Modern Food Storage
So apparently a world-wide pandemic does happen in your lifetime. AND you get to stay at home FOREVER, and feed your family, every single day. Why are they always hungry?
I consider myself a pretty prepared person. My husband and I have food storage. We plan. We try to stay within a budget, (we meaning him….) sometimes me too. We even have toilet paper before it became a thing to buy in mass supply!
But with all that said, this Covid-19, pandemic, quarantine, and stay-at-home plans, sure put what we didn’t have enough of in the fore front. Like up close and personal. There were things I thought I had enough of…. but when I went to restock, there was NOTHING left. Did that happen to you too?
I have 5 Food Storage Essentials, areas of #foodstorage that I needed to have more of, and things I wish I had…. even just a piece of. Like my favorite salted caramel dark chocolate. Ugh. Schooling my kiddos really took a toll on me. And I will need all summer to regain my strength, before we may possibly start again.
Go here, to watch the video of my essentials with Studio 5.
First things first.
1. LIQUIDS
Broth
Canned Tomatoes
Gatorade
Juices
Protein Powder or protein shakes
Even though I planned meals out, in my food storage, I seemed to go through broth and tomatoes SO FAST. I mean, they go in EVERYTHING. Broth is good for soup, stew, sauces, pastas, chili and more. Canned tomatoes are in pretty much the same things, and we eat these all the time. Plus they are cheap, shelf stable, and easy to keep on hand.
We love our morning smoothies, and my son likes to have a Gatorade after he mows the law.
So, I am going to double what I had…. to be a little more prepared in the LIQUIDS area of essential food storage.
2. BAKING SUPPLIES
Yeast
Baking Powder
Kosher salt (or table salt)
Do you have wheat or flour? Sugar? Raise your hand!!! ((ME))
Do you have enough baking yeast, baking powder and kosher salt to make breads, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, fresh tortillas and your favorite cinnamon rolls? Many a baking friend ran out of these important ingredients. I came close to running out of baking powder and was able to find some. But these items were in short supply. Who knew baking and carbs would get us through? Well, now we know.
3. FROZEN FOODS
When fresh isn’t available, what’s the NEXT best thing? Frozen. Frozen tastes so close to fresh, and sometimes you can’t even tell. Stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables, even chicken nuggets, pizza, egg burritos, ice cream. Especially fruits and vegetables. Fresh and frozen foods, mixed with shelf staples, makes a meal even better.
4. PERSONAL ITEMS
Body wash
Facial wipes
Moisturizing gel
Makeup
Citrus hand lotion
and nice HAND SOAP!!!!! (Who would have thought)
Favorite lotion, hand soap, body wash, facial wipes??? What are some favorite items you use every day, that you can’t live without? What are the items you use every single day? Do you have some on reserve? Back ups? Do you have a good supply of feminine hygiene products for the women in your home? Sometimes at the end of the day, you need a bubble bath. Even give yourself a pedicure….. to make a hard day a little better. A nice treat goes a long way for some much needed #selfcare in the middle of a pandemic.
5. COMFORT FOOD
Salted Caramel Chocolate
Patak’s Tikki Masala
Bai
Frozen Sirlon Philly Steak
Here’s my take on things. When you go through something really hard, I mean pandemic hard, you need comfort food items. Items the whole family will enjoy. Items that eaten every once in a while, they can calm you. Make you feel like everything is okay. Make you feel comfort, in a time of stress. For me, it’s a drink of Perk Energy around 3 pm after a long day of school, work or just because. It’s our favorite Tikki Masala, with rice, that tastes like our favorite take out…. it’s a sharing a piece of chocolate at the end of a LONG day with your spouse.
What items would you add to your comfort food list?
Tips for stocking up on food storage in a modern world?
Besides hand soap, toilet paper, wheat, and other basics, how can sock up on these things responsibly?
Buy 1 NOW, and buy 1 for LATER.
You won’t blow your budget, you will be able to collect a modern food storage, you will be able to get the things you need.
Make your list, check it twice.
What are your top 10 meals your family loves? They must all come from food storage or shelf cooking. Can you make a menu full of items that come directly from your pantry?
Here’s our TOP 10:
Tikki Masala- Patak’s Tikki Masala sauce, garbanzo beans, dehydrated onions, frozen kale, rice
Beef Tacos- Canned shredded beef, hard taco shells, guacamole salsa, dehydrated onions, black beans
Spaghetti- Marinara sauce, noodles, Parmesan cheese, green beans (vegetable)
BLT Gnocchi- Gnocchi, alfredo sauce, bacon bits, canned tomatoes, basil
Chili- Broth, beans, frozen beef, green chilies, canned tomatoes
Ham Fried Rice- Rice, freeze dried ham, red peppers, dehydrated onions, spicy yum yum sauce, frozen vegetables
Pizza Mac N Cheese- Boxed mac n cheese, sausage (frozen or freeze dried), pizza sauce, canned mushrooms & peppers, Parmesan cheese
Turkey Stuffing Casserole- Egg noodles, cream of mushroom soup, freeze dried ham, stuffing
Potato Frittata– Dehydrated potatoes, dehydrated onion, fresh or powdered eggs, frozen grated cheese
Tamale Pie- Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, canned beef, canned corn, canned tomatoes, olives, canned green chilies, taco seasoning
So now what? You’ve written your list (or you can use mine) and you can start right here. Grab a few items each week, and work your way down the list to create enough for 10 of each of these 10 meals. You’ll soon have 100 meals in your pantry. That’s enough for 50 days of lunch and dinners. That’s BIG. Then do it again. And again.
And always, be prepared for your family. And be willing to help those around you. We prepare ourselves for the worse case scenario, whether it’s a job loss, a pandemic, a big medical expense, a death, or anything else that may come our way.
XO, Wendy