Good morning to all. I hope this finds everyone well and safe. I am hoping all of those in the path of the hurricane are safe. It sure is dumping lots of water.
It is ugly muggly this morning!! LOL. Man, it is humid. Looks to be the last day of it for a while though, so I can handle it. Starting tomorrow, the weather will be tweaked a little and cooler temps and less humidity are in store for the remainder of the week. So they say - we will see.
Let us talk pantries today. I know we talk about them a lot - but there are many newbies checking in, and it always good to get reminders as well.
Just a few things that have been on my mind this week.
Last week I cleaned and organized the regular pantry (what I use daily). It is always a job - but necessary. I have to admit I did get rid of a couple things, which always makes me sad. They had gotten shoved back, and just didn't look right.
This week is the 'deep' pantry cleanup and organization (my in-home store!).
When I talk pantry, I am not just speaking of dry goods and canned goods - I mean you freezer(s), your cleaning, health & beauty, paper products, your home canning, ANYTHING you use on a regular basis.
You need to look at what you have and add what & when you can. It doesn't need to be a ton of stuff each shop - you can spend an extra $5 or $10 and add those things back.
I can't emphasize how IMPORTANT having a good pantry is. It could save you and yours from going hungry in bad times - no matter why you are having a bad time. (there are a myriad of reasons)
Look for deals of all kinds - markdowns, clearance, lost leaders, and even markdowns of fresh produce or meats - those can be canned or frozen.
BE CREATIVE in your cooking. Learn how to use things in new ways!
A reminder is that with veggies you can saute', fry or roast about anything. Yes, you can. I get tired of plain old veggies - so I fix in many ways.
Butter or bacon grease is great for sauteing. Try corn, with maybe some chopped peppers or onions (or whatever you like). I love what I call fried corn. You can do anything this way - my biggies done like this are corn, summer squash, and any veg I want to use in stir fry or fried rice.
Slice cauliflower into think slices and bake or fry - cauliflower 'steaks' are wonderful!
BREADING and FRYING - anything can be done. Of course now is the time for zucchini and yellow squash - but try new things. Onions, mushrooms, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, etc.
It can be as simple as dipping in egg wash, then rolling in flour or cornmeal or breadcrumbs or a combo of these. Place in hot oil and fry or use the oven or use air fryer. I tend to like them actually fried the best!
GRILL any veggie or meat. Most everything tastes wonderful when grilled - even fruit! Pineapple, peaches and pears are super tasty when grilled. What a treat!
Dried beans, pasta, and rice are essentials. Again, look at new or different ways. Lasagna doesn't have to have lasagna noodles - use what pasta you have and layer. (Make a lasagna tasting dish in a skillet on top of the stove.
Pastas and rice's can be flavored with anything. Pesto, gravies, sauces, stocks, herbs and spices, salsa, you name it. It doesn't have to be bland un-flavorful!
Use as a side or incorporate into main dishes. Chili, goulash, soup beans, fried rice, any skillet meal, etc.
BEANS - use for all kinds of things. I know people say 'I can only eat so many beans & rice'. Well, get creative. Use those beans in chili, with any kind of ground meats, in salads, as refried, make them into veggie bean burgers, add to taco meat to stretch - tons of different uses. Beans are a great protein and can be used in place of meat or to stretch small quantities of meat. This is great for those on small budgets. Beans are pretty darn cheap to purchase.
Again, keep plenty in stock - as they may be a life saver at some point.
FRUIT - a little butter in a pan and some fruit and you have an easy and yummy dessert or side.
Apples are a favorite of mine, peel, core and slice - add a bit of sweetness & cinnamon and saute and yum! Peaches and pears are wonderful this way (even bananas). Great on oatmeal or ice cream or pudding as well. If fruit is getting older - this is a great save. No need to throw away fruit. You can chunk it and freeze and use in smoothies or milkshakes, or you can cook down and turn into sauces.
As Amy used to say in Tightwad Gazette - even that apple the kiddo took a bite out of and left - can be used. They are your kiddos so just trim it up and use it - do NOT throw good food away!
You can use apples or peaches with meats as well. Great with ham or pork.
SMALL MEAT SCRAPS - can be used. Any leftover meat or odd and end pieces can be added to make a stir fry or fried rice. You don't need a lot for those. Add to soups or casseroles. They give that meat flavor, yet you have so many other fillers that meat doesn't need to be the main ingredient.
MILK products that may start to have that 'off' taste - can be wonderful for making biscuits, pancakes, or waffles. Freeze it in ice cube trays and then bag - mark as prefect for baking! Grandma always made biscuits with clabbered milk!!
So this is my reminder that you use it up - use it all up! DON'T waste.
Get those pantries clean out and inventoried. Know what you have - use those things that have shoved to the back in a new way. Waste nothing. Get creative.
Think about adding whatever you can a little at a time. Keep the pantries prepped - all the pantries.
There have been days in the recent past, that people had a hard time finding products. (remember 2020). Don't be caught without. Always have the basics on hand (don't forget baking supplies like flour and sugar) these items can be made into many things.
DO NOT PANIC - STAY SMART - KEEP MOVING FORWARD!
You got this!
Any other ideas are appreciated. I know we all love to help someone getting started.
Have a great day!
Hi Cheryl. I'm in North Florida and we got slammed.
ReplyDeleteI have five acres and we are completely flooded. My sheds, tractor everything under water.
Powers out still out.
We are all kinda weary .
I am so sorry you are having to go through this. I hope the water resends quickly and that you do not have too much loss. I know frigs and freezers will be out - but I also know many of you Floridians are wise and keep those supplies low during hurricane season.
DeleteBlessings & prayers sent your way - stay safe and hoping things get better quickly for you. Keep us informed.
Get rested as possible!
Love these "use it up" ideas ... thank you! - Madelyne
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome. With the expense of things today - we need to use it all up.
DeleteGreat post about stocking the pantry and using what you have. I try to clean mine out twice a year to stay on top of things. I did see a fb post where they make dry erase contact paper. One woman covered a top section of her chest freezer with it and wrote the freezer inventory on it. Erasable so when you take something out you just erase or change the amount written down. I thought that was a great idea. Stay cool. It's SO humid and hot.
ReplyDeleteI think that is a great idea on the freezer - IF one uses it. I have tried list after list on freezers and just don't keep them up! I bad.
DeleteI tend to organize mine pantry a couple times a year - and still things get hidden. Sigh.
It is nasty out for sure. Looking forward to the cooler days!
This post is worth printing out and saving (and sharing)! We try to use up the older stuff first. If it is a product we don't use now because of dietary restrictions, and it is within the sell by date, it is given away. Some folks are squeamish about that date as if it means it is no good. Miss Lori has a good idea about the erasable contact paper. I keep a white board on the garage refrigerator, which helps with fresh food.
ReplyDeleteThe weather has been less than pleasant. I always feel bad for the folks with catastrophic rains, etc. Prayers going up for those people. We complain about the bit of rain we get and the heat but that's nothing like what these folks are experiencing. I notice that on Instagram ladies are featuring their fall decor. Somehow it seems like August is the red-headed stepchild of the year. ha! This will not be an optimal time to work in the yard. A good day to stay in the A/C, cuddle with the dogs, read a book, maybe watch a movie with the Farmer.
Thanks Donna - share away. I try to use older first, but sometimes things just get missed. I still use them - dates aren't something that really concerns me.
DeleteGood idea for the white board too.
I did go out and pick and bring in the trash can - but that is it.
I know we all complain - then there are those having true catastrophes. I feel so bad for everyone in the way of the hurricane.
Enjoy an inside day!
I can't stress enough about counting the bathroom medicines and TP in your "pantry" and looking through those items BEFORE cold & flu season is in full swing. I had retired in Fall 2019 and was doing some deep cleaning and organizing, and took an opportunity to go through my bathroom cabinets and drawers, looking at expiration dates for meds (which IS important for many of them), and I replenished what was needed. And a couple of months later, the pandemic hit my area hard. I was so thankful I had fresh cold and allergy meds on hand, plenty of ibuprophen and acetamenophen available, and I'd even replaced my bottle of cough medicine. TP was inventoried and I found I had 62 rolls on hand -- and I'm a single person household, LOL. Time to go thru the meds again, and I'm down to the last 10 rolls of TP, so that's on my long-term shopping list and will be replaced when it goes on sale. You never know when the $#** may hit the fan. Better to be prepared in advance.
ReplyDeleteVery good point. Yes it is that time again. I always have plenty of TP on hand. During that whole time period I never had to worry about buying TP - I had plenty! It sure helps to be prepared.
DeleteWe have had very heavy rain, stripping leaves from trees heavy, but the sun is out today.
ReplyDeleteGreat pantry ideas today. My pantry is currently the lowest it has been in years, and I can see with the current cost of living it’s going to take me a while to build it back up again, but slowly and surely it will be done.
Linda and I spent yesterday cooking up a sack of apples that my son bought home from work. In the end I even just froze baggies of uncooked apple chunks, I hope they are useable.
Take care, Louise
Wow, glad you didn't get any more damage than that. Glad you have a sunshiny day!
DeleteThanks. You have a good reason with not getting out much this summer. You can hunt the deals and lost leaders and hopefully get it all stocked back up.
Sounds like a good day for you and Linda. I bet the chunks will be fine and good for cobbler or something. Tell Linda I said hello.
You my friend are such a positive influence on so many. I do not think you will ever be able to understand your worth!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, that is just so sweet. Thank you.
DeleteI hope you are feeling better.
Great post again. Cheryl, even if you don't realise it, this is so helpful for so many people. Unfortunately, this is not something many people consider anymore even though we now need it more than ever with these turbulence.
ReplyDeleteIn leaner times, I was beyond grateful for our stockpile. It means that we wouldn't have to go hungry. Building a stockpile while living under the poverty line was quite a challenge, but still I managed to build one very slowly. Our finances have improved a lot since then, but I still do value a good stockpile. We are dealing with food shortages for years now. It started in 2020 and then with the war in Ukraine and inflation it only became worse. There's usually a few products at a time that aren't really available here. Right now it's just sugar and tea - and honestly, it hasn't been this good for months. A few months ago it was so many items that weren't available all at once: flour, semolina (which is a staple food where we live), rice, coffee, sugar, and milk (fortunately, there was pasta, couscous, and bread at the bakery). As of a few weeks ago, flour and semolina were back in all the stores - even in huge bulk sacks! So I'm definitely grateful for that. And fortunately, we still have a decent supply of tea and sugar at home, so I hope I can stretch that until those items will be available again.
Having to deal with shortages makes you a really smart shopper and it's definitely taught us lessons about being grateful but also about the importance of a very good stocked pantry. Stores are just not that reliable and we need to be prepared.
Thank you. I think it is very important too.
DeleteI love that we get a view point from a different spot on the globe. Pantries can be lifesavers and that is truly no exaggeration. When living in such a volatile areas - it has to be hard. I am glad you are able to get flour and semolina back into your stock. Hopefully sugar and tea will be back soon. I know you will - but please stock up well while you can.
People here don't understand that stores may not always be in-service and fully loaded. It is really shameful and they think things will always be available. Sadly, they may find out different some day.
Hope you have a good week.
Oh dear, it really is time for me to check on my 'backup" pantry and build it up for winter. Mostly it is canned goods, because they keep for so long and can usually be eaten straight from the can if there's no power. Pasta is on my list, and more rice now. And flour.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think people might now be aware that the grocery is Not Always Fully Stocked... especially after the Covid years when such ordinary things as flour and toilet paper were just Not There At All.
One thing I'm noticing here is that many store brand things are missing. Sad, as that's what I usually bought, but now I'm forced back to the Name Brand stuff, even ingredients like evaporated milk.
MaryB
Yes, it is about that time. As we get close to fall, knowing winter is just around the corner - we need to get our homes in order.
DeleteI don't know that a lot of people learned the way they should have during C. Out of sight out of mind. Seems people are more acting entitled now than ever. I read a lady today who said she will never have more than a weeks worth of food in her house - it was not frugal! OMGosh! I look at my pantry as money in the bank.
I know I need flour and sugar to finish mine up.
There have been several threats to our electric grid. If it goes down in large areas banks will close(keep some cash at home), payrolls won't be met, trucks won't transport goods(gas pumps are electric and logistics computerized), mail won't be delivered (it's all automated) and if you have an electric car you'll be stuck . No one knows how long it will take to fix the grid, so a strong pantry is essential. Because of Cheryl and the others on this blog , I have a well-stocked pantry. Thanks.
DeletePantries are more definitely needed. We sure never know what could happen in our daily lives. It is always smart to be prepared
DeleteWant a laugh? I missed the R and somehow read your title as "Panties -Let's Talk" lol After I stopped giggling at myself, I thoroughly enjoyed all your tips!
ReplyDeleteLOL
DeleteMy children were allowed to walk about and eat an apple. Sometimes went outdoors with an apple. They were 2 and 4. Often, we would find a half-eaten apple in the yard or in the kitchen trash. After that, they knew they had to put it in the refrigerator if they were through. My husband and I would find them, wash them, slice off the brown, and eat them. My children then had to eat apples at the table. I sliced them to make it seem like a treat. And, I only gave them a half apple sliced. We, as adults, had to learn a few lessons to teach the children.
ReplyDeleteSoured milk is safe and good with chocolate added.
I suppose I know everything you have to say, at least most of it. But, it always helps, never hurts to hear things many times!
Keep it up.
That was wise on the apples. I think sliced would be best as well. No reason to waste things that is right in the family. Now I wouldn't pick up an apple a stranger had eaten off of - but your own children - yes.
DeleteSoured milk is good for many things.
It always amazes me the waste today. People throw things away to quickly.
Thank you - reminders always help me too.
I never had a pantry until the pandemic hit. Then my husband and I started putting one together so we could avoid grocery stores as much as possible. We are surprised how much we love the pantry and freezer. We wish we had done it sooner. It has been a real money saver as well as being so convenient.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful indeed! Things like that, losing a job, being ill, money troubles, etc. can be a great reason for having extra things on hand. We never know when items may be hard to get either.
DeleteI am so glad you started using a pantry and that you LOVE it now. I love when people try new things and then embrace them!
Yes - it is a big money saver too!