Saturday Pantry Suggestions

Pantry shelves a couple years ago

I am so happy to report the first three zucchinis of the season have been harvested from my garden!  I only have one plant but that one takes up a lot of raised bed property and with only two of us... I am sure we will have plenty.

In spite of the heat, my lettuce is still producing as is the kale.  The kale is in a shady part of the garden (where tomatoes refuse to grow very much) and this year I planted romaine lettuce seeds.  They seem to take the heat better than other varieties I have tried in the past.

I'd love to show you photos but this is all leading up to this week's pantry suggestion, which is to write down items you may not think of as being essential... like batteries and memory cards for one's camera!

It's so easy to think of everyday items we should keep stocked, like toilet paper and toothpaste and shampoo and dish soap and laundry soap and other essentials.   But there are those items we don't realize are essential until we don't have them and we can't purchase them... whether a national emergency or as in my case... simply not in the immediate budget!

I thought of this a couple years ago when the batteries went out of our remote on the TV connected to Direct TV.  One needs their remote for satellite TV, not to mention DVD players... and old fashioned CD players... and wireless mouses (hmmm... mice?) for left handed computer users (that being Christopher)... etc.

Some items are also easier to stock up on seasonally so we write the item/s on a list and then purchase in season.  For instance, I tried to find oil for my oil lamp one summer but unless you live near Amish country... it might be hard in July.  Canning supplies are more difficult to find in January.  Although one can order through Lehman's.*

That is why I have put a bag of good quality potting soil on my list for the next time I can budget it when shopping at Wal Mart.  It's easy to find in spring, harder in summer, next to impossible if you want to plant some houseplants in November.

I have also added items to my pantry list when other people have mentioned a need.  For instance, Stephanie told me when they were without power for days that it was items like disposable plates and cups which flew off grocery shelves (when doing dishes was not an option).

It once again shows me the importance of keeping such a list and writing down items as we think about them, even if we are not going to purchase them for our home immediately.

This is not our weekly grocery list we add to for the very next trip to the grocery store.  It is just for the pantry (I also keep a permanent pantry "wish list" with everything that would be stocked up in a perfect world.)

So... if you haven't already, now is a good time to find a pretty piece of paper for the bulletin board or anyplace that you can see constantly (perhaps inside the cabinet which holds drinking glasses or dinner plates) and have a place to write down items as they come to mind for the pantry.

Then as you are stocking the pantry... add at least one or two items to your grocery list on a regular basis and before you know it... you'll be stocked up and very happy that you have that item when you need it.

*Lehman's is to the Pantry Lifestyle what the Sears Toy Catalog was to kids each Christmas... back when it was still printed.   You can find Lehman's... here.  If you are interested in requesting a catalog, scroll all the way to the bottom and there is a link under Resources.  I haven't ordered for years but they were excellent when I did.