Living the Pantry Lifestyle - So Much Can Happen Suddenly!

So much seems to happen suddenly these days.  I read that the people in Afghanistan had no idea the changes that would happen to their life in less than one week.  In a video about the lockdown situation in Australia, it was reported that many people only had a three hour warning they would be on lockdown and the stores suddenly became packed with people trying to buy essentials.

If there is anything we should take away from the COVID lockdowns in our country last year, it should be how suddenly everything can change and how fast store shelves can become empty.  I keep a fairly close tabs on what I would call "prepper news" and most of them were only predicting a two week shutdown.   Only a couple even had a worldwide pandemic on their immediate radar.  It happened... suddenly.

There is an old adage in books about preparing for emergencies, one I have heard discussed many times.  It is that reasoning that if one does not prepare for any emergency, it won't happen to them.  Just as sure as one decides to prepare, some disaster is certain to hit.  I would definitely call this kind of thinking coming from the author of lies and confusion.

I have to remind myself to continue praying and asking God for wisdom about my own emergency preparations.  I don't have the room or the budget for very much so I have to put a lot of thought into what I have on hand that is extra. I have learned to keep extra of what I need for my most used recipes and food either in cans or in the freezer to make simple soups or other meals.

Of course, I have extra items for baking and other meals such as breakfast.  Simple food like my favorite "add water pancake mix" is a simple treat once in awhile and easy to store.  Old fashioned oats are used for making granola and hot oatmeal (thank you for the suggestions on where I can get old fashioned oats again!!!).  I keep some powdered milk, cream, eggs, etc.  Of course, there is extra coffee and tea!

When my kids were home and we had a large house, I kept a much deeper pantry.  Back then I purchased canned goods by the flats when they went on sale and had plenty of kid friendly food put back.  However, with just two of us, I don't need to put back as much.  My extended pantry is very simple, as I need it to be these days.

I remember the Fall of 2019, when I was thinking of closing this blog and I felt that "Still Small Voice" telling me not only to continue writing but to once again write about the importance of having a deep pantry in our homes.  Gosh, was I glad I had listened to Him!  For me and for you!

I'm once again feeling that nudge to stock up a little more.  Maybe it is just the season of harvest (I "harvest" by purchasing extra packages and cans at Meijer or Kroger) but I doubt it.  I keep getting that word SUDDENLY in my mind.  It could be just something for me personally but just in case it is more corporate... I felt that nudge again to remind my blog friends to remain diligent.

If nothing else, prices are going to continue to increase.  I have mentioned before that our canned goods (and probably a lot of our frozen vegetables) are from last year's crops.  So, what happens when the shortages from this year in some foods begin to show up as canned fruits and vegetables on the shelves?

I learned many years ago that the reason for sales and clearances in canned vegetables around Fall each year was to prepare shelf space for the new harvest.  I would stock up on flats at the same time each year at the grocery store.  Of course, the Use By dates were still a year or two (or more) out so the savings were worth it!  I don't know if stores still do this, I know my stories do not discount like they once did.

There are already higher prices and some prices have increased a lot.  I haven't noticed any real shortages in food right now at Kroger, Meijer, or Aldi... just higher prices of some food items.  There are less options available in some foods.  Some non-food items have been in short supply or the shelves have been empty.  

This high heat and humidity have had me literally "under the weather".  I don't like to cook much in summer.  However, when it cools down some I plan to continue to try vegetarian recipes.  I began cooking with less meat a long time ago and now it is helping keep those costs down.

So, what did I do recently for the pantry?  Well, to prepare for cold weather cooking (hopeful thinking in this heat and humidity, I know!), I looked through the older cans on my extended pantry shelf that sits in the garage, next to the door to the house.  I put the latest purchases in the back of the cans, so those in front are the oldest.

I was surprised to see a few cans that needed to be transferred to the kitchen because their Use By date had just expired.  They were still good, of course,  I had to throw away a couple cans of tomatoes because their lids had rusted.  One never knows why some cans rust quickly but they were the same brand and Use By date (which was not past, yet).

I keep a few small cans of items I don't use much but want to have on hand. I checked the dates on those cans, only to be shocked to find one that expired four years ago!  I wasn't surprised that it was a can of chilies but the four years surprised me.  It went in the trash.

Fortunately, there weren't many that had to be thrown away but it was a reminder that 1) times goes quicker than we think, and 2) we have to be diligent because some things (like the cans of tomatoes) can rust or go bad even when they have not expired.

Now, I am ready for soup and casserole season again and I know what I need to stock up on a little more (I'm looking at you canned organic corn).  

I purchased four blocks of Meijer brand cream cheese on Stock Up Day to continue getting ready for the Holidays.  Yes, cream cheese can have an expiration date that far out!  However, I have learned one has to be diligent about looking at the Use By dates.  There were three different Use By dates in those rows of cream cheese and only one row was January, 2022.  The other two dates were before Thanksgiving.

One fun project I did over the Summer was to purchase some pretty, colorful kitchen towels.  With all the gloomy news, this was an easy way to bring joy to the everyday gotta do's.  The photo above is one I shared on Instagram.  I come from a family of sausage gravy and biscuit connoisseurs so this Pioneer Woman kitchen towel was perfect!  Pioneer Woman items can be found at Wal-Mart.

I was asked my favorite recipes from Jerusalem and Zahav.  Christopher has my hardback copy of Jerusalem but I liked the entire chapter on hummus and the various ways it is made by Jews and Arabs.  I just loved reading the book!  He has been very busy with work but when he has an opportunity to get in the Kitchen, he likes to try various ethnic recipes.

As for Zahav, I really liked the chapter on Israeli Salad and the various options.  I taught my husband how simple it is to make Israeli Salad and he makes it for his lunch a few times a week.  The chapter on Hummus is good, too, with all the variations.  I have no less than five recipes marked to try as soon as it is cooler (I bought the cookbook in late Spring).

Hummus was my entry into my love of Middle Eastern food.  We are blessed to have many ethnic restaurants near the University and I liked the old standard Chinese dishes and Indian food.  However, my daughter first introduced me to Middle Eastern food when she was in college and we enjoyed some Middle Eastern meals there.  Then my son ate at a favorite Middle Eastern restaurant for lunch when he was in college and working part-time, I would meet him there at times.

It was hummus with sumac and beef on top that was the first dish my son shared with me at the restaurant and later I discovered Lebanese Fattoush salad there.  Oh, my.  Now, I'm very hungry!  

One of my next recipes I want to try when citrus comes into season here is preserved lemons.  I have a recipe marked in Alana Chernila's The Homemade Kitchen to try.  She is also the author of The Homemade Pantry.  I've seen preserved lemons used on a few cooking and travel shows and I love anything lemon, so curiosity almost has the best of me.

These days, I no longer have the energy to try a lot of things at once but I don't want to stop trying new recipes.

Keep diligent in preparing your pantry.  A little goes a very long way.  Doing a little is a hundred times better than doing nothing to deepen the pantry.  Should a suddenly happen to you, you will be ready.  Not perfectly probably but "good enough".

Mentioned in this Blog Post

The Homemade Kitchen... here.

The Homemade Pantry (I don't own this but it looks very good if you like "from scratch" cooking and baking)... here.

Zahav... here.

Jerusalem... here.

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Photo:  My stove a few weeks ago. Instagram: coffeeteabooksandme.