Your Spice Rack

Not everyone, especially not those people with small babies to care for, can have their own herb garden, and so most of us rely on cans of dried spices. I thought that while the baby is taking another one of her dead-to-the-world overtired naps, I'd share with you the secrets to a well-stocked spice rack.
If you are not used to cooking, or feel that you are a bad cook, spices can be a life saver. If you are still learning how to cook, a good plan is to always use a recipe, especially when cooking something you've never made before. Once you get good enough to eyeball measurements on certain dishes, however, there are some spices you will find that you probably cannot do without. Always check your recipe first to see if there is some new spice you don't have stocked that you'll need to run to the grocery store for. Remember most, if not all of these, are dried and ground.

My basic spices are: Lawry's seasoned salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley flakes.

I also like to keep on hand: basil, bay leaves, oregano, cinnamon, ground cloves, rosemary, garlic pepper, garlic salt, nutmeg, ginger, sea salt, sage and thyme.

Of course there are others, and I keep specific spices for making certain dishes, such as cayenne pepper for making chili and ground mustard for putting in my meatloaf. But to each person his own tastes, and you will soon figure out which spices you need and use most.
Also remember to check the expiration dates on your spice jars at least every two years. Yes, these things do actually expire, and they taste dry and crappy when they do.
Note from the photograph that I also own a mortar and pestle, so in case I run out of ground something (like cloves) and I still have a jar of the whole spice, I can just grind the kernels up myself.