Stock Tips!

No...not tips from "Stocks and Shares", but tips on how to stock a pantry!

This is something I have always done since I was early married.  I don't know why, it's just something inbred in me.

Stocking a pantry is a process.  Unless you want to fork out $500 on your next grocery shop, you have to plan and then be patient.

A stocked pantry is a place you can have items on hand 24/7.  Never again will you have to make a mad dash to the store at 5.55pm, five minutes before it shuts...(yes Western Australia is still behind the times).  With everything on hand, you can shop anytime you want in your own pantry.

The key is to have 4 or 5 items of the same kind at any one time.

So where do you start?

Firstly make your list as we discussed yesterday, and if any of those items are on sale at your supermarket, then buy 2-3 of that item.  Then you slowly build up your stock. It can take a while to have a fully stocked pantry, but once you do, you will never be half way through baking something, when you realise you don't have that "magic" ingredient....(Tried and tested...STELLA)

Remember, as you start getting a bit of stock, you will have to rotate them, so new goods go to the back, and older food to the front. 

The most important tip.....everytime you use up one of those items, or you are down to your last 2, then it goes on the list to buy more.

If you are not vigilent with this routine, you are back to square one again.

Once your stock is built up, you are just in maintenance mode.

Also buying in bulk is good.  Yes you will have to outlay a little more at the start, but if stored correctly, your goods will last you.

For example.  I buy bread mix and bakers flour in 10kg lots, then store it.  It lasts for a while, but it is cheaper to do it this way.

Another example is I buy olives 1kg at a time. (Only because one of my cherubs has an absolute "black olive craving" and eats them like they are lollies!  Go figure!)

Any baking goods, I buy 2 packets at a time, because I bake everyday, and so it's important to have these things on hand.

And don't forget you can stock up a freezer as well.  My DH (Dear Husband) and I buy a side of beef once a year.  All cuts work out to be about $6 a kilo, including T bone Steak, Fillet Steaks etc, so much cheaper than the supermarkets.  And it lasts us a year (6 of us).  I must admit, we eat a lot of chicken and fish, so me manage to stretch the meat to a year.  We buy it straight from a farm, and it gets cut up for us, just how we like it.
You will outlay around $600 for a side of beef, which is a big outlay at the start, but you will save so much during the year.

If you cannot afford a side of beef, you can source good quality meats from your local vegetable co-ops, or markets.  Tap into them if you can, they are great.

The third option, is to be vigilent with specials, only buying those cuts of meat that come up on special, and splashing out on a few extra cuts to store away.

And if all else fails, go to your local library and take out the book

"One Million Ways to Cook With Mince!!!"

Ha Ha.

Now don't forget the part of the pantry that looks normal, but is really a secret gated complex that you can hide all sorts of goodies behind.  Obviously it has to be on the highest shelf so the kids don't find it, and DH (Dear Husband) will never look up that high.  DH can't even see what's directly infront of him.....

"Honey.....where's my sox?"......

"They're right infront of you dear!"......

"Where?.....I can't see them!!!!"

You get my drift....you are safe hiding them from DH.

See here, look's innocent enough, nothing lurking behind here............

Or is there???