The Provision Room Series {part II: The Pantry}

 

“Our willingness to be free of the responsibility of preparing daily bread
has now put the control of what we feed our families
into the hands of huge food companies who have one goal in mind – money.
As we have delegated the responsibility of milling grain and baking bread to others,
it has freed us up to do ‘other things’.
These ‘other things’ unfortunately, have taken us more and more out of the home.
Many don’t have time to cook any more.
Many of the foods we now eat for convenience are literally making us sick
because they are devoid of the fiber
and the nutrients that are essential to our health.”
– Sue Becker

 

To build up your Provision Room, let’s start with the pantry in the kitchen.

If you do not have a pantry, do not worry – you can simply use any cupboard space available. It is handy to have most of your items store together so you are not wandering around your kitchen during the times of cooking. Sometimes it is a good idea to find a stand alone cupboard that can serve as a pantry. Be creative. Of course, it is convenient to have your pantry located in the kitchen, but I know of some who store their pantry goods in a large cupboard on their porch or back room.  In my last kitchen, I had very limited space, but I was given a closed cabinet that I used as a dry goods pantry. Now the same cupboard holds my medicinal herbs.

When we purchased our home in the country, I was absolutely delighted to see a pantry style room attached to the kitchen. A dream come true for me! I’m very grateful for this space. It was used as a laundry room for the past owner, but since it is in the heart of the kitchen, it only made sense to make it a pantry. I painted it (with the help of my mother in love) and, of course, girlied up the shelves (just because it is a working space, it does not mean it has to be ugly).

Walking into this pantry and seeing all the good supplies God has provided brings me joy!

It will be your task to ensure your Provision Room is stocked.

It is a good habit to attempt to keep the room ready for the scratch beginnings of a healthy meal for your family. Perhaps, on this journey of establishing a Provision Room,  it would be prudent to start with stocking your smaller dry goods pantry first.

Ensure you have certain dry goods readily available.

A suggested list of necessities would be:

flour (or flour alternative)
wheat/spelt berries (for those who grind flour)
baking soda
baking powder
salt & pepper
yeast
honey
sugar (which ever kind you prefer)
various herbs for seasoning
oils for cooking
dried beans of all varieties
nuts and seeds
barley
quinoa
pasta noodles(or you could make them yourself)
rice

Extra ingredients that are handy to have on hand:

carob or cocoa powder
dry milk (you never know when you may need it in a pinch)
cranberries
raisins
chocolate chips
coconut
cinnamon
cornstarch
dried fruit
popcorn

You will also need herbs and spices of all kinds. Buy as many spices and ingredients in bulk as possible. That will save you money overall.

And while this may not be an option for everyone for reason of time and space, an even more frugal option would be to grow your own herb garden.

That may sound overwhelming if you have never planted a vegetable garden before, but start small. Just plant what you need. In time, your garden will grow and you can add more herbs. Start with basil, thyme, oregano and parsley. They are fairly easy to grow. From there, you can pick and choose which additional herbs to grow and which ones are needed in your pantry. You can buy herbs, already growing, from your local garden nursery, and plant them straight into your garden or keep them in pots, if you space is an issue. Watch them grow … and then when it is time, you can easily dry your herbs and store them in jars for the pantry.

 

 

 

 

For the rest of your dry goods, stock up and store them in pretty {frugal} jars (mason jars do the trick) and label them for your pantry. There are some lovely labels available online – I have some saved here.

 

 

Having your base of readily-available goods in your pantry will ensure you have what it takes to create a delicious, nutritious meal for your family.

Once your pantry is stocked, you have no excuse. 🙂

Start cooking your meals from scratch!  When I was a newlywed, I am ashamed to say I did not know how to cook – at all. I truly did not know the basics. I think making grilled cheese sandwiches was the extent of my kitchen abilities.
I remember once leaving a note for my husband (as I was working late as my job) that read:

“Working late. Dinner is in the oven. Love, Gillian xo”

When he opened the oven door, there was another note that said:

“Tricked ya!”

How sad! As you can see, I truly did not know the meaning of being a homemaker or cooking at all, let alone from scratch. It took a few years before I realized the importance of cooking and baking for your family, providing healthy meals to the little and big ones in your care.

 

Many of you are already wonderful chefs for your family! That is such a blessing! Perhaps now is it time to take it one step further. Cook all your meals from scratch. Toss out pre-packaged goods. Make homemade soups and stews. Watch what vegetables you buy and avoid buying anything (rice, vegetables, garlic) that comes from China (read the labels!).

Learn to bake your own bread. It is so much healthier! {This is, by far, one of my favorite tasks.} Here is a great article to read about bread and health.

 

Refuse to buy boxed meals of any kind!

They are generally unhealthy and in the end, may cost more financially and physically.  So many young children are gaining an unhealthy weight. In fact, statistics show that the weight gain among infants and children in Canada has steadily risen over the years, with over 42 million Canadian children labelled as being “overweight.” Where does this come from? Many aspects but the two most important are lifestyle and eating habits. With a little planning and a dash of determination, you can provide healthier meals for your family. This is a benefit to your child, your husband and yourself.

 

Do you have a dry goods pantry already? What do you store in it? I would love to hear from others in regards to this topic.

I hope to add to this little series on the Provision Room. If you have something you would like to add or a suggestion, please leave it in the comments below. It would be greatly appreciated. ❤

 

{Linked up with Strangers & Pilgrims}