Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Priorities at the moment

Gosh it has been difficult to write this post today.  I usually start writing on Friday but I had an appointment with my retinal specialist yesterday that took up part of the morning and then we stopped to purchase a Christmas gift on the way home since Michaels is close to my doctor's office.  Then our Internet today is s.l.o.w. and I had to restart the modem.

If you follow me on Instagram (@coffeeteabooksandme), you will have seen this photo of my Christmas washi tape collection.  I added to it yesterday with Michael's 50% off Christmas items sale.  Washi tape half price is inexpensive! I try to set aside a little in my budget at Christmas to purchase Christmas sale items.  

Ever since Thanksgiving, I have been giving priority of the budget and my time to the Holidays since they go by so quickly.   For instance, as I write the CD player is singing out Amy Grant's Home For Christmas CD.

I want to hear all the music of the season that I can at this time of year.  This CD brings back memories of when my daughter was in college and sung Breath of Heaven at our church.  It was beautiful.  Sniff, sniff.  Oh, yes... the Holidays bring memories, too.  ;)

I've been stocking the pantry with food that is seasonally on sale.  I bought a couple whole chickens but also packages of chicken legs since I tried them for chicken soup and they made a rich broth.  All at a great sale price. Cranberries went on sale and I now have two gallon size Ziploc bags, each containing three bags of cranberries... mostly for baking purposes in the next year.

I plan to purchase a bag of organic lemons soon to make preserved lemons, something I've been wanting to try for years.  All the citrus is less expensive right now.  I stocked up on cream cheese at a Holiday sale, brown sugar, white sugar, flour, and some spices at a good price.  I will be keeping an eye out for New Year's Eve specials, too.

I prioritize the food budget to stock up on these items which mainly go on sale during the Holidays.  An extra turkey resides in the deep freeze for perhaps a January Thanksgiving meal and soup while I'm sure if hams go on sale more before Christmas, an extra ham will keep the turkey company.

I've read a few articles by those who believe in prepping, all advising their readers to make certain their pantries are well stocked the closer we get to Christmas.  For there is chatter about possible terrorism, not the least of which would be North Korea trying to strike an American stronghold.  It doesn't have to be on the mainland, an attack any where in the world will cause buying panic at the grocery stores.

So it wouldn't hurt to check your basics this week.  Just in case...  I think the biggest insight I ever had about being prepared was that an event does not have to happen in your own back yard to make travel difficult in my area and especially leaving empty grocery stores.

I have shared before that my late friend, Kathy, lived in New Mexico but the shelves on her grocery store were almost empty for weeks because the food and supply trucks were diverted to the Gulf after Hurricane Katrina.

This next week, I need to begin Christmas baking and by stocking up on butter (now in the freezer) and the other ingredients on sale since before Thanksgiving, my baked goodies will be gift giving at a great price.

I have chicken soup simmering on the stove that needs my attention.  I'm hoping the Internet is behaving so I can publish this without a problem.  I do apologize for a quick and rather wordy Saturday post.  I hope you can make sense of it!  Now I remember why I usually begin these posts during the week.  Sigh...

Mentioned in this Blog Post
Amy Grant Home for Christmas... here.  (So much nostalgia in this music.)