Remember this post …
For
those who have been followers for any length of time via my blog, social media groups or classes, you know that I’m all about the
pantry. Its importance can’t be stated
enough! The freedom it allows me to
provide the best I can for my family in the most frugal way possible means so
much to me.
Over
the summer I plan to do a special summer series on pantry building, to do that
though, I need to ask your help. I have
many years of experience in this area and what’s second nature to me, to others
may not be. You can help me focus my
writing on what meets your needs by telling me …
What you want to learn when it comes to pantry
building?
What
your biggest obstacle is when it comes to pantry building?
What’s
the thing you struggle with most in your pantry building?
What
are your biggest concerns?
What do
you want to know about building, using and maintaining a well-stocked pantry?
What
would you like to see me address in this upcoming series? Thanks!
I received several questions when I sent out the
above post several weeks back but before I start answering them, I want to
address a couple of things that just kept jumping out at me in several of the
questions. It was … fear and perfection!
Fear of not building your pantry ‘right’ was the
#1 thing I kept sensing over and over again.
Let me ask this question … who determines what a ‘right’ pantry should
look like? You do, and your pantry is
going to look different than mine. If my
family won’t eat it, then I’m not going to waste my time and energy adding it
to my pantry. It doesn’t matter how much
my friend’s family may like it, if my family won’t eat it, it’s just not going
to be added. You and you alone,
determine what the ‘right’ pantry is for your family. Get over the fear, move beyond it and get on
with the business of building a pantry that is right for you and your family. There is no ‘official’ right way to build a
pantry when it comes to what you have in it.
The other thing I kept hearing over and over
again was the desire to have pantry perfection.
I’ve been pantry building a really long time and let me just say that
there is no such thing as pantry perfection!
Sometimes my pantry is a mess, sometimes it’s all tidy, sometimes I have
everything I need and sometimes, try as I might, I run out of things I
need. It’s all part of the pantry
building process and here again we need to get over the whole ‘perfection’
thing. In the real world, it’s just not
that important! I do the best I can and
then deal with the rest!
Mindset is so important when it comes to keeping
a well-stocked pantry and fear and perfection should not be taking up your
‘mindset’ space. Kick them out and let’s
get on with our pantry building!
Next week, we tackle the first question!
Until next time,
patsi
Sharing 42 years' experience of frugal living and pantry building (if you include my frugal childhood, well that would add a few more years to my experience!)
A Working Pantry
My second blog: From This Heart of Mine
She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27
A Working Pantry is a way of life, a lifestyle if you will!
My pantry is intentional, purposeful, simple, practical, frugal and what works for my family. It’s the food items and household supplies that keep my household running smoothly ready and available when they are needed. It’s my contribution to our family’s economy and my work-from-home ‘job.'
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Great points. Can't wait.
ReplyDeleteMaking Cents Of It All, thank you!
DeleteLooking forward to learning more. For me, now being a household of just one, is how to calculate what I need to store, how much of what. That's always been a challenge for me. The other issue I have is what to do with items I've canned that didn't turn out the way I expected (i.e. salsa is way too bland) -- is there a way to small-batch test, or do I just dump and start over with a different recipe?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Lori K
Lori, quick answer on your salsa, I wouldn't dump it, here's what I would do. When you open it, add the seasonings you want that will wake it up. The next time you can salsa, look for a different recipe that has the spices you like in it.
DeleteI’ve got one more salsa idea. The recipe I use calls for me to put ingredients in a large pot and simmer. I like it because I can taste it before I can it. Peppers vary. A jalapeño can be hot and the next one from the same store or bush can be mild!
DeleteBecky, you're right about jalapeno or any other hot pepper, they vary in their 'hotness' from mild to very hot. That's a good idea to use a recipe that you can simmer and taste. That way you have some idea of the final taste.
DeleteLooking forward to next week. I come from a long legacy of pantry building. My grandfather went overboard though and had food stored in cars that did not run on the back of his property and I kid you not. He became the provider for his family when his father died when he was in 8th grade. He quit school and went to work and had to support a family of 9 at that young age. He never felt like he had enough stored. I battle having too much and having things go out of date all the time but I am doing better at it. It took me several years to relearn the limits after the kids all grew up.
ReplyDeleteLana, I am a big pantry building advocate but I will be the first to tell anyone that if we're not using what we're storing in our pantries and it's sitting there going to waste, then it's a waste of time and money. We need to build our pantries using common sense and prudence! You're right, as pantry builders we need to adjust what we store depending on the season of life we're in.
DeleteI think the best thing to do is - Just do something! I know this sounds basic but you can add a jar or two of peanut butter and jelly when there is a good sale and it's a start. Look at what your family eats then watch for sales and deals on those items. Learn to make basic things like biscuits, bread, rice and even the old fashioned noodles like grandma used to make. Take what others give you and process it (if you and your family will eat it) like fruits and veggies. Freeze, can, dehydrate - you get the idea. Figure out some good recipes you make a lot and what you need to keep on hand for those recipes. Watch the sales, deals and ads! In other words just start doing something! It all adds up. We have been very low on money and my health has been bad the last three months. But we haven't run out of food and we buy just what is needed and the sales / deals that are good for stocking our pantry. We spend 15 to 25 dollars a week right now. And we have food! It comes from just being diligent all the time and believing that every bit counts! Take care.
ReplyDeleteCrystal, you summed it up really well, do something, every little bit counts!
DeleteHi Patsy I have been looking forward to this class ...lately I have taken to canning my "older"dried beans (inspired by you) and canned my first turkey...it want and hard as ithought it was going to be! This week has been taken up with garage sale prep and this weekend the garage sale...next week I want to can some ground beef I have in the freezer and maybe another turkey(I have 3 more bought onsale @.29 cents a pound) ...thank you for all you do...Gaila in Washington state
ReplyDeleteGaila, good for you!!! I'm proud of you! You go girl!!!
DeleteI really like your post about fear and perfection getting in our way. I am still like that with my gardening. I grow vegies for my family, but I am very self-conscious about my gardening and don't like people looking at my garden or talking to me about it because I feel that I am not very good at it. It sounds kind of silly, but it is something I struggle with.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, realizing the impact fear and perfection have on us is a first step in moving beyond it. You can do this!
DeleteI freeze some things and dehydrate a little. Otherwise I stock up from the grocery store. My biggest struggle is trying to decide what to spend our money on to buy organic and what to buy just regular cans of. Nancy
ReplyDeleteNancy, we do the best we can with what we've got to work with, don't we?
DeleteHi Patsy and looking forward to joining the class and learning more.
ReplyDeleteI never have pantry perfection and sometimes the pantry looks less than tidy but there is always time to clean it up when you have some down time. We are loving having a large room for our food storage room though in our new home and need to buy some more new shelving to increase our supplies.
Have a great week :).
Sewingcreaions15 (Lorna).
Lorna, yes, you have the right attitude about your pantry. Congratulations on being able to have a pantry room in your new home!!!
DeleteI don't think anyone posted this, but a good way to determine how much of something you use is to date it. Things like ketchup, mayo, etc. During the summer, many of the markets do great sales on this stuff and I try to stock up until next year, if I can. Our store (a Kroger) does Fri & Sat deals with limits of 5. That is always a good place to start.
ReplyDeleteDebby, that is a very good way to decide how much you need to stock up of an item and we're going to talk about this topic in an upcoming entry.
Delete