and Pepper Shaker

Serving Platters/Trays

Table Cloth

Tea Pot/ Kettle

Toaster Oven

Tongs

Trivet

Wooden spoons

Pantry :

Applesauce

Barbecue sauce

Bouillon cubes (Pick your favorite)

Brown sugar

Canned beans

Canned soups
Cereals
Chocolate chips
Confectioner’s sugar
Cornstarch

Light corn syrup
Flour

Honey

Jelly

Ketchup

Mayonnaise
Mustard

Nonstick cooking spray

Olive oil

Pancake mix

Pasta 

Peanut butter
Pepper

Rice
Salad dressings
Salt

Soy sauce
Sugar
Tomato sauce
Vegetable oil

Spices:

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Basil

Cinnamon

Garlic Powder

Garlic Salt

Oregano

Parsley

Pepper

Rosemary

Salt

Sea Salt

Thyme

Vanilla Extract

ALSO- get one of those four mixed spices shaker (like lemon pepper, rosemary blend) they can add spice to every dish and this way you don’t have to mix spices!

Additions

Almond Extract

Allspice

Bay Leaves

Chili Powder

Cilantro

Cream of Tartar

Ground Ginger

Nutmeg

Paprika

Red Pepper

Seasoned Salt

Sesame Seed

How to : Equip a Kitchen (Perfect Pantry)

    
 So to round off my kitchen essentials series, I thought I would include what items to include in your pantry. (Click to see lists about essentials or spices) Pantry items can differ greatly for each person because this is where taste preferences are really shown, I've decided not to break it up into Martha and Sandra because some people need stocks to make soup all day while others (like me) would prefer pasta every day!

 
The Perfect Pantry:

Applesauce

Barbecue sauce

Bouillon cubes (Pick your favorite)

Brown sugar

Canned beans

Canned soups
Cereals
Chocolate chips
Confectioner's sugar
Cornstarch

Light corn syrup
Flour

Honey

Jelly

Ketchup

Mayonnaise
Mustard

Nonstick cooking spray

Olive oil

Pancake mix

Pasta

Peanut butter
Pepper

Rice
Salad dressings
Salt

Soy sauce
Sugar
Tomato sauce
Vegetable oil




 
What's one thing you can't live without in the Pantry?

How to Equip a Kitchen: Spices

    
      It's time to add a little bit of spice to your life or at least you spice rack. When I started my spice collection, I again searched Martha Stewarts' Website. Martha Stewart has a list of what should be in your spice rack, but I don't even know what have of them are and I consider myself a pretty good cook. So I came up with this list of spices that I use most often, divided into Sandra Spices and Martha Additions. Take your pick from each list to start your spice collection.



     This is the second part of my series in How to Set Up a Kitchen, you can see the first post here. And see the final installment with what to put in your pantry here.



     A note about spices, you can go all organic and buy really expensive spices. You can go cheap and buy the grocery store brands. Personally, I do not really care, unless you are making for a chef or some Gourmont, they won't notice either. Do what is right for your kitchen and budget and have fun while at it!



Sandra Spices

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Basil

Cinnamon

Garlic Powder

Garlic Salt

Oregano

Parsley

Pepper

Rosemary

Salt

Sea Salt

Thyme

Vanilla Extract

ALSO- get one of those four mixed spices shaker (like lemon pepper, rosemary blend) they can add spice to every dish and this way you don't have to make your own spice mixes!



Martha Additions

Almond Extract

Allspice

Bay Leaves

Chili Powder

Cilantro

Cream of Tartar

Ground Ginger

Nutmeg

Paprika

Red Pepper

Seasoned Salt

Sesame Seed

How to: Equip A Kitchen (Basics)

      I love lists, I constantly carry around a legal pad to keep lists going. Lists for what I need to buy, lists for what I need to do, lists for what I need to think about even doing, the list goes on. I realized the other day there is not a good list out there for what you need to start your first kitchen, at least not on a budget. Sure if you have a hundred dollars to spend on knives alone then epicurious has a great list. Otherwise, nope. So I've decided to try to make my own.

     It takes all types to make this world, and sometimes you can simply divide it into Marthas and Sandras. As in Martha Stewart and Sandra Lee. One makes everything from the scratch, the other knows how to make it look that way. No matter what your preference, there is room for every type here. Don't think you have to spend a fortune either, a good place to look for some of this stuff are places like TJ Maxx, or Marshalls. This way you can get good quality stuff without paying full price! Check thrift stores for vintages glasses and plates, just make sure to run them through the dishwasher once or twice!

Let's start with the basics:

Sandra Basics

Baking Pan (9 x 9)

Blender (drinks don't mix themselves!)

Bottle opener

Can opener

Cookie Pan

Cutting Boards

-at least 2, so you don't cross contaminant

- I like the plastic kind that have a picture of fish, vegtable, cow and chicken so you never mix them up

Dish set

• 20 piece set
  
• 4 large plates, 4 bowls, 4 small plates
  

Dish towels

    -2 so you have one when the other's dirty

Glasses/Mugs

• 8 so you don't have to wash them everyday
  

Knives (at least 3 plus 4 steak knives)

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Microwave

Mixing bowls

• A set of three (S, M, and L) that nest are perfect
  

Oven Mitts

• 2 so you can grab the sides of a baking pan
  

Pots w/lids

• 10 qt. stock pot
  
• 8 qt. stock pot
  
• 5 qt. stock pot
  
• 2 qt. sauce pan
  
• 1 qt. sauce pan
  

 
Silverware set

• ( 8 forks, 4 knives, 4 spoons)
  
• They don't have to match, A la Anthro
  

Spatula

Slotted spoon

Steamer/Cauldron

Vegetable peeler


 
Martha Additions

Apron

Baking Pans

• Casserole dish
  
• Glass baking pan
  
• Round ones for cakes
  

Butter Dish

Cake Plate

Cheese grater

Coffee Maker

Dish drying rack

Funnel

Hand mixer

Ladle

Kitchen timer

Knives (different kinds)

Meat pounder

Muffin Tin

Nesting Bowls

Pitcher

Place mats/ table cloth

Rice Steamers

Rolling Pin

Salt and Pepper Shaker

Serving Platters/Trays

Table Cloth

Tea Pot/ Kettle

Toaster Oven

Tongs

Trivet

Wooden spoons


 
    Did I miss anything? What do you find yourself using most in the kitchen? Later this week, I will post about kitchen essentials for your pantry! Be sure to check back!


P.S. To see what to put in your spice rack, look here! And finally, to prepare your pantry, look here!

Pretty Pretty Recipes Cards

     
      So for next installment of the pretty pretty series, I have a cheap and easy way to add some decoration to your kitchen. One of my best friends for my 21^st birthday made me a cute gift basket with Nuvo (one of my favorite drinks) and these adorable recipe cards to make drinks. They were too cute to keep hidden so I used some pretty ribbon to hang them up. They add a bit of sparkle to my kitchen and take up minimal space.

Materials:

Ribbon

Balsa wood

Markers

Glitter

Small Jewels

Hot Glue

For more in the pretty pretty series, check out these organizers, these boards and these notebooks (plus these)!

50 dollar fix: Kitchen Hallway

      My breakfast nook is small. My kitchen is tiny. I like cooking stuff, thus I have an organizational nightmare trying to get all my dishes and stuff to fit without it looking like a hodgepodge mess. I needed something to hold extra bowls, cups and a few odds and ends. Plus I needed some way to spruce the place without painting.

    
     First I found this DVD case, which sleek black shape worked perfectly in the narrow space. It's just deep enough to hold bowls but shallow enough that it doesn't impede the walkway. The shelves adjust so that I could have more room on the bottom to place taller things. The doors keep it looking neat and clean even when I am in a rush to clean for company and just shove things in there.

    
       Second thing is this vintage English World War Two propaganda poster in a vibrant pink color. I could have ordered it online and paid a fortune for it. Instead, I found the image online and took it to my local print shop. They were able to print it out on glossy poster paper (about 18 by 24) for fewer than 20 dollars. Next, I went to Target and picked up a poster frame for about 5 dollars (it was on sale).

Voila! Another 50 dollar fix!