Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread July 23--July 29, 2023

[nomifyle]

Looks like I got here first. Good Morning all.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Good morning, everyone.

Nothing at all planned for today. Cary asked me, yesterday, if I wanted to go on a drive around and about just to get out of the house, today. So, we're doing that, later. No where in mind, just looking around in the area. It's going to be a beautiful day, so it's a good day to get out and take a drive. Still too hot for a picnic lunch, though.

Cary got to mow the yard and around the big garden, yesterday. He plans to wait to weed eat and spray more poison, tomorrow. Him being able to mow around the big garden made it lots easier to get in there. He sunk one tire in the mud, and had to dig that out, though. He also got wasp stung right behind his ear. Found the nest and sprayed it good. It was just inside my mini barn door. He didn't have any reaction to it at all. He's never been allergic to bees of any kind.

Praying for everyone to have a safe and blessed week ahead!

 

[kyrsyan]

Good morning.

 

[paxsim2]

Today I need to freeze okra, pickle banana peppers and freeze some. Then start a dill pickle ferment and make more relish.
In between I'll do laundry and water.
Have a great day!

 

[nomifyle]

I'm about half way through the last book of the series I've been reading lately, no 11. Even though I've enjoyed it, reading so much has kept me from getting much done. Even though I'll miss the read I'm looking forward to getting more done.

Church was good and they had a summer social after with homemade ice cream. I ate watermelon and a couple bites of something else and skipped the ice cream. I'm still losing weight and I don't want to sabitoge that. Although the loss is painfully slow.

 

[Toosh]

Hubby and I are still working to install all the Amazon Prime goodies we received last week. And, I had to replace my genny with a new unit, which is larger, which means I'll be watching hoards of YouTubes for ideas and designing a new gen-shed this week. Anyone have any great insights on sound proofing a genny shed?

 

[Cardinal]

Foam board insulation?
Sink it in the ground?

 

[ReneeT]

Made it back home from daughters reasonably sane and intact - except for my ears Some of those video games are LOUD - but middle grandson walked in to the younger ones room and turned down the volume some so that helped a lot. I used the excuse that my knees were hurting (not a fib) to stay down on the main floor, so that diluted the noise from upstairs, but I just traded kid noise for hot rod cars and the occasional siren - daughter is just a block off the main drag. I prefer the coyotes and owls to the hot rod cars and sirens any day.

I'd taken advantage of knowing that I'd be trapped in town for a few days to toss some heavy bedding and sleeping bags in the van; I took them to the local laundromat and ran them through the washers there - hung them to dry until it was time to escape home, so now they are draped over various pieces of furniture to finish up drying - can't use the clothes line as the farmer is spraying the soybeans across the road.

Plans for this week:
*Can plums - got a great deal on them from the guy that sells in the mini mall parking lot. I left some for the kids, but have enough left for at least one canner load.
*Recover from hanging out with the grandkids
*Hoe weeds in the garden - if it's not too hot - temps are going to be in the 90's all week - up to 98*F
*Replant empty areas in the rows
*Pool (indoor) with the neighbor lady twice
Take one grandson to tumbling twice; and the other one to football camp once

I thought I'd get to slow down when I stopped working

 

[nomifyle]

Commodities tomorrow and a wm pick up. Just some things to add, I tried to add 64oz canning jars, but they are out, although I did add a case of wide mouth quarts, they'd do in a pinch. I did clean out 3 or 4 of the 64 oz jars and that gives me two cases. I do still have some dry goods to put up in jars. adding a little more at a time.

 

[aviax2]

Between trying to keep up with the garden produce and not feeling all that great the past few weeks, I’m still kicking. I‘ve been reading and sending up prayers for all needing them.

I woke up to find DH had picked green beans again this morning so now I’m waiting for the pressure to go down in the canner, another 7 of the 24oz jars plus a pint jar. I believe that puts us at 22 of the 24oz jars and 31 pints, plus another 5 pints in the freezer. I still have some quarts on the shelf from a couple of years ago.

The regular tomatoes are ripening fast now so yesterday DH and I worked on red tomato relish, we had 22 half pints and all but one sealed. He loves the relish on purple hull peas. I need to decide how I want to use up more of the tomato’s.

We’ve had sooo many cherry and grape tomatoes that one night last week we had them for supper 3 different ways It’s been fun and tasty trying out some new recipes using them up.

 

[alpha]

Today I dragged the chain harrow around the new pasture to try to level it and create a decent seed bed. It didn't raise anywhere near as many rocks as the bog harrow has over the past months so I spread fertilizer and a hundred pounds of pasture seed. Tomorrow I'll pull the chain harrow over it again (upside down) to get some dirt cover over the seed. Then I can actually look forward for a change to some rain. This is the first three day dry spell in over a month...

DW is harvesting garlic and drying herbs while we collect enough cucumbers do do a batch of pickles. Green beans and tomatoes will start in earnest next week. Everything is doing remarkably well considering the abundance of rain we've experienced.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

It's been a busy morning for us, already. We were outside by daylight hanging laundry on the clothesline. I gathered all the garden veggies, then helped Cary cut down and haul off in the garden wagon 2 large shrubs that were dying up next to the house. They were in a shaded area, and I'm turning that whole area into another Hosta bed. I've got many different colors I can transplant there this fall. Most of mine are so large no one would notice a little transplant missing from them.

I've also already made a chocolate cream pie for dessert tonight.

Now, I'm almost ready to start on another half of a 5 gallon bucket of tomatoes. I can't see letting them all go to waste by not canning them, even though, too much rain has weakened their taste. Water bath canning them works for me. I also have squash to cut up, blanch, and put in the freezer.

High temp for today, 92 with heat index of 106. No rain forecast for the next several days.

 

[kyrsyan]

Tomatoes are actually more the reason I got the maslin pan than jams/jellies. Even though I typically steam juice them and remove a lot of the liquids that way, sometimes they still need stovetop cook down time. The maslin pan should help that happen with less possible burning at the bottom and less boil over at the top.

My browse through Costco this weekend came away with some chips that I could safely use on the keto diet. So after Rotel, and some ketchup, I'll likely do some small jars of salsa. The tomatoes are finally turning red. Oh so slowly, but finally.

I got all the cherries and strawberries rinsed with vinegar and tucked into the fridge. The plan is to do at least one test receipt each day this week. After all the test recipes are done, the remaining amounts will be put up as straight regular jam using Pomona and minimal sweeteners. The first test recipe was Chocolate Cherry syrup. I'm didn't really like it but the issue may be me. Despite giving it a long, low temp cook time to allow max flavor blending, it just didn't blend. Or I could still separate the flavors and the sweetener in ways that are unappetizing for me. I'm putting the three jars on the shelf and giving them a few months. Maybe time will help them blend better.

Next up, today, is Drunken Cherry Jam. And after that is Cherry Habanero jam. I may actually make a full batch of that because I have a brother who is likely to love it. And friend's stepdad is also fond of hot. So I'm making some things that he can give to his stepdad for Christmas.

Stress caused my blood sugar to rocket. Not high for most people, 152, but plenty high for me and with distinguishable signs. I've got a dr appt in two weeks. I'm going to discuss options with her. I'm still not willing to go on Metformin or another pill to deal with temporary increases in blood sugar. Mainly because then I will have to start adding carbs back into my diet to stabilize things.

Anyways, things are looking up and body is slowly recovering.

 

[nomifyle]

Picking up commodities today and my wm pick up. WM has gotten to where the don't say something is out of stock until you don't get it in your order. Frustrating. and no telling what we will be getting in commodities today. It will be interesting to see if we get rice since there is a predicted rice shortage coming. About 14 years ago I put up 300#s of basmati rice, so I'm good there and I have also put some up that I've gotten in commodities and I actually bought some during the pandemic. I labeled it dog rice.

I didn't ask Dh how we are doing on our supply of dry dog food, he's the one that feeds the dog, I put an order in for it on my pick up. I said so substitutions on my order so no telling if I will get the dog food. They definitely don't have the 50 pound bags anymore.

I've got another two gallon bucket of tomatoes to do something with. I have a lot frozen already. We don't eat much in the way of any red sauce, so making sauce with them is almost a waste. I do like to put tomatoes in stir fries though and I eat a lot of stir fries.

Working on finishing the rest of the dirty laundry.

 

[nomifyle]

I was so tired when we got back from town that I fell asleep for over two hours when we got home.

Wm had everything on my list and I had a small list for DT and they had everything I wanted there. I had ordered chick peas from Vitacost (the only place I could find a decent price) and they were delivered today, along with a good price on Magnesium, buy one get one for half price, so I go four.

The DT had lentils today, I'm noticing the bags of beans are only 12 oz these days, even from other than DT. Beans from Vitacost and Amazon are 12 ozs. but still 16 oz at wm. I know that some folks won't shop at wm, but I don't have a large budget so I really have no choice.

I'm blessed that I generally don't have to buy meat since we have venison and wild pork. Right now we have three growing porkers in the hog pen. One gets out, gets hungry and comes back in, like he's waiting for DH to let him back in. It kind of wrenches my heart a bit that they will be killed, but I remind myself that God has them there for food for us and when DH butchers one I thank them for their sacrifice for us to have food. They get treated better in our pen than they would in a commerical pen.

We got apples and oranges in commodities, but I don't hold out much in the way of a decent taste in them. Plus they are so expensive in the grocery store and I've read they aren't very tasty.

Amazon has Success boil in a bag grains at a decent price. I ordered 6 boxes of the quinoa from them, should be here tomorrow.

I've been adding more dry beans to my shopping lists, so I need to find room in the freezers for them for a few days. Personally, I love beans and DH likes them but not like I do. I love a good black bean or lentil burger.

Not much in commodities, although I'm greatful for what we do get. No beans or rice and I don't expect to see much or any of those anymore.

I've gotten some 11.5 by 8 inch white boards to keep an inventory on some of my freezers. I really need to get into a couple of them to find out what is in them. So much to do and so little energy to get it done. One step at a time.

I'm feeling comfortable with what I have in the pantry but I've got a lot of inventoring to get done. Unfortunately I'm not as organized as some of you ladies are. About the only thing I don't think I have enough of long term is energy.

 

[anna43]

Got a reverse 911 call that water was going to be shut off and that when it comes back on a boil order. I filled 3 2-quart pitchers, already had 2 2-quart Britta pitchers full and 2-quart kettle on the stove. Just bought a 24 pack of bottled water and have an additional dozen in the fridge. Boil orders typically last only a couple days so I should be okay on drinking water. Water is back on so flushing etc. is no issue. I shouldn't have to boil anything as I'd just done up dishes so will just let them accumulate until boil order is over. Luckily, I also did laundry this a.m. because water is often rusty after a repair and during boil order. Happens several times a year here. I'm assuming a shower will be okay because I REALLY need one! lol

I worked in the garden a bit this morning pruning bottom branches from tomatoes showing brown spotting. Discovered that two tomatoes that I thought were roma type are actually small cherry instead. Obviously, seed I purchased was mislabeled because I don't like the small cherry tomatoes so have no seed for them. I do plant large cherry types each year but the ones that were supposed to romas are definitely small cheery. Bummer as I only planted (or so I thought) four romas and I was planning to make salsa. I'll have enough of other varieties, but I prefer the thicker walled romas for salsa by far. I don't dislike the small tomatoes it's just they are useless except for salads or snacking and a pain to pick. I'll probably pick and take to the senior complex where they will be appreciated.

We are still extremely dry here with no rain in the forecast. Discouraging as all get out.

 

[kyrsyan]

Today's recipe was Drunken Cherry Jam. Yum. Yum. I'm going to go make another batch now. Full size batch. With Luxardo since the first batch used up the last of my Jim Bean.

 

[kyrsyan]

I'm tired and about to crash for the night. But... Drunken Cherry jam made with Luxardo liqueur is a completely different flavor that is absolutely divine.

That is definitely a dessert jam and something to slowly savor.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Our tomatoes are finished. I picked the last of them this morning. Cary's late tomatoes in the big garden aren't doing too well, because of all the rain. They aren't producing very many at all, and they are small. They have yet to begin ripening. So, between the tomatoes splitting and rotting on the vines, and the lack of good taste, I still managed to put up some, which is the first year in a long while that we had enough to put up. So, I'm thankful for what we got.

Everything else in the raised beds are slowing down production, too.

I'm finishing off my laundry today for the rest of the week, and Cary is finishing up the small projects he had planned to do today as well. He got all the weed eating done and the round up sprayed all along our fence line, yesterday.

He has a doctor appointment for his 4 months check up tomorrow afternoon in big town. It's going to be another scorcher tomorrow, too, so we have no plans to go anywhere else other than the doctor's office. We'll eat out, before we come back home.

95, today, with heat index of 106. No rain.

 

[nomifyle]

No rain here in several days and none predicted in the near future, All of ICB totes are full though with more than enough to finish what's left in the garden. Even the tomatoes havve slowed down although I've still got another two gallon bucket to do something with. All in all we got 4 yellow squash and no zucchini. Although the zucchini plants are beautiful and huge. We got a few pieces of okra and I guess the potatoes did nothing. DH just has not been able to master the type of sandy soil we have here. He had huge productive gardens in Illinois, he's been gardening all of his life. If all we had to eat was what the garden produces we'd starve.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

No rain here in several days and none predicted in the near future, All of ICB totes are full though with more than enough to finish what's left in the garden. Even the tomatoes havve slowed down although I've still got another two gallon bucket to do something with. All in all we got 4 yellow squash and no zucchini. Although the zucchini plants are beautiful and huge. We got a few pieces of okra and I guess the potatoes did nothing. DH just has not been able to master the type of sandy soil we have here. He had huge productive gardens in Illinois, he's been gardening all of his life. If all we had to eat was what the garden produces we'd starve.

I hear you, Judy, about starving if we had to live off what our little gardens produced this year. I got lots of tomatoes, banana peppers, bell peppers, and only a few yellow squash, and no green beans as of yet. That's not anything a person could live off of. I remember back when our whole back yard was in a huge garden. We could grow everything, even corn, purple hull peas, green beans, butter beans, lettuce, cabbage, etc. We just don't have the equipment or stamina to do that now. We also grew potatoes, eggplant, and onions, plus all the tomatoes, cukes, and peppers I could handle. Now, we're doing good to grow a few tomatoes, squash, peppers, chives, cukes, and hopefully some green beans and a watermelon or two. Back then, we had use of a neighbor's tractor, disc, plows, and a huge wagon that delivered barnyard goat manure for fertilizer that was spread out over the whole garden area.

I just plan to keep replacing and stocking the best I can from the grocery store and be thankful for being able to do so.

Since our gardens are about finished, all of our tubs, rain barrels, and water tank are full of rainwater. We don't plan on using any more of it for the gardens, so we'll be going into fall and winter with plenty of storage water. It's not potable the way it is, but we have several hundred gallons that are. We can filter the rainwater if we have to to add to the potable water we have.

 

[nomifyle]

I hear you, Judy, about starving if we had to live off what our little gardens produced this year. I got lots of tomatoes, banana peppers, bell peppers, and only a few yellow squash, and no green beans as of yet. That's not anything a person could live off of. I remember back when our whole back yard was in a huge garden. We could grow everything, even corn, purple hull peas, green beans, butter beans, lettuce, cabbage, etc. We just don't have the equipment or stamina to do that now. We also grew potatoes, eggplant, and onions, plus all the tomatoes I could handle. Now, we're doing good to grow a few tomatoes, squash, peppers, chives, cukes, and hopefully some green beans and a watermelon or two. Back then, we had use of a neighbor's tractor, disc, plows, and a huge wagon that delivered barnyard goat manure for fertilizer that was spread out over the whole garden area.

I just plan to keep replacing and stocking the best I can from the grocery store and be thankful for being able to do so.

Since our gardens are about finished, all of our tubs, rain barrels, and water tank are full of rainwater. We don't plan on using any more of it for the gardens, so we'll be going into fall and winter with plenty of storage water. It's not potable the way it is, but we have several hundred gallons that are. We can filter the rainwater if we have to to add to the potable water we have.

I'm still stocking some, just can't help myself. On the one hand I want to add rice, but I'm in good shape there and it would not take much with beans to make a whole protein. Neither of us are really rice eaters, DH pretty much doesn't like it and I just quit eating it years ago, not because I don't like it I just quit eating anything white.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I'm still stocking some, just can't help myself. On the one hand I want to add rice, but I'm in good shape there and it would not take much with beans to make a whole protein. Neither of us are really rice eaters, DH pretty much doesn't like it and I just quit eating it years ago, not because I don't like it I just quit eating anything white.

I'm still just replacing what I use, but sometimes, I see something that we like that I don't have a lot of, and I buy extra of that to stock on up on it. As for rice, I think I have enough of that stocked to last years with it just being me and Cary. I even have extra stored for Frisco if need be (dog food). Even with a shortage, I'm not concerned. I don't have a lot of pantry meals that call for rice. Mostly, it's pasta of different types. I got even more of that stored than I do rice. We both do like rice, but not everyone does. One thing Cary won't eat, so I don't have a lot of it stored, and that is dry beans of any kind. He'll eat the canned versions, though. So, I have a couple of years' worth of canned beans/peas of all types. I'm still using canned veggies I bought back in 2020, and it's all still good.

 

[nomifyle]

I opened a can of something the other day with a date of 2016, pork n beans I think, and it was fine, although I did add some molassas to it.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I opened a can of something the other day with a date of 2016, pork n beans I think, and it was fine, although I did add some molassas to it.

I finished off a case of red kidney beans the other day making red beans and rice. That flat was dated 2017. There was nothing at all wrong with them. I don't use kidney beans very much, so it took longer to use them up than I expected. I only replaced those with 2 flats. That should last me a year at least.

 

[nomifyle]

I finished off a case of red kidney beans the other day making red beans and rice. That flat was dated 2017. There was nothing at all wrong with them. I don't use kidney beans very much, so it took longer to use them up than I expected. I only replaced those with 2 flats. That should last me a year at least.

Its a shame that Cary doesn't like dried beans because they keep a long time if properly stored.

How do you cook them? My Dh doesn't like them creamy, which is how I like them, so I cook them as best as I can for him. New Orleans red beans are creamy and it took me a long time to learn to cook them that way cause up here in the sticks they don't cook them that way. DH mainly likes Great Northern beans but will eat others although not lentils or black eyed peas, chick peas or black beans. I love all of those.

 

[kyrsyan]

Am I the only one whose garden gets a second wind in the fall? As soon as temps start dropping, in about a month, the peppers, cucs, and tomatoes will go insane again. That is actually when I get my largest harvest. I just have to manage to keep the plants alive through to then. And they will keep going gangbusters until the first frost. Sometimes until the first freeze, if the frost isn't too bad.

 

[nomifyle]

Am I the only one whose garden gets a second wind in the fall? As soon as temps start dropping, in about a month, the peppers, cucs, and tomatoes will go insane again. That is actually when I get my largest harvest. I just have to manage to keep the plants alive through to then. And they will keep going gangbusters until the first frost. Sometimes until the first freeze, if the frost isn't too bad.

I think we just give up but in the past we have had tomatoes until the first frost, At this point I'm tired of fooling with them, but at 76 I get tired easily.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Its a shame that Cary doesn't like dried beans because they keep a long time if properly stored.

How do you cook them? My Dh doesn't like them creamy, which is how I like them, so I cook them as best as I can for him. New Orleans red beans are creamy and it took me a long time to learn to cook them that way cause up here in the sticks they don't cook them that way. DH mainly likes Great Northern beans but will eat others although not lentils or black eyed peas, chick peas or black beans. I love all of those.

When I do cook them, I like them cooked down low and creamy, except for black-eyed peas. I like dry beans, but since Cary doesn't, I don't have a lot of them stored. What I do have are stored in my freezer. I have a Walmart bag full of several different varieties (black-eyed peas, pintos, and lima). Neither of us have ever tasted lentils, so we don't know if we like them or not.

 

[nomifyle]

When I do cook them, I like them cooked down low and creamy, except for black-eyed peas. I like dry beans, but since Cary doesn't, I don't have a lot of them stored. What I do have are stored in my freezer. I have a Walmart bag full of several different varieties (black-eyed peas, pintos, and lima). Neither of us have ever tasted lentils, so we don't know if we like them or not.

I had never tasted lentils until some years back and I love them, lentil burgers are the best. I can throw a few lentils and chick peas in a big pot of soup and DH doesn't complain, he probably picks them out. I have a lot of canned beans stored but I like the dried ones the best.

 

[kyrsyan]

I shouldn't be laughing but I am. Someone started a complaint on NextDoor because their dog came home with a BB pellet in her shoulder. The "neighbor" was just so horrible to her perfectly innocent, epileptic dog who was now petrified and would not leave the immediate area of herself and her child. Until I, very, very politely, pointed out that since her dog had been out of her yard, out of her sight, and out of her control, how could she know what her dog had been doing that might have/have not warranted the use of the BB gun. That it could have been much worse than a BB, and that maybe the neighbor hadn't been trying to kill the dog, just discourage it greatly. And where was her neighborly politeness in making sure that her dog did not use someone else's yard as its litter box. Or harass someone else's pets or animals. And that a seizure could look like aggression or rabies to someone not familiar with the dog. (These were to her different responses to me.) And then my responses to her started to get likes. And more people started responding similarly. And then she deleted the post.

So not getting the lawn done today because other things interfered. I'm about to go start dinner. And then I think a small batch of Luxardo Cherry syrup. And maybe a small batch of plain cherry jam with the remainder of the pitted cherries. And then, if there is time, pitting the remainder of the cherries, chopping them, and tossing them in the freezer in the sizes needed for future batches. Because more Pomona won't be here until Thursday. And I want to go ahead and get started on the strawberries. Those may just get cored and batched tomorrow. But I'll see where they are when I pop them open. I cleaned them with vinegar, put them in bowls, and sealed the bowls to protect them.

It has been a productive day though, even if not productive in the manner I was hoping it would be.

 

[nomifyle]

I'm trying to decide if I should do another wm pick up or stash some cash. I've not made much headway towards replacing some of the cash I used when we bought that generator last month. Its nothing I really have to have on my grocery list, just some extra I want to have. I sure wish I could talk to my brother, but he's no longer available. He was always my sounding board. No one else understands.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I'm trying to decide if I should do another wm pick up or stash some cash. I've not made much headway towards replacing some of the cash I used when we bought that generator last month. Its nothing I really have to have on my grocery list, just some extra I want to have. I sure wish I could talk to my brother, but he's no longer available. He was always my sounding board. No one else understands.

For us, Judy, I'm satisfied with my pantry with what I have stored. What we're concentrating more on right now is replacing the money we spent to buy the SUV. We're trying hard to do that, even if it means spending less at the grocery store. Cary is a firm believer in having cash on hand. We may not ever experience a food shortage emergency, but life can and does throw us curve balls that requires a large expense. Having cash keeps up from acquiring debt.

I know that sometimes I can get into a panic mode where I want to go out and stock up with a lot more. I've even told Cary that I need another climate controlled mini barn just to store more food in. Then, reality steps in, and I get over it.

I'm not saying that your thoughts are bad. You know you and your situation. No body can say what's best for you, except you.

 

[connie]

I think we all have times when we have to tell ourselves we have enough.
Inventory what you have, make sure it is easily accessible - that will calm you.

We love dried pinto beans best. Black eyes peas also and I like lima beans. I store some canned but mostly dried.
Lately I gave been trying to freeze more. I am going to make pasta sauce and freeze this week. Have some older canned tomatoes to use up.

Our farmers market has had lots of squash a and great cantaloupe watermelon and peaches.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Another reason, besides Cary not liking dry beans, is that we will have to conserve water in a SHTF situation. Cooking dry beans takes water to wash them, soak them, and then to cook them. With canned beans, the liquid is already there and ready to cook. Plus, it only takes a few minutes to heat and eat using whatever source you have to cook on, rather than a few hours on the stove or crockpot cooking if you don't have electricity. The only way I would stock a lot of dry beans would be to go ahead and cook them, then can them.

That's just me and our situation, though. Water will be precious to us in a bad situation such as a SHTF situation if we don't have community water service, and I wouldn't want to use our firewood supply cooking beans for hours.

 

[nomifyle]

For us, Judy, I'm satisfied with my pantry with what I have stored. What we're concentrating more on right now is replacing the money we spent to buy the SUV. We're trying hard to do that, even if it means spending less at the grocery store. Cary is a firm believer in having cash on hand. We may not ever experience a food shortage emergency, but life can and does throw us curve balls that requires a large expense. Having cash keeps up from acquiring debt.

I know that sometimes I can get into a panic mode where I want to go out and stock up with a lot more. I've even told Cary that I need another climate controlled mini barn just to store more food in. Then, reality steps in, and I get over it.

I'm not saying that your thoughts are bad. You know you and your situation. No body can say what's best for you, except you.

Thanks Sherree, I'll wait until next month, I have more than most.

About 15 years ago I had a nice place in my kitchen where I could display pretty oil lamps and I ended up with quite a collection, although I'd never been much of a collector, I prefered practical things. And now most of them are packed away because I don't really have anywhere to put them.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Thanks Sherree, I'll wait until next month, I have more than most.

About 15 years ago I had a nice place in my kitchen where I could display pretty oil lamps and I ended up with quite a collection, although I'd never been much of a collector, I prefered practical things. And now most of them are packed away because I don't really have anywhere to put them.

Something that always calms me when I get to that panic mode is to take an inventory of what I already have. Once I go through everything, I realize I really do have enough for our purpose (2-3 yr. supply). It really helps when I know how much I have and that it's enough. Also, taking an inventory on a regular basis helps me to keep up with what is getting lower than I like or feel comfortable with.

I love oil lamps and candles. I have mine strategically located all through the house in case of a power outage either short term or long term. I have floor sized candle stands, too. When not in use, I see them more as decorations to make our home feel a bit warmer and cozier in a rustic style fashion.

The main point is you just be you and what you feel comfortable with.

 

[nomifyle]

When I write the date on a can I write the best buy date and not when I purchased it, just saying. I've been going through what I have and I have a good start (LOL).

Groceries and commodities land in the mud/sand room until I get them put away. A couple of weeks ago we really cleaned in there because we were having company. It really looked nice. With commodities, wm pick ups and trips to DT I now have a pile of stuff to disperse. Oh and the orders I got yesterday from amazon. I have all the cans dated and now to get them put away.

I really like quinoa so I ordered some boxes of the Success brand that comes in boil in bags. I had some a couple of years ago but we had a pantry moth issue and they ruined. The two crushed boxes that came yesterday went straight into jars. One box of 4 fits just fine in a regular mouth qt canning jar. And all the lentils that I could scrape up that had been spilled in the shipping box went into a jar too.

 

[anna43]

I find doing or learning something new or useful helps me when I don't have money to spend on preps or even when I have that panicky feeling of "do I have enough". I do have enough!! One of the things I do is research recipes for using rice, lentils etc. because in a SHTF situation I don't want to be stuck eating the same things over and over.

A year or so ago on this forum (or another prepping one) someone mentioned yellow rice. I bought some at Walmart and really liked it. It is a bit expensive, so I've been looking for a recipe for it. Last night I was looking through a 1977 cookbook Issued by the Mirror company called "Pressure Cooking Anytime" and came across a yellow rice recipe. I plan to try it soon. I'm not a big plain rice fan, but it was inexpensive to store with no real outdate so I stored it and then started collecting rice recipes.

Also, a pressure pan cooks faster with less fuel and no electricity needed so I consider it an important prep item. You can use a pressure pan or a pressure canner to cook an entire meal at one time by using separate containers or wrapping in separate aluminum foil packets which would also be useful in an emergency situation.

Lentils are something we're often given in the mobile pantry boxes, so I started looking for recipes. The lentil burger one I think came from here and I've added lentil stew, lentil loaf and a couple other recipes to my collection.

Going through my clippings last week and organizing them, I'm putting the rice, lentil and other "emergency pantry" recipes each into their own category and then into the same notebook. The general recipes will have a separate notebook.

 

[kyrsyan]

I find doing or learning something new or useful helps me when I don't have money to spend on preps or even when I have that panicky feeling of "do I have enough". I do have enough!! One of the things I do is research recipes for using rice, lentils etc. because in a SHTF situation I don't want to be stuck eating the same things over and over.

A year or so ago on this forum (or another prepping one) someone mentioned yellow rice. I bought some at Walmart and really liked it. It is a bit expensive, so I've been looking for a recipe for it. Last night I was looking through a 1977 cookbook Issued by the Mirror company called "Pressure Cooking Anytime" and came across a yellow rice recipe. I plan to try it soon. I'm not a big plain rice fan, but it was inexpensive to store with no real outdate so I stored it and then started collecting rice recipes.

Also, a pressure pan cooks faster with less fuel and no electricity needed so I consider it an important prep item. You can use a pressure pan or a pressure canner to cook an entire meal at one time by using separate containers or wrapping in separate aluminum foil packets which would also be useful in an emergency situation.

Lentils are something we're often given in the mobile pantry boxes, so I started looking for recipes. The lentil burger one I think came from here and I've added lentil stew, lentil loaf and a couple other recipes to my collection.

Going through my clippings last week and organizing them, I'm putting the rice, lentil and other "emergency pantry" recipes each into their own category and then into the same notebook. The general recipes will have a separate notebook.

Please share that yellow rice recipe. My son adores it but we can't use most of the pre-made mixes. The one we can use is available again but has been sporadic for a year or so now.