Author Topic: Pandemic hoarding  (Read 262141 times)

RetiredAt63

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *
  • Posts: 20742
  • Location: Eastern Ontario, Canada
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #700 on: January 03, 2021, 09:19:44 PM »
I would totally move my pantry locally.

I moved my pantry semi-locally (about 100 km each way)

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #701 on: January 04, 2021, 02:50:33 AM »
Thanks, K-in-the-kitchen for the recipes!

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #702 on: January 05, 2021, 05:54:30 AM »
Rutabaga/turnip story:

In my Misfits box I received 2 huge rutabagas and around 3 medium turnips. I had tossed a bunch of ideas of what to do with them but in the end just decided to make up a mashed tater type recipe.

So, I peeled these suckers and cut into chunks. Boiled them in salted water while trying to watch a movie. I was afraid of boil over so was getting up every so often to check out the situation. Water took forever to get to a boil due to the low temp. I kept jacking up the temp little by little...I think it took me an hour to get them to a point when I could easily put a fork thru them. That done, I put the lid on the pot and let it sit maybe half an hour off the heat just because they were not quite the right texture.

I drained them and proceeded to mash them. Added butter...mash, mash...salt, pepper. Flavor was eh. So, I am thinking now what! So, I added some shredded cheese and stirred it up. Still a bit eh but figured I had done enough damage and to leave it be.

We had it for dinner as a potato substitute. Was okay but nothing I would ever crave. The next day I had a little more and still just ho hum.

Now I still had about 4 cups left. I was on the verge of throwing them out or trying to think of what to do with them. So, what I did was add an egg to it, some brown sugar, cinnamon and a couple cups of bisquick mix. Mixed it all by hand and then plopped 6 blobs onto a baking sheet and baked them up.

I let them cool and cut one in half and put some butter on it. OMG! It was sooo good! Kind of reminded me of spice cake, banana cake, zucchini bread. Mostly the moist texture was what reminded me of those.

Due to the moistness, I refrigerated the rest of them. The Hub loved it! So rather than tossing it, it was reinvented! Yay, no wasted food!


Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #703 on: January 05, 2021, 06:07:39 AM »
I seem to have over stocked on some items and it is biting me in the butt a little. One of the things I stocked up on was sour cream. Love the stuff but apparently we are not going thru it fast enough and recently had to throw some out that was expired. I would like to know what to do with extra sour cream. Either recipes or someway to keep it frozen.

Mashed potatoes with sour cream and freezing them?






Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #704 on: January 05, 2021, 07:01:52 AM »
I would like to know what to do with extra sour cream. Either recipes or someway to keep it frozen.

Mashed potatoes with sour cream and freezing them?

Sour cream is a decadent addition to muffins or quick breads when substituted for the same volume of milk or water. Frozen muffins are a great treat to have on hand.

I bet that you could freeze sour cream into cubes in an ice cube tray to later thaw and incorporate into mashed potatoes or baked goods. Even if it seperates a bit while thawing, it shouldn't impact the taste once mixed in.

@Roadrunner53 Have you tried mashing rutabaga with carrot? The sweetness if the carrot pairs sooooo well with the earthiness of the rutabaga. With some butter, salt and pepper, it's a family favorite!

No, did not use carrots but good idea! I have not given up on rutabagas. They are a new adventure for me. Not sure if the turnips conflicted with the flavor of the rutabagas.

PMG

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1608
  • Location: USA
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #705 on: January 05, 2021, 07:27:40 AM »
I don't worry much about the expiration date on sour cream unless it's opened. 

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #706 on: January 05, 2021, 07:41:17 AM »
I don't worry much about the expiration date on sour cream unless it's opened.

I don't worry too much either but my Hub is fanatical on expiration dates. I have told him a million times the stuff doesn't automatically rot on the expiration date but he remains a non believer. I worked at a food company for 18 years and we did shelf life studies on food. Most of the products I worked on exceeded the shelf life and we did determine, over time, the flavors diminished, texture wasn't stellar and sending the samples to be analyzed showed the nutritional aspects were not as good as the freshly made product. We had the products tested in our microbiology department before we would consume these products.

The Hub gets so agitated when these items are expired, I just go along with it and toss the stuff out. UGH! He won't eat the stuff and it makes me feel like I am some kind of a rabid racoon eating out of a dumpster! LOL!

PMG

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1608
  • Location: USA
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #707 on: January 05, 2021, 07:48:04 AM »
ooh.. yeah... understand. My eastern european spouse eats sour cream on everything. Pancakes, stir fry, salad, soup... I've made brownies with sour cream baked in, they were rich and delicious.  Sugar cookies. Those would be freezable, too. You could thin it down a bit and use it in place of buttermilk in pancakes or baking.  Or maybe use it in a creamy soup?

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #708 on: January 05, 2021, 08:19:25 AM »
ooh.. yeah... understand. My eastern european spouse eats sour cream on everything. Pancakes, stir fry, salad, soup... I've made brownies with sour cream baked in, they were rich and delicious.  Sugar cookies. Those would be freezable, too. You could thin it down a bit and use it in place of buttermilk in pancakes or baking.  Or maybe use it in a creamy soup?

Soup is an interesting idea! I have used in beef stroganoff, baked taters, mashed taters, tacos, onion dip, on top of chili. I try to stay away from sweets but those ideas are great too!

the_fixer

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1252
  • Location: Colorado
  • mind on my money money on my mind
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #709 on: January 05, 2021, 08:37:15 AM »
I seem to have over stocked on some items and it is biting me in the butt a little. One of the things I stocked up on was sour cream. Love the stuff but apparently we are not going thru it fast enough and recently had to throw some out that was expired. I would like to know what to do with extra sour cream. Either recipes or someway to keep it frozen.

Mashed potatoes with sour cream and freezing them?
Beef stroganoff?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #710 on: January 05, 2021, 08:44:56 AM »
I seem to have over stocked on some items and it is biting me in the butt a little. One of the things I stocked up on was sour cream. Love the stuff but apparently we are not going thru it fast enough and recently had to throw some out that was expired. I would like to know what to do with extra sour cream. Either recipes or someway to keep it frozen.

Mashed potatoes with sour cream and freezing them?
Beef stroganoff?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Poor mans beef stroganoff: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/pasta/poor-mans-beef-stroganoff.html
« Last Edit: January 05, 2021, 09:24:39 AM by Roadrunner53 »

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #711 on: January 05, 2021, 09:34:39 AM »
... I try to stay away from sweets but those ideas are great too!

My grandma always kept a few tins of sweets in her freezer ready for last minute company. Since you're probably not getting a lot of drop-in visits these days, what about dropping off little parcels of sweets to friends on Valentine's day?

@K_in_the_kitchen Thanks for those bread recipes! I made the french bread yesterday and was really impressed with how well it turned out for such a quick recipe. The ease and taste don't bode well for my waistline, which has only been held in check by how long it takes to make bread.

I had to cancel my credit card the other day after some fraudulent activity and will have to wait 7-10 days for a new one to arrive.  I feel lucky to have plenty of everything on hand so that I won't have to go in to a store to shop with my debit card. The fraud was the same day that I gave my credit card number over the phone to a clerk at a small shop for curbside pickup, so I'd suggest learning from my carelessness.

Sun Hat sorry you had fraudlent activity on your card. I have had it happen numerous times. I am questioning why your CC company is making you wait so long to replace yours? I have had replacement in 24 hours time with no delivery charge at all. Oh, I did reread your post and you are using a debit card. If I were you, I would rethink using a debit card and switch to a credit card. This is a quote from the article I will post: The real difference between a debit card and a credit card when it comes to fraud is in how you get your money back. When a fraudulent transaction occurs on your credit card, you have lost no money. You can report the fraud, get a credit on your statement, and the issue will never affect your bank account.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/credit-card-vs-debit-card-safer-online-purchases

SunnyDays

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3489
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #712 on: January 05, 2021, 10:18:50 AM »
"....... a rabid racoon eating out of a dumpster."  Thanks for my morning giggle, Roadrunner!  I eat things modestly past the expiry date all the time, even mayo, and no ill effects so far.  I mean sour cream is already sour, right?

I second mashing carrots with rutabagas.  This is the only way I've ever eaten them.  It's best with generous amounts of butter.

RetiredAt63

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *
  • Posts: 20742
  • Location: Eastern Ontario, Canada
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #713 on: January 05, 2021, 12:58:24 PM »
Expiry dates - i am about to open the last carton of egg nog.  It is theoretically expired, but not opened and consistently refrigerated means I figure it will be fine.

PMG

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1608
  • Location: USA
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #714 on: January 05, 2021, 04:37:06 PM »
@Roadrunner53 Thought of you this evening when I made this cornbread casserole recipe that calls for a cup of sour cream.  I didn't follow the recipe exactly, for example I used some rather sour homemade kefir instead of sour cream, no chiles, and about half the cheese and I was pretty heavy on the veg and light on the meat, and I used leftover Christmas ham from the freezer... (Is it even the same recipe anymore?) but it was pretty tasty. I was worried that my spouse would be unenthused by a casserole but his first words were "OMG, This corn quiche is delicious."
« Last Edit: January 05, 2021, 04:42:32 PM by PMG »

Poundwise

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2076
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #715 on: January 06, 2021, 07:21:19 PM »
Rutabaga/turnip story:

Now I still had about 4 cups left. I was on the verge of throwing them out or trying to think of what to do with them. So, what I did was add an egg to it, some brown sugar, cinnamon and a couple cups of bisquick mix. Mixed it all by hand and then plopped 6 blobs onto a baking sheet and baked them up.

I let them cool and cut one in half and put some butter on it. OMG! It was sooo good! Kind of reminded me of spice cake, banana cake, zucchini bread. Mostly the moist texture was what reminded me of those.

Due to the moistness, I refrigerated the rest of them. The Hub loved it! So rather than tossing it, it was reinvented! Yay, no wasted food!

Thank you!!! I am literally rolling in rutabagas and turnips from the same source! I keep trying to sneak them into stews and soups, and each time my family detects them and picks them out with looks of disgust.

SunnyDays

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3489
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #716 on: January 06, 2021, 09:31:24 PM »
Rutabaga/turnip story:

Now I still had about 4 cups left. I was on the verge of throwing them out or trying to think of what to do with them. So, what I did was add an egg to it, some brown sugar, cinnamon and a couple cups of bisquick mix. Mixed it all by hand and then plopped 6 blobs onto a baking sheet and baked them up.

I let them cool and cut one in half and put some butter on it. OMG! It was sooo good! Kind of reminded me of spice cake, banana cake, zucchini bread. Mostly the moist texture was what reminded me of those.

Due to the moistness, I refrigerated the rest of them. The Hub loved it! So rather than tossing it, it was reinvented! Yay, no wasted food!

Thank you!!! I am literally rolling in rutabagas and turnips from the same source! I keep trying to sneak them into stews and soups, and each time my family detects them and picks them out with looks of disgust.

Purée them first.  That’ll teach those fussy eaters!

Hadilly

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 483
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #717 on: January 06, 2021, 09:34:49 PM »
PMG: thank you for the corn casserole link. I made it tonight with a couple of modifications. No cheese, doubled the veggies and also added ham, puréed some of the corn with the liquid for moistness and threw in a bit of buttermilk. Very tasty! 4/5 of us enjoyed it and that is a pretty good result for a new recipe in my household.

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22318
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #718 on: January 07, 2021, 02:25:09 AM »
PMG: thank you for the corn casserole link. I made it tonight with a couple of modifications. No cheese, doubled the veggies and also added ham, puréed some of the corn with the liquid for moistness and threw in a bit of buttermilk. Very tasty! 4/5 of us enjoyed it and that is a pretty good result for a new recipe in my household.
You guys crack me up! So many substitutions. So mustachian!  I followed the link. I have everything for that recipe and the Mexican Slaw, except for red pepper. I'm sure I can think of something I can substitute... Thanks!

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #719 on: January 07, 2021, 05:29:03 AM »
So today I am doing a curbside pickup. I also couldn't resist and selected another spiral ham that was on sale for $1.29 lb. With this ham I am going to have the hub strip off all the meat. We will save the bone for pea soup and freeze that. We will make packages out of the ham and vac seal them. Scraps and other parts will be used for the soup. Slices will be used for various dinners. It is precooked so will make some nice dinners and breakfasts! I seriously cannot believe I am buying this ham but...the whole ham is only $12-ish so how can you beat that?

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #720 on: January 07, 2021, 10:57:33 AM »
GRRR!!! Picked up my curbside order and they were out of the ham! Oh, well! LOL! Hope whoever got the last of them enjoys them!

PMG

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1608
  • Location: USA
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #721 on: January 07, 2021, 01:50:38 PM »
PMG: thank you for the corn casserole link. I made it tonight with a couple of modifications. No cheese, doubled the veggies and also added ham, puréed some of the corn with the liquid for moistness and threw in a bit of buttermilk. Very tasty! 4/5 of us enjoyed it and that is a pretty good result for a new recipe in my household.
You guys crack me up! So many substitutions. So mustachian!  I followed the link. I have everything for that recipe and the Mexican Slaw, except for red pepper. I'm sure I can think of something I can substitute... Thanks!

I hadn't paid attention to that Mexican slaw recipe, but it's on my list now.  We like cabbage salads and they've been a staple this winter when we're not shopping often! We have another favorite one dish "mexican" quinoa recipe coming up on our plan that would also be a good companion for the slaw.

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #722 on: January 07, 2021, 02:33:35 PM »
PMG: thank you for the corn casserole link. I made it tonight with a couple of modifications. No cheese, doubled the veggies and also added ham, puréed some of the corn with the liquid for moistness and threw in a bit of buttermilk. Very tasty! 4/5 of us enjoyed it and that is a pretty good result for a new recipe in my household.
You guys crack me up! So many substitutions. So mustachian!  I followed the link. I have everything for that recipe and the Mexican Slaw, except for red pepper. I'm sure I can think of something I can substitute... Thanks!

I hadn't paid attention to that Mexican slaw recipe, but it's on my list now.  We like cabbage salads and they've been a staple this winter when we're not shopping often! We have another favorite one dish "mexican" quinoa recipe coming up on our plan that would also be a good companion for the slaw.

Can someone post the mexican slaw recipe? I must have missed it!

PMG

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1608
  • Location: USA
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #723 on: January 07, 2021, 04:36:20 PM »
Here ya go!  It was linked somewhere inside the cornbread casserole recipe. https://www.feastingathome.com/mexican-slaw/

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #724 on: January 08, 2021, 07:11:33 AM »
Thanks!

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #725 on: March 08, 2021, 08:04:45 AM »
At the beginnng of the pandemic I went a bit overboard with stocking up on things.  I bought a lot of canned pork, canned chicken, canned beef, canned ground beef and of course canned tuna and some other canned fish. I have a friend that is absolutely grossed out by the thought of canned beef or pork and let me know she could hurl at just the thought of it. Kind of made me feel like a cannibal or a person who would eat raw meat from the bottom of a fly infested dumpster. However, we have had the pork several times cooked with sauerkraut and onions and it was very tasty indeed. I haven't really tried the beef yet except the ground beef and it was excellent too. I have beef chunks That I may have sometime with a gravy over top mashed potatoes. The meat I got was more premium and was not loaded with salt. Canned in natural juices. I have a very old, old sickly dog who I spoil terribly and he gets beef from the cans quite often.

I also bought some stuff that I will never eat. My other dog, who is no longer on this earth, had a ton of pills to take every day. I had such a hard time getting the pills down him I resorted to buying all kinds of things to jam the pills into so he would take them. Some things worked for a while then he totally rejected it after a few times. I bought Spam, thinking he would like that, nope.  I made all kinds of beef balls, liverwurst balls, chicken balls. He was so sick I guess nothing appealed to him So, now I have Spam and some other odd ball things I will donate. I ate Spam as a kid but not my favorite.

MudPuppy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1468
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #726 on: March 08, 2021, 08:58:20 AM »
Canned beef goes well in beef stew as well.


This recipe for pineapple fried rice is always a hit at our house, if you’re looking for ideas to use up the spam https://www.spam.com/recipes/spam-pineapple-fried-rice

the_fixer

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1252
  • Location: Colorado
  • mind on my money money on my mind
Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #727 on: March 08, 2021, 09:31:49 AM »
As a kid my grandma would make fried Spam and I loved it but as an adult thinking about it turns my stomach.

Most things I get over but for some reason Spam is just a mental thing that seems to stick.

Unlike when I stopped drinking Fresca for like 7 years because i read the label and it had vegetable oil in it or when I refused to eat hotdogs for years after finding out how they were made. Now days I will partake in a Fresca from time to time and will eat hotdogs but only beef and high quality.

I would probably love that Spam fried rice and other things made with Spam as long as I did not know what was in it :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

MudPuppy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1468
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #728 on: March 08, 2021, 09:35:36 AM »
You can just drop all the spam off at my house, then! I have an unhealthy love for it.

bunging

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #729 on: March 08, 2021, 10:15:03 AM »
Spam Musubi is the only way I've ever had spam and it is amazing (my husband's family is from Hawaii). Great as a snack or lunch option. I would love some right now...

https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/musubi/

JoJo

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1851
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #730 on: March 08, 2021, 10:20:22 AM »
I like a bit of cubed spam in scrambled eggs.  That's about the only way I like it.  Don't need to add any salt.  I like to add some veggies too.

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #731 on: March 08, 2021, 10:32:26 AM »
Seeing this thread revived has been a good opportunity to reflect on this past year of pandemic, which should give me insight into preparing in the future.

I donated most of the canned meat items months ago, when I realized we didn't need them and weren't going to eat them, but even more than that, that they bothered my allergies. I kept the canned tuna for one son, and the corned beef hash for the other, but the Spam and canned chicken went to the food bank. Going forward, even in a pandemic I won't be stocking up on canned meat foods. We had plenty of meat in the freezer, and while certain cuts may have had shortages, meat remained available. I was always able to order grass-fed ground beef from a small in-state rancher.

I stocked up on more canned tomato and canned bean products than I needed, but we are getting through them. In the future, however, I'll keep far less of these on hand. It doesn't make sense to keep so much on hand that I can't eat. Even in the pandemic I found myself making dried beans, and we never had a true shortage -- I just had to change where I get pinto beans and that had been an issue pre-pandemic because my Costco stopped carrying dried beans in October 2019. I'll be going though the pantry again and pulling out the tomato products and bean varieties I don't think we'll eat any time soon -- we'll donate them.

We went through all of the canned fruit and jarred applesauce I stocked up on last March, and then some. It was useful to learn that we can use these items to stretch out grocery shopping. Now that supplies are better I'm able to buy peaches canned in juice, which  I think is better when a kid eats an entire can in one sitting. In terms of overall preparedness I can see it good to keep these on hand. They also keep people happy when I want to wait another week before getting groceries.

I ended up detesting the dried cream powder and dried butter powder I bought. I already knew I liked Peak dried milk, so I'll keep that in rotation.

I unfortunately found that I can't keep bulk grains on hand if I don't have freezer space to put the grain in for a week before putting into buckets. We lost quite a bit due to tiny bugs, which clearly arrived in some Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour, and then again more recently we lost a bucket of rice. This used to happen back in the aughts, before I got wise to freezing the bags in the outside deep freeze for at least a week.

There was so much shifting around and making space for the extra food, and now that we're out the other side I want it gone. I really don't want to keep so much in bulk! The plan is to eat through what we have and then buy in smaller quantities. I've come to see every square foot of our house as valuable, and I need to reclaim the areas overtaken with food, which then pushed some kitchen items into other areas. I also really want things to be more simple.

Like many, we've seen our electricity usage increase, in part because everyone is home now and DH is working from home with a setup that involves a laptop that connects to his office computer remotely as well as two additional monitors. But I think the big increase came from plugging in our extra refrigerator to hold more perishables so we could stretch out the shopping. I finally got that emptied and unplugged again a week ago. We're paying 4-5¢ more per kWh (depending which tier we're in) compared to a year ago -- they changed things up and the people who end up in high usage charge are dinged less but the rest of us pay more. The refrigerator definitely adds to our usage. None of us is thrilled with the fridge gymnastics required to fit everything into the smaller house fridge (previous owners did the kitchen in a manner that limits how wide and how tall a fridge we can fit in the kitchen), but I'm determined.

This Lent I decided we'd do a pantry/freezer challenge. We aren't buying any meat, potatoes, or vegetables other than salad vegetables. We're eating the meat from the freezer, dried rice and frozen squash for our side starches, and frozen vegetables. I'll buy salad vegetables and a moderate amount of fresh fruit, but even that has to be supplement with the frozen fruit we have. Even if meat were to go on a great sale pre-Easter, I just don't have any room to freeze it.

But keeping a chest freezer crammed full of meat isn't my goal, either. I want to simplify how we eat and only use the top freezer in the house -- by the end of the year I hope to have the chest freezer empty (it's a smaller one, 8.7 cubic feet). I won't get rid of it right away, but I hope I can eventually.

Perhaps it's odd, but my experience with food during the pandemic really shifted my thinking. Or maybe it's the experience of the pandemic itself. I'm becoming more of a food minimalist. We've already decided that once we get through the meat in the freezer we're going to simplify our meat purchases, and most of the time we'll eat grass-fed ground beef and organic chicken, with plenty of meatless meals in the week. It feels like a good compromise between eating lots of meat because the boys like it, and being fully plant based which my body doesn't do well with at all. I'm not likely to buy anything in 25# bags any more. My goal is feed all 4 of us for less than the USDA monthly thrifty plan ($735 for us) while buying food that is organic, grass-fed, and not packaged in plastic (as much as possible). My monthly average for the past year (all pandemic) is $1250 per month, but that includes way too much stocking up, dog food, toiletries, cleaners, paper products, and a significant amount of donated food, as well as the price of an Instacart membership, the Instacart markups, and tipping, which I tend to be generous with. Looking at my numbers, I think I can feed us for less than $735 per month, and that goal is for after we get through the excess food -- until then I want to spend less.

the_fixer

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1252
  • Location: Colorado
  • mind on my money money on my mind
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #732 on: March 08, 2021, 11:18:18 AM »
On the subject of hoarding / stock piles.

Most items that I was keeping extra of due to the pandemic I have started to whittle down and moved back to my normal process of ordering when I am down to the last one.  That has worked for the most part during the last few months as supply seems to have normalized.

I managed to finish off my entire 25lb bag of oats as of this morning :) it has been my breakfast for the entire year.

We have some extra disinfecting wipes, mouth wash, a couple of small bottles of iso alcohol and rice but it will all be used up within a year so not too excessive.

Other than that our house is back to the normal levels with grocery orders every other week.

On the flip side my friend went a little overboard, he got vaccinated a week ago and I think the fact set in that he has more than he can use in his lifetime and asked me how he should go about selling it. We are talking cases of 1 gallon jugs of iso alcohol, hundreds of KN95 masks, cases of nitrile gloves.

So are you working through your stock? Still stocked up? Or have you gone full on hoarder?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #733 on: March 08, 2021, 12:14:21 PM »
Don't want to be a Debbie downer, but it isn't 100% certain that these shots are going to be the end of new covid mutant strains. Right now people are thinking the pandemic is over, but is it? Until the majority of people are vacinated, we are still in danger. We still have the mutants to possibly deal with and people from other countries bringing it to USA. On top of all that, there is no proof yet that the vaccines will last 6 months, one year or forever. Only time will tell us that.

I may reduce my stash but going to be cautious till we know more.

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23128
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #734 on: March 08, 2021, 12:16:10 PM »
Our family just finished off our second 20kg bag of flour (and 2lbs of yeast) since the pandemic started.  Is it still hoarding if you use it all?

:P

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #735 on: March 08, 2021, 12:45:37 PM »
Our family just finished off our second 20kg bag of flour (and 2lbs of yeast) since the pandemic started.  Is it still hoarding if you use it all?

:P

It is called stocking up!

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #736 on: March 08, 2021, 02:17:58 PM »
The changes I plan to make are being done so with the absolute knowledge the pandemic isn't over and could linger with new variants for years.

I've always bought certain things in bulk, like beans, grains, and flour. I never used to stock much canned or jarred food at all. If we're eating meat (we didn't until 2008 and then we took a break again from 2013 - 2016) I have meat in the freezer. I would also stock up on foods like butter, cheese, etc. to last a couple of months.

I'll admit I felt panicked when we realized in February that things were headed in a bad place. It didn't help that I was low on my regular bulk items -- I was almost out of rice, pinto beans, lentils, flour, and sugar. I was low on oil. I had already started simplifying what we eat (one kind of rice, one kind of dried beans, etc.) and had been cutting back on how much I kept stored. The extra refrigerator was empty, and the small chest freezer was only half full at most.

I reacted out of fear and when I had difficulty buying our usual items I stocked up like crazy when I did find them. In February I'd started planning how we could grocery shop no more than once a month, and I went with that plan. It didn't feel imprudent, because we would eat the food eventually. But I did follow advice for stocking up that included buying certain foods we'd never bought before (canned meat). This was based on stocking up not specifically for the pandemic -- we couldn't have foreseen that we'd still be at it a year later -- but rather on earthquake preparedness which puts a focus on foods that don't need water to cook and can be eaten without heating if necessary.

I mentioned to DH that I panicked like a person without money. There's nothing wrong with being poor (I grew up skirting poverty), but I've brought a lot of behaviors with me into our (now) financially secure life that I need to let go of. I realized that I wasn't really afraid that I wouldn't be able to find meat or canned goods -- I was afraid I wouldn't be able to buy them at a good price. So instead I bought way more than we needed so I could rest easy knowing I'd gotten good deals. I know price was the basis of my fear, and not shortages, because I've been sending significant amounts of food to the food bank over and over again. Just today DH took at least $200 worth of food -- I estimate we've donated at least $1000 worth of food and paper goods in the past year. I wouldn't be donating food if I was worried I wouldn't be able to get more.

A year later, I'm going back to what I was trying to do at the beginning of 2020 -- simplifying my life, which includes simplifying the foods we eat and how I cook. I got the buckets out of my closet. I have a goal to create a small studio in our breakfast room, which we don't eat in (pre-pandemic it was set up as a reading area, using the built in benches as seating). To be able to create the studio, I have to get everything out of the storage in the benches so we can tear them out. To find room for those things I need to make room in the pantry. I'm cutting back food storage and doing another declutter or kitchen items.

(Before anyone panics about us tearing out built-ins in our breakfast nook, please know we designed and built the built-ins -- they aren't original to our bungalow, although they are common in bungalows.)

I'm ready for the rest of my life. The pandemic stripped things back and I was able to truly see what I love and what I don't -- I've jettisoned so much that's necessary, both tangible and intangible. I learned major lessons by examining how I responded to the pandemic and why I did the things I did. I'm still incredibly careful, not having seen family or friends for more than year now, and choosing not to shop or dine (even outdoors). But I'm not living in fear anymore.

hooplady

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 181
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #737 on: March 08, 2021, 05:03:11 PM »
The only thing I'm overstocked on is bleach because for a long time I was buying it every time I saw it on the shelves. But I'll use it up.

Oh, and canned tomatoes...turns out I don't use these at all! Luckily I have just a couple of cans, they will probably end up donated to a food bank.

better late

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 488
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #738 on: March 08, 2021, 05:08:32 PM »
We have so many grocery items that ended up in our trunk where the grocery store "substituted" something for curbside pickup order or where we chose the wrong version of an item sprinting through the store to get out of there quickly. 

the_fixer

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1252
  • Location: Colorado
  • mind on my money money on my mind
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #739 on: March 08, 2021, 05:46:12 PM »

Oh, and canned tomatoes...turns out I don't use these at all! Luckily I have just a couple of cans, they will probably end up donated to a food bank.

Make some chili, tortilla soup or you can even put it in 10 bean soup to jazz it up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

life_travel

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 239
  • Location: Australia
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #740 on: March 08, 2021, 06:02:08 PM »
The only thing I'm overstocked on is bleach because for a long time I was buying it every time I saw it on the shelves. But I'll use it up.

Oh, and canned tomatoes...turns out I don't use these at all! Luckily I have just a couple of cans, they will probably end up donated to a food bank.

I use my canned tomatoes for red lentil soups:

https://cookieandkate.com/best-lentil-soup-recipe/


MudPuppy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1468
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #741 on: March 08, 2021, 06:39:25 PM »
I love this sneak peak into others’ habits. Canned tomatoes of various types are our most used canned item.

TomTX

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5345
  • Location: Texas
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #742 on: March 08, 2021, 07:10:57 PM »
Our family just finished off our second 20kg bag of flour (and 2lbs of yeast) since the pandemic started.  Is it still hoarding if you use it all?

:P

Maybe this should go in the MPP thread. Pandemic hoarding problem?

I'm not using my yeast anymore, because I made a great sourdough starter coupled with a low effort breadmaking process. As an example - I only do a single rise overnight. Yeah, the loaf ends up a bit short, but NBD.

10 heaping spoons* of KA whole wheat flour
10 heaping spoons of KA bread flour
3 cranks of the salt grinder
Pour in some of the starter.
Add flour and water** back to starter container.
Mix starter using the same spoon.
Mix the stuff in the dough bowl, adding water as needed to get dough. Leave it a bit dry.
Cover the dough bowl with a plate. Wait 30-60 minutes.
Knead the dough for a few minutes, and adjust moisture level.
Transfer to a lightly oiled second bowl, cover with the plate for the overnight rise.
One sleep later
Make sure pizza stone is in the convection toaster oven.
Crank that up to 450F for 30+ minutes. Probably would be better with 60 minutes, but I'm not that patient.
Start the coffee maker.
Lightly cornmeal the pizza peel (enough area for your loaf, not the whole thing)
Gently detach dough from bowl and place on peel, slash and transfer to pizza stone in the oven.
Turn down to 375F
Check on it after 35 minutes. Might need a bit longer.
Remove using pizza peel, allow to rest for awhile.

Last two batches I have incorporated a handful of rolled oats in the dough. Worked fine.

I am running a bit short of the good King Arthur bread flour, and the local grocery store curbside service NEVER has it available in the app. But it was usually in the store back when I went inside earlier in the pandemic.

* Our silverware set came with two sizes of spoons, I use the larger one
* I eyeball it and try for a pancake batter consistency

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #743 on: March 08, 2021, 07:18:40 PM »
I love this sneak peak into others’ habits. Canned tomatoes of various types are our most used canned item.

I pretty much never bought canned/jarred tomato products other than salsa, marinara, and tomato paste (for pizza). I'm allergic to tomatoes, so they are rarely ingredients in our meals. Now I have a large amount of diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. I've been using them along with canned beans to make chili for the two in the family who can/will eat it. I probably have enough to make it every other week for the rest of the year, and that's making large batches they eat for several meals.

But even this was a learning experience! Once I'm no longer stocking so much food I'll still keep a couple cans of tomatoes and beans on hand. Combined with chili powder (the kind with other seasonings too) it makes a good basic chili, and quickly too. I usually add any leftover cooked veggies we have, and leftover ground beef if we have it. It's not easier than opening a can of chili, but I never bought that because it has ingredients we don't care for. I'm easy to feed when we're in a rush because I just don't care that much and can be happy with a cheese and crackers or something equally simple, but the guys are usually way too hungry for that to satisfy them, so I can make the quick chili and everyone's happy.

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #744 on: March 08, 2021, 07:22:36 PM »


I'm not using my yeast anymore, because I made a great sourdough starter coupled with a low effort breadmaking process. As an example - I only do a single rise overnight. Yeah, the loaf ends up a bit short, but NBD.

I haven't bought yeast during the pandemic because I had plenty to begin with -- and still do. After I woke up my sourdough starter I almost never used yeast for bread. I used the last of the yeast I had in my jar and opened a new bag, which I've barely touched.

Your recipe looks great!

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22318
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #745 on: March 09, 2021, 07:33:38 AM »
Hmmm, it's Senior Morning at Grocery Outlet. I'm headed there today for the 10% discount. Who knows what I'll find to stock up on?

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #746 on: March 09, 2021, 07:48:41 AM »
I just did another stock up...ARG! Schwann's (frozen food  online) is having a one day 20% off sale. Plus, I had $8.70 in rewards to claim. After the 20% off and my rewards, my total bill came to $112. Total discount was $39.22. Got a lot of veggies and some other entrees.

Shipping is only $4.99 if anyone is interested. The sale is only one day, today.

mm1970

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 10880
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #747 on: March 09, 2021, 12:14:46 PM »
I just did another stock up...ARG! Schwann's (frozen food  online) is having a one day 20% off sale. Plus, I had $8.70 in rewards to claim. After the 20% off and my rewards, my total bill came to $112. Total discount was $39.22. Got a lot of veggies and some other entrees.

Shipping is only $4.99 if anyone is interested. The sale is only one day, today.
My stepdad loves Schwann's.  I've seen the truck in my neighborhood.

Not a pandemic stock up, per se, but my husband installed a portable bidet to our toilet.  So, less TP !

mntnmn117

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 99
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #748 on: March 09, 2021, 12:19:48 PM »

Mix the stuff in the dough bowl, adding water as needed to get dough. Leave it a bit dry.


I use a kitchen scale and have been enjoying the hydration math.  Two loafs, 1000g flour, 750-780g water, 150g starter, 20g salt, 10g olive oil. At least overnight bulk rise, but sometimes 2-3 days in the fridge really brings out the sour. Roll the loafs in sesame seeds, and I do the dutch oven at 450 method.  I'll have to try the pizza stone option.

Big bummer, we finished out the bacon stash back in December. My wife had picked up 35ea at $1.99 back in May. Frustratingly Spam hasn't gone on sale in our area in a while. We got hooked in Hawaii and on sale it's comparable to on sale bacon at 1.99 but with unlimited shelf life.

We did almost no hoarding but normal family of 6 purchasing can look like it. My wife hates it when checkers act like she's crazy for buying 6 dozen eggs.

K_in_the_kitchen

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 674
Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #749 on: March 09, 2021, 01:16:51 PM »

Mix the stuff in the dough bowl, adding water as needed to get dough. Leave it a bit dry.


I use a kitchen scale and have been enjoying the hydration math.  Two loafs, 1000g flour, 750-780g water, 150g starter, 20g salt, 10g olive oil. At least overnight bulk rise, but sometimes 2-3 days in the fridge really brings out the sour. Roll the loafs in sesame seeds, and I do the dutch oven at 450 method.  I'll have to try the pizza stone option.

Big bummer, we finished out the bacon stash back in December. My wife had picked up 35ea at $1.99 back in May. Frustratingly Spam hasn't gone on sale in our area in a while. We got hooked in Hawaii and on sale it's comparable to on sale bacon at 1.99 but with unlimited shelf life.

We did almost no hoarding but normal family of 6 purchasing can look like it. My wife hates it when checkers act like she's crazy for buying 6 dozen eggs.

I like to use the Lodge multi-cooker for boules.  Using it upside down gives the great initial covered oven spring, but then taking the deeper pot (used as the lid) off allows for great browning.  But I'll admit I failed at successfully using a pizza peel.

We're out of bacon except for the Costco Kirkland Bacon Crumbles I stocked up on last spring.  They're supposed to be shelf stable but I put them in the freezer once I realized we wouldn't eat them before the best by date.  They're good in cabbage stir fry, quiche, egg casseroles, and salad, but don't really take the place of bacon.  We're considering Butcher Box once we run out of meat later this year, and I hope they'll do a free bacon for life offer.  Right now it's free ground beef for life (the life of your subscription).