Pantry Ponderings - The pantry lifestyle

White wheat waiting for grinding...

I'm feeling better!  Isn't it true that there is nothing common about the common cold?  Yuk!  I'm thankful the guys went through this first as I've followed exactly what they experienced.

Yesterday I thought I was going to die and today I woke up feeling well enough to write this post and clean out my yellow pantry... and not have to fall on the sofa.  Of course, I will take it easy for a few days so I see a little more reading than usual in the near future.  :)

Now, for the last post in this Pantry Ponderings series (I promise to do another later in the spring!).  I get e-mails all the time from people who have that same "gut" feeling I do that another shoe is going to drop in the economy, perhaps worse than the crash a few years ago.  (If you are an NCIS fan like me... and I know many of you are... you know that Gibb's "gut" feeling is always right on TV.)

Well my friends, I just read that there are gas stations here in my part of the Midwest that are now charging over $4.00 a gallon for gas!   I know we tend to be more expensive because we're not far from Chicago but it can't be long until we see this price throughout the nation.

I'm sure part of it has to do with what is going on in the Middle East but we can't forget there are refineries offline in the East.  How do I know that?  Because a big part of a pantry lifestyle is keeping an eye on what will cause food to skyrocket as well as possible shortages (which helps prioritize what one uses their stock up money for).

The easiest part of deepening the pantry is buying things and putting them on a shelf, especially if you have the extra money to do so.  The real (and necessary) work takes place in your thinking and praying and doing.

For instance, when one lives a pantry lifestyle then we can translate news into possibilities... when semi truckers have had to pay too much for fuel in the past, what did they do?  They parked their trucks!

When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, what happened to food deliveries elsewhere?  My dear friend in New Mexico (not exactly where one would think of hurricane preparedness) had semis diverted from her area to the Coast so her family experienced shortages when the shelves of her local grocery store were empty of various items.

When last year's hurricane hit Virginia, some there were prepared but who didn't think of preparing?  The families who live far from the ocean in New England who experienced power outages as well as those who went through horrible flooding conditions (my daughter was without power for almost a week).  I read many stories of empty grocery shelves. 

Having a pantry lifestyle mindset helps to set your priorities for limited funds.  As most of you know (and I have told you ONLY so you realize if I can stock up even a tiny bit then most people can)... after our Social Security check comes in, there can be no cash left at all.  As careful as we have been with our budget, health issues drained our savings long ago.

We have to live on very little coming in but God has provided in miraculous ways.  Our experiences have taught us SO much, though... the lessons learned from having to (as I've called it before)... live off the financial grid.   Forced frugality can be a very good thing, indeed.

It teaches you what days one of the grocery stores puts their packaged salads half price and what time of day another store slashes the price of their meat... all in excellent condition but near their sell by dates.   It teaches you to stop by Goodwill when you head for the grocery store or library... looking for specific clothing needs or 99 cent English teacups or expensive cooking/baking items at a fraction of their cost (even with increased prices).

Having a pantry lifestyle is far from living without... instead one learns how to decorate their home beautifully with thrifted items... how much better homemade cookies are than those in a package... how to get our vitamins in inexpensive food when we can't afford to buy pills... that a great mechanic is more valuable than any highly paid executive... that a great cookbook is worth the price if you get even one often used frugal recipe... that you can learn to sew, knit, crochet, mend, cook, bake, garden, use a pressure canner, etc.

Did this happen overnight?  Oh, my... I remember how hard it was when I had to learn new ways to think and shop and plan and cook and just do... when I suddenly had more time than money (and at times... no money).  I was a true Yuppie in the 80's!  But I did learn...

So, if you have that "gut" feeling things are not right with the world and the squirrel-ish feelings of stocking up are prevalent... if you find yourself drawn to books about frugal living and wartime England and America in the Great Depression... you are not alone.

Just remember this... God is still in control even if it seems the world has gone mad at times.  (I think they're putting something in the water in Washington... but that is only my political opinion.).   I am absolutely certain that God is in control!

Just do what you can with what you have.  Even an extra box or can or package here and there works.  Reading a book or blog link about living life in difficult times... it all helps.  Keeping your eyes open for grocery bargains works.  Stopping by the thrift store or Goodwill when in the area, anyway... it works.

Learn to do and make and  think before buying.  Develop skills.  Talk to likeminded families. 

Trust your gut... or to be more ladylike... listen to that still small Voice.  ;)

Picture:  Wheat in the two containers I keep it in to grind and use for fresh bread.

Pantry post links

I should have known with two sickies here in the family, I would catch their cold... achoo, cough, cough!

So instead of struggling to make my brain work thinking of writing something new, I give you some pantry post archives.

A few of these go back to 2008 and 2009 but I think the information is still good.

Some links to past pantry posts:

The Winter Pantry... here

The Hospitality Pantry 1... here.

The Hospitality Pantry 2... here.

Basic Pantry Items (baking)... here.

Basic Pantry Items (non-baking)... here.

A great stocking up article from the 1990s... here.

Added Note:  The Comments on these posts have valuable advice, too.  :)

Picture: Attractive Housewife in Modern Kitchen (that really is the name...)

Pantry Ponderings - Brand name pantry goodies

No one keeps a more beautiful pantry than the folks at Brambley Hedge

Today is Show and Tell as I want to share some items I keep in my pantry that are premade and shelf stable.  Usually when we think of deepening the pantry, our thinking is towards buying in bulk or at least ingredients we put together for meals.

I do realize great savings can be made in making our own mixes and such but I've come to appreciate some of these premade items over the years.  Especially since there are now only two of us at home.

While I use Uncle Ben's converted brown rice most of the time (stores better than regular brown rice, which I also use), I do like having the quick version in my pantry.   A friend gave me the box of instant brown rice and I've been keeping it for just the day I will need it.  Other similar items like couscous make for a quick side dish that is pantry friendly.

I use the Krusteaz Honey Wheat mix all the time for pancakes and the Casbah Hummus mix was given to me to try.  Mixes like these where you just add water are also great to keep on hand for emergencies.  (I've seen the regular buttermilk Krusteaz mix sold in large containers at Wal Mart.)

I make my own hummus most of the time from canned beans, tahini, etc. but I do love the idea of pantry friendly shelf stable mixes.  As a side note... I just saw recently where making your own hummus at home instead of buying the container at the grocery store can save you as much as 90% of the cost.

Having shelf stable milk products on hand have saved me more than once in the middle of baking!  I would remind you, if you are keeping products such as the Borden milk shown for baking, make certain you purchase at least 2% milk.  Many baking recipes are much better when made with 2% or whole milk!

The Coconut Dream will be used in smoothies and the Tazo Chai is actually Christopher's that he didn't use.  I will never turn down Tazo Chai... yum.

Most of my cake recipes are made from scratch but I always try to keep a few different mixes on hand.  I keep pie fillings not for pies... but to mix with the cake mix for delicious cakes.  There are all kinds of recipes online for mixing cake mixes with pie filling, pumpkin, canned fruit, etc.

Of course, they can be used for... cakes and pies.  ;)

I know these are just a few items from my pantry (which is not all that deep right now!) but I'm hoping they spark your imagination for pre-made shelf stable products for your pantry.

Here's another look at my favorite pantry pictures.  I love the Brambley Hedge books!

This page is technically a kitchen instead of a pantry but it still makes my heart sing.

Note:  My friend, Mrs. Rabe, shows how to make the homemade laundry detergent on her blog... here.  The "recipe" was requested in the Comments section a couple days ago.

Pantry Ponderings - Keeping a quick list

I was hoping to write an indepth post today but I ended up being away from home this morning and then (finally) tackling two decluttering projects all afternoon.

Victoria helped me as I worked on the two center drawers on the hutch, hubby thought she did a very good job of telling me where to put everything.  I would have snapped a picture of her sitting in the bottom drawer but she was between me and the camera.  :)

There were many great comments to yesterday's post and I have a feeling we will continue to learn from more comments.  I only have time to respond to one this evening and that is perhaps the most important... should people spend money stocking up.

I'd never tell anyone what to do if they felt God told them differently but I can assure you any money spent on deepening your pantry and stocking up will reap great rewards as long as you do it properly (as in making certain things are stored correctly, purchase only what the family will eat and use, etc.).

I've mentioned before that I felt strongly we should deepen the pantry a lot more than usual before Y2k.  I didn't know if anything would go wrong but I definitely believed we were to "stock up" so we deepened our pantry further and even purchased all the books we needed the following year for homeschooling.

A very good friend of mine felt God only wanted her to stock up as usual (she always keeps a good pantry) but she and her husband felt they were to buy a generator.  As it turned out, we went through a year of unemployment and had the food and other necessities we needed and her family moved within a year to a place where they regularly needed a generator!

For a very small amount of money (compared to what is spent on cars, furniture, houses, vacations, etc.) one can deepen their pantry and have extras of essentials that will give back huge rewards if needed.  I'll talk more about that later...

One thing everyone can do right now that is so easy and costs nothing... keep a tablet or paper on which you can write an item whenever it crosses your mind that is something you need to have in your pantry.   This was something I felt very strongly that God wanted me to do even if I don't have money to buy much "extra" right now.

I have long had a basic list of essential grocery items that I needed (or wanted) in my pantry but when I started keeping this list... when I ran out of something or it crossed my mind... I came to realize there were many items not on my essential grocery list that I wouldn't want to be without.

As an example, just this week we have begun to have a problem with ants in the house (normally a late spring challenge each year) and I don't have ant poison in the house!  So, ant poison went on that list I keep on the frig... where I write down the items that I need to 1) purchase and 2) put on the main list.

It doesn't cost anything but a few seconds of time but it may be a lifesaver someday.  Of course, it is very important to have a well thought out list of essential grocery items which serves as a base to your pantry. 

To read the comments on yesterday's post... go here.

Picture:  Cookbooks and Apples: allposters.com

Pantry Ponderings

A few years ago I started a series called Recession Ponderings (the link to them is on the sidebar).  I think it is a good idea to start a conversation and call it Pantry Ponderings and I'm sure your comments will be just as valuable as anything I can say.  :)

It has been in the back of my mind for awhile but a conversation this past week with my good friend who lives in New Mexico brought it from "perhaps I should" to "yes I will" status.

We first met on the emergency preparedness site where I was an administrator in the 1990s (many of my very best online friendships started there with some becoming "sister friends").  So you must understand that we both have leaned toward the TEOTWAWKI mode (The End of the World as We Know It) for decades.  Blame it on growing up in the shadow of "The Bomb".  ;)

Anyway, we started talking about the increase in the cost of gas and how that affects our food prices (not to mention how the crazy weather in some parts of the country caused increases in cost).  Then I brought up what is going on in the Persian Gulf right now and she wondered if the nation as a whole realizes what would happen if (and some experts are saying "when" not "if") there is even a minor confrontation.

Then the cost of gas will sky rocket and everything affected by oil... which is just about everything these days... will first become more expensive and then will probably result in shortages as it did in the 1970s... and worse if it turns into a full scale Middle East war even if the United States and Europe are not directly involved.

How can one just chat away for an hour over doom and gloom predictions?  Well, we've been talking about such things as deepening the pantry and preparing for emergencies for eons now... since the world was in the cooling stage.  Okay, not quite so long but long enough.

We aren't afraid for two reasons, the first and most important being a deep and abiding trust in the Lord.  We are both firm believers that we are living in the exact time and place in which He planned.  We also have been through a lot of stuff through the years and we've seen Him provide miraculously.

The second reason is also what we have learned, that developing a pantry lifestyle and preparing the best we can with limited funds available... helps us to face whatever God allows in our future.

Neither of us can have the very deep pantry we did years ago but we have the next best thing (perhaps even better in some ways)... we have experience.  Both of us can go into the kitchen on any given day and whip up dinner from what is available.  It may not be steak and a locally grown salad but we can add herbs and spices to make it tasty.

We both have learned how to do so many things ourselves instead of paying others to do them as circumstances forced us to stay with the program through the difficult learning curve days.  Our lessons were different in some ways as she lives on a homestead in the desert and God once placed us just a few miles from Metro Detroit (where we lived on 9/11!).

I was pondering this idea of experience being as important as say... stocking up... this morning after stopping by the grocery store.  I passed by the refrigerated aisle that contained premade sandwiches and such when I saw a bag of eighteen (18!) hard boiled eggs which had their shells removed.

I was curious about how much they were asking for the eggs and was quite shocked to see a price of $4.99... for 1 1/2 dozen eggs!

Now, I do understand that many of the people who would shop in this store are most likely two career couples who need fast instead of frugal.   I've been there myself so I feel their pain of time restraints.  But I also know how very difficult it was to change from buying mode to doing mode when the money became an issue.

Soooo... I plan to do a few pantry posts for awhile even if it means going back and reviewing some past posts.

 
By the way, so many readers asked why I don't participate in some of the fun tea time events on other blogs (many I read and enjoy) but it is for this very reason.  I used to take part in such links for tea time and books and other "close to my heart" subjects but Coffee Tea Books and Me jumps all over the place... it is about my entire life!

My numbers would jump by a lot and then plunge within a week as I went from tea time to deepening the pantry and then to books and taking a few days for decorating and then showing off pictures of grandchildren along with chatting about my cat and my family... etcetera.

So now I just write about my life and stay in wonderment that anyone reads at all (it has to be the pictures of Miss Victoria!).

Oh... this question always comes up when I do a pantry post... no, I am not a Mormon.  They have great preparedness information, though!

Picture:  Housewife Checking Points for new Rationing System