Two or three times a year I make "the trip." You know the one. The one where you make that major shopping list and head to whatever warehouse club you belong to. For me, it’s Costco. The standing joke is what single woman could possibly survive without at least 50 rolls of paper towels stored safely away?! But all joking aside, the savings are well worth it. I concentrate on what I can fill the freezer with, and a great deal of the time that’s salmon, tuna, turkey and chicken breasts. You can use them any number of ways, or just keep them to a simple grilling. I’ve enjoyed poaching the salmon in white wine then freezing individual portions, same with the chicken. But what do you do to spark up that flavor if you’re in the mood for something simple, but not tasteless?

   That led to a search for sauces, salsa’s and more. I was lucky enough to find a delicious Citrus Salsa, courtesy of Be Organic Catering, that did a number of extremely delicious dishes at the grand opening of the Florida Blue Center in Winter Haven. I’ll have a special piece of Be Organic soon, but they created a Salmon Soft Taco with the Citrus Salsa that I made this weekend and will be happy to serve guests. It’s a simple recipe, but one you’ll use again and again.

   I also found a Honey Cranberry Sauce that will make you think of Thanksgiving dinner, and that’s going on my Turkey Burger. Just a few ingredients take a simple burger up to a much tastier level. There’s also a Thai Turkey Burger with a Cucumber Pepper Relish and Spicy Mayo from Simply Fresh Cooking that is going in my personal "keeper" file. But I can see using this on top of any number of dishes.

   Now, we’re not limiting our menu; once I have a number of cooked items in the freezer ready to use at a moment’s notice, I always like tossing sliced chicken or salmon with a lovely pasta, but not always with a red sauce. When I was home a few weeks ago, I had a fantastic pasta with a Walnut Pesto Sauce that made me forget the marina with no problem at all. D’Agnese’s on Royalton Road in Broadview Heights, Ohio recently relocated to this new location, and I’ll be sure to make a return trip.

   So dare to take a trip into the pantry, see what spices, wines, fruits, seasonings, whatever hasn’t seen the light of the kitchen for a while and invent a tasty topping of your own. We can keep it light in calories but high in flavor. Boring and same old-same same-old is a no-no in Kelly’s Kitchen. If you have a special way to dress up a dish, please feel free to send it along to me at ann.kelly@coxincom. We love to see videos and pictures. Variety will always be the spice of life in Kelly’s Kitchen.

   Need a little help with technique? Check these videos!

  -How to poach salmon

 -How to toast walnuts

 -How to store walnuts

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist - Tammy Faye Baker