Things I Stock Up On and Why

I have already posted how I stock up on lemon juice in quart bottles at Family Dollar and how I use it.
There are other items I keep stocked up on from the Family Dollar and Dollar Tree that are cheap and multi-use.

Here are a few items you would see if you peeked in my pantry:
Baby Shampoo
Olive Oil
Brown Sugar and/or White Sugar

These three items seem to have darn little in common, but here's the deal...1 cup of sugar (white or brown), Three or four tablespoons of Olive Oil and One Tablespoon of  Baby Shampoo. Add a scented oil--maybe a couple drops of lavender essential oil--if you have it. If not, drop in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.
Mix well.
BODY SCRUB!!!
Smells awesome, the olive oil mosturizes, the sugar exfoliates, the baby shampoo adds bubbles.
MUCH cheaper than going to Bath and Body Works!
Store in a pint canning jar. You may have to stir it up before use.

Olive Oil is available at my local Dollar Tree. Twelve Ounce bottle for a buck. Not bad.
I use it for:
Cooking
Salad Dressings
Hair conditioner
Skin Moisturizer
On my nails to keep them healthy and shiny.
Furniture polish (mix with a wee bit of lemon juice)
A little in my dogs food to keep her coat shiny
Squeaky Hinges

Baby Shampoo:
Shampoo (d'uh)
Body Wash
Hand Washing delicates
Dog Shampoo
Mix well with Olive Oil (50/50) for a moisturizing body wash or hand soap (no chapped hands in winter)
Housecleaning duty...I mix it in a spray bottle with water (1/4 cup baby shampoo per quart of warm water) and a tablespoon or two of lemon juice and scrub counter-tops and such. This cleanser is also good on walls (won't strip off paint)
Oil stain on driveway? Pour hot water mixed 50/50 with baby shampoo on the stain, scrub in, let set 15 minutes, rinse off. Repeat if necessary

White Sugar:
Look, I almost NEVER cook or bake with white sugar. I drink herbal tea, but I sweeten it with honey.
However, I do use my sugar for some things--even in the kitchen.
I like to peel an orange, a lime and a lemon and put the peels in a quart jar and then feill it with sugar. Citrus sugar! After a couple of months, the peels are all dried out (and sometimes crystallized) and the sugar has taken on a citrus-y flavor. I make this citrus angel food cake once in a while and this sugar is AWESOME to *pop* the flavor!
You can also make spice sugar by putting a couple star anise, a nutmeg and a cinnamon stick and a couple of cloves in a quart jar, add white sugar and shake it a bit. Leave for two months before using.
Sugar can be used as a scrubbing agent that will not scratch in your stainless steel sinks, granite counter tops, etc. However, RINSE VERY WELL, otherwise little ants will come to visit--bringing their extended families with them!
Keep a few packets of sugar in a ziplock bag in your first aid kit. Sugar and honey both have been used for wound treatment for over a thousand years and they work! Less infection and faster healing!

Brown sugar should be kept moist. If your brown sugar is drying out, tuck a fresh slice of apple in the bag and seal it back up.
I use brown sugar in cooking/baking, but I use it for many of the same uses as I do white sugar.

I am so insistent on multi-uses for everything I buy, stock up on or use regularly. Look at your pantry...I am sure you can find multiple uses for many items in there!

Pucker Up!

Yes, that's right, pucker up! Today's blog is about one item I ALWAYS make sure I have in my pantry.
Lemon Juice!
Taaa-Daaa!
I know, lemon juice doesn't seem that exciting, but I LOVE it! It is one of the most versatile items you can have on hand,
I get 32 oz bottles of lemon juice at my local Family Dollar store for $1.50, although sometimes they have it on sale for just $1.00. That's a great bargain (at either price).

Lemon juice can be used for cleaning:

Air freshener

An equal amount of lemon juice and water added to a spray bottle that sprays a fine mist will create a wonderful chemical-free air freshener for your home.

All purpose cleaner

Again, an equal amount of lemon juice and water added to a spray bottle is an effective kitchen and bathroom cleaner and can also be used on walls (spot test first).

A small amount of lemon juice can also be added to vinegar based cleaning solutions to help neutralize the smell of the vinegar.

Microwave

Heat a bowl of water and lemon juice (about 1 cup of water and 3 tablespoons lemon juice) in your microwave for 30 seconds to a minute; then wipe out the oven. Stains will be easier to remove and old food odors neutralized. I have found that a shallow bowl is best---more surface area has something to do with it, I think.

Fridge

Like baking soda, lemon juice stored in your fridge will help control and eliminate unpleasant smells. Put a small bowl or tupperware container with a small sponge in the bowl. Moisten the sponge with water and lemon juice (50/50 mix), then set the open bowl in your fridge. Change every one to two weeks.

Chrome/copper/brass

Rub a lemon juice and baking soda paste onto chrome or copper, rinse and then wipe/buff with a soft cloth or paper towel.

Toilet

Mix 1/2 cup borax and a cup of lemon juice for a powerful toilet cleaner that will leave it smelling extra clean!

Lime scale

Use lemon juice--full strength-- to clean the lime scale off a sink or taps/faucets; just dampen a sponge with lemon juice, apply, let set for a few minutes and then wipe off and rinse well.

Clogged up shower head? Soak overnight in a bowl of lemon juice.

Laundry

For bleaching purposes, add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the rinse cycle and hang clothes outside to dry.

A teaspoon of lemon juice thrown into your wash can also help your clothes to smell fresher.

For Blood stains particularly on white fabrics, rub lemon juice and salt and hang in sun for about 4 hours.

Please remember to NEVER use lemon juice on SILK fabric! It will eat a hole in them!

Dishes

A teaspoon of lemon juice added to your dishwashing detergent can help boost grease cutting power

Ever get a residue on the inside of a crock pot that won't come off no matter how much you scrub or soak? Fill 3/4 full with water, then add 1 cup of lemon juice. Turn the crock pot on high and leave it for 2-3 hours. Allow to cool before rinsing; all the stains will be gone. It's like having a brand new crock pot!

Drains

Hot lemon juice and baking soda is a good drain cleaner that is safe to use in septic systems.

Chopping boards

Rub lemon juice into your wooden chopping board, leave overnight and then rinse. Wood chopping boards appear to have anti-bacterial properties anyway, but the lemon will help kill off any remaining nasties and neutralize odors.

Glass and mirrors

4 tablespoons of lemon juice mixed with half a gallon of water makes an effective window cleaner

Degreaser

Straight lemon juice can be used as a general degreaser

Furniture

2 parts olive oil or cooking oil mixed with 1 part lemon juice makes for an excellent furniture polish!

Personal Hygiene and Medicinal Uses for Lemon Juice:

Hair

To lighten hair, dampen it with lemon juice and sit out in the sun for an hour. This does work, I tried it myself. Hey, it was the 70's!

I've read that the juice of a lemon mixed with one cup warm water makes for a great hair conditioner. It should be allowed to stay in your hair for a few minutes then washed off. Exercise caution if you have a sensitive scalp.

Hands

The smell of fish or onions or garlic can linger on your hands, even after scrubbing with soap - rubbing your hands with lemon juice will neutralize the smell and leave your hands smelling wonderful.

Itchies, Stings and Bites

Dab lemon juice on mosquito or chigger bites. Dabbing lemon juice on itchy rashes can also help. If straight lemon juice proves to be too harsh for your skin, use a 50/50 mix of lemon juice and warm water.

Acne:

Dabbing lemon juice on pimples, blackheads and whiteheads before bed helps dry them up before morning! Wash face with a mild soap to wash off in the morning.

Foot/Body Scrub:

Mix regular table sugar or brown sugar with lemon juice to make a foot scrub. If you have problem perspiration, use the scrub all over! It exfoliates skin and will leave you sweet smelling all day! This is really good for scaly dry elbows!

Lemon Juice for Deodorant:

Use lemon juice as an alternative to high-priced chemically nasty deodorants.

Just wipe lemon juice on a washcloth or cotton balls under your arm pits. Lasts for hours! If you can't use straight juice, try the 50/50 mix with warm water.

Lemon Juice for Weight Loss:

Two tablespoons lemon juice in a glass (8 ounces) of water every morning helps *kick up* your metabolism and can help with weight loss.

Lemon Juice Mouth Wash and Denture Soak:

Lemon juice, 3 tablespoons in a cup of warm water makes a great mouth wash. If you have thin enamel on your teeth, check with your dentist first!

If you wear dentures and are out of your usual denture cleanser, put dentures in hot or very warm water and add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Soak for 2 to 8 hours for fresh, sparkling dentures.

Lemon Juice for Sore Throats and Coughs:

Mix 1/4 cup honey with 3 tablespoons lemon juice for a great throat soother. Make it better by adding a half teaspoon ground ginger.

Lemon Juice for cooking:

Now on to the yummy stuff! Lemons are high in Vitamin C, so adding them to your diet just makes sense, especially in the winter!

If you dry or can apples, you know they turn brown after being cut and exposed to air. Toss apple slices with a 50/50 lemon juice-water mix and they won't turn brown!

The acidic character of lemon juice also makes it a great meat tenderizer. Add a couple of tablespoons to your favorite marinade.

Lemon juice *brightens* the flavor of salad dressings, especially ones used on fruit salads. Just a teaspoon is usually enough in 1 cup of dressing.

Lemon juice + water + sugar = Lemonade! But lemon juice can be added to a lot of other beverages to enhance flavor or add a *sparkle* to the taste. Add a teaspoon of lemon to a glass of ginger ale--or any other carbonated beverage. Add it to fruit punch, tea (hot or cold), herbal teas, juices...just about any beverage--as long as it doesn't contain milk!

In baking, a teaspoon or two of lemon can *brighten* up the flavor of breads, cakes and pies without adding a *lemony* flavor. Mix the lemon juice with the sugar required for the recipe BEFORE adding to other ingredients!

When you are making sauces , adding a teaspoon of lemon certainly enhances the flavor! I especially love to make lemon butter to serve over vegetables--especially broccoli. Make a sauce of lemon, butter and herbs--I suggest rosemary and thyme with a touch of onion or garlic to serve over broiled chicken breasts. (Okay, I am getting hungry now!)

As you can see, lemon juice is a wonderful thing to have in your pantry! The bottles of lemon juice I buy have to be refrigerated after opening. Check expiration dates and buy bottles that have the further-est out *use by* date.

Food Storage for One Person from the Grocery Store

I know some people that read this are not on farms where they have ample produce to can and dehydrate.
Some people that read it do not order from one of the many online resources for #10 cans of long term food storage.
Some people do not go to a local LDS cannery for LTS (Long Term Storage).
Some people shop at their local grocery store and think it is nigh near impossible to effectively get a LTS pantry set up.
WRONG!!!
Here is a good basic list for one person for one month:


Basic Supplies and Needs For 1 Month
For one person, At least 1600 Calories A Day
Shelf Stable Grocery Store Purchased Foods

_________________________________________________________________________________________
ITEM ONE MONTH
------------------------------------------------------------------
Canned Meats and/or Fish 16 Cans (5 to 6 oz)
Canned Beans 8 Cans(15 oz)
Canned Vegetables 34 Cans (15 oz)
Canned Fruits 26 Cans (15 oz)
Canned Soups 16 Cans(15 oz)
Canned Individual Meals (Ravioli, etc) 16 Cans
Granola/Protein/Fruit Bars 18 Bars
Peanut Butter 1 Jar
Jelly 1 Jar
Nuts/Trail Mix 2 Lb.s
Dried Fruit 2 lb.s
Crackers 1 box
Canned Juice 2 Gallons
Bottled Water for Drinking 3 Cases of 16 oz bottles
Water for other purposes 30 Gallons
Electrolyte Drinks (Gatorade, etc) 1 Gallon
Bread 3 Loaves
Velveeta Cheese 1 Box
Eggs 3 dozen
Ready To Eat Cereal 2 Boxes
Oatmeal 1 box
Chips 2 Bags
Spaghetti/Pasta/Noodles 2 lb.s
Spaghetti/Pasta Sauce 2 Jars
Pancake Mix 1 Box
Syrup 1/2 Bottle
Honey 1 Jar (pint)
Rice 1 lb.
Milk (fresh/canned/powdered) 4 gallons or equivalent
Candy (Stress Food) 1 Bag
Cookies 2 pkg.
Condiments and Spices As Needed for personal taste
Cake/Brownie Mix 4 pkg.
Pudding/Jello 4 pkg
**************************************************************
Bleach 1 gallon
Laundry Detergent 1 box
Bath Soap 4 bars
Toilet Paper 4 rolls
Vitamins 30 Day Supply
Dish detergent 2 bottles
******************************************************************

Okay, that is a basic list for one month for one person using 1600 calories as a base, and using shelf stable, non-refrigerated items from the local grocery store.
For 3 months, triple it.

All you have to do is buy an extra item here and there and stock your pantry. Be very aware of expiration dates and *use by* dates. The food does not suddenly self-destruct on that date, but it is a good guide. Your best bet is to buy cans of food that have the further-est out date.
Also, if you print out the list and put it in your pantry or keep it in a notebook or such, you can take advantage of sales when they crop up.

Back to the grind...

Well, my birthday was quite nice. I did have some friends take me out for cake and ice cream...YAY!!!
But today, back to the grind.

My plans for today include doing a complete inventory of my food preps.
I have my pantry, I also have food in my room (that's what I use for my bed frame!)

I SHOULD inventory every month.

I generally get it done about every 4 months.
If I had a bunch of kids at home and a spouse here, I would HAVE to inventory every month.
Since it is just me right now, I am sorta lax about it.

Today is also the day I put out vermin traps and poisons.
Yes, mice, rats and roaches, all of which are found in abundance in the region I live.
It is warm here and damp (most of the time), the city sewer system has the distressing habit of getting flooded with alarming regularity--which means rats abandon it and search for drier digs.

Because a couple of my tenants have been ill, I am also sanitizing the house top to bottom..a good idea for every household during flu season. (See my posts on making disinfectant)
So, busy day here!

A New Year

The new year is here and I know everyone out there is making New Years Resolutions...that they will probably break to shards by February...
I have an easy resolution for you:
Spend $5.00 per week to prepare.
You can use that 5 bucks to buy extra food for your pantry, items for your B.O.B or F.A.K.
I know 5 dollars doesn't sound like a lot, but you can buy a substantial amount of preparation for that 5 bucks per week!

Here's an example of one month...all these items are easily obtainable, either locally or online.
BOB Items
Gym Bag (easily found for $5)
50 ft of clothesline (usually runs about 2.99)
8 x 8 tarp (4.99 at my local surplus store)
Magnesium firestarter (4.99 at local military surplus store)
P-38 (99 cents at local military surplus store)
Emergency blanket (2.00 at local surplus store)

First Aid Kit (I hit the dollar store for this stuff!)
Small bottle of aspirin ( a dollar)
Box of Bandaids (again, only a dollar)
Tweezers ($1)
Bottle of Rubbing Alcohol (a buck)
Bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide ($1)
Bar of Soap (got 5 for a buck!)
Baby-Wipes ($1)
Scissors ($1)
Package of Air Masks ($1)
Roll of Medical Tape ($1)
Box of Gauze Pads ($1)
You get the idea....

For your food storage the possibilities are endless...
Cans of tuna fish or chicken, Spam, dried pasta, box dinners of mac and cheese, oatmeal, rice, flour and on and on....

Think of how much money you waste each week. Five dollars is a small amount, in the grand scheme of things. Cut out a couple trips to Starbucks each week or rent one less movie and get a free one from the library. Curtail your smoking a bit. Carry your lunch instead of getting something at a fast food joint. You'll never miss that 5 bucks, but you will be able to look with satisfaction at your growing pantry or FAK or BOB.

So...HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And shoot for 5 bucks a week for preparation!