Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Some of this month's stock up day purchases

We dipped down into the low 20s for a brief return to winter but the forecast is for a warmer temperatures this next week.  I'm hoping now that it is April, the highs and lows will level out.  Mouse, the outdoor kitty, has been giving us a look as if the unexpected cold was our fault!  I did bring back the covering for her "Mouse House" to add warmth for a few days.

Otherwise, it has been sunny and that makes such a difference in the house and to my attitude.  While by the end of the winter season, I am so ready for warmth and sunshine, I do like living in an area with four distinct seasons.  By Fall, we will look forward to the coziness the cold weather brings as well as the sweaters, hot beverages, and candles. 

It was once again time for the stock up shopping as we slipped into another month.  I decided to only do my Meijer shopping yesterday, along with a couple very small errands.  My reward was to pick up a lunch of our favorite moo goo gai pan at the tiny Chinese restaurant not too far from the bank.   As I told a friend, the aroma of a favorite "take out" gave my husband incentive to help me bring in the groceries.  Quickly!  ;)

Buying for the Emergency Pantry

I live in a fairly small house with no basement, which means I have limited space for both my regular kitchen pantry and my emergency pantry.  It is difficult to keep a very deep pantry. So, I have to put some planning into what is most important to purchase for both, realizing there is often a crossover between the two areas of the pantry.  For instance, the canned tomatoes are one of those items usually purchased in a 10-for-$10 sale and the new cans are simply placed behind what I had on the shelf already and rotated.

However, there are items I purchase mainly for an emergency and through the years there have been many lessons in what is essential and what is not.  The COVID shutdown and subsequent empty shelves really opened my eyes to what I need to keep in a limited space.  I don't have the room for extras like I did in a much bigger house.

While I do enjoy watching some prepper videos on YouTube and I have learned about products that were new to me, so many of them purchase cases of food at a time and that would not work for our small area of storage.  Long gone are the days when I lived in large house and bought flats of green beans at Meijer for 25 cents a can.  The price should indicate how long ago that was!

So, much of the emergency pantry is purchased as one or two items at a time.  For instance, the unavailability of meat during the shutdown made me realize I needed to begin keeping some canned meat for emergencies.  I don't have room for a lot of canned meat but I do check for what is available. Yesterday I bought one can of pork for the emergency pantry since I didn't have any, yet. I usually have a jar or two of barbecue sauce in my kitchen pantry that would work with any of the canned meats.

I have a container that holds various kinds of beans that I keep for an emergency and to use sometimes even now.  They are stored in their individual packages so I can easily grab one when needed right away.  Yesterday, I bought one package of Hurst's 15 Bean Soup Mix because it not only lasts a long time and I like it but it was one of those items that was nearly impossible to get during the shutdown.  

I bought one jar of lemon curd yesterday.  Like jelly and jam, it is a crossover food that I purchase to be used in an emergency but also in my everyday kitchen pantry.  It was one of those items that was unavailable where I live for at least six months or more last year.  

I use it on scones but it is also good when spooned into mini graham cracker crumb pans and topped with Cool Whip (or real whipped cream) for a pantry dessert. It doesn't have a shelf life as long as preserves made with sugar but as long as it is rotated, it is a good pantry food.

A "one or two at a time" purchase for the emergency pantry that I only recently decided to do was to purchase one Mountain House pouch on those rare times I shop at Walmart.  While mostly sold for camping and hiking, their 30 year shelf life makes them an excellent prepardeness item.  They are perfect for people who live alone and some of the meals can be used for two people.

They are usually found in the camping section and while the nearest Walmart to my house doesn't have a large selection, they have enough to offer some options.  I'm sure other camping supply stores have them and I have bought them from Amazon.

It is easy to slip the pouches into a food grade pail with lid to keep safe from mice and humans who think they are delicious. Those pails are sold at places like Menards and they are cheaper than one pouch of many Mountain House entrees.

Creative cooking purchases

I like to purchase one or two items on stock up day that add creativity to my cooking. This time I bought a really good balsamic vinegar, after having a few recipes call for it recently.  Vinegar has an extremely long shelf life so you do not need to use it up quickly.

A few years ago, sherry vinegar was one such purchase and I still have that bottle.  So, vinegar, unlike oils, are good to purchase and one does not have to worry about using them quickly.  I also always have Braggs Raw Apple Cider vinegar and Nikano rice vinegar on hand.

One of my trial purchases during shutdown was a bottle of balsamic glaze and it turned out to be delicious. I bought it to use with Italian dishes but it is even good on things like chicken tacos.  Experimenting with various foods, spices, herbs, and condiments is still fun and comes in handy when other options may be limited as they were in the shutdown.

Seasonal Purchases

Don't forget to shop for after Easter candy sales.  The pastel colored M&Ms and other candies can be used for wedding and baby showers this spring.

I bought two pairs of garden gloves yesterday.  One 99 cent pair of cloth garden gloves that can be tossed when they get too grungy and one $3.99 pair that are a little more sturdy but not so expensive that I need to worry about them getting too dirty.  

They are used for landscape work like we have been doing recently.  I need to re-pot quite a few house plants so potting soil is on my list to purchase soon. I usually buy a couple small bags of potting soil over the summer to keep for late fall/winter use when it is not always available.

I noticed when at Walmart that the canning items had been picked over already.  Meijer had much more of a selection available.  Now is the time to buy canning lids and jars if you will need them later.  Remembering that last year there were few left on the shelves by Fall.

A Pantry Recipe

I love having some recipes that can be made with what I have in the pantry and one of the desserts I made for Easter dinner is one such recipe.  I like to have two or three dessert options for a Holiday meal and this is the chocolate dessert I made already since it has to be refrigerated for 24 hours ahead of serving.  It was a recipe my mother-in-law gave me.  It is very easy and quite tasty for having been made with pantry items.

Eclair Dessert

• 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding
• 2-1/2 cups milk
• 8 ounces Cool Whip, defrosted
• 1 can chocolate frosting *
• 1(14.4 ounce) box honey graham crackers
  

Mix pudding and milk at medium speed.  When pudding is thick, gently fold in Cool Whip with a large spoon.  Butter or oil a 9 x 12 pan.  

Line bottom of pan with whole graham crackers.  You can break them to make them fit.  Spread half of pudding mix over the crackers.  Then add another layer of crackers.  Pour on the other half of pudding mix.  Add another layer of whole graham crackers.  Refrigerate for two hours before frosting the graham crackers.  Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.

*Since I was using the stand mixer to mix up the pudding, I also put the chocolate frosting in it and added a little cream before whipping it lighter.  That made it far easier to spread over the chilled graham crackers.

Mentioned in this Blog Post

Here are a few of my favorite Mountain House pouches (and one case) that I have tried from Amazon over the years.  The prices have gone up since before COVID and are expected to increase even more as food prices rise.  These links are for single pouches except the case of Granola with Milk and Blueberries.  Many of them are also available in #10 cans.

1. Homestyle Chicken Noodle Casserole (serves 2)... here. 
2. Chicken and Dumplings... here.
   
3. Beef Stew... here. 
4. Biscuits and Gravy... here. 
5. Breakfast Skillet (can be served with Biscuits and Gravy to feed two)... here.
   
6. Case of Granola with Milk and Blueberries (does not require boiled water although it is an option)... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.