Let’s Talk Turkey!
Since Sarah Polk, wife of President James K. Polk, hosted the first traditional White House Thanksgiving dinner featuring a turkey, the turkey has remained as the symbol of our Thanksgiving celebration. Once put forward as our national bird (somehow just wouldn’t be quite the same as an eagle), the humble turkey began in this country as a wild bird is now the main star of holiday dinners. The average American consumes 14.7 pounds of turkey per day, with some attempting to eat their quota on Thanksgiving Day.
Read MoreAfter-Holiday Sales – Now?!
What? How can there be after-holiday sales now? Quite simple, my Frugal Friends: Halloween has become one of America’s biggest spending holidays which means that retailers load up on all sorts of Halloween merchandise that goes well beyond costumes for the wee ones. The merchandise extends throughout the store and if you shop smartly this week, you are likely to snag great deals on all sorts of items that will help you be better prepared, more organized, stock your pantry and have money left in your pocket!
Read MoreThe Prepared Pantry: 30-Day Supply
One of the first steps in establishing a Prepared Pantry is to gather together and maintain at least a 30-day supply of food. This 30-day supply should include 2 weeks of food that you could eat with little or no cooking. If you have a 30-day, work to extend it to a 3 month supply of foods you normally eat. No matter which goal you are working to achieve, the basic guidelines of smart shopping, wise storage and rotation will all apply.
First, you should store foods that are ‘shelf stable’, which means that they do not require refrigeration until opened, have a fairly long shelf life and are not terribly temperamental about moderate changes in temperature. Though most foods store best away from direct sunlight and in temperatures less than 75 degrees, many shelf stable foods are not as finicky, at least in the short run. It is never a good idea to invest money in food that will only spoil before you can eat it! When purchasing food, be certain to check the expiration dates. While some foods, such as dry beans, have a stable shelf life, ‘sale’ items and discount stores often sell product that is closer to the expiration date. Most shelf stable foods are still edible beyond their expiration date, but lose quality, flavor and sometimes nutrition.
Some ideas of foods that store for at least three months (most store for a year) include: (items in italics could be included in your 2 week supply)
- Canned/bottled goods—protect from freezing and extreme heat– soups, fruits, vegetables, stews, chili, meats, beans, juice, canned milk, vanilla and other extracts, broth and soup stock, oil, vinegar (less fragile with regards to temperature), salad dressing, pickles, ketchup, mustard, peanut butter, jelly & jams, honey, icing, shortening, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, prepared spaghetti sauce
Dry goods—rice, flour, baking soda, baking powder, pancake mixes, cake mixes, misc. baking mixes, powdered milk, yeast, salt and seasonings, oatmeal, cereal, sugars (white, brown, powdered), candy, chocolate chips, pasta, macaroni and cheese type ‘dinners’, dry soup mixes, ramen noodles, jello, pudding mixes, gravy and other mixes, taco shells, parmesan cheese, baby formula (every family with an infant should store at least one can, even if baby is breastfed), instant breakfast mixes, granola bars, pretzels, some tortilla chips, some crackers including graham crackers, some cookies, egg powder, artificial sweeteners
Freezer—meats–cooked and raw, cheese, most baked goods, vegetables, fruits, ice cream – nearly anything you can freeze has at least a three month life. The one exception may be fresh crab meat.
You can calculate a 30-day supply by simply preparing menus of simple foods for 3 meals a day x 30 days, listing every ingredient. Do not forget to calculate that in many types of emergencies you may not have electricity and you may be eating all of your meals at home. Now, make a master shopping list and you are ready to shop! With that master list, you can watch for sales, take advantage of markdowns and end up saving money!
A good guideline to follow for a 30-day supply for two average adults should include:
- 10 lbs of rice
10 lbs of pasta
10 lbs of oats
9 lb of fresh meat for freezer
10 lb of canned meat
10 cans of tomato sauce
or spaghetti sauce
10 cans of fruit
10 lbs of sugar or honey
1 bottle of vanilla extract
5 lb of dried beans or 10lb of canned beans (mix & matching is good)
1 lb of salt–salt is cheap & can be used for many things, so stock up even more
2 lbs of peanut butter
1 box pancake mix
5 lb of flour
1 jar of yeast
10 cans of soup or stew or chili
15 cans of vegetables
1 bottle pancake syrup
2 lb of powdered milk
1 lb of baking powder
1 lb of baking soda
1/2 gallon of cooking oil or shortening
1 large jar jelly or jam
1 lb parmesan cheese or other shelf stable cheese (or cheese in freezer)
1 lb crackers
2 lb raisins or other dried fruit
10 cans of tuna or other canned meat
cinnamon and other spices
1 jar mayonnaise
As always, plan according to your family’s needs, tastes, health concerns and budget!
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