Building a Pantry Part 1

With the weather starting to change and the tides of our world doing flip flops, I thought it was as good a time as any to talk about my pantry. Now my pantry will differ from the one that you have due to the fact that we don't like the same things. But there will be some similarities and that is what we are going to disscuss.

For the very basic pantry:
Grain
Salt
Milk
Sugar
Oil
Beans
Water (beverages)

Now this will give you plenty to eat. Even though it might not taste very good day after day after day... Well, you get the picture.
So lets expand on it a bit.

Pasta
Condiments
Veggies
Fruits
Seasonings
Baking items
Snacks
(Baby food)
(Pet food)

And you don't want to be caught without your favorite cleaning products so:

Personal cleaning products
Household cleaning products
(paper items)
First aid

First let me say that the things in Parenthsis are only if you have the need to purchase those items. For me no babies, so I don't need to stock up on formula or diapers. But I wanted to include them into the list for those of you that do need them.

To build a pantry or expand one, don't think that you need to spend a ton of money all at one time. And please don't go and buy a years worth of miso paste unless you use it. Even if you got it on sale, it is still a waste of money if it doesn't get used. If the urge strikes and you do have the money all at once then that is also your choice. But for most of us money is an issue. And with that being the case I can't order a prepackaged year supply of freeze dried food. As nice as it would be to have on the shelf, I prefer to make up my pantry the Heirloom Way*! (Yep, this is my term, meaning an old fashioned way of doing things*. I only point this out because of all the confusion with trademarking intellectual property.)

Since we don't have a huge tract of land to grow on and aren't allowed livestock, we do what we can. I am able to grow some of our food and we eat it fresh and I also preserve the rest. What I can't grow I tend to buy at the Farmer's markets. I still buy meat from my butcher. I prefer it to the big box store meat in a tube. Like I said that is my preferance, if it's not your that's kewl too! Recently, I was able to go to the LDS and get grains for my pantry. I use lots of it when I bake. So keeping it on hand is a blessing. Before I went there I was making my purchases at an Amish community store. It was a three and a half hour drive one way but really worth it.

Anyways I'm getting off track.  So there you have the basics. I will work on part two over the weekend and it should be up by Monday!

Gotta Run,
Yart