Practicing Good Pantry Skills...

[Holiday_Mom]

I haven't seen the Bell ones yet but some tomato sauces and other pantry items come in decorative jars. I reuse them a lot - just take off the label and use them for storage or to give food or other gifts during the holidays.

I do the same thing. For whatever reason, I'm drawn to glass containers.

I got them at Blain's Farm & Fleet

Oh my goodness, I just had an education in Ball Mason jars by clicking on the Farm and Fleet link. I've only seen the regular Ball Mason jars in Walmart and Target. I had no idea that they had stars and stripes or amber jars. However, a number of years ago, while perusing the Christmas Tree Shop, I picked up the limited edition blue, green and purple Ball Mason jars.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

LOL! I can relate. It's been so helpful though. In January, I started keeping a notebook for lists. My planner couldn't contain all the random thoughts each week. I feel more productive and it seems like things aren't falling through the cracks as much.

This is my life at the moment. Because I am not sure what the future holds I am planning for any situation. I feel much more prepared.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Oh my goodness, I just had an education in Ball Mason jars by clicking on the Farm and Fleet link. I've only seen the regular Ball Mason jars in Walmart and Target. I had no idea that they had stars and stripes or amber jars. However, a number of years ago, while perusing the Christmas Tree Shop, I picked up the limited edition blue, green and purple Ball Mason jars.

I just showed DH all the different jars. We just get the plain sort here. I might be looking on Amazon tonight for Ball jars.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

I went shopping in Walmart and before I knew it, my shopping cart headed right over to the canning section where I saw 4 light blue qt. size Mason jars. Then the most crazy thing happened. They jumped into my cart. Now they are waiting to be filled.

I bought a pound of dried parsley having no idea that it would arrive in a HUGE bag. I am going to use those 4 brand new mason jars to store the parsley.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

They jumped into my cart. Now they are waiting to be filled.

That same things happens here every now and then. Oh well what can you do?

 

[Minta]

Noticed stores starting to be more stocked than have been over the past few months so I started picking up extra pantry items. The plan to is spend between $5 to $10 extra a week on extra pantry items and cleaning products that we use just in case. I want to be prepared incase there is a round 2 of this in the fall, if money gets tighter due to loss of hours or pay cuts as a fallout over this or if something else decides it wants to join the 2020 year of mayhem.

 

[Miss JoDee]

I have flour and sugar on my list every order. Luckily I have room in the freezer. Hoping in October I can start mixing my Christmas treats and freeze. I wanted to do it now but I read I only keeps for 3 months in the freezer.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

or if something else decides it wants to join the 2020 year of mayhem.

Oh ;my goodness, that had me ROFLOL! It really isn't funny but how much more will happen. Honestly, I've got to start laughing because I'm so close to crying.

Yesterday we lost power for the 5th time since March 13th. This was the longest stretch at 5 hours without power. The store down the street was still without power at dinner tonight. They were tossing food into the dumpster. I'm now thinking about how to handle things if there is a long term power outage.

I'm adding extra pantry items now too. So far so good with dh's job but we never know.

I have flour and sugar on my list every order. Luckily I have room in the freezer. Hoping in October I can start mixing my Christmas treats and freeze. I wanted to do it now but I read I only keeps for 3 months in the freezer.

In the past, I've made made cookie dry mixes in July and August. I separated the sugar in one sandwich bag and the flour mixture in another plastic bag. Then I put the two bags into a gallon Ziploc bag. I labeled all the bags. I have learned from experience to label the gallon bag with the type of cookie and to tuck in the recipe. You would think that I could remember which recipe I used but no. Sometimes I tried new recipes and failed to note it. Thus my cookies were not quite what I expected.

 

[luludou]

I'm thinking of the 2nd wave of the pandemic... they are saying in the Fall, best get dry staples while supplies are in stores.

 

[halimer]

Mary - what a great idea! I have periodically done the same thing but forgot to label well and just found odd baggies in the pantry.

Will do more and label better thanks to you!

 

[Minta]

Oh ;my goodness, that had me ROFLOL! It really isn't funny but how much more will happen. Honestly, I've got to start laughing because I'm so close to crying.

Yesterday we lost power for the 5th time since March 13th. This was the longest stretch at 5 hours without power. The store down the street was still without power at dinner tonight. They were tossing food into the dumpster. I'm now thinking about how to handle things if there is a long term power outage.

I'm adding extra pantry items now too. So far so good with dh's job but we never know.



In the past, I've made made cookie dry mixes in July and August. I separated the sugar in one sandwich bag and the flour mixture in another plastic bag. Then I put the two bags into a gallon Ziploc bag. I labeled all the bags. I have learned from experience to label the gallon bag with the type of cookie and to tuck in the recipe. You would think that I could remember which recipe I used but no. Sometimes I tried new recipes and failed to note it. Thus my cookies were not quite what I expected.

We don't get power outages that often but with how crazy everything is I have been thinking about getting a generator to at least run the frig and chest freezer and portable heaters in the winter. Also need to get my second propane tank for my grill filled too.

 

[missjane]

When the pandemic started, we bit the bullet and bought a generator. Had been saying for years that we would to at least run the refrigerator and freezer. Our stove is natural gas. We try to notice and keep the butane bottle filled for the grill. We have two bottles.

 

[MinnieCo]

I do the same thing. For whatever reason, I'm drawn to glass containers.



Oh my goodness, I just had an education in Ball Mason jars by clicking on the Farm and Fleet link. I've only seen the regular Ball Mason jars in Walmart and Target. I had no idea that they had stars and stripes or amber jars. However, a number of years ago, while perusing the Christmas Tree Shop, I picked up the limited edition blue, green and purple Ball Mason jars.

Okay, I need to go look these up...Stars and Stripes and Amber sounds so cool. I use the purple ones in my crafting area to store all kinds of things.

 

[Minta]

Grocery store had some huge mark downs. Guess they ordered too much of certain items during the pandemic and not everything sold like they thought it would.. Got several 1 lb bags of rice, black beans and lentils for 50 cents a bag. Got them stored in mason jars in the cabinet. They also have packages of potato gnocchi for 50 cents a pack and they do not expire until next year. Bought several of them too. Love using them in soups in place of noodles.

 

[Myron's Mom]

Minta, that’s a great deal! I’ve not seen mark downs on hardly anything here.

I am planing to reorganize all of my pantry and laundry room areas. With the litter boxes gone ( we had a lot of litter boxes lol) I can access the back hall closet. I think I need to clean and pitch in there again. I would like to have all my extra food supplies in one place and all my cooking utensils ( soup pots etc. in one place. I need new storage containers. My Tupperware from the 80’s is about shot. They are round which doesn’t make good use of space either. Lots to think about as I continue to stock up on things for the fall.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

So interesting reading all of these ideas.
Food is still OK here but I am forever writing lists of what I want to grab next time I am at the shops. I now grab TP every fortnight and store it in the laundry. Rice and flour etc not too bad here for now. I still would like a shelf set up on the garage for overflow, especially cleaning products, waiting on DH to do that.
We are in Winter now so am planning ahead towards the end of the year and Summer and have written several lists for what I might need.
It will be interesting to see if you get a second wave in he Fall, then we will know what will affect us.

 

[missjane]

Katrina, it seems perplexing to me that the virus supposedly doesn't thrive in heat, but you're having fewer cases there than we are here, and it's cooler there.

Maybe Australian's are taking the guidelines and social distancing more seriously there??? It's all a mystery to me.

 

[missjane]

A girl on a softball team who was asymptomatic tested positive yesterday. Now, all the team members, coaches, their families, and anyone who was exposed to them are supposed to socially distance.

A family friend whose son is getting married next weekend's family was exposed by someone who was at the batchelor party whose dad tested positive. SMH!

It seems never ending...our parish is over 400 cases.

 

[teachermomof2]

I have also been buying a few extras each time we shop, just to be prepared in case we are closed again. I buy tp and paper towels each time we shop. Although, I don't seem to be getting ahead since we are home a lot and use the items. I am pretty stocked on flour, but will need sugar next visit. Our beef is getting low, and we won't have a cow ready until early fall. We have lots of ground beef, but are limited in steak and roasts. I also want to pick up some more yeast when I shop again.

I have some green and blue mason jars. JoAnn fabrics sells them in colors. I've also seen them in hardware stores in colors and patterns.

Minta...that is a great deal!

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Lisa, sugar is still one thing that is a little short here, that and flour. I still cannot understand the shortages that we have had.
I think that the pandemic has changed me as I am now very aware of what shortages feel like and I do not like that feeling.

Maybe Australian's are taking the guidelines and social distancing more seriously there??? It's all a mystery to me.

I am not sure if we are taking it more seriously or not. Our governments jumped pretty quickly and the restrictions were pretty tough to start with. I know that most of the people I know were very serious about the guidelines.