Mother Hubbard's Cupboard

Poor old Mother Hubbard had to feed so many - with what she had.
Someday that could possibly happen to any one of us.  Unfortunately none of us have a crystal ball to predict the future. 

Will jobs end and salaries be gone?
Will illness or misfortune sadly happen to you and yours?
Will retirement as you know it suddenly end or lessen?
Will we have a time when we can't get to stores or when stores won't have stock?
Will prices just continue to go up? (NO need for a crystal ball for that answer).
The questions just go on.....and on..... and on........

THE BIG QUESTION:  COULD YOU SURVIVE?
I know this subject has been covered here before and many other blogs cover it - but if someone just getting started on the frugal bandwagon should check in - this may be a life saver.
We all need reminders, and folks just starting out need guidelines.

BASICS for MOTHER'S CUPBOARD (Pantry)
With the following ingredients you could survive and cook for your family.  It may not be a 5 Star meal, but it would be a meal and would fill your belly.  That is what IMPORTANT when times are tough.

• Canned tomatoes and tomato products - can be added to or made into soups and casseroles.  Can even be eaten with fresh veggies if you have them.   Very versatile.
• Beans - canned or dried - beans are easily used in all sorts of things, they are filling, and they are high in protein.  If no meat is available - beans will help fill in.
• Bouillon - at least beef and chicken.  This can give the blandest food flavor
• Canned meats - chicken, little hams, tuna, mackerel, salmon, beef, corned beef, etc.  Keep the ones your family likes on hand.  You may have a time when there is no electricity - therefore no refrigeration.  If you can and have a pressure canner - study up and canning your own meat.  It may come in real handy some day.
• Oatmeal - this can be eaten as a breakfast food, but it can be mixed with meats to extend them (as well as casseroles), snacks can also be made.  It can be ground into flour if need be.  It is extremely filling.
• Peanut butter - is so high in protein and it is very filling.  This can be added to main dishes, breakfast dishes, snacks, or as flavoring in meats or soups
• Lentils - these are great for extending any soup or casserole.  Very nutritious.  Lentils can even be made into burgers as a meat replacement or used as a dip for fresh veggies (if available)
• Bread or the ingredients to make bread - bread does not HAVE to have yeast to be bread.  Flat breads, biscuits, muffins or tortillas are all choices.  Try to keep flour or some type of ground grains on hand.
• In my opinion - other items that would make life easier in a SHTF scenario - would be pastas and rice.  These items can extend any dish to make more servings and they can be eaten alone.
• Seasoning - salt, pepper, herbs, sugar, HONEY - these can all make a simple bland dish more palatable.  

These are the basics of what we should ALL have a stockpile of.  Hopefully you can garden in the good months - and can  surplus for winter.  Gardening doesn't have to be a huge undertaking.  You can have fresh garden veggies planted in pots, along flower beds, in fence rows, etc.
Fruit trees and berry plants are nice to have in your yard.  If you have none - now is the time to plant - in a few years you will have fresh fruit.

Learn to barter!!!!  You gain various food  items, fresh or canned, for trading your skills or products.  Barter is great for those items you have too much of to gain items you have little of.

Books - we all need to have a variety of how to books available.  Cookbooks, herb books and canning books are wonderful to have on hand.

I hope your Mother Hubbard's cupboard won't be bare if an emergency situation should arise.  Start now, if you haven't already, getting a nice pantry/stockpile built up.  It truly may SAVE your life.
You don't have to go crazy all at once.  Start by adding a few items at a time.  Watch for sales, clearance and coupon matches to get the items as cheaply as possible.
Make sure to rotate items and use the oldest - and continue to add to it every time you shop.

MAY YOUR CUPBOARD ALWAYS BE FULL!