Living the Pantry Lifestyle - The Emergency Purchase List

This past week was busy with stock up shopping and catching up on housework after being struck down with a virus that has been going around.  It seems to have one consistent symptom among everyone I know who have experienced it, it leaves you absolutely exhausted for days upon days afterwards.

Thankfully, I'm beginning to feel better but I didn't get everything accomplished I wanted to do this week.  It will all get done... eventually.  The most important items on the To Do List were accomplished, though.

I always like to try at least one new-to-me item for the pantry every stock up day and this week it was Starbucks' new instant coffee. I always have instant coffee in the pantry but I can't say as I love it.  So, I tried the Blonde Roast, which is the kind of regular coffee I prefer, and was surprised by how good it was.  I guess other people like the instant coffee, too, because it has often been sold out at the store and on Amazon.  

Instant coffee lasts for a very long time (years!) in the pantry, so I'd like to get another can or two since I plan to continue using the open can when needed.  I have used their VIA instant coffee and it is good except this is much more cost-effective and I prefer the VIA latte blends, which do not last long on the pantry shelf since they contain milk products.

I'm still preparing ahead for the Holidays and this week's project was to make five pints of vanilla extract.  A dear friend gave me an Amazon gift card for my birthday and I used part of it to purchase the vanilla beans while buying the cheapest vodka that Wal-mart sold.  

Since it takes about four months for the vanilla extract to develop a good rich flavor, it should be excellent by Christmas.  I made vanilla extract before, leaving the vanilla beans whole that time.  This time, after watching some YouTube videos, I cut them with scissors about half way down and then cut part of them again in half vertically.  This way, they fit nicely in the pint size Ball jars.

As mentioned in the title, one of the things I want to talk about this week is having an "Emergency Preparedness List".  I wrote about this a few times but I'm pretty sure it has now been many years since the subject was brought up.  It came to my attention in the 1970s era book, How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years.

The author, Howard Ruff, tells the story of being away from home driving on a highway when the emergency alert signal came on the radio regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis.  He stopped at the next phone booth (that dates it, doesn't it?) and called his wife, telling her to take all the money they had in checking right then and leave immediately for the grocery store.

As he expected, the stores were packed and the options were limited.  He wrote that as a Mormon, he had been taught to always keep a year's worth of food in their pantry at home.  Once this emergency passed, that is exactly what he did and even though he wrote mostly about investment advice, his books always had a rather large section about emergency preparedness.

I learned from his experience to always have an "Emergency Purchase List" that I could grab and go if necessary.  I have had many experiences of going to the grocery store in a Winter Storm Warning and forgetting important items we would need while purchasing non-essentials.  FYI: Chocolate is essential.

I kept mine taped inside a Kitchen cabinet and then later, in an Emergency Preparedness folder that I could grab quickly.  As I have thought about the pantry lifestyle more in the last twenty-plus years, I have come to change my list.  Mainly because I realized it is silly to be competing with a multitude of other shoppers for things like bottled water, TP, etc. when they should be a part of my pantry already.

Bottled water in gallons (or what used to be gallons and now are slightly less in weight) is cheap where I live.  The only problem I have is that water is heavy so I bought a couple gallons at a time when I was at the store, as did my husband, until we had replenished our bottled water supply.  

Since I put tap water in the containers I used during our recent water emergency and labeled it as such, I have that water stored on a little  used shelf in the garage with the newly purchased water on a shelf close to the door. The tap water will be used for everything except drinking.

Water is just like everything else for the pantry, it doesn't take much to stock it a little at a time.  Even three or four gallons of water stored on the bottom of a coat closet can keep you from having to pray there is still bottled water in an emergency.  As for toilet paper... store extra under the bed if necessary, along with some paper towels.  It doesn't have a "Use By" date.

My "Emergency Preparedness List" went from looking like most people's lists to making a priority those things we definitely want to have on hand.  Think of what you would buy if you have a Winter Storm Warning, which takes some imagination in this heat and humidity, but what would you need if you may not be able to go anywhere for awhile because your driveway is under feet of snow.

If you already have at least a small pantry, then you can spend what money is available on those things which cannot necessarily go into a pantry such as dairy products, extra meat, fresh produce (not too much since it goes bad quickly), canned products to make very simple meals, etc.  Basically, essential items that you do not have on pantry shelves.

Think of your pet's needs and any medications that can be purchased.  Believe me, life will be smelly if you have to extend the kitty litter a couple of weeks! Been there!  If you have a baby in the house, it is a very good idea to have diapers and formula (should you be using formula) stocked in the pantry already.  The same is true for feminine hygiene products.

This is why building up your pantry, just a little at a time, is so cost effective.  Especially when you can purchase items you know you need when they are on sale.  Even with inflation, there are still loss leader sales in the stores.  In such an emergency situation, you won't have to purchase those items you already keep in the pantry and rotate if necessary.

With everything going on in the world today, it would be a very good idea to sit down this week and write a list of what you would purchase if you needed to leave the house and go to the store right away.  As far as stores, stay away from the big warehouse stores!  That is where most people head for first.  I'd say the same is true for Wal-Mart, unless that is your only choice.

Stores like Kroger, Meijer, Target, etc. will be crowded but I doubt as much as the big warehouse stores where people will be wanting to stock up big time.  Be creative and think out of the box about the stores that may have what you are looking for.  

For instance, I was able to get fresh eggs most of the time when the big name stores had been out of them for weeks during COVID because I buy my eggs at the health food store where they get them from a local Mennonite family.

One could write an entire chapter on this subject (and they have) but I wanted to bring it up after having an email chat with a friend last week.  I mentioned that one of my favorite go-to places for the latest headlines had not been updated that day because they decided to go to the city to "top off" their preps.  It had something to do with what they had been talking about on the radio recently.

We were wondering what was going on that would send them to the city for more purchases?  Which, of course, got me to thinking of Ruff's experience with the Cuban Missile Crisis.  I really need to duct tape my imagination and replace it with God's Word for it was going down all kinds of rabbit trails.

Thank you for the recent comments, I learn so much from them!  

I'm going to share just a few favorite cookbooks today.   This post is already long enough.  ;)

For the new cook as well as anyone who likes basic recipes, I recommend Betty Crocker Cooking Basics.  I liked all the original Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Joy of Cooking, etc. books but this one has photos and explanations of ingredients, equipment, etc.

For the new and the very experienced cooks, I highly recommend Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat... both the book for reference and the Netflix four-part series.  The book is now a whole lot cheaper than it once was!  

The River Cottage Family Cookbook is available only third-party now but it is a favorite for back to basics cooking.  It also has stories and photographs for enjoyable reading, many of which are of them cooking together as a family with children.

If you like the other River Cottage cookbooks from Great Britain or you want to learn more "from scratch" cooking techniques, this is the book you will keep on the coffee table when cold nights return and you can curl up with a good book and a hot beverage.

I love cookbooks that are enjoyable to read and I will share a few favorites next week!

Mentioned in this Blog Post

Madagascar Grade B vanilla beans (good for making extracts)... here.

Starbucks Blonde Roast Premium Instant... here.

The Betty Crocker Cooking Basics cookbook... here. 

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat book... here.

The River Cottage Family Cookbook... here.

Last week, I forgot to include these links!

Frontier Chopped Dehydrated White Onion... here.

Dehydrated red and green peppers (individual bags)... here.

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

Image:  Three Hens With Coop

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Replinishing dehydrated veggies, COVID clearances, and more cookbook suggestions

The weather has been miserable recently and I find it difficult to even think of cooking when the heat index is hovering around 100.  It is that time of year that I have fond memories of slow roasted dinners, soups, stews, and hot beverages.  

I have been looking through my yellow pantry where I keep baking supplies, along with seasonings and such that I use in cooking.  I had recently used some of my dehydrated onions in the cowboy casserole and realized they were looking kinda' old.  Not bad mind you, just a little tired.

As I thought of it, I realized they had to be three years old (or more) so it was time to refresh the jar.  I only use the Frontier brand of dehydrated onions and they only sell two packages at a time.  However, they are worth buying and sharing the second package, as I've done before.

Although, the dehydrated onions are in mylar (or something similar) bags and the Use By date is three years from now.  So, it wouldn't hurt to hold onto the second bag, either.  Dehydrated onions were a part of several recipes I received from my mother-in-law long ago and they continue to work in recipes today.  However, they can also be rehydrated should you run out of onions and used apart from a specific recipe.

I've been researching dried red and green peppers for awhile now and finally found a source on Amazon where I could buy them in separate bags.  They were always sold mixed together before that.  I buy red peppers when they are less expensive in the summer, slice them, and freeze them to use in eggs, potatoes, etc.  But I wanted a good source of dehydrated peppers, too.  Both of these packages will eventually be emptied into Ball jars just like the dehydrated onions.

I'm thinking the three of them could be blended together, perhaps with sea salt and pepper, for an interesting seasoning.  Hmmmm... will think on that for awhile.  I did see in the reviews where some people were purchasing the dehydrated peppers to blend seasonings, so it isn't an original idea.

I have been looking through my cookbooks again and I will share a few more today.  There will be a few more next week so I don't overwhelm the blog post with too many (in my opinion) wonderful books.

Karin mentioned in Comments last week that she enjoys Jacques Pepin on Facebook and I do, too.  His videos are excellent and he has long been one of my favorite cooking teachers on television.  He is always a gentleman and explains the process of cooking and not just putting together a recipe.

All of his PBS series were good but the one he did with Julia Child was so much fun to watch.  Not only were they good friends but their style was different enough that their good natured quips at each other were so funny.  Not to mentioned, she called him Jack! 

He was very young in WWII and was growing up in France when they had to find food where they could at times.  Even today, he doesn't let anything go to waste.  Whereas, Julia was from a more affluent background and because of the work her husband did during the war, they didn't suffer shortages like Jacques' family.  I think that is what is behind most of their culinary differences.  They certainly didn't let the differences come between their friendship.

Another favorite Facebook cook/teacher is Brenda Gantt.  She skyrocketed to fame for the cooking videos she makes on Facebook, which began just as a way to teach teenagers to make biscuits.  She is also a wonderful Christian woman and you don't have to be concerned about bad language, innuendo, etc.

The first book I want to recommend today is one of Jacques Pepin's books, which I believe is his most recent although it is an updated and revised version of an earlier book.  It is called Jacques Pepin: Quick & Simple.  If you ever wondered what a "semi-homemade" cookbook by a famous chef would look like, this is it!

He begins the book with recommendations for the pantry, freezer, refrigerator, etc. and with these basic food items on hand... it gives you most of what you need to put together a delicious meal quickly.  The only bad reviews on Amazon I saw were from people who were appalled that he would use "convenience" foods.  Personally, I do not consider frozen puff pastry a bad convenience food.

If you enjoy a little upscale cooking here and there or only a cookbook that would make putting together a celebration meal easy, this is one for you.  I have a few recipes marked to make when it cools down more, including one that is simply the frozen puff pastry placed around pear halves (I will use apples), along with some cinnamon and sugar.

The only chapter I haven't even looked through is the seafood chapter because... well... landlocked Midwest, you know.  Although, I did grow up on cornmeal breaded fried river catfish.  That is always tasty.  But the chapter is not "riverfood".

Another recipe book I love that helps give me all kinds of simple ideas is Hope's Table.  Since I first mentioned this recipe book on the blog, I have seen it mentioned as a favorite on various Instagram posts.  Hope Helmuth is a young Mennonite wife and mother.  Her recipes are both basic and the kind I would serve to company.  There are nice photos of most finished recipes.

It is the recipe book I keep in the basket with my most used (or currently read) recipe books at the moment.  Along with, The Essential Amish Cookbook, by Lovina Eicher.  I have another of Lovina's cookbooks and gave to a friend a couple of cookbooks written by her mother.  But The Essential Amish Cookbook is my favorite.  It has basic recipes with photos of many of them. 

I will share one other cookbook that I go to when I want recipes like I remember growing up and in my young married days (currently I am in my "older" married days).  This cookbook would be a favorite for anyone who loved the recipes in Southern Living magazine.  Which my sister, who then lived in Virginia, sent me a subscription to for a few years... even though I lived in Yankee territory.

It is called Southern Living: Heirloom Recipe Cookbook and it is full of popular recipes from the magazine over the decades, along with many photos of "then and now".  When a photo of the recipe was on the front cover, that is often shown, too.  There are stories behind the recipes in many instances.

If you are from the Southern part of the United States, you will know that this magazine was known for having the best recipes in it.  I always loved the November issue when they would share ahead of time the best recipes for the Holidays coming up.  I used to be able to buy the magazine at Wal-mart but I haven't seen it in ages, not even at Barnes & Noble.

So, I'm wondering if they once again are not letting it be sold above the Mason-Dixon line?  The Civil War is over (aka: The War Between the States in the South).  Please sell your magazine in the North again!

All of these cookbooks have plenty of good recipes for both the new and experienced cook, and everyone in between.  I would also throw in a suggestion that the various Pioneer Woman cookbooks are excellent for newer cooks since they have photos of the process of cooking the recipe.  Especially the first two or three cookbooks.  I gave them as gifts for new cooks over the years.

It is hard to believe but next week includes my stock up shopping day.  Already.  Where did July go?  Although, since it is the hottest month of the year where we live and even though it is my birthday month... my husband and I are both ready for July to end.  Hot and Humid are not words I like, anymore.

I've been forgetting to add these past few weeks... there have been huge clearance discounts on COVID related products in our area.  I have stocked up on various sizes of hand sanitizers for 25 cents each, cloth masks for 50 cents a package of six, large packages of antibacterial hand wipes for 45 cents each (which I also use for cleaning), and quite a few bottles of high quality liquid hand soap for 31 cents each.  The only thing I haven't found is a box of disposable masks on clearance but I keep looking when I'm in a store, anyway.

Mentioned in this Blog Post

Jacques Pepin Quick & Simple... here.

Hope's Table... here.

The Essential Amish Cookbook... here.

Heirloom Recipe Cookbook by Southern Living... here.  (There are used copies for far less cost.)

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From an Accidental Country Girl... here. (Her first cookbook.)

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

Image:  My recipe box that stays on the Kitchen counter.

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - More cookbook suggestions

I've had requests off and on for further cookbook suggestions for from-scratch cooking.  So today is a good time to share some favorites that help one either learn to cook or to cook from the pantry.  Some of the titles I've mentioned before while others are (I think) new to the blog.

I have to include More-with-Less cookbook with any conversation about cooking from scratch.  My original copy had all kinds of markings in it I had written through the years.

I had to replace it with a new copy a few years ago and its' pristine condition looks odd.  If I had it to do over again, I would have spent a little more and have bought the newer spiral edition so it lays flat when I use it.  This is the basic cookbook for hundreds of recipes using healthy, inexpensive, from-scratch ingredients.

Once again, Karey Swan's Hearth & Home was an essential source of from-scratch cooking recipes in my kitchen and I still return to it off and on.  It has a very old fashioned look to it and it is full of her ponderings about cooking, homeschooling, etc.  Which add to the charm and the recipes are excellent.  This was especially helpful when I belonged to a food co-op.

I used to take it off the shelf and just read through it for ideas when we were still homeschooling.  The recipes are excellent, too.

Melissa Norris' The Made from Scratch Life is not really a cookbook, although it has recipes.  The subtitle is: Simple Ways to Create a Natural Home.  It is inexpensive and has lots of great ideas.  I don't live on a homestead but found it very useful.

I keep it in the red wire basket in the kitchen to read off and on.  It may be a small-ish book but it is loaded with great ideas for people wanting a more natural, healthy lifestyle.

The Essential Amish Cookbook is Lovina Eicher's first cookbook that she wrote alone and it is truly worth having in a from-scratch kitchen.   This book is full of delicious recipes from her Amish kitchen as well as gorgeous photos.

This cookbook resides in my red wire basket of "most used cookbooks" at the moment.  It is one of those cookbooks that I can pick up for a quick recipe idea with what I have in the pantry and then get lost in the beautiful (peaceful) photos.

 

All of the Pioneer Woman books are full of from-scratch recipes but what makes them useful for the new cook... or teaching your kids to cook... are the step-by-step photographs.  She is one of those nice people you would love for a friend and it comes through her books and TV shows.

I especially loved her first and her last books... The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From an Accidental Country Girl and The Pioneer Woman Cooks:  Come and Get It!: Simple Scrumptious Recipes for Crazy Busy Lives... but all of them are good.

 

Two colorful from-scratch books I like that have to do with the family cooking together and teaching kids to cook are Williams-Sonoma Family Meals: Creating Traditions in the Kitchen and The River Cottage Family Cookbook.

I think the Williams-Sonoma book is probably better for the American family and as I was looking through it again, I decided to keep it out to try a couple of recipes I'd forgotten about.  This book is a delight to read as well as a good source of recipes.

However, if you are familiar with any of the River Cottage books, you will know how good they are and how much information they contain.  Their books contain more British recipes (obviously) but there is enough information and plenty of recipes to make it worth keeping in your kitchen library as it is in mine.

The last book I would suggest from my collection is Homestead Kitchen by Eve and Eivin Kilcher from Alaska the Last Frontier.  I'd say it is for those cooks who have more intermediate skills and the readers who will get the most from this book are those who have access to fresh seafood and venison.

However, for those of us who do not hunt or fish... there are still plenty of healthy recipes.  It is definitely a must have book for fans of the show.

A magazine that offers great from-scratch recipes is Taste of Home.  I also read an issue of the new The Pioneer Woman magazine recently and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mentioned in this Blog Post
More with Less cookbook... here.
Hearth & Home... here. (Third party)
The Made from Scratch Life... here.
The Essential Amish Cookbook... here.
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl... here.
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It!... here.
Williams-Sonoma Family Meals: Creating Traditions in the Kitchen... here. (Third party)
The River Cottage Family Cookbook... here. (Third party)
Homestead Kitchen... here. (Third party)

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

Image:  Cookbooks and Apples: allposters.com

My current favorite cookbooks

Kristi saw the little bookshelf where I keep most of my cookbooks.  Both of the pictures I'm showing today were taken in the past so the books are a little different today.  My new memory card has broken already, the old one had lasted for a year... go figure.

I gave away many of my cookbooks years ago, all of them that were more gourmet.  Just not into that these days!  I still have lots of favorites (so many purchased at library sales).  I think everyone should have a basic cookbook like the original Betty Crocker.  I still go back to it for reference.

Picture taken last year

The above red wire basket holds my current favorite cookbooks that I love to just read through (although all have recipes I have marked to try soon).  The basket now sits on the old sewing machine table.  To the right of the books (in the basket) are booklets that have great recipes.

Being a rather nosy interested person myself, I thought you might like to know my favorites that are in that basket.

Tyler Florence Family Meal is my newest fave cookbook.  I had perused it at the bookstore over the winter and I was so happy to find it at a great price on Amazon (using credit... thank you!!!).  Except for using credit for family gifts (especially for grandchildren's birthdays), it gets used for my homemaking library.

This book reminds me of Jamie Oliver's books with a concentration on fresh, local foods but the recipes are more like what I'd cook for my family (not being British and all).  It contains many delicious family friendly recipes as well as a small section of more complicated bistro style.

It also has lots of pictures, which I prefer these days.  I've tried the hummus recipe and found it easy and yummy (and healthy!).  I have his wife's meatloaf recipe marked to try as well as his recipe for grilled pizza.

I'd seen The Pioneer Woman Cooks on a lot of blogs so when Amazon had it at a very low price, I used credit to purchase it a few months ago.  I absolutely love this cookbook, the recipes are very similar to the Midwestern-southern style I grew up with.  Most are not at all expensive to make.  There has been come criticism as to the amount of fat and calories for many of the recipes but I'd say many are what I'd make for Sunday dinner or celebration meals when I know I don't want diet food.

With Ree's typical use of pictures taken in the entire process of cooking, this makes a great beginner cookbook.  I gave it to my nine year old granddaughter (hmmm... either her birthday or Christmas which are within weeks of each other) and she enjoys it.  She reads cookbooks just like Grammie.

I bought The Reluctant Entertainer with credit after bringing it home from the library and being sorry I had to take it back.  While not a cookbook exactly, it does contain many excellent recipes.  I already have a few marked to try soon... her zucchini noodles and the chocolate chip date brownies, not to mention the watermelon salad when that season comes around again... which is why it now rests in the red wire basket. 

I'm an experienced "entertainer" but Sandy's book taught me a lot that I had never thought of before.  This book is fun to read, it is like chatting with a good friend.  It would make an excellent gift for a bridal shower or a person moving out on their own for the first time... and it's surprisingly inexpensive.

I also adore The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen!   I had purchased it when it first came out but gave it to Elisabeth when she visited that year (as I said, we both love cookbooks with pictures).  I was able to purchase it again at a nice price third party at Amazon (although it is now available in paperback).   This book is a combination of recipes and vintage decorating ideas... it makes me happy.

I have the butterscotch pie recipe tagged to try, it reminds me of the pies available at our favorite cafeteria that three women in my family have loved (my mother, my daughter, and moi)... okay, the guys loved it, too.

I've had the Get-togethers with Gooseberry Patch cookbook and Coming Home With Gooseberry Patch for awhile now but I find myself constantly going back to them.  They are permanently in the red wire basket.  The pictures are vintage style and beautiful, they also make me happy.  But... in typical Gooseberry Patch style from their spiral books... the recipes are tried and true and all fairly easy... and yummy!

They are a nice combination of seasonal recipes, mostly "from scratch" but also some recipes with such shortcuts as cake mixes.  I absolutely love these two books and you'll find them on my coffee table in mid-winter when I need cheering.

It would take forever to mention all of the cookbooks that remain on my shelves but I have to say most are either there because they've been "tried and true" over the years, contain lots of recipes for herbs and vegetables, or like those in my basket... they are just fun to read when I need a pick-me-up (like the wonderful Susan Branch books!).

My cookbook collection covers over thirty years but what book have I gone back to the most?  The cookbook my in-law's Lutheran Church put together long ago... it contains many of my mother-in-law's family recipes... and since she left us in the mid-90's, I check that recipe book to see if one of our favorites is there.  :)