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kengrTrying to rationalize food buying/stockpiling
(mostly intended for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fayanora, but others can look if you want to be bored)
Ok, I've got the 25lb of beans and of rice. You should think about building up your own reserve of boring stuff like that. It may be boring, but it;'ll give you a last resort cushion. Lentils and barley are also good choices here.
The rest of this is sort of brainstorming what to get with a monthly foodstamp benefit or other really low budget food shopping.
Flats of various flavors of Ramen are good too. Throw in some veggies and you have a meal. Or you can use the noodles fotr something else and use the flavor packet to flavor rice or other things.
Wish I could find someplace local that sells the Nong Shim one. *Much* better and better flavor too.
The Winco "bacon ends and pieces" is a good buy. Given how long it takes me to go thru a package, I'd budget for 4 packages and toss three in the freezer.
The Bar S sausages are an okay "meat-like substance, and at Winco prices, I'd consider getting 4 packages of those too. Again, one in the fridge, the rest in the freezer.
Veggies are another matter. Big packs of frozen veggies are the best bet if you have the freezer space. If you don't, you need to think ahead and reserve funds to purchase more throughout the moth.
If you like it, oatmeal goes a long way. Get some raisins for it. Or if you are flush dried cranberries or other fun stuff.
Fresh fruit and veggies are a problem. You have to be sure you can eat them before they spoil. Others you are better of with dried or canned.
Spices, flavorings etc.
Bread is a "buy as needed", but you have to track it so you can budget enough.
If I can, I like to have several of the "family size" cans of vegetable beef or chicken noodle soup socked away in the cupboard. Best for days you aren't feeling great. Heat it up and leave on very low heat (but covered!) on the stove and you can get thru the whole day on the one pot plus some bread or stuff.
Cheese and sandwhich meat are both nice, but spendy enough to need rationing. :-(
(mostly intended for
fayanora, but others can look if you want to be bored)Ok, I've got the 25lb of beans and of rice. You should think about building up your own reserve of boring stuff like that. It may be boring, but it;'ll give you a last resort cushion. Lentils and barley are also good choices here.
The rest of this is sort of brainstorming what to get with a monthly foodstamp benefit or other really low budget food shopping.
Flats of various flavors of Ramen are good too. Throw in some veggies and you have a meal. Or you can use the noodles fotr something else and use the flavor packet to flavor rice or other things.
Wish I could find someplace local that sells the Nong Shim one. *Much* better and better flavor too.
The Winco "bacon ends and pieces" is a good buy. Given how long it takes me to go thru a package, I'd budget for 4 packages and toss three in the freezer.
The Bar S sausages are an okay "meat-like substance, and at Winco prices, I'd consider getting 4 packages of those too. Again, one in the fridge, the rest in the freezer.
Veggies are another matter. Big packs of frozen veggies are the best bet if you have the freezer space. If you don't, you need to think ahead and reserve funds to purchase more throughout the moth.
If you like it, oatmeal goes a long way. Get some raisins for it. Or if you are flush dried cranberries or other fun stuff.
Fresh fruit and veggies are a problem. You have to be sure you can eat them before they spoil. Others you are better of with dried or canned.
Spices, flavorings etc.
Bread is a "buy as needed", but you have to track it so you can budget enough.
If I can, I like to have several of the "family size" cans of vegetable beef or chicken noodle soup socked away in the cupboard. Best for days you aren't feeling great. Heat it up and leave on very low heat (but covered!) on the stove and you can get thru the whole day on the one pot plus some bread or stuff.
Cheese and sandwhich meat are both nice, but spendy enough to need rationing. :-(
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Date: 2010-01-18 03:07 am (UTC)They'll also have beans and rice and pasta in bulk; the pasta is of course more expensive than ramen, but since I hate ramen... And there'll be more varieties of beans, etc. available. (I've now got something like three kinds of lentils, and ghods only know how many kinds of beans. I also do not really want to think about how many herbs & spices I have, but there are two double turntables of 'em, plus jam jars of things like the herbs my friends or I have grown & dried, the dill, the mustard seed...)
My diet is much less meat-centered, I suspect.
If you're got the freezer space, when turkeys or chickens are on sale, buy, roast, turn the leftovers into stock & freeze in quart containers, with some of the meat. Easy easy chicken noodle soup, or thicken & add dumplings, or curry.
I've got a pressure canner, and usually can the stock (didn't have the metaphorical spoons this holiday season, but there is some in the freezer.) Another thing you can do with the pressure canner is tomato/marinara sauce - I do it in pint jars, which, with pasta, is a couple of meals for me.
Cheese can be frozen - I buy pre-grated if I can afford it, if not I fire up the processor, then just take out what you need for a meal, and it doesn't start growing biology projects in the back of the fridge. :)
Mmmmmm curry. Now I'm hungry for it, and have none in the freezer.
Bread - I was given a bread machine three years ago, which is a real godsend, since I have wrist problems and kneading is often not an option. It's ... not cheaper than generic reconstituted-styrofoam store bread, but much cheaper than the good whole-grain breads. You can also use it to knead the dough, pull it out after the first rise, and then bake the loaves in the oven, which gives you even more variety. Which reminds me, I'm out of bread.
--g, heading for the kitchen to start the bread robot