Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Some pantry ideas, a recipe, and a really good YouTube video

We have had a nice respite from the heat this past week but another heat wave is beginning this weekend.  My pantry thoughts are toward cool weather cooking, even if the air conditioner is the only thing making it cool around here.

I watched an excellent pantry video on YouTube this week that was so good, I sent a link to a friend to watch.  I'll include a link below.  I like it because the woman is not a "prepper" but a homemaker wanting to make sure they do not run out of food items like they did a few months ago.

I find many "prepper" YouTube videos are very similar to each other but there is always something new to learn from most individuals.  For instance, I don't think it was on that video where it was mentioned that it is a good idea to stock up on the Deluxe macaroni and cheese dinners because the sauce is already made.  That will be important should one not have extra milk to use.  What a good idea.

I used to keep boxes of Annie's organic Mac & Cheese when I had kids living at home or stopping by for a quick lunch.  I even liked the Kraft's Mac & Cheese.  As much as I like a delicious gourmet meal once in awhile, sometimes nursery food is what the soul and tummy requires.  (Although I do make a very good baked mac & cheese casserole from scratch that the kids always loved.)

I have been reading about people stocking their pantry for the Holidays already and I think that is a very wise decision.  I have most items needed for baking already but I do need to freeze more butter.  I just use regular Aldi salted butter for baking.  

I know, some recipes call for unsalted butter in baking but I have always used salted with no problem at all.  I don't have room for two different kinds of butter in the refrigerator or freezer.  I tried it for awhile and found I could not tell the difference in the baked goods.  I felt justified when Ree Drummond said on one of The Pioneer Woman episodes that she only used salted butter, too.

I already have extra bags of cranberries from last year's Holiday season in the deep freeze so I won't need to buy any more of them.  I put two cartons of Cool Whip in the deep freeze that I will need for a couple Holiday desserts.  I have four 8 oz. packages of cream cheese in the refrigerator already for Holiday baking and cooking.  The expiration date for cream cheese is often months away from the purchase date.

I even have a ham in the freezer already since I had purchased one for Easter and then the pandemic hit and there was no travel between counties allowed (much less having our family around the dinner table together).  I almost always have a couple cans of sweet potatoes in heavy syrup on the pantry shelf, too.  I've added a can of whole cranberry sauce to my stock up day grocery list.  Just in case we can't get together again this year and I need something "cranberry" just for me.  My cranberry salad recipe feeds a crowd.

I made a few small pantry purchases this past week.  My husband asked me to stop by Walmart for some First Aid supplies he needed since I was going to be out, anyway.  I rarely go to Walmart but there are some items I mainly purchase there.  I wanted TP but there were only a few packages on the shelf and that brand was one I usually avoid.  I'm thinking if they are so low on TP, then Sam's Club probably is, too, but I will check the next time I am in town.

I decided recently to purchase some coffee just for the pantry and Walmart had two boxes of those new Starbucks Pikes Place small cans of coffee on the clearance shelves.  Each box contains eight small cans, each can makes a half pot of coffee.  They are perfect for the pantry and the clearance price for each box was excellent.

I also plan to add some instant coffee to the pantry soon.  Should we be stuck at home with none of our favorite coffee (yes, First World problems!), I'd rather have instant than nothing and it lasts practically forever on the shelf.  I have a few boxes of various kinds of tea but adding a box or two of favorites wouldn't hurt and they are not expensive.

When our small Keurig stopped working after ten years of good service, we decided to replace it with the next size up and use only K-cups for our morning coffee.  We did keep our Mr. Coffee for when we wanted to brew a pot for company, it is on the shelf with a few other small appliances.

In the long run, it saves us money to use K-cups because we have been using the very expensive organic coffee my husband needs in the Mr. Coffee each morning and I didn't like it very much.  So now, I can enjoy my inexpensive Eight O'clock original blend coffee K-cup each morning and he can have organic coffee in a K-cup. My daughter gifted me some Paris tea K-cups and I still have some of them left, waiting for cool afternoons.

Another item I have added to my stock up grocery list is a bottle of maple extract since my old bottle is almost empty.  I used to make my own maple syrup before I developed Juvenile Diabetes to avoid high-fructose corn syrup.  Now I use mainly real maple syrup since it is better for blood sugar when I do use a little here and there.  (I also have also used maple extract to make maple icing for cinnamon rolls.)

I don't remember the recipe I used since it has been awhile.  I don't think I had it written down but I did find one on Allrecipes that is the same or similar.  It's a great pantry recipe!

Homemade Maple Syrup (Allrecipes contributor Lucynda)

• 1 Cup water
• 1 Cup white sugar
• 1 Cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon maple extract

Bring the water, white sugar, and brown sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in the maple extract; simmer 3 minutes longer.

Note:  Two cups brown sugar may be used for a thicker syrup. 

I know this post is kind of all over the place today so I hope you can understand it!!!  :)

Mentioned in this Blog Post

Here is the YouTube video that I thought was very good.  I wrote down a few ideas from her suggestions.  Link is... here.

Image:  Cookbook and Apples poster