From My Home to Yours
~ ~Preparing my home and pantry for winter ~
This time of the year I get the itch to make sure my pantry is in order for the coming winter and that's where my focus is this week.
As you will all know my pantry consists of more than food. It includes fabric and sewing supplies, meds, herbs, cleaning supplies, stationary needs, clothing, food and so much more. In short, it includes everything it takes to get my family through each season. Since we're quickly approaching the fall and winter season in our area, that's where my focus will be for several weeks. I'll be ...
checking our winter clothing, do either of us need anything? ...
inventorying our over-the-counter medications, herbs and essential oils, do we have enough on hand to keep us from having to go out in a sickened state to get needed medications, etc ...
asking, is my pantry stocked enough to get us through the winter months if weather or life events were to slow us down or keep us inside for the better part of the winter, would our pantry see us through? Growing up as a small child, I vividly remember being taught in word and deed that making sure our pantry was full by winter was a priority. As a grandma now and having weathered several life's storms, I see the wisdom ... my mama and grandma and grannie were really wise women! They worked hard, sometimes really hard and while it might not have been the best in the world's eyes, they lived with the satisfaction of knowing their families had what they needed ... plus a little more!
taking a peek at what's in my gift trunk along with inventorying our holiday supplies, do I have gifts for giving, ingredients/supplies for making any gifts we'll be giving, or a plan in place for gift giving?
These are a few of the things I'll be checking/inventorying, restocking and replacing as I prepare my home and pantry for winter. You know ladies, it takes planning and preparing to accomplish our goals and if preparing your home and pantry for winter is on your radar, then it's time to get busy!
These thoughts are the seeds and motivation behind my desire to finish out the #everybitcountschallenge. I want to be ready to enjoy a time of slowing down, cozying up and settling in over the winter months. I want it to be my choice of whether to venture out or stay in when cold weather or sickness comes calling. Having a prepared home/well-stocked pantry will give me that option as well as a bit of added security.
Making it all happen brings me back to my #everybitcountschallenge, here's what this week looked like ...
On the 9th day of the 31-day challenge, I made pepper relish while hubby cut up about a bushel of okra. I also bagged up some flash frozen bell pepper slices for the freezer (not shown) and refilled the trays with a different variety of peppers and put them back in the freezer for flash freezing.
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As always I enjoy your posts. You’ve been busy. Praying for you both to stay well.
ReplyDeleteDiana, thank you for your prayers! They are so appreciated!
DeleteHi Patsy! I always enjoy reading your posts. Thanks for sharing all of your wisdom with us. I love how you include other areas as a way of having a prepared pantry, such as toiletries, meds, even stationary. What a smart idea! We always assume we can just run out and get more of what we need, but that's not always an option in the moment. This gives me a lot of food for thought. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, your welcome and thank you for your kind words of encouragement. No, we can't just always and run out and get what we need, keeping a basic level of preparedness in all areas is just wise.
DeleteI be love your pantry posts. I’ve started to check our otc meds. I wish I could take elderberry but it boosts my immune system in the wrong way sometimes causing flares.
ReplyDeleteDo you use essential oils?
Lee Ann, thank you! Thankfully, I can take elderberry syrup, I don't particularly like the taste, but it does help me, so I try to find ways to disguise the taste!
DeleteYes, I do use essential oils.
Welcome back Mrs. Patsy, I really like the idea of shifting from a consecutive 31 day challenge to just 31 days overall, because things from the garden aren't always ready on a strictly consecutive basis, neither are sale items at the store. But it's all about forward momentum and continually making progress.
ReplyDeleteDue to weather, the garden was really delayed this year. I am trying to learn from this. That holds true for everyone we know who have gardens. The fruit trees and summer squash were on time, but things like peppers and tomatoes, green beans and winter squash are w-a-y behind schedule. After labor day our pumpkins still had nothing, they had just got the first yellow blossoms so there was no way they could be ready before cold weather arrives so we had to pull them. Already we are warned that the temperature will go down to the upper 40's tonight here in Colorado. So we are grateful for what the garden did give us this year.
You are a blessing and a treasure.
Elaine
Elaine, yes, it's all about the intentionality and focus to stay on track to meet my goal even if it's not a daily event. Any forward momentum is progress!
DeleteI'm hearing from several that this was a really odd gardening year. Here's hoping next year will be a much better one!
Thank you for your sweet words of encouragement!
Hi, Patsy. Thanks for the reminder. I need to update my OTC meds before the cold and flu season. I always feel inspired after reading your posts. We just returned from a month in the UK. Even with friends and family using our garden produce while we were away I came home to green beans and tomatoes to can. Like others have mentioned due to the weather our tomatoes are a little behind. I have enough today to can tomato soup. Like you, I am using Mrs. Wage's product I found at the Amish store. I did not know Mrs. Wage had a tomato soup packet. I am giving it a try. For obvious reasons I did not attempt the 30 day pantry challenge but I have challenged myself to get my pantry organized and restocked. I canned 7 pints of green beans this morning and am working on the tomato soup now. My grocery shopping yesterday was very intentional, mostly in season fruits/veg and dairy. Cabbage was on sale so I bought enough to make sauerkraut this week. Thanks for helping me get motivated this week. I always look forward to your posts. Marley in the Mountains
ReplyDeleteMarley, I get inspired reading your comments as well. I didn't know that Mrs. Wages had a tomato soup packet either! I did see that she had a salsa packet, so I guess she does more than just pickles and pickle products!
DeleteLike you I am being very intentional in my grocery shopping and watching the sales closely ... there's more than one well to stock our pantries!
Thank you for commenting, I am indeed inspired by you!
Hi Patsy, I just wanted you to see this elderberry syrup recipe from the Franklin Institute of Health. I don't know how accredited this institution is, but this recipe seems to have science/research backing it up. It discuses preparation, strength, and dosage. I have used this recipe to good effect for myself and family.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.midwest-elderberry.coop/make-elderberry-syrup_frank.pdf
Anonymous, thank you, I will definitely check it out. I am always open to learning, checking and rechecking any knowledge I might have.
DeleteHello Patsy,
ReplyDeleteI also have okra in my garden this year, and I was able to harvest three pods 😩, but I'm letting them ripen. Maybe they'll give me seeds for next year. The weather conditions here aren't ideal for okra, but I decided to give it a try.
Sibylle, if you can let them mature and dry completely, you'll have enough okra seeds to try again next year. I'm always experimenting and trying to push the envelope with seed saving.
Delete