Cranberries

So I had ordered 15 lbs. of dried (and sweetened) cranberries from a company called Oh Nuts that kinda made me chuckle with how hard they were pushing the Jewish angle ("Buy our Purim/Shiva baskets!"). This happened only a couple of days ago, but today I came home to find a notice from UPS and a box on my front porch.



Strangely, when I opened the box, I discovered this:



15 1-pound bags of cranberries. So much for buying in bulk! But I quality checked them, and they seem to taste delicious, so I'm not overly angry with them. But I think that if I were to order from them again, I would check for a way to get them in ACTUAL bulk, or order from someone else.

Also, this pretty much filled my three-gallon bucket. I could possibly fit 16 pounds, but 15 is a solid bet here.

Plans for 2011

Since it's nearing the end of the year, I think it's time to take stock of what I've accomplished this year, and what I can attempt next year.

Tasks Completed in 2010:

-- canned pickles, not all recipes are created equal :-P
-- gathered many jars and 3-gallon buckets
-- found a great apartment with pantry space and gardening space (although shaded)
-- shopped at the Farmer's Market weekly to learn seasonal eating
-- learned many interesting recipes with cabbage and also zucchini
-- harvested lots of rose hips, and both dried and made syrup with them
-- made an effort to eat home more
-- made my first pair of socks
-- celebrated the holidays frugally and with minimal purchasing
-- scavenged local grapes
-- made liqueurs/cordials

Plans for 2011:

-- actually garden this year. I still have seeds that never got planted last year, so I will work on shade-loving plants outside, and using the large south-facing window in our new living room for such plants as tomatoes.
-- store 6 months of food for Mister and I
-- eat out of the pantry better
-- keep our budget down
-- put up more food beyond pickles, applesauce and grape cider
-- do UPick at least once a month while it's running (berries, apples, etc.)
-- involve more friends in the food process of pantry building (R, you're around next summer, right? Wanna help build up my pantry?)
-- learn to utilize spices better -- you do not want to know how bland my food is :-P
-- make more liqueurs/cordials and perhaps gift them!
-- aim to have all gifts be handmade
-- look into the possibilities of chickens
-- get a cat and try to train it as a mouser
-- learn more seasonal scavenging
-- make my own bread

Food Storage

So, after searching for a chart that I once had (it's of course missing), I know that my 3-gallon buckets will hold 48 cups of food, approximately 18 lbs. of any one item. It obviously varies. Also, apparently a year's supply of food for ONE person is 25 gallons of beans, rice, flour, etc. That is kinda crazy when you think about it. I can't imagine the storage for that much food! The question is: do I start hoarding now, and hiding it in my closet, or do I wait until we move and have proper storage?

Food/Meal Design

So as winter is coming on, I'm buying squashes at the Farmer's Market, and Mister and I had a spate of eating out for every meal, I figured it's time to go through what I'd like to be doing food-wise for the winter.

Pantry Items
Starch
-- rice (maybe -- Mister is less of a fan than I am)
-- pasta
-- oatmeal
-- any other grains in bulk that look good
-- tapioca
Protein
-- red lentils
-- brown lentils
-- up to five kinds of beans
-- split peas
-- nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios)
Other
-- dried fruit
-- quick meal foods
Canned
-- applesauce
-- pickles
-- tomato sauce
-- baked beans
-- canned tomatoes
-- stock
-- salsa
-- nut butters
-- jelly

Meat(in freezer)
-- two rings of kielbasa at all times
-- 1-2 roasts
-- 1-2 chickens
-- two pork loans (one cut into chops)
-- ground beef
-- sausages of several varieties for soups
-- bacon?



Misc.
Root Veggies
-- 2 dozen squash (have one a week)
-- potatoes
-- cabbage
-- parsnips
-- rutabaga
-- carrots
Fridge/Freezer
-- frozen corn
-- frozen peas
-- eggs
-- milk
-- cheeses (esp. cheddar, mozz., ricotta)
Other
-- bread
-- coffee
-- tea
-- sugar
-- flours/starches
-- breadcrumbs


So there's the food planning, some menu planning:

-- eat one squash a week
-- aim for casseroles/soups/crockpot/make-ahead meals
-- eat the things that I've made (*cough pickles cough)
-- minimize food waste
-- maximize food storage (without Mister's knowledge if necessary)
-- use less meat/dairy

More Rose Hips

Just a sneak peek at the rose hips that I picked yesterday. It took me 20 mins, but this is 3.45 lbs. of rose hips (stems and seeds included -- this is pre-processing). I got about half-way around the parking lot, so I'll try to stop in again in the next couple of days. (Also, isn't that evening sunlight so beautiful? I just had to use it -- even though rose hips in the bedroom window is an odd choice... :-P)



It's kinda crazy the size disparity of the different bushes. I wonder what makes one plant have huge hips and another small... but that's life I guess!

Storage/Pantries

This is all of the "pantry" space in this apartment. Because of this major lack of storage, the tea and random stuff is stored on top of the fridge,



pickles, extra sauce, sodas (basically if it's sealed) are stored under the sink,



root cellar veggies are stored in a basket also under the sink,



and we have a fruit bowl on the dining room table.



I really, really would prefer proper pantry space, and frankly, I'm not above storing 3 gallon buckets in the closet. I just feel that Mister is NOT a fan of such things. I think I'll start small, with stuff that only I eat. I think that 7-8 of the cardboard canisters of oatmeal will fit in one of those buckets, so I'll get one of those filled, and keep it in my closet (of course, I'm not fully moved in...)

So my plans involving food storage for this winter are: bring my food stores from my old apartment (black eyed peas, lentils, rice), get a 3 months supply of oatmeal (1 bucket), incorporate pickles and applesauce into meals, get more storage for beans.