Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Peekin' in the Pantry

I've been accused of having a "bulk-buying" mentality... like that's a bad thing. I just think it's just common sense, don't you?

If you can find a product that you use constantly, on sale somewhere, isn't it more economical in the long run, to buy several... or in some cases, lots of those items?
Whiska's cat food is usually around $1.27 a can here, but when it's down to 88 cents, it just makes sense to buy enough for a month or two... doesn't it?
Same thing with toilet paper, pasta, rice...
And besides, the ol' budget just works better this way.
This way, I'm only running to the store once a week or so, for milk, bread and fresh produce.
And with 4-7 children to cart around, running to the store is something I dread. Seriously dread ! I wouldn't shop with my own... so why would I want to shop with other people's children? Not that we're allowed to take them to the store anymore, anyway...without filling out
reams of excursion forms.
Besides...it gives me even more reason to "think ahead" and buy up on what I need, while I can.

So anyway....
I thought I would give you a peek at my outside pantry. I have a huge under-cover area and this cupboard is where I keep my *extras*... things that I don't really use on a daily basis, but it's stuff that I always have on hand for back-up.
I wish the carpenter (noooo, not the Old Guy - he's hopeless with a hammer) would get up off his arse and get the shed finished so I can put these pantry's back inside the shed where they belong ! There's actually another cupboard on the other side, but I'll do those photos later.

I just don't want you to get too excited all at once, you know?
I'm thoughtful that way.

Clever little me did the photos back arse-wards, going from the bottom to the top... but if I moved them around, you would lose the ability to look at them all blown up, so I decided to leave them as they are. I just knew in my heart, that you would want to see giant-sized photos of my pantry crap, and besides.....I'm just too lazy to re-do them, doncha know?


Cat food, bird seed rings and baby arse-wipes
This shelf is now FULL, since the sale on cat food lasted another week - so I bought 30 more cans , 6 more packs of baby wipes and we found HUGE bird seed rings at the market, so I bought 6 more to keep my parrots happy!

Pasta's, rice, instant mashed taters and bits and pieces of Mex stuff


My "American" stuff.
I'm down to one can of Collards....*sob*
and I don't have the heart to open the Crisco yet!

Odds and ends.

There... don't you feel better, knowing that your pantry looks so much nicer than mine?

Okay, I showed you mine.... so it's your turn now.

*hint hint*

Hmmmm... tried to enlarge these, but they won't.

Oh well, I may not be good... but I had good intentions.

31 comments:

Becky said...

Collards!! You like collards??? I love collards. I like to go to Sam's Club when I have extra money and stock up a giant bottle of mayo, pickles, toilet paper, inkpens, tubs of butter, peanut butter, etc. Do you have a place like that? Everything comes in gianormous size!

Tatersmama said...

SassyDog... I LOVE Collards ! Mustard Greens, Kale.
Collards with cornbread...Mmmm!!

We've got COSTCO opening in Melbourne in a couple of months, and I can't wait !!!!
Most of my kids bring their own food, but when I get emergency care children for weeks at a time, it's good to have plenty in the cupboard and freezer, ya know?
Plus, I just like saving money!
And eating Collards! lol!

Libby's Library said...

Ooooooh - I've gotta type quick, Blogger is shutting down in just a minuet. Since you showed your's...I'll show mine. Hee-hee

I've got me a BIG can of Crisco!!!

Libby's Library said...

PS - I like mustard greens the best, but I don't put any Crisco in them, just lots of bacon!

Becky said...

Oh, yeah, how could I forget the cornbread! That's a meal in itself. No, wait I need a 1/2 dozen crispy fried porkchops and fried okra to make it a real meal!

Tatersmama said...

Libby, is blogger shutting down? Damn! At least I'll have my Crisco to keep me happy! ;-)
And you say your CAN is bigger than mine? We already knew that honey! *snort*
~~~
SassyDog, Can I come LIVE with you? I promise I will eat all the okra you fry!
I just love me some okra and I want to try growing it here next year!

Paula said...

Wow, look at how organized you are! Buying in bulk makes great sense provided the stuff you buy gets used up. And I'm guessing the cat food, baby wipes, etc. get used up pretty quickly! I bet it was an adjustment when you first moved to Aussie to get used to new brands and different items at the supermarket. Thanks for the peek in your cupboards!

Treehouse Chef said...

I am amazed, first you show your fridge and now your pantry. Maybe one of these days I will get the courage up.

The W.O.W. factor! said...

Hey Ms TatieKatie! I missed you too! Just been "busy" at which I'll fill you in on later!
Now...my pantry(s) is WAY fuller than yours, but MUCH messier!! But...I have to drive an hour to shop! Now that we don't even have our tiny shop in town, for milk I must drive 35 miles!! Hence, my
Cowboy is having milk withdrawls again...haven't had any in the house for over a week!!

(Shhhh...that is all gonna change!)

Robynn's Ravings said...

I think your pantry looks fanTAStic! And I TOTALLY agree with you on the stocking up mentality. One can NEVER have too many refried beans.

And canned collard greens? I didn't even know they made such a thing. I lead a sheltered life.

Sherri said...

When I go to Costco I bulk up. I have lots of cans of Rosarita refried beans, Miguel doesn't like my homemade refers (maybe because I don't burn them like his mom does)hahaha I use alot of chicken stock so lots of cans of that. Canned black olives, tom sauce, el pato sauce (mexican tom sauce), canned stewed toms and diced toms and tuna. Paper T, T paper, feminine products (yes I get them in bulk). I also go to the dollar store and buy binder and computer paper and lots of it. I could name more but it's late and I can't think anymore. Oh ya and Jiffy cornbread mix.
<<~~~~ looked over there and saw cornbread..hahaha

rubiesrnotpurple said...

Well now I know why my promised email didn't arrive ... you were flashing your pantry. LOL!
I like my pantry, freezer and fridge to be well stocked. I'm sure I get depressed when they're not. That's why I love the hamper deliveries at Christmas - all those groceries and no supermarket. My partner says the thing I do best is eat. How rude. Still LOLing!

Irene said...

Katie having seen my fridge do you really want me to post a pic?
I bought my fridge when my late eldest daughter was born, 40 years later it looks like it but it works.
I also bought the same cat food at 89c a few weeks back in bulk.
I live alone but as I live so far out I buy bulk when I can

Jientje said...

One should never run of stuff! Never heard of Collards though?
Oh and, it looks very well organized!!

Angelena said...

I will have to post some pics of my pantry. It is in the deep dark dungeon of my basement. I think I have something like 4 cans of Crisco lol!

I have a favor to ask of you and your Australian buddies for my sons school project- I posted about it on my blog if you are interested in helping him out. He is doing a world cultures project about Australia.

Marjie said...

Well, Katie, you know I buy everything in bulk. I can't stand feeling like I paid more than I have to for stupid things like toilet paper, and if I want something, I just plain want it. One of my favorite things is the gallon jugs of pickles. What sandwich isn't made better by pickles, after all?

Sherri said...

Marjie? Do you have gallon pickle jars coming out of your ears too? I don't want to get rid of them because I just know I'm going to need them for something. hahaha

Homestay Mama said...

I'm supposed to eat more collards, kale, and dark green leafy vegetables (my dentist says they're high in calcium and good for a person's teeth), but I don't know how to fix them! Please, share your recipes with us!

BTW, like refrigerators, I have two pantries--and I'd die if I had to show pics of any of them! LOL

Jientje said...

I have an award for you at my blog! Will you come and pick it up?

Anonymous said...

Hi! It was fun catching up with your blog. I am going to spend the day catching up with my fellow bloggers and I will definitely go to your friend's site and read it.

My pantry is a total mess! And, we took the sliding doors off of it so it would be easier to reach things. That SHOULD make me want to keep it neat since everyone who comes into the kitchen can see everything in plain sight, but I have other, more pressing priorities, like taking naps.

Marlos ACE said...

WOW, very impressive, so organized. I got some work to do. I really need to start stocking up, very wise thing to do.

Have a great one.

Anonymous said...

Collards? Crisco? You're talking a foreign language to someone who is British.

I've been here before, but came over via Muddy Boot Dreams today.

Evelyn in Canada said...

I'm Canadian but I spent three wonderful years in Melbourne. Why don't you try growing kale and collards? Everything I grew while there did so well that they threatened to take over the lovely exotic flowers. Kale is probably an early fall plant down there.

Everytime a Canadian came to visit me, they snuck some food through customs: Cheetos, Cheerios, Cheez Whiz and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing were my favourites.

I miss Australia, so as a first-time visitor to your blog, I'll look around hoping to see familiar-looking photos.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Hi! Nice to meet you, and Congrats on being the featured Muddy Booter today! Needless to say I came over from Jens!
Collards..I have never eaten them. You make them sound yummy! And you are hoarding Crisco, what on earth for? Do you make lots of pie crusts?
I enjoyed my visit here..loved that you say you are on the Far Side of Sanity..I hover there myself somedays:)

Tatersmama said...

Paula, I still don't think I'm totally used to the different products and ways of doing things! The cat food last longer than it used to 'cause the little mousers are down to half a can a day ( mama cat was getting as fat as a hog... and she GRUNTED) but the baby wipes? Oh my... how I can go through those! I just found out that I can "request" new children be toilet-trained, so think of the money I could save on wipes alone!
~~~
Treehouse Chef, See I just don't have any pride... and you should be thankful that I don't show ya'll my underwear drawer! I buy safety pins by the bulk, is all I'm sayin'
~~~
Barb, I'm still waitin'...(wink)
That sucks with the little shop shutting down - so maybe you need to get a cow, eh? Never mind... It was a stoopid thought, I know!
~~~
Robynn, Can a pantry look fantastic? That was just the one section... the other 3 are much better.... Unfortunately, they're much messier too!
~~~
Sherri, you had to be cruel and add Jiffy Corn Bread Mix, didn't you?. You didn't just say "Jiffy"... you had to add the "Corn Bread Mix" and make me cry, didn't you?? *sniff sniff*
~~~
Rubies, Good things come to those who wait. ;-) Go check your inbox... LOL ! I didn't get caught up on emails at ALL last night, so I'm gonna try and wade through them today.
Have a safe and peaceful trip! And have an Orgasm.
~~~
Irene, That fridge of your is more speckled than a speckled pup... so no! LOL! There won't be much stocking up going on around here for another few weeks,... *sigh*
~~~
Jientje, Collards are a type of wild green - sort of like spinach but with a different taste. I LOVE 'em with a little bit of vinegar, or bacon!
~~~
Angelena, I'm gathering stuff for your son's project, but I'm wracking my brain as to a Aussie dish! I'll keep thinking though... FOUR cans of Crisco? Oh my... I'm jealous!!
C'mon, don't just talk about it ... post those pics! lol!
~~~
Marjie, I miss pickles, especially good crunchy dills! I tried making bread and butter pickles a couples of years ago, but I did something wrong and they didn't crisp enough. ;-(
~~~
Homestay Mama, HELLO ! I thought you had disappeared, so it's great to see you again!
Collards are pretty simple... you can get cans of them and basically just "heat and eat" or add your favorite flavorings to them ( vinegar, bacon etc) or you can just cook them like spinach. I'll give 'em a google, and send you an email, okay?
~~~
Jen, You did WHAT? I would die if people could see the mess of the pantry in the kitchen! You're a braver man than I, Gunga Din!
I hope you had a good nap... LOL! I wish I could have joined you !
Ermmm.... now did that sound funny, or what? You KNOW what I mean!
~~~
Haft's Happenings, Nah... I only tidied up for the photos! You should see it after the Old Guy has been in there! No... I take that back. You SHOULDN'T see it after he's had a root around!
~~~
Lady Fi, Hey, it's great to see you again! I've been kind of slack the last few days, but I'll be over for a visit a little later.
Collards are somewhat like spinach and Crisco is a solid vegetable shortening. Sort of like lard, but 100% pure veggie oil. It meals down to oil and is great for flaky pie crusts, cookies and the like. Plus it's perfect for frying chicken. ;-)
~~~
Evelyn, I never even thought of trying to grow them here! It never entered my mind, but i wonder where I could get the seeds? I'll have to do a check around and see what I can find!
*sob* No one comes to visit me ( my son's raising a family and $$'s are tight) so I have to resort to USA Foods in Melbourne, with their ridiculous prices!
~~~
Far Side of Fifty, Thanks for the congrats... and thank you for stopping by!
Crisco... see, you can't get Crisco in the stores here... Not the grocery stores anyway. You CAN however, get it in sex shops! And I refuse to do that! USA Foods in Melbourne carries it, but with shipping prices, it's just too expensive. I don't make a lot of piecrusts, but I just "want it" ya know? I always had Crisco in the cupboard at home, and it doesn't feel like home here, without the Crisco. (yeah, I know. I'm pitiful!)

Anonymous said...

Should there be a contest between you and Neas Nutiness? She seems to be the only other brave soul to show the panry! Mine would be oh so scarey!

Anonymous said...

Muddy Boot Dreams sent me over here and I'm so glad she did. You have a wonderful style of writing and i do feel sorry for you---with the unfinished shed and all. I do know how that feels. If Crisco sees this--they will send you more. I may run over and tell them how pitiful you are. I will tell them to send it in bulk.

rubiesrnotpurple said...

Aussie dish - anything on a barbie. Or you could try:
Pavlova, peach melba and lamingtons.
Gillies pies. Chiko rolls (like a spring roll only meatier). Sydney rock oysters and Moreton Bay bugs. Murray Cod. King Island cheese. Oh my, I need to eat!
And my verification is ouslytor which is almost oyster ... if you squint and tilt your head the right way. Bahahah

Michaela Dunn Leeper said...

You guys can keep your collards & such! I just wanted to LYK I love the pics of your pantry. I'm the same way. Pay a fraction for something now, rather than the whole price later!

Anita said...

I agree-stock up when the price is low if it is stuff you knmow you are going to use. But I really avoid the big stock up warehouses cause this house has so lklittle storage....However, under my sink in the bathroom you'll find all the tampax, pantiliners, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, bathsalts and deodarant you can shake a stick at! As for food, I am a big canner- so I have shelves of food I have grown and canned for winter...and it's almost gone now, same with the 1/4 beef I bought- so time to get stocked up again.

Katidids said...

I do the same thing...coffee, rice, pasta anything we use as a norm. Hubby has build huge cabinets in the garage for...I buy cases sometimes when its a great sale. I'm a food hoarder! Ya just never know!


Feedjit

FEEDJIT Live Traffic Map


FEEDJIT Live Traffic Feed


Thanks for visiting!


Thank you Libby!

Honest Scrap Award

Honest Scrap Award
Powered By Blogger