just a tip of the hat...getting supplied

Goes hand-in-hand with lunch preparation but its gotta be said, food shopping is essential when it comes to being prepared.

Like most people I don't have tonnes of time to get supplies regularly so I've got a system of grocery shopping once a fortnight with a top up stop at the green grocers once a week. I'm also super spoiled and have a small supermarket directly across the road from my house, and its open until 9pm (which to americans is nothing, but to aussies you know this is something to be lucky for) so I can get milk and essentials there should I need to.

from: macabrephotographer

In addition to my V8s and cheeses there a few things I make sure I always have in the house -

1. Ready made soup - sure soup is easy and homemade is better but I'm all about ease. And, truth be told, I love knowing the calories in my food - if its on the label rather than me adding it up with a recipe I'm all for it. I didn't know this was from NZ - and I feel a bit bad that its not local - this is my go to brand for soup and my favourite is lamb with vegies.

2. Toast - I'm a an old woman at my core, just like I love tea and biscuits, soup and toast is lovely, nourishing and easy. We are blessed with lovely bread in Australia, with lots of options of grain and seed mixture - I really just get whatever is there and takes my fancy. These are all lovely and more likely than not, one will be in my basket. I also love fruit toast for breakfast, so a loaf of that will usually be there too.

3. Breakfast in a flash - I usually have time for breakfast, I wake up hungry so its high on my priority list to get some food in my belly. Occasionally though, it is somehow imperative for me to sleep that extra 20minutes and these make a great quick-fix. Judge me all you like about them, they've saved the world from a grumpy hungry woman quite a few times. They make a great fill-in when I've worked too late for dinner but I need something before bed or for when I'm meeting friends for a lazy morning brunch but I still wake up at sparrow-fart*.

4.  Frozen fish and vegies - they keep for ages, are delicious and nutritious and can be freshly cooked in a snap. I'm also big on frozen prawns that are peeled and deveined.

5. Canned stuff - I like to be ready for a month or two worth of rationing/apocalypse/nuclear-fallout with a supply of cans - chickpeas (I don't think ahead far enough to soak and prepare - a can-full is ready in as long as it takes to take off the top), beetroot (I love freshly roasted beetroot, but they are messy and I tend to have red hands for a day afterward), lentils (as for chickpeas), apricots/peachs/pears, tuna, pasta sauce (technically, usually in a jar - add some prawns and spinach and tada! an easy, luxurious meal)

6. Dried fruit - after much discussion with the bff prunes have made it in my high rotation list of dried fruit, along with dates, apples, pears and apricots.

7. Biscuits - I love biscuits, I'll never give them up. I do try to go for whole grain options but generally I get whatever jumps out at me.

8. Cereal - aussie kids are weet-bix kids, we can't help it - we all have our favourite way of having them - mine is with hot water, honey and topped with cold milk - I like others too and probably have about three varieties on the go at any one time.