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Living from the Pantry
Thursday 9th July 2020 by Cath
Today starts another round of Stage Three lockdown restrictions for us. When I heard the news on Tuesday afternoon I was concerned for a few minutes. What did we need? Was there anything we were running out of? Had I filled all the gaps in our pantry?
Oh my goodness, it was an odd feeling. Odd because quite frankly, if you know me, you know we don't need anything, especially in the way of food or toiletries or cleaning supplies. Honestly, for those few minutes I think I was shocked, not that we were back in lockdown, that was a given to happen, but that it was for six weeks this time. Six weeks!
It did occur to me that I was being silly. I shop once a year, so why would this bother me? Why should it bother me? I'm not sure why I was bothered, other than after last time, and the enormous outpouring of anger that I was talking about pantries and preparedness and making scones when people couldn't get toilet paper, I was, and am, a little nervous. Honestly, it shouldn't bother me.
I've encouraged you all to build your pantry for years, long before there was a pandemic or even a hint of a pandemic. It's not something I just started. Panic buying and hoarding are not what I teach or encourage.
When I went to get some fresh veggies on Monday morning, the produce section was almost bare. No apples. No oranges. In fact the only fruits were strawberries and bananas - nothing else. Not even a kiwi or lemon.
No lettuce. No cucumbers. No loose onions, carrots or potatoes. No cauliflowers. No sweet potatoes. Tomatoes were $8.99/kg (ouch!).
The meat cabinets were still full, but each item was limited to two per shopper. And boy was it expensive, although I'm thinking the budget friendly cuts were probably sold out.
No fresh bread. Not sure why, perhaps I was too early.
Only small bottles of milk. I was able to buy two litres.
No toilet paper, again.
As I was doing my quick walk around, trying to avoid other shoppers who seemed to have forgotten about social distancing, I was thanking God for the urge to keep a stocked pantry, and to restock it as we have used it this year.
The pantry has the flour, sugar, yeast, tinned tomatoes, tomato soup, baked beans, oats, pasta, dried and canned beans, rice, TVP, herbs and spices, dried fruits, jams, honey, peanut butter and oil we use all the time.
The freezer has the mince, whole chickens, chicken fillets, sausages, corned beef, frozen veggies and fruits, pastry and breads that we eat the most.
The fridge has the butter, eggs and fresh veggies we use every day.
They are ingredients.
When you have ingredients you have options.
If you have flour and yeast you can make bread. You can make pizza bases. You can make scrolls.
If you have pasta, tomato soup or tinned tomatoes, herbs and cheese you can make pasta bake.
If you have beans (dried or tinned), carrot, celery, onion and tinned tomatoes you can make bean and veggie soup. Add some macaroni for minestrone.
If you have tuna, rice, frozen peas, curry, flour, milk powder you can make a curried tuna mornay.
If you have rice, peanut butter, Vegemite, onion and a little oil you can make Quick Rice Patties
Flour, milk, grated cheese, corn kernels, eggs and you can make Savoury Impossible Pie
Stewed fruit, oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and you can make a fruit crumble.
Flour, sugar, milk, eggs, butter, vanilla and you can make a plain cake. Add cocoa for chocolate cake or instant coffee for coffee cake.
Flour, cold tea, dried fruit and you can make Fruity Tea Cake
I've listed more recipes in the Bare Bones Groceries ebook. They all use basic pantry ingredients, take only a few minutes to put together and are cheap.
I fill our pantry with ingredients so I can make what we need, when we need it. I don't cook or bake anything complicated or fancy. I use the tools I have to keep meal prep simple and easy. I use plain, old-fashioned recipes and adapt them to suit our tastes, our budget and the ingredients in our pantry.
Keeping the pantry stocked with ingredients has means that I don't need to leave the house to buy food - we can live off our pantry.
Right now, if you are living in Melbourne or Mitchell Shire in Victoria, you are on Stage 3 restrictions. But you can still stock your pantry. Look online for what you need, compare the prices, check for half-price deals, make a list and prepare for your shopping trip - you can leave the house to buy food. Even if you're not on lockdown, shopping this way saves you money, time and energy.
Use your shopping trips to fill the gaps in your pantry to keep it stocked.
When you get to the shops, wipe down the trolley, put on a mask (I know they're not mandatory but if they keep you and others safe it's a simple thing to do) and wipe down the trolley.
Then only go to the areas you need to. Don’t pick things up to look at them. Only touch what you are going to buy. Maintain social distancing. Don't stop to browse and don't dawdle - in and out as quick as you can.
When you get the shopping home, wipe it down with disinfectant wipes before putting it away. Fruit and veg can be washed before storing in the fridge. If you buy things in cardboard, decant the contents into clean canisters and put the cardboard straight into the recycle bin (the COVID19 virus can live for up to 24 hours on paper).
Being prepared as prepared as possible isn't panicking, it's being wise. If this means you are buying things ahead of time as they come on sale, as long as you have the cash to pay for them (or to move to the CC account straight away), you are being wise and a good steward for your family and home.
Oh my goodness, it was an odd feeling. Odd because quite frankly, if you know me, you know we don't need anything, especially in the way of food or toiletries or cleaning supplies. Honestly, for those few minutes I think I was shocked, not that we were back in lockdown, that was a given to happen, but that it was for six weeks this time. Six weeks!
It did occur to me that I was being silly. I shop once a year, so why would this bother me? Why should it bother me? I'm not sure why I was bothered, other than after last time, and the enormous outpouring of anger that I was talking about pantries and preparedness and making scones when people couldn't get toilet paper, I was, and am, a little nervous. Honestly, it shouldn't bother me.
I've encouraged you all to build your pantry for years, long before there was a pandemic or even a hint of a pandemic. It's not something I just started. Panic buying and hoarding are not what I teach or encourage.
When I went to get some fresh veggies on Monday morning, the produce section was almost bare. No apples. No oranges. In fact the only fruits were strawberries and bananas - nothing else. Not even a kiwi or lemon.
No lettuce. No cucumbers. No loose onions, carrots or potatoes. No cauliflowers. No sweet potatoes. Tomatoes were $8.99/kg (ouch!).
The meat cabinets were still full, but each item was limited to two per shopper. And boy was it expensive, although I'm thinking the budget friendly cuts were probably sold out.
No fresh bread. Not sure why, perhaps I was too early.
Only small bottles of milk. I was able to buy two litres.
No toilet paper, again.
As I was doing my quick walk around, trying to avoid other shoppers who seemed to have forgotten about social distancing, I was thanking God for the urge to keep a stocked pantry, and to restock it as we have used it this year.
The pantry has the flour, sugar, yeast, tinned tomatoes, tomato soup, baked beans, oats, pasta, dried and canned beans, rice, TVP, herbs and spices, dried fruits, jams, honey, peanut butter and oil we use all the time.
The freezer has the mince, whole chickens, chicken fillets, sausages, corned beef, frozen veggies and fruits, pastry and breads that we eat the most.
The fridge has the butter, eggs and fresh veggies we use every day.
They are ingredients.
When you have ingredients you have options.
If you have flour and yeast you can make bread. You can make pizza bases. You can make scrolls.
If you have pasta, tomato soup or tinned tomatoes, herbs and cheese you can make pasta bake.
If you have beans (dried or tinned), carrot, celery, onion and tinned tomatoes you can make bean and veggie soup. Add some macaroni for minestrone.
If you have tuna, rice, frozen peas, curry, flour, milk powder you can make a curried tuna mornay.
If you have rice, peanut butter, Vegemite, onion and a little oil you can make Quick Rice Patties
Flour, milk, grated cheese, corn kernels, eggs and you can make Savoury Impossible Pie
Stewed fruit, oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and you can make a fruit crumble.
Flour, sugar, milk, eggs, butter, vanilla and you can make a plain cake. Add cocoa for chocolate cake or instant coffee for coffee cake.
Flour, cold tea, dried fruit and you can make Fruity Tea Cake
I've listed more recipes in the Bare Bones Groceries ebook. They all use basic pantry ingredients, take only a few minutes to put together and are cheap.
I fill our pantry with ingredients so I can make what we need, when we need it. I don't cook or bake anything complicated or fancy. I use the tools I have to keep meal prep simple and easy. I use plain, old-fashioned recipes and adapt them to suit our tastes, our budget and the ingredients in our pantry.
Keeping the pantry stocked with ingredients has means that I don't need to leave the house to buy food - we can live off our pantry.
Right now, if you are living in Melbourne or Mitchell Shire in Victoria, you are on Stage 3 restrictions. But you can still stock your pantry. Look online for what you need, compare the prices, check for half-price deals, make a list and prepare for your shopping trip - you can leave the house to buy food. Even if you're not on lockdown, shopping this way saves you money, time and energy.
Use your shopping trips to fill the gaps in your pantry to keep it stocked.
When you get to the shops, wipe down the trolley, put on a mask (I know they're not mandatory but if they keep you and others safe it's a simple thing to do) and wipe down the trolley.
Then only go to the areas you need to. Don’t pick things up to look at them. Only touch what you are going to buy. Maintain social distancing. Don't stop to browse and don't dawdle - in and out as quick as you can.
When you get the shopping home, wipe it down with disinfectant wipes before putting it away. Fruit and veg can be washed before storing in the fridge. If you buy things in cardboard, decant the contents into clean canisters and put the cardboard straight into the recycle bin (the COVID19 virus can live for up to 24 hours on paper).
Being prepared as prepared as possible isn't panicking, it's being wise. If this means you are buying things ahead of time as they come on sale, as long as you have the cash to pay for them (or to move to the CC account straight away), you are being wise and a good steward for your family and home.