September stocking the pantry

I would love to say that these boards that are on the side of my frig that is at the door of the butler's pantry, are cleared because we don't need anything ...

but actually they are cleared because the amount was more than the boards could hold.

Right top is items needed for household..softener salt, filters, auto items etc.

Right bottom is for canning items, freezing items and whatever is needed for holidays upcoming .

Left top is weekly needs of food (which we plan to go to biweekly when we go to chiro)

Left bottom is monthly needs of non-food.

Fall months are my prime stock up for items I don't grow or can't buy at the Amish produce auction.

Even more now with Hubby retiring out beginning of Dec rather than Jan. so it will be 3-4 months before he gets seasonal work instead of 2-3.

I am blessed with the over flow of food to produce.

This week's to buy...Hummingbird food, I think we are starting to get  "visitors'" as they travel to their winter homes. Milk,lettuce, ice cream (maybe) eggs and butter (price depending) Aldi's has ground beef and strawberry jam on sale so I will check on those.


Part of Fall stock up

First we went to Brandy's website theprudenthomemaker.com and checked what she had listed as her pantry menu and then compared it to what we have...there was a couple "holes" that are now on the stock list and we feel good at what we are facing.

Usually in Dec I refill the pantry with staples used at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since Hubby is retiring first of Dec there won't be any pay coming in for 6-10 wks. He told me to stock extra for the holidays NOW.

Eggs if right price as I need 24 dozen between noodles and cookies in Nov. I am trying to have that much dehydrated and then another 24 dozen dehydrated for us. I have 18 dozen dehydrated and powdered.

Butter is running $3.78/lb right now, I will check Aldi's tomorrow. We ordered powdered butter from Rainy day Foods. We have never used powdered butter so will be doing a test run on how it does with cookies. I've already been told to lower the amount of water I use to make it.

Mushrooms if on sale, with coupons etc to dehydrate. I have enough canned...well not really I will never have enough canned or enough mushrooms. :/

Winter squash :3 Acorn,3 Butternut,3 spaghetti squash and if they have Delectia  3 of them. Hurley farms market is the best price. This will be Sept 22nd.on way past from Amish produce auction

Pumpkins, we have 4 for dehydrating and decoration, we will buy 30 for the kids,grandkids and great grandson for Halloween. We might also buy pie pumpkins to make pies from for Thanksgiving. Plus crate of Jack be littles or Wee be littles (usually used for decorations but edible and we roast them for side dish) if the price is good. Last year we got them for 1¢ each . These are bought at Amish produce Auction

Potatoes from Michael produce farm( I would have to drive to) if the price is less than 20 ¢ / lb other wise I will order them for Save a lot that has them running for 28 ¢/lb that is right here in 50 lbs bags The savings in gas will be enough to just order them.

Sweet potatoes, I do have some planted in straw bales in garden...not sure how they are making. I bought 20 lbs at Amish auction last week...I would like to have another 20-30 lbs.BUT if my crop hasn't done any and I don't get them at Auction or produce farm we will make do.

Apples, our friends neighbor said he thought he would have extra. If he does we might get enough to finish filling out the applesauce and dried apples needed. Otherwise I can go over to the Greenthumb market and get them there for cheaper since we no longer have a pick your own orchard near and it that's too much I might just go without.

Ginger...if it comes on sale at the stores I will get fresh to dry for powder and teas and a tube for fresh. ( I have garlic to dry and onions to dry). Whole cloves (Amish Country store before Amish produce auction )

Vanilla bean (I make my own vanilla extract and sugar) Vanilla bean paste.

Dried blueberries, mixed berries,cranberries, raisins, figs and prunes as they come on sale (check Amish Country store) King Arthur Flour fruit cake blend when on sale. Hubby's favorite and the kids/grandkids love it in oatmeal cookie bars at Christmas.

Dried veggie soup as this is the only thing Hubby likes as a dip.

Nuts:pecans. walnuts, peanuts, cashews,almonds,pinenuts and sunflower seeds

Peanut butter. I make over 100 dozen buckeyes at Christmas.. I don't use butter..just pb and xxx sugar and then Freeze then dip in choc.(Check Amish Country store)

Candy M&Ms and Reese's pieces... we use this for cookies,trail mix and on top of ice cream/frozen yogurt. Assorted choc chips on sale because I will wipe out my supply when I make cookies and fudge for the family. Generic is ok.

Staples: flour in Nov as I will already have the bulk of the Cookies and homemade noodles made and vacuum packed. Wheat germ for granola bars and yogurt, Wondra flour, Bisquick (Hubby insists) semolina flour(Amish Country store) chicken and beef bouillon, regular sugar,xxx sugar, brown sugar lt and dark, honey. This is going to be MORE than usual as Hubby said to "overstock" to make up for not stocking in Dec. I have already saved this money and put it aside.

condense milk and evaporated milk

Lard/Butter crisco/ oil (turkey deep fryer)

This is just part of the list but what I am focusing on getting in the pantry this month.

In the gardens...I have tomatoes to make pasta sauce, juice, steak sauce, and if still have enough BBQ sauce. The last 2 yrs I have ran out of pasta sauce.... I just walked the gardens and I should have plenty if I can get them out before they rot. I have some I will over roast.

I have onions to hang in nylon hose (about the only time I buy panty hose) that I will dry for the damaged ones or the ones starting to go bad for dried onions and powder for onion powder.

I have garlic I can dry and change to garlic powder

I have a bell peppers I can roast and then dry or can. Dried can be mixed with dried cayenne to make crushed red peppers ( I use any color not just red).

I have a few cucumbers left. Hubby asked for more refrigerator pickles since I now have enough bread and butter. I thought about small dill as we use mini dills to make dried beef cream cheese rolls for Thanksgiving. Since I have 3 quarts of refrigerator pickles sitting in the frig so the mini dills win out.

Menards is having their 11 % rebate still, so I will pick up more cases of distilled water for humidifier, humidifier treatment additive, washing soda, fly traps(usually marked down by now) ant traps(usually marked down by now) and paper plates...sigh, a battle I am not going to win but at least he is down to using it for his snacks and reuses it if it's just crumbs on the plate AND will put the crumbs in the trash instead of shoving plate and crumbs in to the microwave.

Blessed Be