A big THANK YOU to everyone who sent in their photos for the $20/$20 Challenge in 2015. I hope by sharing those pantry pictures and organization stories, you were able to gain a little useful information. The challenge might be over, but I’d love to still see those pantries! If you’re willing to share, I’m willing to share, so keep ’em coming! If I end up using your submission, you score a $20 Amazon gift card! See details below.
~Mavis
Our latest submission comes to us from snowy Utah, where reader Stephanie shows off her pantry and gives us a glimpse into how she stores her goods!
Dear Mavis,
Sorry you didn’t get a white Christmas. I hope you get some real snow soon. We’ve gotten plenty of snow here in Utah. I’ve been following your blog for a few years now. I’m a stay at home mom with three young kids. I love to cook and bake from scratch, and I’ve been gardening for 7 years. Our house is on 1/4 acre in the suburbs. I have a few raised garden boxes and just started keeping chickens this year.
I usually go grocery shopping once a week at a local grocery store. I hit up Costco once a month, and Winco every 3 months or so to stock up at the bulk bins.
A number of years ago my mom’s neighbor was cleaning out her garage and had a pile of stuff that was just going to go to the thrift store, and that’s where my mom grabbed this grain mill for me. Can’t get any better than free! We cleaned the dust off it and glued one of the mill stones back on and it’s been serving me well. I grind wheat every week or two to bake my homemade bread and I use it in my pancakes and other baking.
I bake 2 loaves of bread at a time and I slice them up and put them into 4 bags. We usually don’t go through bread very fast (unless I make french toast for breakfast) so I leave one bag on the counter and the rest goes into the freezer. My husband built this table to keep the grain mill on. It’s out in the garage because we don’t have room in the kitchen and it’s also super loud when it’s running. He also built it large enough so that our dog’s crate would fit right underneath. He loves hanging out in the garage, especially when it gets too crazy in the house. 3 little kids can be really loud!
My handy husband also built these adjustable shelves in our utility room in the basement. I need to get him to cut a few more shelves so I can maximize my storage space.
I canned tomatoes and grape juice from my garden this summer.
I also tried making grape jelly for the first time. This year was not good to our fruit trees, we didn’t harvest a single peach or pear. I bought some local peaches this summer and canned those instead. I also bought a bunch of canning jars from a neighbor’s yard sale. I’m hoping to continue expanding my canning repertoire.
We also have a chest freezer in the utility room. I’m still try to figure out how best to keep it organized. I need to find some more baskets that will fit my freezer.
For now I have cardboard boxes dividing the bottom of the freezer. You can’t see them too well because I have lots of food piled on top.
I do my meal planning one week at a time. I look over my calendar on the fridge and see what meals we haven’t had for a while. I write the next week’s meal plan on the calendar, but I will often cross things out or switch Tuesday’s stir-fry with Thursday’s Sloppy Joes. I like to keep things flexible. To ensure variety, I try to plan one dinner from 7-8 different categories. A week’s meals will usually have one pasta night, one Asian dish, one Mexican, one casserole, one meat and potatoes, one meatless dish, and one night of leftovers. It works pretty well for us.
I’ve loved getting inspiration from all the pantry pictures this year; it’s motivated me to get more organized and keep it that way!
Thanks Mavis!
If you would like to have your garden, chicken coop, pantry or something you’ve made featured on One Hundred Dollars a Month, here’s what I’m looking for:
- Your Garden Pictures and Tips – I’d especially like to see your garden set ups, growing areas, and know if you are starting seeds indoors this year. If so, show me some picture of how you are going about it.
- Your Pantry Pics – Submit at least 5 HIGH QUALITY pictures of your pantry/fridge/cabinets, as well as a short blurb {at the very least} about you and your food habits.
- Your Chicken and Chicken Related Stories – Coops, Chicks, Hen’s, Roosters, Eggs, you name it. If it clucks, send us some pictures to share with the world.
- Cool Arts & Crafts – Made from your very own hands with detailed {and well photographed} pictures and instructions.
- Your pictures and stories about your pets. The more pictures and details the better.
- Garage Sale, Thrift Store and Dumpster Diving pictures and the stories behind the treasures you found including how much you paid for them.
If I feature your pictures and the stories behind them on One Hundred Dollars a Month, I will send you a $20.00 gift card to the greatest store in the world: Amazon.com.
Go HERE for the official rules.
Em says
What an amazing pantry! Love the old grain mill (and the hidden puppy). Thanks for sharing!
Jessica S. says
I love these posts! It looks like you have a good system going. Thanks for sharing!
auntie says
Way to go Stephanie! Love the grain mill, your very own fresh eggs, and the menu calendar. Oh, and thanks for letting us peek inside your fridge. I’m not very good about keeping mine organized.
vanessa says
I would love to have another good whole wheat bread recipe, if you don’t mind sharing.
Lisa L says
How wonderful to have a meatless meal once a week! Thanks for sharing. You can’t show us a picture of your pup without give us a name!
Nicole says
Thanks for sharing! I have a wheat grinder and would love to actually us it! Can you share your bread recipe?
Stephanie says
Thanks for all the comments! My pup’s name is Arbo, he’s the friendliest, smartest Aussie/Border Collie mix (who also thinks he’s not too big to sit on your lap).
My bread recipe is pretty simple, the only unusual ingredient is vital wheat gluten. Most grocery stores around here carry it, but if your’s doesn’t, you can look at a health food store or order online.
Stephanie’s Whole Wheat Bread
Makes 2 loaves
2 ¾ c. warm water
1 T. instant yeast
3 T. vital wheat gluten
1 T. salt
3 T. oil
2 T. honey
6-7 c. whole wheat flour
Put water, yeast, gluten, salt, oil, and honey into a large bowl. Add 6 cups of flour, then mix well. Let dough sit for 10-20 minutes to let the flour absorb the water. Mix dough again, add more flour if needed to get a nice dough that’s not too sticky. Knead for 6-7 minutes. Divide dough into 2 pieces and shape into loaves. Put loaves in greased bread pans, cover with a towel, and let rise for about an hour. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
Nicole says
Thank you! Can’t wait to try the bread!
Lisa L says
Kisses to Arbo!
Deborah from FL says
Thanks for sharing your pics Stephanie. I really like those adjustable shelves your hubby made. 🙂
Ramona says
I’ve been looking all over for good,sturdy can holders. Where did you get yours? How sturdy are they if there were only 3 on a shelf, would they stand up okay and hold the cans? Thanks
Stephanie says
I got my can holders as a gift. It’s called the Cansolidator, and if you search online, there’s a few places that sell it. They are pretty sturdy, I think 3 would hold together just fine.
Shell says
Why is the dog in a cage? Is he not part of the family?
Stephanie says
The dog is definitely part of the family! He is in the house with us most of the time. However, just like sometimes he hangs out by the backdoor letting me know he wants to go outside, sometimes he hangs out by the garage door to say, “I want to go in the garage to my crate.” He did this just yesterday when my baby started crying. When things get too loud or stressful for him, he wants to go relax in his crate. It’s his den, his safe spot. My husband rigged up a bungee cord so the door on the crate never closes, and our dog can come and go as he wants. We only keep him in the crate with the door closed when we take him on vacation with us.