Keeping a Pantry

In our lives, we can often point to significant events that have shaped us and our lifestyle. An amazing book, a powerful speaker, an experience in nature - these are all things that can have a strong impact. Would you believe that a force in my recent history has been living in a house with a closet in which to store food?!

If that doesn't sound so amazing to you, perhaps read this article.

I know that part of the peace I experience when gazing at the rows of cans and jars is completely rational, but there's a emotional component as well. Perhaps it's a simple as the fact that I grew up poor and I am calmed by the concept of "more than enough." Perhaps it's the lingering connection of knowing I grew a lot of this food, and it keeps me tied to the Earth and the garden. Or, perhaps it's just that I like to organize things and the tidy rows of jars are soothing. Regardless, my pantry is peace of mind for me and every time I go in it, I feel good.

Do you have space for a pantry? Below are articles on how to find, build, or repurpose space for food storage:

Creating a pantry in a rental
I have a similar style, with like items grouped in baskets that hide clutter.

Creating the perfect pantry
I love the pull-out pantry in this article!

Whether or not you're into the idea of prepping for a disaster (natural or financial), you can learn a lot about food storage from preppers. (And if you don't have at least a week's worth of food and water stored at your house, please get on that!)

52 weeks of prepping
The author of The Prepper's Blueprint has generously left up her 52 week guide for free. Every week you buy a couple of items and do a few simple tasks to help prepare your household for a disaster.

How to plan a 3 month food supply
This is way too much math for me, but extremely useful and I'm sure some of you will enjoy the process of all those calculations.

7 Mistakes of food storage
Good food for thought about how to avoid some common mistakes here

Look for more info about my pantry and how I manage it in upcoming posts! I'll add links here as the series grows.

Sophie wants to be sure you have enough food and water stored for your pets too!