Stockpiling

I have been reading a lot of blogs about stockpiling lately and decided to throw my two pennies worth in! Stockpiling is not just for emergency preparedness – but rather it is a way of life for many people – particularly those who closely adhere to a budget – which nowadays is nearly everyone I know! To me, stockpiling means keeping staples on hand and buying often-used items when they are on sale. It also means that I cook large quantities of dishes we like a lot and freezing them to have on-hand for a quick meal. Some folks call this OAMC (once a month cooking), but I am not that organized – I cook large quantities when the mood strikes me or when I get a really good deal on one of the main ingredients, like meat. I like having meals ready to pull out of the freezer on those days when I am not inspired to cook! The other “stockpiling” thing I do is canning and/or dehydrating – “putting up” as my Grandma called it. We are blessed in this nation to have access to many fruits and vegetables all year long – but when something is in season, especially if it is grown locally, I take full advantage of the low prices and can, freeze or dehydrate for future use. My garden also provides many of the things I use – herbs, veggies, etc. But you don’t have to have a huge garden to take advantage of this way of living. It only makes sense to me to be able to put together a healthy meal, or luscious homemade baked goods by going to my pantry or freezer and pulling out everything I need. Check out some of these ideas for yourself, if you are interested in saving time, money and, sometimes, your sanity! Get started by visiting Rhonda at her wonderful Blog down---to---earth - she even has photos of her pantry and some good recipes as well!