The Pantry

We are still settling in and things are going relatively smooth....

We still have boxes to try to fit in the kitchen. I'm still looking for ingredients, like Worcestershire sauce and oyster sauce....but I have most of my dry spices.

I was in my old kitchen for 20 years and preparing food was like a well oiled machine. I am so inefficient in my new kitchen it is ridiculous. I know I will make it work but these things take time.

And as any old house the cabinets are so high I need a step ladder ALL THE TIME!!!

On the frugal front: we decided to make a new budget and to take a really close look at grocery shopping.

I always shop for food and staples on sale but I am out of a lot of essentials and finding them can be a challenge since I was used to supermarket shopping ( I had 3 chains near my house) to one supermarket I don't like as much and several specialty independent grocers or small chains.

But I am proud to say that I started filling the freezer with bargain meat and seasonal veggies! I love having some sliced frozen leeks on hand to add to soups...yummy!

We also need to deal with assorted food issues...Dad doesn't eat wheat or cow and goat milk products but can eat sheep milk....Dan doesn't want to eat wheat or corn or regular chicken and an assortment of legumes. I really don't like the Eat right for your type book....It is an eating plan for your specific blood type...It might be valid, but practically I think this SUCKS!

If you follow this, and in most households you can find different blood types,,,well that is different meals for each blood types....

For my part, I have digestive issues if I eat too much wheat or too much bread (could be gluten free, it doesn't matter)....and I get weird if i eat too much sodium bicarbonate (i.e biscuits and such) I get all bloated

So just to be safe it is protein and veggies, low carbs....

Sleep tight!

Cool Finds

So this afternoon we are in the basement with my step daughter and we are clearing out stuff (mostly wood) from the basement crawlspace. There is Styrofoam, old baseboards , mouse poop...basically assorted crap.

We didn't go there very often over the years....mostly we would just shove old wood there in case we would need it...which is part of our problem!

So at one point Dan says : So you know Ice Castle?

I had never heard about it....

                                          Ice Castle was one of the house brands of Steinberg's

a local supermarket chain that went bankrupt in 1992.

  Soda pop was still made with sugar and not corn syrup....

  We also found a tourist booklet on Carisbrooke Castle.

 Charles I was imprisoned there prior to his trial.

The booklet was printed in 1956

My house (then a cabin) was built in 1945.

I just love finding old stuff in my house!