No new recipes to share this week. I've hardly cooked at all this week but I do have all the ingredients for this recipe for Ground turkey white bean chili. No, instead we've had lazy meals for several days now and tonight we need to eat leftovers and make some room after my insanely huge grocery shop last night. I felt the effect of being done with my 14 days at home, so off to Aldi I went, intending to just get the things we were out of and grab a can or two of items for the pantry. The store was virtually deserted, but it also was rearranged since my last big shop so I wasn't as efficient as normal and things just started jumping into my cart. Granted some items will be used for Thanksgiving and I do have a college kid coming home in a few days so added some food she likes.
Saturdays plan is to empty the pantry completely, find duplicates, and create a shelf in the laundry room to serve as a residual supply cupboard. When I say stocked up to overflowing, I don't men hoarding. Keep in mind my kitchen pantry is only the width of the wall as it is built into the wall between the kitchen and dining room. Shelves can only hold so much weight so between not wanting to stack to much and the narrow space, the back up storage is needed. My daughter has a similar pantry in her kitchen, but she also has probably twice the cupboards I have. She really hit the kitchen storage jack pot in her place. Funny because her bedroom has one tiny little closet as does the kitchen for coats-but it is deep. I think I've mentioned she has the main floor of a large old house. I think her bedroom was originally a back parlor or living room, not a bedroom at all. She has a pocket door between her bedroom and living room.
I bought items that some have said might get low again like black beans and tomato products. I didn't buy more baking stuff as I am pretty stocked, but I did find pumpkin and added a couple cans, the limit. I also restocked my cream soups and a couple cans of tuna, rice, spaghetti sauce and noodles, and DH's granola bars and almonds. I also topped up snacks-definitely not needed, but I did anyway.. I tried to avoid the freezer section as mine is so full, I can hardly fit an ice cube in it right now. I bought a gyro kit though since it can stay in the refrigerator for five days and I though that would work nice for supper on Friday when we get back from the college. I didn't even bother unpacking a couple bags. They also had disinfectant wipes, so I grabbed the one cannister limit. I even managed to buy a couple Christmas gifts.
Its low entertainment in my house but it feels good to restock. It will also feel good to have the pantry organized and well planned for the coming weeks. I still need my turkey and a few other things for next Thursdays meal, but much of what was needed was in this shop because it didn't require freezer or refrigerator. How do you manage your extra pantry supplies? Do you have different storage places for surplus or does all fit in your kitchen?
I have always kept a well-stocked pantry because that's what I saw my parents doing (although admittedly they had seven kids and went through rationing after the war!!!!). Having my son here now will help me to get through some of that stuff but you're right, it's keeping a pantry, not hoarding. When I went grocery shopping last week a lady in front of me had taken 10 kg of flour and they made her put six back - which I was glad to see actually!
ReplyDeleteDo you buy flour in individual KG bags? I tend to buy in 5 lb bags, and I think sugar generally come sin 4 pound bags. I only recall early in the pandemic days when I stopped after my last shift in the Emergency Operations center to do a quick stop and shop, a women had grabbed 10 loaves of bread and the limit I think was four. She was so mad! This was as the full Stay at home order was starting and the supply chains were low on some items. If people observe limits, there is plenty for all. I hate to think about what was wasted last spring with all those people buying way more than could possibly be used.
DeleteYes our flour/sugar and so on is in 1 kg bags (although you can get bigger in some stores) and as we were limited to 4kg they made her put 6 kg back. And you're right, if everyone was reasonable it wouldn't be a problem. Actually I went shopping today and there really were no shortages and we're going into our 4th week of lockdown. It just takes a bit of decency doesn't it!
DeleteIt would all fit in Tommy's kitchen, but using the cabinets is still forbidden. So, I keep most of it in a bedroom. The extra shelves I bought serve as primary food storage in kitchen, sort of into the dining room. I was not willing to spend over $2 on Libby's pumpkin, so I will use sweet potatoes for pumpkin pie or bread.
ReplyDeleteFood is just stacked a foot deep in this refrigerator without enough shelves. It has a top shelf and a bottom one because he won't allow the other shelf to be put back in and the crispers are gone. We need to dig it out! Storage is an issue in refrigerator.
It sounds like Tommy is a minimalist and doesn't like ot have too much on hand.
DeleteI'm constantly juggling items between our kitchen pantry, and our space in the garage (a few shelves). We need to install actual shelving in our garage for tools & other things, so for now, it all competes for space.
ReplyDeleteI have plenty of potential places-but that means purging some things that are occupying shelves that we really don't need. (Children's easter baskets and pumpkins for Trick or treat? My youngest is 19!)
DeleteI just did a big stock up too. I could have gone the rest of the month but have started getting nervous watching the number of covid cases spiking rapidly in my area. Better to restock now before it gets any worse. I do have a separate storage besides me pantry. I have a storage room right behind my kitchen with a shelving unit where I keep all canned and bottled goods along with kitchen appliance and pots and pans that aren't used on a regular basis. Glad you were able to get stocked up :)
ReplyDeleteI also want to be able to drop off meals for DH's mom especially now that new restrictions are coming and then snowy, icy weather. IT will be an opportunity to see her, plus give her some variety
DeleteMy pantry is actually one kitchen drawer. Nowadays, I keep a little more on hand than in the past so, I am using a small plastic shelf in the balcony. I keep most of my canned items there along with extra boxes of pasta. I also have a stock of olive oil which I keep in the balcony. I usually buy 1 kg. of butter, divide it into 5 pieces and keep that in the freezer. I think I still have 500 gr. I am low on meat. I would like to stock up on some chicken and red meat when there is a good sale. Waiting for the next flyer.
ReplyDeleteAfter Thanksgiving and I deal with Turkey leftovers, I'll aim to get more beef, chicken and pork in the freezer. The nice thing about stocking up, not hording, you can get in and out of grocery store with neede ditems, and the few supplies running lower, which will make it safer for everyone
DeleteHonestly, in my 70+ years I've never lived farther than 5 minutes from a supermarket so a large pantry is not a necessity for me. I also see the price of things cycling so unless it's an item I use often, no need to worry about the sale price. I always have baking staples and pantry essentials like olive oil, beans, and a few canned goods so I'm good. I do like to have a 6 pack of TP, extra bottle of laundry detergent and some waxed paper, wrap, foil, etc. I'll say it again- my weekly produce delivery is awesome and I never have to leave the house for it. I think after the pandemic is over, I'm just going to go to Aldi once a month and change my shopping habits.
ReplyDeleteWhat's interesting is I am shopping moree like I did when my kids were young. One big shop, then only to the store when we absolutely run ou tof things. I hated bringing the kids with ot the store so it was easier to plan one night for a big shop alone. I could handle the kids with me for quick stops, but if it was a full week sworth, there was juggling loading the car, babies and toddler in car seats-nope. Now it's about keeping us out of the store to help the common good an dour own risk. Fresh produce delivery sounds wonderful.
DeleteIt's good to have a handle on what you've actually got in stock especially at the moment. Arilx
ReplyDeleteI hope we all, world wide, keep th eno waste mantra going I love that we have very little garbage and recycling these days because we are buying so much less material goods, and not wasting kitchen supplies.
DeleteI made the mistake of going to Aldi this morning. It was crazy, so I don't plan on going back there anytime soon. Will be sad since the peppermint chocolate cookies are out next week. Thanks for the tip about the red bag aldi chicken. It does taste like chick-fil-a, and makes an easy supper. Sometimes I just want easy. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI don't have much storage pantry space in my kitchen, but I should be stocked up for a bit.
My daughter said Aldi was cruzy yesterday and she went around 3:00 in the afternoon I think. It was loser to 6:00 on Tuesday when I went so I think I missed the afterwork rush, plus they were well stocked. I got the red bag chicken tip form the Aldi facebook page. I've never hd chick-fil-a so nothing to compare but we did really enjoy it. I didn't buy any this time since I had some chicken strips already, plus the little chicken portions, plus, fresh chicken.
DeleteI am stocking my pantry, even though I always keep a well stocked one. I want to be able to survive a potential lock down without having to resort to grocery delivery again.
ReplyDeleteAccording to my kids I am a food hoarder, but never one of those who buy multiples at once, thus wiping out the stock for everyone else. I think I am more of an accumulator who buys what I need for the wee , plus a couple of extra things each trip. Over a couple of months it really does add to the food storage.
My kids shake their heads at me too at times on how much of certina items we have, especially now jus tthe to of us. Think they get it a bit more now. Pasta will go on sale 10 for something, r canned goods go on sale 4 for something, so it is easy to accumulate. I think as long as it is stuff used, it ;s stocking up-not hoarding. And being in Minnesota, it is hard to tak eth elast of anything!
DeleteThis is the time of year I actually will stock for almost the whole year. With the garage reorganization I can easily put away the items I am stocking up on now.
ReplyDeleteThe really good sales seem to be non-existent, but I think we all liked to take advantage when you can buy our favorite past for $ .80 a box rather than $1.19, or get that extra multi-pack of TP when on sale, plus you have coupons. I just want to know I can stay in as much as possible and still have our needs and maybe a few indulgences met.
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