Posted By FarmerJ on March 30, 2011

I like to have a food storage.  I do not store food because the world as we know it may come to an end ~ because, let’s face it, if that happens, we’ve got bigger problems.  I store food because I like to feel that I am well-equipped to continue providing meals for my family in case of a more likely emergency, like being snowed in from a blizzard, or temporary unemployment, or being able to help others during a time of need.  I also store food because I don’t like to shop.  With a well-stocked pantry, if I don’t feel like leaving the farmstead this week, I don’t have to.

Speaking of well-stocked, I was recently reminded that there are two hands in the ‘food storage pot.’  A couple of weeks ago, I was down in the pantry getting a few things to restock my everyday supplies in the kitchen, when I realized that I have allowed my storage to become a tad catty-wompus.  We are sitting on 100 lbs of flour, but are frighteningly down to a mere 8 lbs of granulated sugar!  So, yes, well-stocked and plentiful is a good thing ~ but, that will only get you so far if your food storage is not well-balanced.  [Before you gasp wondering what I'll ever do with that much flour before it goes bad, I promise you none of it will go to waste!  I make all of our bread, rolls, buns, pie crusts, etc. from scratch, so I go through a lot of flour.]

So, I’ve been looking for something that will help me figure out just what things I need to be stocking for our meals, how much of those things do I need, how much of those things I already have, and how much do I still need to get.  I think I’ve found the perfect solution for me, and I couldn’t wait to share it with you ~ just in case you find yourself in the same catty-wompus boat as me.

If you don’t know of them already, I highly encourage you to click on over to Jodi and Julie’s place at Food Storage Made Easy.  [But, please don't go yet!  I still have more to share with you.]  Not only is their site adorable, but it is jam packed ~ get it? jam? since we’re talking food storage here…okay, never mind ~ with extremely helpful information on where to start without becoming overwhelmed, recipes that will help ensure you rotate your food storage, and much more.

The link I provided you above is to a page pertaining to 3-month storage supplies.  Those clever girls have created an amazing spreadsheet that lets you plan your meals for 30 days, list the ingredients and the amount you need for those meals, and then calculates the total amount you will need for a 3-month supply.  How cool is that?!  Way cool, I think.  This goes right up my alley, because I have a 35-day menu plan that I rotate with a few periodic changes here and there.  With my menu plan, we get to eat all of our favorite meals, yet only have them once every fifth week.  There’s not so much potential for burn-out from eating the same thing over and over that way, yet it enables me to have a fairly decent idea of the things I need to have on hand.  Just so long as I don’t let the storage get catty-wompus, that is.

My ultimate goal is to have enough storage for a year.  While I do have some things for the long term, like almost maybe the flour, there are many things I still need to reach that goal.  I figure 3 months is a good place to start.  It’s sure to help me get things balanced out again, at least!  With Jodi and Julie’s nifty spreadsheet, it will be extremely easy to change the multiplying factor to whatever number of months my current goal is.

At first, the task of completing the spreadsheet seemed a little daunting, but then I realized I could just focus on my dinner meals.  We generally aren’t breakfast eaters, so I can plan for a few breakfast meals later.  Lunch is often times leftovers or sandwiches, so there again, I can focus on those meals later.  I feel confident that if I can get the dinner ingredients listed and focus on stocking my food storage with those items first, I will be in a much better place.

I won’t even bring up the fact that I’m just giddy over the prospect of this whole endeavor tickling my OCD bone.

I won’t take you there.

Okay.  That is all.  I’m done.  Now head on over to Jodi and Julie’s place to check out this cool spreadsheet that’s got me running through the house yelling, “Squeeeeeeeeeeeee!”  ♥

Categories: Plainly Ponderings
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