What Does "Pantry" Mean To You?

Here is the pantry here at Hillcrest (if you are new, read more about the organization I work for in this post or by clicking the Hillcrest label over to the left):

So sometimes when I think about pantry food, I think about less than healthy, but very shelf-stable food.

And then there's the pantry of the family we got our CSA produce from this last summer:

A whole different monster!!!

As for us, we don't really have a space set aside for our pantry. You may not either. I've generally blogged about food that can be made with non-perishable or semi-perishable foods and I think that is a good place to start. I love this list of Food Essentials from one of my favorite bloggers, the Leftover Queen.

However, frozen food is also practically non-perishable, so your pantry may extend to your freezer. Or do you have a cellar? Everyone's pantry looks different. I hope for all of you this year that the common theme between all of our pantries is that they are well stocked. :) Here are a few more resources for you as you look to maintain your pantry and provide for your family from what you have on hand.

Kitchen Stewardship (specifically her very timely post on storing fresh food)

Sustainable Pantry Blog (She's where I'd like to be someday)

Once a Month Mom (learn about cooking once a month to save time and money)

Living on a Dime (awesome website from the author of one of my most-frequently used cookbooks)

Preparedness Pantry (yet another kind of pantry - emergency preparedness)

$5 Dinners

And to navigate around the posts on this blog for resources, click the links to the left under "Quick Navigation" or browse through the labels further down.

Cookbooks:

The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook

More-With-Less Cookbook

Dining on a Dime

From Pantry to Table

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Thank you Best Choice!

I know a lot of people who save box tops and UPCs for their schools, but hadn't considered doing it myself since my little guy is only 9 months old. One of our new case managers here at Hillcrest informed me yesterday, however, that Best Choice has a program that will benefit any non-profit group!

The Save-A-Label program offers $.03 per UPC saved from Best Choice foods to any non-profit who wants to participate. The requirements are that you have to send in at least 1000 ($30 worth) at a time, and they expire after a year, so you've gotta be able to save those up quickly. I think it would be difficult for most families to save up 1000 upcs by themselves, but in a group it wouldn't be so bad. The case manager I mentioned "dumpster dives" in her neighbor's recycle bins for hers (yes, they give her permission)!!!

I am going to begin collecting them on behalf of our branch of Hillcrest Ministries and see how it goes. You should consider contacting your favorite non-profit to find out if anyone is collecting them and maybe organize a collection if not. And of course, if you are looking for somewhere to send yours and want to help us out, leave a comment or shoot me an email at eatfromyourpantry (at) gmail (dot) com!!

Sorry for the silence

I've had quite the weekend! 19 hours in 3 days at a craft show on top of my normal Hillcrest and household duties. All of the proceeds from the craft show went to support Hillcrest - read more about it at my craft blog, Ambistitcherous.

Angel Food Ministries

Please forgive the silence, I have a teething 6 month old who has been very hands-on as of late. He loves the computer keyboard, so if I were to try and type an entry with him on my lap the results would be humorous at best, but most likely unintelligible.

I've wanted for a while to introduce you to Angel Food Ministries and I grabbed some photos for you when we visited last. Our organization utilizes this ministry every month, but it is especially relevant for families who are struggling to make ends meet at the grocer these days.

What it is/how it works: "Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States." Each month, Angel Food offers a box of fresh and frozen food items with an approximate retail value of $65.00 for just $30.00. The contents vary month to month, but let me tell you from experience that everything is good!

Sample Menu:

• 4 lb. IQF Leg Quarters
• 4 oz. Beef Back Ribs
• 1 lb. 80/20 Lean Ground Beef
• 2 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders
• 1.5 lb. Bone in Pork Chops (4 x 6oz.)
• 1 lb. Ground Turkey
• 18 oz. Stuffed Manicotti (Cheese)
• 12 oz. Smoked Sausage
• Betty Crocker Seasoned Potatoes
• 7 oz. Cheeseburger Dinner
• 16 oz. Green Beans
• 16 oz. Baby Carrots
• 2 lb. Onions
• 1 lb. Pinto Beans
• 1 lb. Rice
• 7 oz. Blueberry Muffin Mix
• 10 ct. Homestyle Waffles
• Dessert Item

Specials with additional food items are available each month for a little bit more. You can view this month's menu and specials here.

Who is eligible: This is the best part of Angel Food Ministries, everyone is eligible. You don't have to prove income or convince anyone that you need a break - Angel Food understands that food prices are a burden no matter your distance from the poverty line. "Everyone is encouraged to participate. Some churches even encourage participants to apply the money they saved to help someone else in need." And for those who are on that line, Angel Food accepts food stamps and never sells expired or low-quality items.

Where to find Angel Food: "Angel Food Ministries distributes to nearly 4500 volunteer host sites across the nation, who in turn provide boxes of Angel Food to individual families. " Angel Food isn't available in every state yet, but the website says that over 200 new host sites are added! To find your nearest host site, click here, and sign up to *be* a host site if this ministry could help those in your church or organization.