Tuesday, March 17, 2020

What to Use.......

What to use should you run out of something is on everyone's mind.  Perhaps you can't get out, perhaps the store has none, perhaps you have no money, PERHAPS you just want to stretch your imagination and pantry!

There are so many substitutes for all kinds of every day things.  Some things are just common sense and others involve really thinking outside the box.  I guess the biggest thing to remember is DON'T PANIC - just use a little ingenuity.

COOKING OIL - keep the renderings of any meat that you cook.  Keep fat from beef, pork, bacon, etc.  It can be used in place of cooking oil.  It also can add flavor.  I for one have a couple jars of bacon grease in my frig at any given time!  I also keep grease from ground beef.
Butter, Crisco, lard are options as well.
For baking - you could use these if making something savory - but think about substituting applesauce, smashed bananas, or any blended smooth fruit.  Sour cream could be added (cottage cheese blended up smooth as well).

SOAP - just remember - soap is soap.  Some is stronger than others - but it all cleans.  Bath, hair, dish, laundry - can be interchangeable if necessary.  I always have bars and more bars of soap - for just in case.
Add baking soda to laundry to help clean.  Peroxide is what I use instead of bleach ALWAYS - it is natural.
If you are out of dish or laundry soap - good old hot water and vinegar will work.

PASTA and RICE interchangeable in most recipes.  Both easy to keep in the pantry and last for ages.

BREAD - make biscuits, tortillas, corn bread, Naan bread, etc.

STOCK - dry bouillon should always be kept on hand.  Add cream of soups ( or any soups).  Tomato sauce, tomato paste, salsa, spaghetti sauce, etc. added to a soup or casserole.  Tomato powder is great for flavoring.  Make vegetable stock - keep the water from cooking veggies.  Add onion or onion powder, garlic powder.  Herbs for seasoning.  Blend up veggies and add with water for flavoring.  Gravy mixes.
There are so many options.

MEAT - use less.  Use half of what you would normally use to stretch it.  Have some meatless dinners - it won't hurt you and will probably be good for you.  Substitute beans for meat or some of the meat in dishes (I always add beans to taco meat to stretch).  Keep protein powders on hand.  Peanut butter is great source of protein.  All types of beans and lentils.  (You can even make burgers from these).

FRUIT - you don't have to have  fresh.  Canned and frozen will work fine.  Frozen is actually picked ripe and flash frozen - so it is probably better for you than fresh.  Fresh is generally picked before it should be.

PAPER TOWELS - cloth napkins, dish towels, wash cloths, rags.  Washable and re-useable.

EGGS - keep powdered egg product on hand.  Freeze eggs when you have planty.  Tofu.  When baking consider substituting 1/2 banana or 1/4 C applesauce for 1 egg.

CLEANING - SOAP!!!!!!!  I don't buy many cleaning supplies as I like to use more natural things I have on hand.  Vinegar, peroxide, baking soda, salt, even ammonia or bleach.  I always have a can or two of cleanser on hand (for tough scrubs).  I have had the cleanser for probably years!!!!! But I have it if needed.   
Just a reminder - DO NOT MIX any chemical cleaners!  They create toxic fumes and can be deadly.

DRINKS - tea - it can be flavored with juice or Kool-Aid for a different flavor.  Fruit juices, coffee (hot or cold) and good old water!!!!!  I keep seeing people stocking up all these bottles of water and think to myself - "I have this MAGIC gadget in my kitchen that produces water.  Turn a lever and boom - water!"  LOL
Water can be turned into flavored water as well.

TP - Kleenex, wipes,  material from old clothing (cut into smaller pieces), used fabric softener sheets, and my favorite go to (if the need would arise) a wash cloth and soap and water!!!!!!!

SANITIZER - alcohol, witch hazel, vinegar, mouth wash, peroxide and soap and water.  Bleach water can be made - but be careful.  1 part bleach to 99 parts water.

So there you have a few ideas on what you can do when the pantry is running low.  Use what you have.  Experiment a little - you may have a new recipe from now on!  Do some research and learn to go with the flow.
Just remember - this too shall pass.  DON'T panic.  We got this.

Give one another comfort and encouragement - not fear and stress.
Blessings my friends.

Add any ideas you have!

32 comments:

  1. Cheryl, great of you to give us all these good reminders. Especially about cooking. Some of us have lost our ability to put together a good old casserole like we did when the kids were young and we needed to stretch meat. Yesterday I ventured to the store and there was no meat whatsoever or TP, paper towels, etc. Last month I gave away all my stock of those articles when I left our house before it sold. Had I still been there I could've stayed home for a month and been ok! Please keep telling people how to prepare life's essentials. Only one thing...I have heard that Kleenex and other tissues stand up to water and don't break down like TP is meant to do. Flushing Kleenex should be avoided if at all possible.

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    1. Thanks. What timing - huh? If you had only known.
      It is hard to cook for one that is for sure. I am slowly learning, and just eating whatever sounds good to me. Not a well rounded, well that is fine to me. As long as I am full!

      THANKS that is a good reminder on Kleenex. They are tougher than TP, so should not be flushed.

      Hang in there kiddo. We will get through this thing together.

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    2. To jump onto this reply, first thank you Cheryl for reminding us of all these substitutions. Secondly, just a reminder to not flush ANYTHING down the commode except TP. We need to keep our sewer and water treatment plants running. Enjoy your blog!

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    3. Thanks for the reminder Mary. You are so correct - nothing but TP! Help keep our sewers in good working order.
      Thanks for being here. Look forward to hearing from you more!

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  2. Great post! I was thinking about the soap and wash cloth in place of toilet paper. Although I won't be running any time soon the shelves are bare in our local stores.

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    1. It is always nice to have an alternative - especially one that costs nothing!!!!!
      Thanks

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  3. Great ideas. Remember how all cook books had substitutions for things you could run out of? So few people cook now and probably have never hear of these things.

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    1. Yes mam. It kind of makes me wonder what is going to happen now that all the restaurants are closed. Maybe people will be learning some new skills!

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  4. Hi Cheryl,
    Thank You for the great ideas😊 I believe you can also use chia seeds for egg substitute and good old beans instead of oil.
    Blessings,
    Patti from San Diego

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    1. Patti - yes you are right. I didn't figure that chia seeds was in most households - but they work great. Beans for oil - great idea!
      Thank you!

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  5. Since I don't want to figure the 99:1 water:bleach measurements, I was glad to read this somewhere else--4 teaspoons chlorine bleach to 1 quart water.

    I have never bought wipes, and Kleenex only rarely. If I need to clean something, I'll use bleach water and a rag. For noses, we will continue to use Scott's 1,000 sheets, or a snot rag torn from a soft piece of flannel.

    I am making menus about 3 days ahead. This is helping assure that all leftovers get used. I don't worry much about substitutions...I've been winging it for years!

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    1. Thank you - that puts it in better terms!!!!!
      I can't tell you the last time I bought Kleenex. I always use either TP or homemade hankies!
      Good for you on the menu planning.
      LOL - same here - very seldom do I use a recipe. Just dump, cook and eat!!!!!

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  6. I should have said "ONLY about 3 days ahead." I find when I make menus too far out, I become a slave to the list and we end up with more leftovers.

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  7. I love the idea of keeping all the grease from even beef. I usually only keep the bacon grease but times are different.

    Your right too soap is soap. Be sure to keep the slivers too so you can make another bar of soap!

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    1. All grease will work. No sense throwing away something we can use.
      YES, slivers still work great. Either stick them together, melt them down, or sew into a little bag. It is still useful.
      Thanks for that reminder.

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  8. Thanks for the tips!
    I told dh that our meals might be more eclectic since I am trying not to waste food. So what if we have italian pierogies with american chicken. And last night was reuben sandwiches with potato salad. :D Oh well, it tasted good anyway.

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    1. Your meals sound good to me. Heck, if it tastes good, that is what counts. Love that you are getting creative. You may come up with a new favorite.

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    2. Ah thank you! I was afraid someone would take what I said the wrong way. I am thankful we have food in the house when so many are struggling, and I am just trying to be more mindful and not wasteful.

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  9. Cheryl these are great ideas.

    I did want to add one thing about soap. Sensitive skin users soap is not just soap. Soap can put us into the hospital. With hospitals going to be overrun soon a bad reaction to soap will not be treated as an emergency unless it has caused severe distress- breathing, third degree burns. This does happen.

    I hope it's ok I wrote about the soap. Not trying to hand slap. I would never do that. Just worried about health conditions that won't be able to get proper treatment during this time of crisis.

    That might be one thing to think of for families that need to stock up. Instead of buying toilet paper buy things that your family will need if they develop a severe allergy like special soaps, medicines, etc... That is what I did. I have to use a special soap.

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    1. No problem. I would hope that IF a person is so sensitive, they would know what they can and can't use and stock according. Good reminder.
      We all need to stock what we use - not other stuff - but what we use!

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  10. I made a loaf of cinnamon bread and it calls for 1 cup of milk. I used 1/2 cup of evaporated milk to a 1/2 cup of water. Tasted fine and the bread turned out great. Keeping my "fridge" milk for cereal.
    Barb in PA

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    1. There you go. Good example. Use what you have. Evaporated milk and dry milk will be handy to have on hand to use in cooking.
      We just need to be creative.

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  11. We use rags for cleaning but I still keep paper towels on hand for really gross messes. Bacon fat with onions is the best. Great list.

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    1. I have paper towels for kitty yack when/if it happens! Otherwise I use rage as well.
      Mmmmm bacon w/onions! Now I am thinking wilted lettuce!!!!! LOL
      Thanks.

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  12. I always have bacon grease in my 'fridge too, what else would one cook an egg in? I just told my sister about this on the phone today! We did not stock up on water, although I always feel we should, as we are on a well, but why would the power go out? We have 16 kids, only four still home, but one moving back in tonight, and one coming back soon. The older kids were more used to frugality, the younger ones, not so much. I had to remind one daughter to use the older potatoes first, and she said, "You're acting weird." Well, honey, yes, it's a weird time....
    Della

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    1. Della I bow to you. 16 children! You are some women - I can't even imagine. I agree, hopefully electric will not be an issue. I do have water put back that I have stored - but it came from that magic faucet. I guess - just in case.

      Yes it is a weird time for sure. I have seen and heard things for the first time in my 65 years.
      Now would be a good teaching moment for you and the younger ones. Give them some lessons and maybe have the older ones chime in as well.
      Keep on being frugal!

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  13. I was just thinking today that if I needed to use substitutes, I could either find out on the internet or ask you!

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    1. Aaahh, that is sweet. Glad these help a little. Give me a shout any time - I will try to help where I can!

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  14. ps...I always have bacon grease, too.

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  15. Our governor is calling people to donate any masks,gloves,gowns we have at home. They are also asking people to sew Masks are we are low and almost out in California. Some of our health care workers don't have protection.:( Be safe everyone. Please head the order orders of social distancing. God is good! Be smart and kind.
    !ugh love,
    Patti from San Diego

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    1. I have seen that people are sewing masks. I am sure they would help.
      Yes, stay smart and KIND!
      Blessings.

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