Week 32 and Week 33

Week 32: STAPLES Baking powder, soda, corn starch, Baking Soda, 2 lbs per person of each item except soda. Buy 3 lbs per person.

Below is a chart I thought was very useful. For those of you who cook a lot sometimes it's good  to stock up on ingredients for our pantry, Or for the once in a while cook who likes to have a well stocked pantry just in case they are in the mood to bake or cook something. If you are out of and ingredient to complete a recipe there is no bigger disappointment when you don't have that certain item. Time passes and I know we all forget how long certain things have been in our pantry. I know a lot of times I stock up for the holidays and then do not use a product or I don't use all of a product. The next time you clean your cupboards you could use the rule of thumb below. If you are really efficient you could also have a permanent marker when you are unloading your groceries and mark the date purchased so that you will remember. This is a really good trick for baking powder, baking soda or cornstarch, because if you are like me for some reason that cake you made last month rose so much higher than this time, or that lemon pie you are making just is not thickening like it should "Bingo" it was probably the activeness of your baking soda, baking powder or your cornstarch.


Baking powder or soda         18 months     keep in air tight container after opening
Cake mixes                           1 year
Chocolate, bakers                 1 year            keep in cool dark place
Coconut                                 1 year            keep in refrigerator after opening
Flour all purpose                  15 months      
Flour wheat                            6 months      keep in refrigerator if it's warm
Honey                                    1 year
Molasses                               2 years
Olive Oil                                1 year
Pudding mixes                     1 year
Peanut butter                        6 months
Sugar, brown                        4 months       keep in air tight container
Sugar, white                         2 years           keep in air tight container
Shortening                            8 months       store in cool dry place
Syrups - corn, maple            1 year
Vegetable oil                         1 year
Yeast                                  check package date       store in the refrigerator if it's warm


Below I have pasted a food chart that is great.  It's from Food Storage Guidelines from Virginia Tech.
I like this it's way helpful for my family!!  I really need to learn to watch the dates on our foods.  My children just love to go into my cupboards and tell me what has expired!  Someday I will get ahead of them and they will be so surprised!

Food	Pantry (Room Temperature)	Refrigerator (33°F to 40°F)	Freezer (0°F)
Bread and Cereal Products
Baked quick breads	4-5 days	1-2 weeks	2-3 months
Bread	5-7 days	1-2 weeks	3 months
Bread crumbs and croutons	6 months
Bread rolls, unbaked		2-3 weeks	1 month
Cereals, ready-to-eat	1 year 2-3 months*
Cereals, ready-to-cook	6 months
Corn meal	1 year	18 months	2 years
Doughnuts	4-5 days		3 months
Flour, all-purpose, white	6-8 months	1 year	1-2 years
Flour, whole wheat		6-8 months	1-2 years
Pasta	2 years
Pies and pastries		3 days	4-6 months
Pies and pastries, baked			1-2 months
Pies and pastries, cream filled		2-3 days	3 months
Pizza		3-4 days	1-2 months
Rice, brown	6 months
Rice, white	1 year	6-7 days+	6 months+
Tacos, enchiladas, and burritos (frozen)		2 weeks	1 year
Waffles		4-5 days	1 month
Packaged Foods and Mixes
Biscuit, brownie, and muffin mixes	9 months
Cakes, prepared	2-4 days		2-3 months
Cake mixes	6-9 months
Casserole mix	9-12 months
Chili powder	6 months
Cookies, packaged	2 months		8-12 months
Crackers, pretzels	3 months
Frosting, canned	3 months
Frosting, mix	8 months
Fruit cake		2-3 months	1 year
Hot roll mix	18 months
Instant breakfast products	6 months
Pancake and piecrust mix	6 months
Pancake waffle batter		1-2 days	3 months
Toaster pastries	3 months
Sauce and gravy mixes	6 months
Soup mixes	1 year
Spices, Herbs, Condiments, Extracts
Catsup, chili, and cocktail sauce	1 year 1 month*	6 months
Herbs	6 months		1-2 years
Herb/spice blends	2 years 1 year *		1-2 years
Mustard	2 years	6-8 months*	8-12 months
Spices, ground	6 months		1-2 years
Spices, whole	1-2 years		2-3 years
Vanilla extract	2 years 1 year*
Other extracts	1 year
Other Food Staples
Bacon bits	4 months
Baking powder	18 months
Baking soda	2 years
Bouillon products	1 year
Carbonated soft drinks (12 oz. cans)	6-9 months
Carbonated soft drinks, diet (12 oz. cans)	3-4 months
Chocolate, premelted	1 year
Chocolate syrup	2 years	6 months*
Chocolate, semisweet	2 years
Chocolate, unsweetened	18 months
Cocoa mixes	8 months
Coconut, shredded	1 year 6 months*	8 months	1 year
Cornstarch	18 months		2 years
Gelatin	18 months
Honey, jams, jellies, and syrup	1 year	6-8 months*
Marshmallows	2-3 months
Marshmallow cream	3-4 months
Mayonnaise	2-3 months	12 months 2 months*
Molasses	2 years
Nuts, shelled	4 months	6 months
Nuts, unshelled	6 months
Nuts, salted			6-8 months
Nuts, unsalted			9-12 months
Oil, salad	3 months^ 2 months*
Parmesan grated cheese	10 months 2 months*
Pasteurized process cheese spread	3 months	3-4 weeks*	4 months
Peanut butter	6-9 months 2-3 months*	4-6 months
Popcorn	1-2 years	2 years	2-3 years
Pectin	1 year
Salad dressings, bottled	1 year^	3 months*
Soft drinks	3 months
Artificial sweetener	2 years
Sugar, brown	4 months
Sugar, confectioners	18 months
Sugar, granulated	2 years
Vegetable oils	6 months 1-3 months*
Vegetable shortening	3 months	6-9 months
Vinegar	2 years 1 year*
Water, bottled	1-2 years
Whipped topping (dry)	1 year
Yeast, dry	Pkg. exp. date
Vegetables
Asparagus		2-3 days	8 months
Beets		2 weeks
Broccoli		3-5 days
Brussels sprouts		3-5 days
Cabbage		1 week
Carrots		2 weeks
Cauliflower		1 week
Celery		1 week
Corn (husks)		1-2 days	8 months
Cucumbers		1 week
Eggplant		1 week
Green beans		1-2 days	8 months
Green peas		3-5 days	8 months
Lettuce		1 week
Lima beans		3-5 days	8 months
Mushrooms		2 days
Onions	1 week	3-5 days
Onion rings (precooked, frozen)			1 year#
Peppers		1 week
Pickles, canned	1 year	1 month*
Frozen potatoes			8 month
Sweet potatoes	2-3 weeks
White potatoes	2-3 months
Potato chips	1 month
Radishes		2 weeks
Rhubarb		3-5 days
Rutabagas	1 week
Snap beans		1 week
Spinach		5-7 days	8 months
Squash, Summer		3-5 days
Squash, Winter	1 week
Tomatoes		1 week
Turnips		2 weeks
Commercial baby food, jars	1-2 years^	2-3 days
Canned vegetables	1 year^	3-5 days*
Canned vegetables, pickled	1 year^	1-2 months*
Dried vegetables	6 months
Frozen vegetables			8 months
Vegetable soup		3-4 days	3 months
Fruits
Apples	Until ripe	1 month
Apricots	Until ripe	5 days
Avocados	Until ripe	5 days
Bananas	Until ripe	5 days (fully ripe)
Berries	Until ripe	3 days	1 year
Canned fruit	1 year	2-4 days*
Canned fruit juices	1 year	3-4 days*
Cherries	Until ripe	3 days
Citrus fruit	Until ripe	2 weeks
Dried fruit	6 months	2-4 days+
Frozen fruit			1 year
Fruit juice concentrate		6 days	1 year
Fruit pies, baked		2-3 days	8 months
Grapes	Until ripe	5 days
Melons	Until ripe	5 days
Nectarines	Until ripe	5 days
Peaches	Until ripe	5 days	1 year
Pears	Until ripe	5 days	1 year
Pineapple	Until ripe	5-7 days	1 year
Plums	Until ripe	5 days
Dairy Products
Butter		1-2 months	9 months
Buttermilk		2 weeks
Cottage cheese		1 week	3 months
Cream cheese		2 weeks
Cream-light, heavy, half- and-half		3-4 days	1-4 months
Eggnog commercial		3-5 days	6 months
Margarine		4-5 months	12 months
Condensed, evaporated and dry milk	12-23 months^	8-20 days*
Milk		8-20 days
Ice cream and sherbet			2 months
Hard natural cheese (e.g. cheddar, swiss)		3-6 months 3-4 weeks*	6 months
Processed cheese		3-4 weeks	6-8 months
Soft cheese (e.g. brie)		1 week	6 months
Pudding		1-2 days*
Snack dips		1 week*
Sour cream		2 weeks
Non-dairy whipped cream, canned		3 months
Real whipped cream, canned		3-4 weeks
Yogurt		2 weeks	1-2 months
Meats, Poultry, Eggs and Fish
Meats
Fresh beef and bison steaks		3-5 days	6-9 months
Fresh beef and bison roasts		3-5 days	9-12 months
Fresh pork chops		2-3 days	4-6 months
Fresh lamb chops		3-5 days	6-8 months
Fresh veal		1-2 days	4-6 months
Fresh ground meat (e.g. beef, bison, veal, lamb)		1-2 days	3-4 months
Cooked meat		2-3 days	2-3 months
Canned meat	1 year	3-4 days*	3-4 months
Ham, whole		1 week	1-2 months
Ham, canned	2 years	1 week*	3-4 months
Ham, canned "keep refrigerated"		6-9 months 3-5 days*	3-4 months
Shelf-stable unopened canned meat (e.g. chili, deviled ham, corn beef)	1 year	1week*
Ham, cook before eating		1 week
Ham, fully cooked		2 weeks 1 week*
Ham, dry-cured	1 year	1 month
Ham salad, store prepared or homemade		3-5 days
Bacon		2 weeks 1 week*	1 month
Corned beef, uncooked		5-7 days	1-2 months
Restructured (flaked) meat products			9-12 months
Sausage, fresh		1-2 days	1-2 months
Smoked breakfast sausage links, patties		1 week	2 months
Sausage, smoked (e.g. Mettwurst)		1 week	1-2 months
Sausage, semi-dry (e.g. Summer sausage)		2-3 weeks*	6 months
Sausage, dry smoked (e.g. Pepperoni, jerky, dry Salami)	1 year	1 month*	6 months
Frankfurters, bologna		2 weeks 3-7 days*	1-2 months
Luncheon meat		2 weeks 3-5 days*	1 month
Meat gravies		1-2 days	2-3 months
TV beef and pork dinners			18 months#
Meat based casseroles		3-4 days	4 months
Variety meats (giblets, tongue, liver, heart, etc.)		1-2 days	3-4 months
Vinegar pickled meats (e.g. pickled pigs feet)	1 year^	2 weeks*
Fish
Breaded fish			4-6 months
Canned fish	1 year	1-2 days*
Cooked fish or seafood		3-4 days	3 months
Lean fish (e.g. cod, flounder, haddock)		1-2 days	6 months
Fatty fish (e.g. bluefish, salmon, mackeral)		1-2 days	2-3 months
Dry pickled fish		3-4 weeks
Smoked fish		2 weeks	4-5 weeks
Seafood-clams, crab, lobster in shell		2 days	3 months
Seafood-oysters and scallops		4-5 days	3-4 months
Seafood-shrimp		4-5 days	1 year
Seafood-shucked clams		4-5 days	3-6 months
Tuna salad, store prepared or homemade		3-5 days
Poultry
Chicken nuggets or patties		1-2 days
Chicken livers		1-2 days	3 months
Chicken and poultry TV dinners			6 months
Canned poultry^	2-5 years	3-4 days*	4-6 weeks
Cooked poultry		2-3 days	4-6 months
Fresh poultry		1-2 days	1 year
Frozen poultry parts		1-2 days	6-9 months
Canned poultry		1 day	3 months
Poultry pies, stews, and gravies		1-2 days	6 months
Poultry salads, store prepared or homemade		3-5 days
Poultry stuffing, cooked		3-4 days	1 month
Eggs
Eggs, in shell		3-5 weeks
Eggs, hard-boiled		1 week
Eggs, pasteurized		10 days 3 days*	1 year
Egg substitute		10 days 3 days*	1 year
Egg yolks (covered in water)		2-4 days	1 year
Egg whites (For each cup of egg yolk add 1 Tbs. of sugar or salt)		2-4 days	1 year
Wild Game
Frog legs		1 day	6-9 months
Game birds		2 days	9 months
Small game (rabbit, squirrel, etc.)		2 days	9-12 months
Venison ground meat		1-2 days	2-3 months
Venison steaks and roasts		3-5 days	9-12 months
* Opened + Cooked ^ Refrigerate after opening # After manufacture date

Week 33: TOMATOES Juice, whole, sauce, paste, Salsa. Buy or make it. Counts as part of vegetables.


I can't decide what to put on here about tomatoes and paste and salsa.  So I am going to give you some new recipes that will hopefully help you to keep well stocked up on canned tomatoes and home grown tomatoes!

Simple Salsa Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 28-oz can whole tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted (Muir Glen makes an excellent product.)
• 1 7-oz can green chiles, chopped (or one large 6 inch or two smaller anaheim chiles, roasted under a broiler or directly on a gas stove burner so that the outer skin has completely blackened. Put into a brown paper bag for a few minutes after roasting to loosen the blackened skin. Remove and discard the blackened skin. Remove the stem, seeds, and ribs. Chop.)
• 1 clove of garlic, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 green onions (scallions), chopped, including the green parts (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (can supplement with fresh)
• 1/4 cup of very loosely packed fresh chopped cilantro
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1 Remove just the tomatoes from the can of whole tomatoes, place in a medium sized non-reactive mixing bowl. Using your fingers, or a fork and a sharp small knife, shred or break up the tomatoes.

 

2 Mix in chopped green chiles, green onions, garlic (or garlic salt), olive oil and vinegar. Add back in about 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce from the can of whole tomatoes. Sprinkle on about 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano. Mix in and taste. Adjust if needed. Add cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate when not using. Will keep several days.

Yield: Makes 2-3 cups.

EASY SPAGHETTI SAUCE

1 med. onion 1 carrot 1 stalk of celery 2 cloves of garlic 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes & puree 1 c. water 3/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. basil 1 bay leaf Chop finely in blender: onion, carrot and celery. Chop garlic the same, but separately. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, carrot and celery and cook until tender. Add tomatoes, water, salt, pepper, basil and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Pour through a food mill (optional). Discard solids. Simmer 15 minutes. Will thicken if chilled overnight.

Have a great week!  Try to stay cool it's supposed to get pretty warm this week!