Thursday, December 8, 2022

Pack Those Pantry Shelves - Cheaply!

 Good morning, all.  I have been posting a lot of Christmas ideas - and I realized not everyone celebrates. Please know that these recipes and ideas I post - can be used at home and by everyone, for any time of the year.  It doesn't have to be for gifts.

I was asked for some of the soup recipes (jar mixes) and I had planned that for today already.  I generally post these around this time of the year.  I am sure some of you have them or have read them - but we have new people who have not.
These are great to keep on your shelf - anytime you want a tasty and easy soup - grab one and pour!  They are all pretty darn cheap to make as well.
You can use up those glass jars you have been acquiring!  They don't have to be pretty ones for your own shelf.

WHITE CHRISTMAS SOUP      (quart jar)
1 small pkg. country gravy mix 2.75 oz. ***
2 Tbs. chicken bouillon granules
2 Tbs. minced onion (dried)
2 Tbsp. celery flakes
2 tsp. parsley flakes
2 1/2 - 3 dry noodles
**** just a note - if you buy don't want to buy the little packs (around $1) - it is 2/3 C of bulk mix.  I have the gravy mix from Sam's that comes in a 3 pack of larger bags.

Mix all the ingredients except noodles together.  Pour that into a jar - wide mouth is easiest.  Then add the noodles to jar.
I gift with a small can of chicken.  You can use store canned chicken, home canned chicken or bits and pieces leftover for your own use.
EMPTY contents into a 4 quart pan and add 8 cups water.  Heat to boiling on high - reduce heat and simmer.  Add chicken at this point.  Simmer until noodles are done.  Makes 8 servings.


LOVE SOUP       (quart job)
1 box onion soup mix (2 packets) = 1/2 C bulk or homemade mix
1/2 C split peas
1/2 C alphabet macaroni (use what you have) - I used tiny elbow
1/2 C shell pasta (I used tiny shells)
1/2 C colored pasta (I used veggie pasta and broke in pieces)
1/4 C lentils 
Pour mixture into a pot with 7 C of water.  Cook and simmer slowly.  Add 1/2 lb. ground beef, ground turkey or sausage - whatever you like.


PATCHWORK SOUP      (can use pint jar)
1/2 C barley
1/2 C split peas
1/2 C rice
1/2 C lentils
SEASONING PACK
1 Tbs. parsley
1 tsp. granulated garlic 
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp. dried onion

Place beans and rice & barley in stockpot and cover with 8-10 C water (I start w/8).  If you do not have dried onion - chop1 small onion and add.  Add season pack.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 45 min. to an hour.  Check after 30 minutes - to adjust water level if necessary.  Stir occasionally.

                                                     This is Patchwork Soup mix

Left is Love Soup mix.  Right is White Christmas Soup.  This one is always requested by my family.  They absolutely love it!!!!!  It is so good!

You can make jar recipes out about anything.  You can mix up dry ingredients for cookie, brownies, cakes, etc. and place in jars.  Add the list needed for wet ingredients and cooking instructions.  
It sure can make life a little easier - just having these things on the shelf.  Too tired or busy to figure out what's for dinner - pour a jar and add water!!!!!!!  It doesn't get much easier than that!!!

None of these ingredients are very expensive.  Most, you may have stocked already.  Beans, peas, rice and pasta can be purchased at dollar stores or $Tree or at all groceries for little money.  
These are pretty much all things I have in my deep pantry - so throwing together mixes is easy.
These make great items for the ready to go pantry and also great gifts for any occasion.

Hope this helps and that you ENJOY!


Christmas Bit today:

This is the first tree placed at the site of Rockefeller Center in 1931.  Construction workers put up the tree on December 24.  They decorated with paper garlands, strung cranberries and a few decorations.  They were lined up waiting for their pay from the foreman. (Yeah, on Christmas Eve).  The construction started the year before - tens of thousands of workers were out of work and this was a grand opportunity to work.  Even in the worst of times - they put up that little tree and celebrated what they had!!!!  I love that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The official beginning of the 'grand' tree at Rockefeller Center started in 1933.

40 comments:

  1. The love soup mix is similar to mine.
    3/4 c macaroni
    1 T parsley
    1/2 c each of alphabet pasta, orange lentils, rice
    1/4 c each of green split peas, quick barley, yellow split peas
    1/4 c onion flakes
    1/3 c beef bouillon or 3 cubes or packets of same
    Brown protein. Add soup mix with 2-3 qts of water. May also add a can of tomato soup or sauce.
    I like the idea of using onion soup mix vs bouillon & onion flakes. It looks so pretty in a jar. The mix I use fits perfectly in a cheese whiz jar.

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    1. Thank you! That's a helpful idea too.

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    2. Sounds yummy. I like the tomato sauce idea. Bouillon does have a lot of salt. Thank you!!!! SO many options to use!

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  2. The White Christmas Soup sounds yummy. I have this recipe pinned for make you own gravy mix to cut down on the cost. https://thehensnest.blogspot.com/2012/04/country-pepper-gravy-mix.html

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  3. Thank you, Cheryl, Mona and Lana! I'll have to try those recipes! They look so nice packaged up that I wish I had someone to gift them to... maybe delivery drivers? It would be nice after a long, hard day to be able to make dinner quickly & easily. I did get some FF gift cards at 15% off on Saturday, but those are good forever. My understanding is cyber-shopping has far outpaced in store shopping this year, so it'll be rough on delivery folks with the increased volume to deliver.

    Does anyone here do jars of baking mixes? And if so, would you mind sharing recipes? Thanks in advance. --Elise

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    1. I believe I do have some in my recipe book, that I have used in the past. I will check on those.
      Great idea for anyone in a service field, that has to go home and cook or who would like to. Fast and easy.

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    2. Love getting consumables, postage stamps, dish cloths and dish towels, inexpensive note cards or boxed greeting cards or stickers to dress up notes I send out.

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    3. Those are all great gifts. I love to get anything homemade.

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  4. One more quick question for you, Cheryl, and all your readers...

    What is a favorite, practical gift that you've received?

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    1. I love to receive Bonne Maman blackberry preserves because I don't buy that for myself. Also a new Totes umbrella that folds down really small is always nice because they get sprung or lost over the years.

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    2. I keep a stash of Totes umbrellas for gifting, Lana. :-)
      The blackberry preserves sound delicious!! Every summer when I was a child we'd pick blackberries. LOVE them. Brings back many happy memories. --Elise

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    3. Most practical - fire extinguishers and food.

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    4. I think my favorite, practical gift was homemade aprons. The kind done in checkered fabric with rick rack trim. :-)
      --Elise

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  5. Thank you so much Cheryl! I really need to do this for my loved ones who could use the help of having mixes already made. I just love the creative ways you have of gifting them too. ADORABLE.

    I also love the way other friends here are posting their recipes too. : ) : ) : )

    Cheryl, I loved seeing your record and cup from when you were a little girl on the last post, that is so very sweet. I had a few of those little records too. Oh dear me *sigh* Sometimes my heart is flooded with those memories this time of year and sometimes it makes me happy and sometimes I feel sad because I miss those loved ones I'm thinking of...

    But what makes me happy are blogging friends who appreciate those sweet things and share.

    God bless you and I hope you are having a sweet Christmas time making all of those wonderful gifts of love for others. ...So great.

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    1. It is nice to have an easy dinner at your reach. I just like using what I have and try to make it look nice.
      I get all nostalgic this time of the year too. I love the old things, old songs, old memories. I know it is not the best time for many - and I hate that for them.
      I get sad missing my loved ones. I think about them so much. Those are the times I sit and look at the lights and shed a tear or 100!
      You all make things nice and everyone has such nice ideas.

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  6. I love getting the fancy lotions, soaps, body wash, foot cream. I don't buy it for myself. Well not normally. With the chickadees being young, I put together a collection of little things they can give to Daddy, Mommy,and us. They will wrap them this week. I DID put some foot cream in there for them to give to me! I will be delighted to receive it. I guess it's a hazard of living in Az. Dry skin!

    I'm thinking they might sell that gravy mix in gluten free. Or maybe I could make my own with a cornstarch base. Worth looking into.
    Good ideas all!
    Ellie
    Central Az

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    1. Thank you, Ellie. Nice!
      Pioneer brand makes a gluten free country gravy mix, and I found this on the internet (5 star rating)that uses GF all purpose flour...
      https://www.mamagourmand.com/gluten-free-sausage-gravy/.
      --Elise

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    2. Ellie what a neat idea. The littles think they are actually doing a big thing and everyone is happy. I love that. I go through so much lotion - my skin is always so dry.

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  7. Thank you for the recipes of the soups. Did you get your vehicle back yet?

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    1. You are more than welcome. Yep, my baby is home!!!!!

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  8. A favorite practical gift...

    This is definitely a "know your recipient" thing lol. I have several.
    One that I sent out one year was flashlight/battery kits with head lamps for earthquake emergencies in Cali. Well received.

    Received:
    A box of 8 clearance deodorants marked 25¢ ea.
    3 boxes of my discontinued hair dye color.
    About 20 flour sack towels made from someone's attic discovery.
    A decorative key chain that was actually a weapon and a small can of illegal pepper spray. Rec'd when I worked in L.A. lol.
    A basket of kitchen spices.
    And, this week we received a wonderful gift from a friend that just got back from visiting family in Florida. A bag of homegrown citrus fruit!
    Grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and tangerines. They are delicious. It's a double treat because citrus is very expensive here.

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    1. All of those sound wonderful, Debby!! :-)
      --Elise

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    2. All great ideas. I have gifted pepper spray to single family and friends before. I like that idea. I have received fire extinguishers - and carbon monoxide detectors - very practical and yet nice to have.

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  9. What a neat story about the Rockefeller tree. Traditions often have a practical start. Later, they get romanticized.

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    1. I thought it was interesting. Just a bunch of grateful workers during a bad time in history.
      *Can you imagine the uproar there would be today if people didn't get paid until Christmas Eve?

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  10. What a lovely story about the tree.

    God bless.

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  11. The soups all look good! What a great story about the tree at the Rockefeller Center.

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    1. Thank you. The story just touched my heart. No matter the times, people still wanted to celebrate.

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  12. Elise---

    I make up jars using my favorite baking recipes. I just fill the jar with the dry ingredients. If there's any dry ingredient that should be separate like yeast or chocolate chips I put those in a separate little plastic bag. If it's for me I keep a sheet in my recipe binder with the directions and a wet ingredients list. For gifts I write or print that out on a tag. I usually do basics like pumpkin bread, chocolate chip cookies, french bread, etc that I've made often and know are good.
    You can do this with any simple, basic recipe you like!
    -margaret

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    1. I'll give that a try, Margaret. Thanks so much!
      --Elise

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    2. I really like this idea. It sure helps simplify our baking. You gals are smart 'cookies'!

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  13. (Little Penpen) I want to try the White Christmas soup. These are great ideas!

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    1. It is a family favorite and mine too! I think you will like it.
      Thanks

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  14. I hope this is okay, but does anyone know what happened with The Prudent Homemaker blog? I went to look up a recipe and it's got a strange message up. Maybe the site crashed?

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    1. Huh, I have her on FB - haven't looked at the blog for a while - just looked at it all seemed fine to me. Maybe something was just down for a bit. I got right to the blog.

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    2. Thanks for responding! It seems my home screen link stopped working for some reason. The little logo of hers was a bee for years. I deleted it and reloaded her site. It works now and the logo is now the letter T. Strange, but I'm glad it's back!

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    3. No problem - glad to have helped in a small way!

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