Providing from Your Pantry.....Part 5

Dearest Readers,

I thought that I would share a little bit about storage in this last post of the series......

Nothing is more defeating to a Homekeeper than to have a poor strategy for storing her groceries and essentials once she arrives back home.  If the shelves, cupboards, fridge and freezer are a jumble of messiness then all the hard work of researching recipes, inventory and shopping with thrift are an exercise in frustration.

Here at Honey Hill Farm, I have several places to store items.  Each item has a proper place and is stored in the same space each time.

Here is my walk-in pantry off of the kitchen.....

This lovely little area holds all my baking needs, pastas, lentils, home canned goods, bread box, crackers, honey & my tea basket. As each item is tucked away it is carefully recorded on my Pantry/Freezer Masterlist.

The fridge has a lower pull-out freezer compartment (with ice maker) and I store my butter, orange juice (concentrate), my chocolate chips, nuts and 1 loaf of extra bread.

I have designated spaces inside the fridge and try to put items in the same place each time....although sometimes I will have to rearrange things if I am hosting a large gathering and have an abundance of groceries.

Items in cans and bottles like tuna, ketchup, peanut butter and the like are kept in the fruit cellar on wooden shelves.  I keep the oldest towards the front and always "face" the cans so I can see at a moments notice what I am in need of from the market.

I have a deep freeze and use three Rubbermaid baskets set on the bottom.  In each of those I have large (10 gallon) Ziploc bags that are labeled: beef, chicken, pork & turkey.  Inside these I put my smaller bags of corresponding meat.  This was a tip (along with many, many others that I found on Brenda's blog: Coffee, Tea, Books and Me. Her blog has numerous links to help you with stocking your pantry, please pay her a visit.

The freezer came with small sliding baskets that sit above the Rubbermaid baskets.  I keep my shredded cheese (already divided into small bags) , frozen veggies , ice cream and frozen desserts, along with extra bread in them.  It keeps the smaller items from ending up on the bottom of the deep freeze.

I keep a pair of winter gloves with those little "grips" on them next to the freezer...

On the other end of the fruit cellar I have some very large shelves where I keep all my extra T.P., dish soap, soap making supplies, etc. I have all of my canning equipment and cake decorating equipment there too.  It is all tucked away behind a pretty curtain hung on a tension rod. 

I keep a small supply of T.P., soap, toothpaste and such in both of our bathrooms and just replenish when needed as our bathrooms don't have much storage.

I find that if I keep everything neat and organized it helps the house run smoothly.  It will take time if you are just getting yourself organized, but it will be well worth the effort.  You will find yourself opening cupboards and doors just to gaze at the lovely rows of neatly stacked groceries....amazed at the Provision and proud of your Stewardship.

I so hope that I have been able to help you in some small way Dear Reader.  I just love Homekeeping and find that it is forever on my heart to share what works for me here at Honey Hill Farm.  I am always learning myself and it is a joy to find better and easier and more beautiful ways to keep my home.  I never realized that my true delight in tending my home and family could be considered a ministry.....but I do believe that helping others to find their Homekeeping spirit is a worthwhile endeavor. 

Well now, it is getting late and my robe and slippers are calling out to me....so I will say goodnight Dear Reader.

Yours so truly,

Shan

Providing from Your Pantry.....Part 4

Dearest Readers,

Well, you have looked in the far reaches of every cupboard, shelf and drawer, not to mention your fridge and freezer and now you know for certain those items you have in abundance and those items you will need to re-stock in order to keep your pantry in shape to provide your family with wholesome, delicious and frugal meals.

Now it is time to pull everything together so that you may shop at the Market with confidence and thrift....here are the tools that I use....

I use my Menu board (click for a link to a post with instructions on how to make one), my Winter Menu & the corresponding meal cards, the Market Day Masterlist and my Pantry/Freezer Masterlist and my ever faithful Vis-a-Vis marker. I also have a stash of coupons and the local ads for my favorite Market(s).

First, I look at my local ads and my stash of coupons to get an idea of what is on sale this week and what sale items I can combine with my coupons for maximum savings. 

Next, I scour my Pantry/Freezer Masterlist to remind myself of the stock I currently have on hand. (I keep my Pantry/Freezer list in a protective sheet cover and use a wipe off maker to record the "comings and goings" of my inventory...easy peasy!)

With all of those facts in mind I start planning my menu on my Menu Board, keeping in mind activities planned during the upcoming weeks.

Above you can see the start of menu planning....you can plan a week or a month at a time.  It will depend on how deep your current Pantry is and how much you plan to spend on your groceries.

Note that I plan for a "Lazy Leftover" night and try and have meals that are either crockpot or casserole type meals for the busy weekends. You will be less likely to "order out" if you have a very simple meal to prepare....soup & sandwiches are much less expensive than a pizza!

I check off the meals (the protective sheet cover and marker come to my assistance once again!) to make sure I keep variety in my planning.

Here...as they say, is "where the rubber meets the road"! This is when you make decisions that keep you within your budget and help you build your Pantry at the same time.

Now is the time I can decide if it would be best to "shop" in my freezer for the chicken (bought on sale, of course) I need, or would it be prudent to stock-up on the beef that is on sale at the Market? Perhaps I will serve more meatless dishes and continue to stock-up on meat for later in the year when I know money will be tight?

Now is the time I choose what Veggies & Fruits I will serve with each meal.  Will they be fresh ( I only buy on sale and in season), or would the frozen or canned items I have stored be a more appropriate choice?

Maybe I will only purchase the perishables I need this week and I will save the rest of my Market Day Budget to use later in the month when the store runs its big Memorial Day sale!  

What freedom and frugality a well-stocked, well-ordered Pantry provides!

Any surplus money at the end of each month can be devoted to:

re-stocking depleted inventory

deepening & widening variety of inventory

upcoming events, i.e. BBQ's, Picnics

canning/freezing supplies

In time you will notice a pattern and gentle rhythm to your Pantry.  You will see trends at the Market and can anticipate when certain items routinely go on sale.  It will become easier and less complicated to keep your Pantry stocked and inventoried when it becomes part of your homekeeping routine. 

What a daily comfort it will be Dear Reader, when you can shop right there at home!  How utterly calm you will be during times of sickness or crisis when you know that you still can provide your family with a delicious and thrifty meal. 

And go ahead and smile when your dear Husband sweetly remarks that he just doesn't know how you do it! How can you put together such lovely meals, stay on budget and stock a Pantry?  Your whole household will be much happier....trust me.

So Dear Reader, put on your coat and gloves, grab your coupons and your Market Day Masterlist and head out to the store.  You will find a sense of confidence as you purposefully go about your shopping.  You are indeed a good steward of the blessings that God has provided for you!

        You are Providing Meals from Your Pantry!

I will be back on Wednesday with some tips on storing all your lovely Pantry goods.

Yours so kindredly,

Shan

Providing from Your Pantry.....Part 3

Dearest Readers,

Well....are you still with me?  I am sure you are worn-out thinking about 31 days worth of food....from breakfast until bedtime we seem to be feeding our families.  Now that you have it on paper, it should make it so much easier to begin Providing Meals from Your Pantry!

But wait....hmmm....is that Pumpkin Pie Spice in your cupboard?  It's not on your list, but you do need it for baking during the Holiday season.  How about that frozen cheesecake?  What about the 48 rolls of T.P. down in the basement? 

Ah Ha!  Dear Reader, we are headed to the MOST important part of our journey.......your current PANTRY INVENTORY.   Yikes! You run extremely fast Dear Reader!  Please turn around and join me, won't you?

PANTRY INVENTORY.  Two words that can send shivers down the most intrepid Homekeeper's spine.  It is the time spent looking in each cupboard, sideboard, fridge and freezer that enables each of us to look well into the ways of our households.

The easiest way to go about tracking your inventory is to make yourself a copy of your current "MarketDay Masterlist" and re-label it "Pantry Masterlist" (I even go so far as to print my on blue paper, so I don't confuse the two). 

You already have about 95 percent of the items you routinely stock on your list...now you will want to track how much of each you have on hand.  For instance, I have Chicken___ on my list.  After looking in my freezer I have 3 meal size (according to my family's needs) servings of Chicken so I am going to write 3 in the little space.  You might want to keep track of things by the pound or how many of each item...you decide what works for you.

When you come to....and believe me, you will come to items that are not on your list, just put them down on a piece of paper and later, when you stop for tea, add them onto your list (don't forget to record the quantity). 

This is the perfect time to check expiration dates and decide if the item should be kept on hand.  I found a spice jar in the back of my cupboard that is so old that the jar has become a collectible item! I don't know about you, but the old adage of "out of sight, out of mind" is never more true than when it comes to food and household goods.

Why is it that I always have enough T.P. to last until the end of time, but run out of Peanut Butter regularly?  INVENTORY!  Keeping track of what we have and what we need are two of the most important things we can do to keep our budget and homes in order. 

So Dear Reader, I will leave you until Monday, when once again, we will take another step in Providing Meals from your Pantry! I promise that at some point you actually will go to the Market......honestly.

Yours kindredly,

Shan

P.S.  Just a reminder.....if you should find that you have 12 cans of salmon on hand that no one will eat, please remember the food banks and shelters.  Need knows no season.

Providing from Your Pantry.....Part 2

Dearest Readers,

I hope that you have had time to complete your "homework".  If not, do not fret, just catch up when you have the time.

In order to complete the next step, please take out any cookbooks, recipe boxes or binders where you store the recipes for the 31 Dinnertime Meals that you have selected.

I keep my recipes in a Recipe Binder that is divided into categories

Each recipe is in a protective sheet cover and the "dividers" are just cardstock with a pretty picture cut out of magazines that have been labeled with stick-on tabs.

Okay, now I want you to write down categories such as: Meat, Dairy, Grains & Pastas, etc.  Under each category begin listing the ingredients in your recipes....don't indicate amounts, just the item, i.e. cheese, pickles, pork chops, etc.  Don't list anything twice. You can do this with pencil and paper or create a document on your computer. 

Here is what my list looks like.....

I put a little _____space beside each listing.  I created mine in Word and just used the layout for 3 columns. 

When you have completed listing ingredients for the Dinnertime Meals, you will want to do the same thing for items you serve with your Dinner....your Breads/Rolls and your families favorite Veggies & Fruit (canned or frozen or fresh). 

Now to make sure you shop either at the Market or from your Pantry for everything you will need to feed your family you will want to also list Lunch items, Breakfast items, Snack items, Drink items and Dessert items, etc. that you serve in a typical month.  For instance, I make cookies each week so I will look at my favorite cookie recipes and make sure the ingredients for each are represented on this list.  Don't feel overwhelmed just do each section one at a time. This will go pretty fast, as so many things we make use the same ingredients!

After you have added all the food items, you will want to add Paper products, Cleaning supplies, Pet food, etc.  Keep making categories that make sense to you and the way you shop.

Finally, add a section for MISC and a few blank lines.  You will use these for those once in awhile items that you purchase/stock for special holidays, picnics, potlucks, etc.

Dear Reader, you look exhausted!  Please sit down and have a cup of tea....you've earned it.

I will be back on Friday and we will move forward to the next step.

 I remain kindredly yours,

Shan

Providing from Your Pantry.....

Dearest Readers,

I would like to introduce a new feature here at Honey Hill Farm.  A Series of helpful hints to help you "Provide Meals from your Pantry".

I have been a Wife and Mother for 26 years and would love to share some of the tried and true methods that have worked through blessedly bountiful and downright trying times as I endeavored to put a healthy, frugal and tasty meal on the table for our family of five.

There will be homework, but do not fret Dear Reader, I am a very gentle teacher and you are sure to receive an 'A'.  So, with that said your first homework assignment is:

Make a list of 31 Dinnertime Meals your family loves!

(These should be Family Favorites that you already know how to make)

Here is an example:

Crockpot Lasagna

1 hr. French Bread

Veggie/Fruit

You'll note that I do not list a specific Veggie or Fruit....I will explain this as we progress through the series...I promise that it will all make sense!

I will be back on Wednesday and we will continue to the next step.

You may copy the artwork above if you would like to announce this series on your blog.  I would love to bless any and all who would like to join us.

Yours so kindredly,

Shan

P.S. I have a Winter Menu and a Summer Menu, each with 31 meals.  We eat differently depending on the season, so do keep that in mind for your family.