Almost free food

I am still advocating that everyone of at all possible should have a stock of basic food to last you four  to six weeks.  It doesn’t have to happen overnight, but it should happen.   This can be done oult of
of your regular food budget, if you just buy things on sale and buy multiples instead of one thing at full price.  There’s that nasty f word again, lol.

In this day and age, one doesn’t know what can happen with climate change, the government, and any number of things that can happen including loosing your job.  Besides the fact that, not having to run to the store right after payday because your cupboards are bare and there is a jar of pickles on your refrigerator is a good thing,  anything that reduces stress is a good thing,

Not to long ago, one Christmas, The interstate was flooded .  Trucks couldn’t get to the grocery stores to restock.  Grocery stores carry a three DAY supply of food.   That’s food for thought.

I digress.    Almost free food.

I priced 32 ounces ( 4 cups ) of chicken stock.  It was 2.88.  You can virtually make chicken stock from your garbage and it takes a matter of minutes.  Our chicken soup recipe for the insta pot  takes cooking chicken thighs and carrots and celery.  When chopping the vegetables. Save the peelings and the scraps.  Put them in a zip lock or container for the freezer.  When you have deboned the thighs for the chicken soup, add the bones to the vegetable scraps. Add scraps as you make them .
When you have enough, place the bones, scraps. And some herbs on a slow cooker and fill it within an inch of the top with water.  Let cook all night or all day, whichever works for you, after 12 hours, strain it and freeze in a bag or a jar that has about an inch of headroom.  You just spent about 10
minutes of your time and saved at least 2.88.   And, your stock has no preservatives in it.


Bread crumbs are similar, a ten minute job recycling your garbage before it hits the landfill can make breadcrumbs.  I cost them at .27 an ounce,  even at the dollar tree they are 2.00 a pound. At ,27 they are 4.32 a pound.  Hmm 4.32 or FREE.

A quart of homemade stock and a pound of homemade bread crumbs saves 7.20.  7.20 buys 12 cans of diced tomatoes in a non BPA can at Winco.   Food for thought.   A good start on a pantry.