The Procrastination List
Well, I finally have the deep freeze all nicely defrosted and cleaned and the small amount of food left to put back in... which it has been. Only cranberries and a few packages of blueberries went back. I had used up everything else the last few months in preparation of the Big Defrost.
I also started nipping away one bite of that elephant called the garage cleanup. First to get my attention was that area I kept tripping over in front of the deep freeze. The stuff left over from Mr. & Mrs. Christopher's rehearsal dinner... mostly glasses and candle holders. Yes, now over three years ago. Kept a few things and sent the rest to charity.
All the things left on my original Procrastination List have to do with my insurance and lots of calls, perhaps a few clicks of of the mouse. It was quite amazing how so many items on the list were taken care of quickly. Others, such as the Big Defrost, took time just because there were many shorter steps to accomplish.
The Pantry Wish List
My one Pantry "To Do" last week was to stop by Sam's Club for their mega package of Bounty towels (the choose-a-size kind). We have been keeping a Sam's Club card updated each year as we save at least the cost of the card on basic necessities. Should we be able to stock up a lot, it is available. Although I have found one must know their prices before shopping there for not everything is a bargain in bulk.
Since we had the time, we decided to walk down the aisles and look at some of their products that would make good Emergency Stock Up items. The Sam's Club equivalent of my Pantry Wish List I keep at home. I was very interested in items that don't need cooking and we made a list of what did not have a lot of additives that would be extremely good to have on hand.
I have found having a list ahead of time is a necessity when stocking up on a small budget. For as I've told you, when I didn't do that I purchased items that were not as needed and forgot essentials that I did. It is good, should you shop a number of food stores, to write down on your list where you would look first to make a purchase. For instance, K= Kroger, M=Meijers, T=Target, SC= Sam's Club, etc.
Revisiting the Milk Powder
I had some questions about the milk powder I shared with you last week. It is a powdered instant milk so you can add it directly to hot beverages as cream. When made according to directions, it is whole milk. You can make it 2% by adding more water.
I am not fond of powdered milk but this is good. I do have a couple boxes of regular Carnation powdered milk in the pantry "just in case" but you have to be very careful with it. It needs to be used often and rotated, always using the oldest box first. It also doesn't like being stored in the garage. I keep it on a shelf in my clothes closet. The only pantry item there amongst out of season home accessories. ;)
So milk powder is one of those items that, should you want it put back for emergencies, is best purchased in long term storage containers. This one has a guaranteed shelf life of two years and according to comments on Amazon, has been fine as much as five years past the Use By date. It also doesn't need to be refrigerated once opened but I don't know how long it lasts upon opening.
The small container I showed you last week (and should you purchase it, be certain to click on One Time purchase and not Subscribe) is an Add On product where you must add it to an order totaling (I believe) $25.00 before the addition of the dried milk. More information can be found... here.
That size is perfect for someone alone or with a small family like us. I bought two, one to have open now and the other to "put back". I have friends with deep pantries that have a section for barter. This small size powdered milk would be perfect for a barter shelf!
I did some searching to answer questions and found that their 900 gram size can be purchased with free shipping on their usual $35.00 and over total price. The price of the whole milk is included in that total. Further information at Amazon is... here.
I usually don't play up food products but this one is such an answer to prayer for me, I want to share it again with you!
*Most links to Amazon are Associate Links.
4 comments:
The powdered milk that we can find in stores in the States is non-fat milk. The milk you bought and that can be bought in most other countries is whole milk. That is likely why it tastes better!
Good job on you list! Defrosting the freezer is such a chore! I find it's more of a mental chore, thinking it's going to be so horrible and it ends up just being, as you said, a bunch of shorter jobs.
Deanna
The powdered milk sounds perfect for several applications in my family. One is the ease of storage...perfect for camping when refrigeration is not always available and wonderful to have when out of milk or cream and not wanting to hop in the car for a store run. Also good for baking needs. My hubby prefers I not use "his" milk when baking. I am ordering Thieves (much cheaper than a doctor visit) today so will add this to my list. Thanks for the info.
Oh I am saving the garage for September or October. Can't think about it now. All the best with that! A clean freezer is a chore well done. Now to get more in it. I have a similar challenge for my wee freezer. The Lord knows.
That is good powdered milk, Brenda. I bought some of it (Peak brand) and really enjoyed it. "From contented Dutch cows" ;)
We discovered that Sam's brand of "select-a-size" paper towels, are very comparable to Bounty, and quite a bit cheaper. Used to buy Bounty, but switched.
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