Besides not having all those last minute runs to the store just to make a meal because you forgot you needed something, “Convenience” might not exactly be the term thought of to describe cooking out of your pantry or home storage. In fact, “Convenience” may seem rather elusive as you stare at barrels of rice, beans, dry milk and giant cans of tomatoes. Just contemplating dealing with pasta or oats down in the dark recesses of your basement or closet can seem overwhelming at times. This isn’t fast food take out.
I’ve found that most things in life that I am happy about have taken two things… at least! First, I rearrange my attitude and look at the positive side and second, I think outside the box. So how do I make rotating long term food storage into my everyday cooking “convenient” enough to be “livable”?
I rearrange my attitude first and remind myself that cooking this way is saving me money and helps me to live within my means. It is healthier too. I have peace of mind knowing that I am prepared as well and not wasting what I have. All of those things are good for me and good for my family. Only then can I make the effort to do what is needed in the kitchen.
Accessibility:
Accessibility is a key issue and if you have to run up and down the stairs 5 times while the kids are running wild and the pots on the stove are boiling over while you search with a flashlight and sweep away cobwebs then your long term food storage is not accessible enough for every day. It is not convenient and if it is not convenient you won’t use it. There are a few different ways to attack this successfully. First, think of how often you use various products. I don’t want to lug 25 pounds of flour in a barrel upstairs and back down again every time I bake something. I tried putting flour in a smaller container under my cupboard. But as my family grew I found I was feeling really annoyed at how often I was having to go and refill my flour container from my food storage. I use a lot of flour just with baking the bread. Now I just keep the 25 pound barrel of flour under the bench seating I have for my children. That bench also stores under the table against the wall during the day until we pull the table out for mealtimes in the evening and thus the barrel of flour is conveniently accessible in the quantity I need, yet hidden and out of the way right in my little kitchen except when I need it. The barrel has an easy on/off lid too. My beans do not have an easy off lid but it was a free barrel in that case and I don’t go into it very frequently. Most things, however, I do not need in such large quantities as I do flour. Good thing too or I’d run out of space quickly. I find that most things like popcorn kernels, beans, dried tomatoes, pastas, jams and fruits fit very nicely in convenient and attractive Mason jars on my open shelving. Make some containers pretty or stylish. Other things like various sugars, cornmeal and powdered milk fit in labeled midsize plastic containers in my cupboard. These items last me for a while in the kitchen because I am storing them in handy portions upstairs and only occasionally do I have to go downstairs to refill the container. That is quicker than a run to the store… cheaper too. My food is now accessible. I can live with this.
Planning:
Have you ever had a house full of food but nothing to eat? It seems to happen often. I am a big fan of planning. Planning will help you to utilize what you have and so will automatically help you to rotate through your food storage. It will minimize those unplanned trips out to eat or 5 night s in a row of pasta at home. Planning will help you to effectively and efficiently organize your time to accomplish more. And planning to use food storage will save you money too. Here’s how I do it.
Once a week I sit down with my dry erase board and markers and plan my menu. When I'm using a recipe I include the book and page number. Dry erase lets me change my mind easily at any time. I meal plan based off of what I currently have in the house and what needs to be used in my fridge or freezer first. I take my garden into consideration as well, during growing months. And then I look at my shelves. If potatoes have been at a good, low price and I have those on my shelf then I will use those instead of rice. If I have not been able to buy potatoes that month then rice or a pasta side it will be. Do I have small amounts of a variety of vegetables in the garden or freezer? I can toss those into soup, especially good if I still have frozen ham or turkey bones. I save leftover vegies from other meals for this purpose. Do I have a lot of spinach or lettuce right now from the garden or my last trip to the store that needs to get used? If I do then I can get some beans and spices ready for a taco salad or plan several green salads for a serving of vegetables at lunches and dinners utilizing my spices and oils for homemade salad dressings. Is it time to make a large pot of spaghetti sauce with dried tomatoes or cans of tomatoes? If Jello would make a good dessert then I should make it early enough to set and get the Cool Whip out of the freezer to thaw on time. Figure out what you have fresh first and then look on your pantry shelves. How can you put them together and utilize both? Have a reminder note on each day of your menu that will remind you of what you need to do to prepare or plan for the next day or even for later that same day. Setting out a cup of beans to soak takes nearly no time at all but if you haven’t planned to do it or if you haven’t reminded yourself to do it on time then your planned meal won’t happen, at least not as easily or as cheaply as it could have been. In a nut shell, I plan meals with what I have on hand and make reminders of what I need to do when.
Maintain Flexibility:
Even the best laid plans fall apart sometimes. And that’s OK. Days don’t always go as planned. If homemade bread for sandwiches doesn’t get made in time there is no need for a quick dash to the drive through. Simply check the menu and switch to a fast and easy pasta dish or some soup that you had planned for another time. Save the sandwiches for tomorrow. You are still serving nutritious foods and staying within your budget. Your plans are still a success. I know I’m a huge advocate of dried beans but keep a few cans of them as well as tuna and soup on the shelf. Then, no matter what, it’s “Fast Food” Food Storage style!
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