My subconscious shopping challenge

I say subconscious, because I didn't plan on doing this.  It kind of happened.  I haven't shopped at Aldi, Coles or Woolworths since before Christmas!

I have been relying on things I stored in my cupboards, and topped up anything else I required from my local IGA.  I purchased my meat from my local meat market and my fruit and veggies from my local growers market.

I was getting a little low on some things like flour, sugar, shampoo, hand soap and tissues so did a big grocery shop at Aldi today but could have continued on for a few weeks yet with what I had.  I had to replace lots of things I had used up as well. *Sigh* I realised I missed shopping though.  I do like to 'gather' things ;D

I also bought ahead for the 2011 Food Storage Challenge :D

Just for the fun of it, I read this article.  It had me laughing.  My Aldi is pretty subdued compared to this article, and I like to browse (especially as I hadn't been for 4 months and there were lots of new products).  I did have a lady come up to me and tell me that caffeine was bad for my bones after she asked me to check the label on something for her.  Interesting...I didn't even have a caffeine-loaded product in my trolley at all! http://www.mamamia.com.au/weblog/2011/02/have-you-survived-an-aldi-shopping-experience.html

How long do you think you could rely on your food storage/pantry?

Week 17 of the 2011 Food Storage Challenge

$10 Challenge
Store 2 cans tuna and 1 can soup

$20 Challenge
Store 4 cans tuna and 2 cans soup

Yes folks, we're back to the ole tuna and soup again. 

Remember you can vary this. Store different varieties of soup.  Ready made soup is great, condensed soup, packet soup mix  (ie French Onion or Chicken Noodle - add to casseroles etc).  You can even substitute for canned ready made meals such as Irish Stew, Sausages and veggies, braised steak and onion etc.

I have to stock up on more tuna...my son found my stash and has been having a field day eating his favourite thing.  He recommended I store lots (a years supply LOL) of flavoured tuna because he can eat it with crackers, bread, leftover plain pasta or just with a spoon straight out of the tin.

If you DO want to store flavoured tuna to eat as a lunch alternative for your food storage, make sure you stock up on crackers or the like as well. 

The image comes from this yummy looking recipe, which is gluten free (if you are looking for recipes like that): http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/b/2011/03/30/gluten-free-tuna-casserole-economical-and-wildly-popular-at-my-house.htm

Low Priority Non-food Storage Items

If you and your family want to have a complete storage system, you could store everything imaginable!  However to finance this kind of supply in the short term (just like your food storage) would present financial difficulties.  You don't need to do it overnight though.  It is a long term project within the financial and time capacity of the family.  It probably should also be done in an orderly, systematic manner and not strain your income.

The following will give you some ideas of what you could store:-

KITCHEN

Aluminium foil
Plastic wrap
Can openers
Detergents/cleaning solutions
Disinfectant
Napkins
Plastic plates
Plastic bags
Paper Towels
Hand sanitiser
Rubber Gloves

Okay, so I'm not a huge fan of paper plates being used constantly, but when you have no water for a week, it is a blessing!  You don't want to use your precious drinking water on washing up.

GARDEN ITEMS

Hoe/Mattock
Poles for staking veggies
Rake
Seeds
Shovel
String
Hose


HEAT AND LIGHT

Candles
Torch and batteries
Matches
Woodpile


PERSONAL

Brushes and combs
Deodorant
Shampoo/Conditioner
Soap
Hand Sanitiser
'Feminine products'
Toilet Paper
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Baby products (if you have a baby)
First Aid Kit


LAUNDRY

Bleach
Disinfectant
Soaps/Detergents
Laundry Powder (if you don't want to make your own)


MISCELLANEOUS

Bedding
"How to" information books
Garbage bags
Radio (battery or wind up)
Small parts (nuts, bolts, screws, nails etc)
Tent
Tool kit


CLOTHING

Buttons
Material
Clothing (ready made)
Patterns
Pins and needles
Shoes
Scissors/shears
Thread

Have I forgotten anything?  These are basics, so if there's anything else that your family would use (that isn't food), write it on your list.

Week 16 of the 2011 Food Storage Challenge

$10 Challenge

Store $10 worth of Sandwich Spreads

$20 Challenge

Store $20 worth of Sandwich Spreads

I love the freedom of this challenge.  You get to store whatever tickles your fancy.  We have already stored quite a bit of honey, but you don't want to be eating only honey on your bread if you have to rely on your food storage.  These spreads go really well with damper or flatbreads if you don't have yeast to be able to make your own bread (as I didn't when I was living on my food storage - now I know you can store yeast in the freezer ;D ).

Here are some ideas on what to store:-


Nutella (or equivalent)
Peanut Butter (crunchy or smooth)
Jam  - so many varieties to choose from (conserve or 'chunky')
Cream Cheese
Vegemite (or equivalent)
Mustard pickles/relish
Tuna Spread (plain, sweet corn and mayonnaise or tomato and basil etc)
Marmalade
Jellies (mint and garlic, port and clove, lemon and thyme etc great on a cold meat sandwich such as roast beef or lamb.)


There are some really weird spreads out there too.  I have to confess that I DO have a strange looking American product called 'Baconnaise".  It really is bizarre but tastes oh so good warm cold cooked potatoes and sprinkled with chives when I'm craving something salty.  Not telling you to go out and buy it though as mine came with a chocolate offer I just couldn't refuse!  It does taste just like bacon flavoured mayonnaise.  Two flavours I like very much! I also have assorted mustards in my pantry cupboard as well.

Week 15 of the 2011 Food Storage Challenge

$10 Challenge

Store 6 packets of pasta

$20 Challenge

Store 12 packets of pasta

It is an awful lot of pasta, or so it seems. If you are big pasta eaters like my family, 6 packets really only lasts us two to 3 weeks - and that's with some variety. When we were living on food storage, we would eat pasta every second night because it was so cheap and easy to store.

There are lots of kinds of pasta out there: spaghetti, fettuccine, pene, spirals, shells, macaroni to name a few. Store different varieties and store the kinds you would use. You don't want to be having to think of new and weird ways to use up your food storage while you're actually on it.

I have heard that if your pantry is prone to weevils, just like flour, you can put your (egg-free) pasta in the freezer for a day or two and that should kill them. I store mine in its packaging in my pantry cupboard (which thankfully has been weevil free for a LONG time now :D). I will be purchasing another 35L storage tub for pasta alone. That will ensure I have enough, it will be away from insects and rodents (and house bunnies who like to poke their noses where they are not always wanted!) I will also rotate this pasta with my general pantry items so it gets used up and replaced as we go.

If you really want to store your pasta for a long time, it has been known to last almost as long as flour. You can store it in foil pouches with oxygen absorbers and it can last for 10 years or more (so I've heard - I haven't actually stored mine for this long though...).

What to do with your pasta

So now you have your supply of pasta, what can you do with it?

1. Pasta with pasta sauce is the easiest. Fry some onion (and garlic if you so desire), add your pasta sauce. Heat through. Add herbs and salt/pepper to taste. Spoon over pasta (or mix together if you're like my husband). Add cheese (or long life Parmesan).
2. Pasta Bolognaise
3. Pasta Salad
4. Tuna Mornay with pasta (a good way to use up your milk powder)
5. Flavoured tuna mixed with hot cooked pasta. Mix in tasty cheese and sprinkle with parsley. A favourite of my children - and so easy to do.
6. Macaroni and cheese
7. Pasta, tinned corn, tuna and mayonnaise.
8. Pasta, bacon, herbs and tomato sauce. Add chili for some 'punch'
9. Pesto and pasta
10. Pasta bake

Just some things off the top of my head. Hubby spent a few years in Italy and ate pasta daily. Of course he varied it and surprisingly he still loves it!

If you don't like pasta or don't have enough room to store this amount, do your best. Store something else or store what you are able to. Even two days is better than none!

April Challenge - First Aid Kit

The challenge for this month is to store a First Aid Kit suitable for your family. If you already have a First Aid Kit, ensure that the one you do have is replenished, and everything in it is good to go.

Week 14 of the 2011 Food Storage Challenge

$10 Challenge

Store 5kg of wheat or flour

$20 Challenge

Store 10 kgs of wheat or flour

Ahhh now we've come to the 'good' stuff. I LOVE hot bread. The smell of it baking especially on a Winter's morning is just wonderful. Hot bread with butter...

I personally store both wheat and flour. I dont' have a hand grinder for my wheat, but I do have a Thermomix which will grind grains (including wheat and rice!!!).

Wheat

Nutrition benefits of wheat:

You don't want to store this if you are gluten intolerant though. If stored properly, wheat will last for a very long time. We're talking over 30 years and it still being able to sprout.

I purchased a hard white wheat, which will last for a long time. The hard wheats are the best ones to use for bread making. Soft wheat is used for cakes and pastries however doesn't store for quite as long.

You can sprout the wheat and eat the sprouts if you need some 'green' in your diet. I have tasted 'swamp water' before and I have to say that I would need to be really desperate to drink that! It really tastes like the smell of cut grass, if you can imagine that!

Remember also that you probably don't want to switch from eating store bought flour to whole wheat flour immediately unless you are already using whole wheat in your diet. People can develop intolerances to wheat by doing this.

Ground whole wheat flour needs to be used up fairly quickly or it will go rancid - because of the natural oil it contains. Store it in your freezer and it will last longer. Simply bring the amount you want to use to room temperature and put the rest in the freezer.

Flour

All the hard work of milling has already been done for you. You lose some of the fibre but you are still able to make bread, tortillas, cakes and even pasta by using your stored flour. If stored properly, it can last a long time too.

The biggest problems with both wheat and flour are weevils. I store mine in foil pouches with oxygen absorbers and haven't had a problem yet. Weevils can't survive without oxygen. I have heard that after you have purchased your flour, if you put it in the freezer for a day or two, it will kill off any weevils that may be hiding in the flour.

Types of flour

Okay, now we're getting tricky. Usually I store just wheat flour (plain flour) but you can also store different types of flour for variety - depending on what you plan on cooking. You can store rice flour, cornflour, self-raising flour, semolina, spelt flour etc.

You have to keep all flour cool and dry. Do not store flour near onions or soap or things with a strong smell as flour will absob the smell (Mmmm soap flavoured cake!). I store plain flour and baking powder so I can have self-raising flour when I need it.