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I've been working on a new lower cost budget for when my husband changes jobs next year, and I was having trouble knowing when I would run out of things I needed to order online and order in large enough quantities to get free shipping when I could, so I could plan ahead. I finally got fed up and decided to order everything at once. :) I looked very carefully at the best buy dates on products so I could match my shopping to commercial distribution, and finally decided on buying every six months, in September and March. I went through my pantry and thought about staple supplies, and simplified my buying. So all of my oatmeal, pasta, sugar, salt, all the dry goods, I purchased this September, buying a six month supply. Almost all of the produce will come from the garden, so that just left the perishable things. I decided there were eight things I would need from the store, and they are meat, cheese, dog food, bouillon, bananas, avocados, citrus, and buttermilk. Things like coffee I buy instant and in bulk with the other dry goods. 

I've found it very freeing not to have to think about shopping anymore. Meals seem to come together more easily too. We use what we have, not necessarily what we want. I've been using the freezer more, I even bought some of those Souper Cubes, but I have the dry goods to make just about anything. The freezer I use for things I've already prepared, so I can have a quick meal on hand. It's not really for long-term ingredients. We use olive oil for a lot of our baking, and as long as the local farm keeps delivering our milk, I can always make butter. 

We have been in a heat wave they keep saying will end, but it never does. It's awful even trying to take a walk at night because the heat radiates off the street and pavement. It's miserable, and my garden has been miserable too. We've barely had any tomatoes yet, so I had to buy canned tomatoes in my dry goods storage. My onions rotted because it was so rainy and humid during the growing season that they never cured right. I've been using my trusty Welsh onions that are still going strong, and I ordered some dehydrated onion in our dry goods storage. I even lost my potato onion sets, and they aren't usually affected by anything! I am growing a denser, drier kind of onion next year. I've had to change a lot of varieties this year. 

Since my grand pantry plan relies on eating out of the garden, we've been hard-pressed in this heat to get our fall and over-wintered vegetables started. My fall lettuce is barely hanging on, though my fennel seedlings are doing well, but just today I lost two rutabaga seedlings to the heat. My spinach seed has only sprouted a few spinach plants, and my carrot seeds have flatly said Fuhgeddaboudit! I do have cauliflower and sprouting broccoli seedlings for over-wintering doing well. Our second corn crop is doing well, and we have two fat watermelons growing. The chard is doing well but our green beans died! The leeks just stand around looking sad, though the tepary beans are fine along with the sweet potatoes. We're going to get a bumper crop of winter squash. There's definitely food out there in the garden, but it's limited, and we're going to have to take what we can get. I have one rhubarb still standing. 

I awoke this morning from a dream about parsley worms. In my dream I thought about how beautiful the caterpillars and butterflies were, and when I awoke I was promising never to kill the parsley worms again. Later in the day, when I went out to water the garden, there were 16 parsley worms on my two small parsley plants, and I had my son kill them all. So much for the meaning of dreams. :) I let the parsley worms eat the volunteer dill, but the dill has died from the heat, and I need my parsley! 

I have just got back from a weekend away at the West Somerset Steam Railway's 1940s event, and my friend Laura and I had been discussing the advice that the UK government issued in 1938 , suggesting a small stockpile of non-perishable foodstuffs - they even went so far as to provide priced lists and quantities for single people as well as small and larger families. The government had clearly seen the writing on the wall as the first committee on food storage, transport and distribution in wartime was set up in 1936!
Laura and I have a little company (Rabbit Pie Domestic History) and we give talks to schools and interest groups about the UK Home Front during WW2 so we already have a lot of information that is useful not simply to other people but also in our own daily lives.
We both have a certain amount of stockpiled goods - mostly pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, tinned fish, chicken, ham and corned beef, tinned fruit, pickles and preserves. I have yet to find decent tinned potatoes that could be served heated up straight out of the can as an accompaniment but they are fine for putting into a dish (particularly a curry). I make my own bread, so have a good stock of strong white and wholemeal flour and dried yeast and I even have dried egg which isn't as awful as it sounds and makes an acceptable scrambled egg, is OK as an egg wash on pastry but isn't as good as a fresh egg in cakes (either that, or I am just not skilled enough in its use).
Laura's little allotment has produced really well for its first year - much to her little boy's delight, the sweetcorn flourished (not surprising, given the weather). 
My vegetable garden has been left fallow this year - so many things to do in this old cottage to future-proof it as we get older (I turned 70 this year and my husband will be 78 next month). We plan to look ahead to what we can feasibly grow if next summer is anything like the one we have just had! The original raised beds are, after ten years, looking the worse for wear so we plan to replace them with some galvanised metal ones and we are looking at more rainwater storage as well.
We are also investing in a good butane two-burner stove that can safely be used indoors should we get winter power outages, and we have a good stock of wood for the log burner - our oil tank is full at present and with heating oil at over £1.00 a litre (about US$1.34, I think) we want to be as frugal as possible with heating so investing in warm (if rather unlovely) thermal underwear is already underway and I have sewn us both some brushed cotton nightwear.
That feeling that you have, Donna, about something coming - Laura and I have that feeling too. Whether it is the uncertainty about the climate changing, or other external events or not, we have a deep urge to prepare for whatever comes. Sending you love from the depths of rural Devon xxx

I have informed the DVLA that I am not well enough, at present, to drive, a legal requirement with various health conditions. I can’t just nip out to the village shops, to the supermarket or into town. I can’t even walk to the bus stop to make use of my free bus pass.

DH took me to Aldi where the real food takes just three aisles and there is a bench near the checkout so I can sit while he is pays and packs the groceries. I think that was my last shopping trip for the present but he can manage with a shopping list.

We are well stocked with ingredients in the freezer and pantry, but they need cooking so I am planning very simple meals, with leftovers for the next day. It is getting colder, so I shall make nourishing stews in the slow cooker. It takes too much breath and patience to get DH to cook a meal, though he has mastered the bread maker, can make toast, and the daily kefir. It is going to need a bit of planning.  

Thank goodness for the new M&S Food locally. In a bit of a panic, I sent him for some fresh chicken, chicken stock, vegetable and barley soup, which had nothing nasty in it. They have several UPF free fresh soups, and some good tinned soups. I shall get some frozen vegetables. Thank goodness for the internet. We managed to eat well during lockdown, we can do this. DH can join the local widowers for a traditional British cooked lunch at the village pub when I am in hospital. 

The NHS gets a lot of criticism, but the wait for a heart scan and to be seen by a cardiologist was just five days. The appointment was telephoned as the post would have taken longer than that.

We make our tea in a large (warmed) teapot, GDonna, with just one caddy spoon of loose leaf tea, so it is not strong, 3 minutes brewing gets the flavour and health benefits of tea. A knitted tea cosy keeps it good and hot. We top up the pot with boiling water for a second brew, which is strained into a vacuum flask to keep hot. I make up a jar of green and black teas for the a lower caffeine pot of tea once a day. The tea ration for two is 4 ounces a week.

Dried herbs make a reasonable alternative, mint or camomile or lemon balm. I like cinnamon or liquorice root tea. 

Stephanie G - perhaps you could grow your Parsley on the windowsill and save them from the Parsley worms?

Pamela N - I'm in mid-Wales, and we have "weather events" which stop us getting to the shops easily, so I have always had a good storecupboard.  I have topped up the central heating oil (managed to get it at 86p), but how I miss my woodburner.  No fireplaces here . . .  I have just realized with a power outage, my UV water system would no longer purify the water or pump it upstairs. . .  Fill the bath for flushing toilets, and boil all water downstairs.  

I do hope that our gut feelings about "something coming" will not be borne out.  But best to be prepared just in case.  You will be very well prepared anyway, with WWII being your "starter for ten"!

Donna - I have a chocolate apple cake recipe which never fails and uses stewed apple instead of eggs, and I don't see why you can't substitute the stewed apple in other cake recipes.  Buying local is a good idea - we have a good butcher, but he isn't cheap.  We no longer have a greengrocer locally, which is a shame.  I must do more bottling of fruit, though I don't think I can trust myself to do bottled veg as I don't have a proper pressure canner.

Dear GDonna, thanks for a new very interesting post. It aligns with what I am thinking right now. I am feeling like a squirrel before winter, our basement is full of food like pasta, canned tomatoes, all kind of canned vegetables, legumes, flour, sugar, and a lot of other things. I guess we could survive some months ????. I buy when it‘s on sale and has a long expiration date.

Coffee is cheap again in Germany. Today morning I saw it on sale at Aldi for 8,99 Euro per kilo. Chocolate still high prices, the Christmas sweets are in the shops since 2 weeks. 

As I am cooking vegan I have some experience how to replace eggs. If it‘s only 1 egg in the recipe, simply leave it out. Up to 3 eggs you can replace it, but in my experience recipes with more than 4 eggs to replace don‘t work. For pastries use applesauce, 2 tablespoons for 1 egg. You can‘t taste applesauce, unlike bananas. 2 tablespoons crushed flaxseeds mixed with 6 tablespoons water, 10 minutes let soak, replace 1 egg. The easiest way to replace eggs is starch, 2 tablespoons mixed with 3 spoons water. Have you heard of aquafaba? That is the chickpea cooking liquid and can be used to replace eggs, even egg snow

Stephanie, it seems we both are having very similar gardening issues, my strong walking onions have died back, I have completely lost several varieties of onions including my potato onions as well. Several of my seedlings have bolted, I have been careful to get them in the sun but not direct sun but after trying to find answers to this issues I read that the hot temperatures can make them bolt as well.  I am starting to gather any type of container I can find that drains and am putting many of my plants into containers and setting the containers into the grow tanks so I can move them around as I need to do to keep them cooler.  I am sooooo ready for cooler weather.  I watched a man on a video plant his leggy broccoli seedlings all the way down deep.  I have always thought there were only a few veg plants that we set out deep such as tomatoes because they can root in their fuzzy legs most anywhere.  So I took my long broccoli seedlings and planted them deeper, if they die then they died and I can start over which I am going to re-seed them anyway and if the others I planted deeper do make it then I will have double the broccoli. 

Pam, I found that the "whole" tinned potatoes are better than the sliced or cubed.  I drain all the liquid off that was in the tin.can and rinse and replace with fresh water.  These make fairly good mashed potato or potato pancakes.  

Janet W, this is concerning about your health, I hope you will be able to rebound and glad that your wait to see the cardiologist is not long.   Also, what is a "caddy spoon"?  The U.S., UK and Australia use different word meanings I am not always sure.

Jenny C,  when you say stewed apples do you mean boiling down to a mush and using that for the substitute? 

Petra thank you for the appleauce measurement of two tablespoons for 1 eg and the other subs.  I have never heard of Aquafaba.  When you say starch, do you mean corn starch?  That would be a really simple and easy one.  Thank you .

Just a reminder again, please do not use "links" to different sites or links to promote your websites.  Please just type in the name or a description.  

.    We replace eggs all the time in baking. For each egg you can use your choice of the following: 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce, 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup of mashed banana, 1/4 cup of mashed avocado or 1/4 cup of plain yogurt. Other foods such as chia seeds and flaxseed meal can also be used, but for planning ahead, ease of purchasing, shelf storage and taste we prefer either the pumpkin or applesauce. Pumpkin puree adds no flavor to the batter either.

      Years ago we purchased, from a close out sale, a large supply of various sized candles. They are securely wrapped and stored for preservation. While our Goldens were alive we used only battery powered  candles and still, frequently, do. I purchase batteries for the year from the black friday sales which are the least expensive. I use a few small battery powered candles as nightlights since we are close to 80 and it is easy to fall in the complete darkness.

      I am, currently, taking inventories of our food storage, including the freezers, my material on hand and my crewel embroidery kits. Winter is coming. I spent an entire day sorting wool yarn by colors and labeling them.

     Our herb garden was prolific this year and I still have more to cut and dehydrate. Then I will grind the herbs and vacuum seal them into canning jars. I am behind as the yarrow needs cutting and it has for two weeks. It must be cut and hung this week. 

     Yarrow was a staple for healing in the 1880's and before. It was used to bring down fevers, is anti-inflammatory, along with a list of other medicinal uses. As with all herbal medicinal products the right amount and part of the plant is crucial. There were fewer doctors in the past and, frequently, miles away on the frontier. A person who had knowledge in plant uses and could correctly identify plants was a valuable source to frontier families. Midwives were also sought out and highly respected. My great, great grandmother was a midwife in Charleston, S.C., in the latter half of the 1800's.

     This week I need to work cutting and dehydrating the herbs, making vanilla extract and cutting out and sewing some new winter pajama's around my heart Doctor appointment and my other chores. We are running short of extra bottles of pure vanilla extract and I have purchased extra organic beans to have on hand.

      We grind our coffee beans, also, gDonna. We have done this for a few decades. The coffee tastes so much fresher this way. Since we purchase the coffee beans in five pound bags we vacuum seal them in 1/2 gallon jars to keep them fresh. The key, we have found, for the longest life of any stored food is to make sure it is vacuum sealed in glass jars and never plastic bags. We have tested the glass against plastic and found that only the glass keeps for several years. We opened some nine year old cinnamon that was vacuum sealed in pint jars and it smelled and tasted as fresh as the day we sealed it.

     I agree that something big is coming that we need to be prepared for and alert concerning. We just had our largest state bank go completely down due to being hacked. This bank is the primary source for businesses in our state. They had to take the bank completely offline and go through every aspect of the system. It is still not up and running. Direct deposit of paychecks, automatic deduction of bill's, debit cards, etc were all halted. They are only allowing some withdrawals and deposits and some use of debit cards after four days. The banking officials said this will take time. Some smaller businesses had to close their doors. If possible, divide money among banks as this could happen anywhere.

     I apologize for the length of this comment. Your article, gDonna, was full of wonderful points and questions.

Grandma Donna, we have just made the same decision about the stores this past week. I was happy to see you talk about it. God bless you both.

It's so wonderful reading about what everyone is doing! :) Jennie C that is a good idea, and if my house wasn't situated so that it is too dark to grow plants inside, I would certainly do that! I might cover the parsley so that there won't be any more killing. I don't want to trap any more heat, though. 

My backyard is long and narrow. It is just 28 feet wide, and the garden takes up about half of its length. I don't have any room to move pots to chase the shade, but the sun rises in the front of the house (bedrooms), stands at the side of the house with only the one bathroom window (bathrooms), then moves to the back where the neighbor's back fence starts to shade the yard, so I have lots of built-in shade, so to speak. It's so blazing hot that it's hard to keep things watered and my rain barrels are in the garage now after the roof and siding repair. Don't anyone even ask what my water bill has been!

We have just the carpet and flooring to replace, and we're done with our home changes we planned. My husband has decided after this long, drawn-out heatwave that we need at least some rooftop solar to power the hardwired things, so after the mortgage is paid, we will save for that and pay cash. If this heatwave is a preview of our hotter future, it's going to be bad! It's even made me wonder about getting one of those treadmills you can slide under the bed for storage so I don't have to walk outside. 

I'm going to have my husband make me a wooden bird feeder next year to replace the one we have now because it has metal perches that get hot in the sun. I think a lot of our modern technology may have to go backwards since there are more efficient natural ways to cool homes than our present reliance on energy production for cooling. Why can't we build from cement blocks or bricks? Why are there so many laws against cob houses? Grandma Donna is right that we've been caught in a doom loop of having to keep buying and we need to step out of it somehow. 

Always, always makes my day to see another post!  I can't answer your questions as I had a health issue that I battled in the last 2 months (hopefully coming to an end).  However, I say YAY! to rearranging when you do it and never enters my mind, "not again?"  I find it a little exciting luxury. One thing I'd like to rearrange is the cluster corner of the kitchen. Plates/bowls, utensils, cooking area, vitamins, spices all in the same sink/range corner. Drives.me.absolutely.batty. I must figure out how to share the plates/bowls with the glasses, which the latter are many. 

I had a newer iron and several and they just don't work like the older ones.  I did get rid of my ironing board as it was an oversized one; I didn't use it enough to warrant it's space, but I do have a table top.  Anyway, the new irons aren't as good. I've never had a steam function that didn't leak. 

Following your intuition is smart. I've learned to follow mine and my husband says it's always right, yet he'll never listen to it!

You know that pencil sharpener is a favorite! We had one growing up in our home. When the house went up for sale two years ago, I could see it on Zillow. The owners had died, and they were the ones that bought it from my parents. I always thought some day I could buy it back, but the prices now are outrageous so that was rather depressing. So many things those owners never touched from us! I don't think they were much into decorating or updating, but... the pencil sharpener we had was still on the wall in the desk area my dad built. I chuckled so hard! It because they worked!  

Interesting on the caffeine. I must try that trick. It would make sense though as the most potent would come through first. Does it still have 

Oh I must go check out that you-tube. I watching a lot of past-type reels that is warming and settling my heart. 

So do you and Charles love the same past years or do you have separate loves? 

I just bought a manual clothes wringer and am so excited to be able to do most all of our laundry at home and not have to spend time or money at the Laundromat! We are living in a tent and have a little solar power and a fantastic springhead that I keep food in. A wood stove in the tent and a propane camp stove. 

It was a very interesting experience when hurricane Helene hit our area and our life was pretty much unchanged except there was no cellphone signal for a while. While people in town 15 mins away had no power or clean water for days. 

Roast chicory is a good caffeine free coffee substitute. I just bought a big bag because I'm hoping to get pregnant in the next few months and don't want to subject the baby to caffeine (it really messes with me but I'll still drink it because I'm addicted)

We are planning on getting chickens here soon because we have the ability and I never ever want to be without eggs. Going to see about growing meal worms for their food. 

Thank you so much for your posts! It's been hard to learn how to live without electricity and running water and you have given me good ideas. 

Back again.  I have done my shopping and purchased 6 bottles of still water, for emergency drinking, though hopefully they will just stay in the cupboard.  I bought extr yeast too, and some tinned fruit, as I bake with the manderin oranges I have in tins (they make a lovely moist cake).  

I can remember my mum drinking coffee made from Camp Coffee essence, which was roast chicory root.   

Stephanie G - can you get some very fine mesh to cover your Parsley plants and stop the invasion?  The heatwaves we have had in UK this summer have been something else - I had to hide inside as they affect my asthma.  My plants haven't been happy either - I could have grown (should have grown!) my cucumbers and tomatoes outside as they really struggled in the polytunnel and greenhouse.  

Donna - with the stewed apple, yes just cook down to a mush, with not too much water and no sugar.

Emma L - my mother had a clothes wringer which she attached to the enamel top table in the kitchen.  I grew up in an age before washing machines and when they bought their house, it still had what was called a "copper" in the corner - a water heater on a brick plinth.  You did sheets first, in the hottest water, and then gradually as it cooled you would wash clothing, finally ending up with woollen items when it was just warm.

GDonna, corn starch is fine! The dough will maybe a bit more compact, you can balance it with more baking power. I know recipes for cakes with pudding powder. At the end that is also only starch with aroma. I always have it in house behause it is cheap and easy baking.

The aquafaba means bean water. The thick liquid in a glass or can with chickpeas, see my picture. This you can use like egg white. It can be whipped (but it takes longer than egg white), and used as meringue. Once it is whipped the taste is absolutely neutral, no chickpea taste. If you don‘t need the whole aquafaba from a can, you can freeze it.

Cheap cheese replacement, that‘s a bit more tricky. I tasted a lot of vegan cheese, and to be honest it‘s not the same. To bring cheese flavor in a meal you can use nutritional yeast flakes. To gratinate meals yeast-based melt is a good and cheap replacement. It is roux consisting of 4 tea spoons butter, 6 tea spoons flour, 250 ml water. Add a tea spoon mustard, salt, pepper and 8 table spoons yeast flakes. 

Most of the recipes for homemade vegan cheese list cashews, I don‘t know the prices in the US but here they are expensive and not a real alternative. 

GDonna, I have had this "feeling" for a while now, too.  I have a pantry closet in a guest room for the overflow from my kitchen pantry.  I started that when the pandemic first hit and some foods were had to get...like canned tomatoes, which I use frequently.  Also mushroom soup :)  

We are in our 80s and live in South Florida, which is too hot to be outside and garden, in my opinion.  We only ever grew tomatoes and a few other things when we lived up north, which was 40 years ago.  We do still take care of our yard and plantings, which exhausts us after about an hour in our humidity.  We can go back out after hydrating and resting for a good hour!

I have one of those old fashioned pencil sharpeners.  Got it as a H.S .graduation gift!

We have purchased many things over the years after many hurricanes.  We have several types of generators and also a solar-powered smaller generator.  Our others take either gasoline or propane gas in the white tanks.  We found gasoline to be messy if we did not need it, and it needed to be used within a year.  (We did add Sta-Bil to it.)  Trying to get the 5-gallon cans into our vehicle's gas tanks was quite the chore.  So we invested in 9 propane tanks and no gasoline for future needs.

Another thing...when we lost power, I took my little 1-burner camp stove that takes the little green propane bottle to the lanai, where I boiled a small amount of water to do my coffee the pour-over method.  I did not have ground coffee in the tin at that time, so I just dumped the coffee out of a Keurig pod into the filter.  Worked fine!

For protein, we invested in 12 cans of hamburger meat (I tried one...it was good).  I also stock things like Spam, canned chicken, tuna, beef sticks, and ham if I can find the little 1-pound cans that used to be readily available.  Remember when you could buy a whole canned chicken in a big can?  Maybe Sweet Sue brand.  Haven't seen those in years.  I also bought a container of ready-to-eat dehydrated meals....good for 25 years.  I should probably taste some, but if you are really hungry, anything will do, I suppose.  Our freezer is full, but if the power goes out, we might lose some of that, even with a generator.  

How do you buy applesauce used for baking with no eggs?  The little containers for school lunches?  Once you open the jars, they must be refrigerated.  I have found the Aldi whole canned potatoes fine for use.  Like GDonna, I pour off and rinse the liquid remains.  They are firm and tasty.  For cooking, I bought some Baconup.  No refrigeration needed.

We could use our generator to wash our clothing if needed, but I would like to find a good method for wringing the wash dry enough to put on racks outside if we hand wash items.  We found, when we lost power for 9 days years ago, that we were using a lot of towels and they took DAYS to dry, even in the sun, because we could not wring them out enough!

Well, this is so long and is boring to most, I am sure---so will say bye for now.

If you are rearranging furniture, we know you are well :-)   

You mentioned how things keep changing: I was just watching an educational site about how more rapid change is the new constant and that those who can remain fluid will do better in the workforce.  This intrigued me as I thought, "What is their rock or foundation if always changing?"  I have also seen topics about Gen Z embracing medieval and renaissance times in order to find meaning within themselves.  To me, those two topics go hand in hand to point out that constant change = chaos both internally and externally.  So a strong sense of home and right and wrong is a very healthy thing.

I have an iron like the one with the water reservoir.  It's my favorite.  I use it for quilting mostly.

Oh, and you made my favorite cake :-)' thank you (drool)

You are probably right in your gut feeling of something being off.  And even if nothing happens immediately, you are still the better for having supplies.

Great article.

I'm sorry to hear your sweet Elizabeth is having serious health problems.  I wish her a speedy recovery.  Hopefully it's just a bladder infection, without any serious underlying cause.

Gr. Donna, you put into words how I have been feeling. I did try to ignore it for awhile but now I am exploring it and what to do to deal with "it".

I have always kept a stockpile but feel the need to expand it a bit...I am concentrating on some canned meats, i.e. tuna, salmon, corned beef, chicken breast and hopefully a canned ham if I can find it.  I use a lot of tuna. I am also going for extra peanut butter.  Veggies and fruit are canned and frozen, mostly from our gardens and what I have found on the markdown racks. 

I have taken the time to make a pantry of sorts in an unused guest bedroom, the bed an dresser are still usable but I installed a large metal rack and it is being filled with canning and jarred up dry goods. I have vents closed in that room and the window is curtained. It stays cool and dark.

I keep a few chickens so for the time being eggs are not a problem. But I do have to buy feed for the hens..... 

I am trying to stay on track on 1942 but so many things are intruding on my mind here lately, I will get back on track it might just take me a moment.