Pantry Challenge In Review and Azure Standard Haul

[@ikindred]

Hey Becky! I am a soapmaker...I actually own my own business making natural bath and body products. I would do a 50% Tallow, 30% Olive Oil, and another moisturizing oil like, Avocado at around 15%. The remaining oil should be Castor oil at 5% to help with bubbles. You can also put 1 tbsp of sugar per pound of oils to help with bubbles as well. Good luck!

[@magdapietrzak9031]

Sugar to water before lye... not to oil or batter.

[@susantaylor8507]

Wow I been wanting to make my own soap

[@heathernoelle8936]

Thank you!!!

[@staceyleyte6352]

Hi Becky, I’m pretty new to your channel and I love watching your videos. As an East Coast Canadian (Nova Scotia), I just wanted to let you know that you can store maple syrup in the freezer. I usually buy the big bottle right from the sugar shack, pour it in other containers (always leave breathing room at top) and just take it out as you need it. Maple syrup does not freeze(solid) so you can use it anytime. My tip though, do not lay it on it’s side as it may leak out! Keep up the great videos, look forward to them!!! Stacey

[@laureltaylor9390]

YES to continuing with meals for the week! I love those videos, I find them to be very motivating plus I always learn something new from you! 💕

[@shervin6711]

Yes to weekly meals. How do you store the 50 lb bags of flour? I am having a hard time " visualizing" the SIZE of these bulk items 25 lb flour vs lentils as an example... and the size container/ how to store them. I guess I am a very visual learner! And SHOPPER! 🤣🤣

[@hannahkayee831]

Completely agree!!! Love them!

[@deeespersen1070]

Me too agree love your videos, and have been motivated again to start again.

[@lesleyblackie9913]

I know you wanted books but... Royalty Soaps on KZbin publishes her base recipe on almost every video. And Katie is really fun to watch. The toasted sesame oil looks fantastic! Just FYI traditionally toasted sesame oil is a finishing oil and not cooked with ( The heat changes the flavor.) And the lighter coloured plain sesame oil is for cooking.

[@ainavirin]

Yes! And She has a 100% olive oil soap I believe, and she always gives the recipes in ratios too, usually, so you can scale them up or down depending on whether you want to do a test batch or a full year's worth.

[@krnhendricks]

Absolutely agree! Check out Royalty Soaps! Katie is also amazing and I would love a collaboration with you both!!!

[@sunflowervalleyhomestead1098]

We had to do the pantry challenge by force. Its been hard since the beginning of January. My husband and I got COVID the 6th of January, the 13th my neighbors house burned so we gave them a week of food for them and their dogs to get by in their hotel until red cross got them set up, then my grandpa got COVID and was in the hospital for 16 days before he passed and in the middle of that my husband had emergency surgery that put him out of work for 6 weeks. He just got to go back thank goodness. We are a one person working household, I stay home with our son and this was difficult. I will say I have major holes in my pasta stores, silly I know but my son is a pastaholic and its almost the only thing he will eat thanks to sensory issues so week 3 I was thankful for having a crapton of flour because I had to start making pasta but OMG I doubt I'll go back. I also learned that I need to can more variety of veggies to my stores because we got really sick of carrots and green beans. I also learned that my family prefers homemade everything so my hands are going to be busy and I am living for it!!

[@nessinhacoutinho]

Sending you much love from 🇵🇹. I hope you're doing better now ❤️ (sorry for the broken English) big kiss 😘

[@sunflowervalleyhomestead1098]

@@nessinhacoutinho Thank you so much for your thoughts! We're doing good and everything is finally starting to get back to as normal as it can without papaw.

[@juliepapyrith5366]

❤ sending you love

[@jenniferspeers2453]

Sorry for the loss of your grandpa. What a challenging and trying start to the year. Glad your husband is well and things are starting to look up.

[@keahithefieryone8513]

My condolences for your loss and for having a frightening experience with Covid, yes I know what you mean about food fatigue 😩, my husband is the same way,bless you going forward, you got this 👍 ❤!

[@aardyn8564]

My husband likes to tease me for the amount of food I keep in the house, but when he lost his job one year a week before Thanksgiving and the new job he found didn't start until the middle of January the next year we still had plenty to eat and had one less area we had to worry about to budget with the savings we had and the bills that would need paying before he got another paycheck.

[@juliefetcie3073]

Just a tip for your next pantry challenge, you could use your grow light station and grow some micro greens at the beginning of your challenge so you have greens towards the end of your challenge.

[@nancyplants757]

Yes or grow sprouts on the window sill.

[@sharylfuller9277]

Microgreens don’t need a light station ... just a good kitchen space ... also sprouts give you another extra source of greens

[@Smallpotato1965]

Yes! I started some peashoots on my windowsill last week. Bough a couple of pounds of dried green peas, soaked a quarter cup over night and planted them them next day in an old supermarket mushroom container filled with an inch of compost. Too shallow and overcrowded, of course, but by the time this would become an issue, I will harvest them and eat them, lol!

[@juliefetcie3073]

@@sharylfuller9277 I was referring to the growing space so they wouldn’t take up counter space.

[@suebeard5866]

Good idea

[@jillkeller8956]

My husband thought I was a little ridiculous when we first moved in together and he realized I shop like you and keep a well stocked pantry. I don't have quite as much on hand as you do, but I think I could feed our family of 4 for a good month on what we have here if absolutely necessary. We have a small freezer and a small pantry so we're maxed out on space. I've been following your channel to get ideas for freezer meals and gardening but I loved the pantry challenge and all the pantry/freezer tours. I feel like I'm with "my people."

[@JenHomesteadingRN]

I’ve been living with my partner for 2 years and he has had a hard time adjusting to this way of keeping a pantry. He has always shopped a couple times a week and had an empty pantry. Our super full freezer makes him crazy but he is slowly coming around as I prove to him that all the food does get eaten.

[@jillkeller8956]

@@JenHomesteadingRN Your partner sounds like my husband the first few years we were married. It probably is a weird transition if you're not used to it. I grew up with a "buy in bulk" type of mom so I'm way more used to it.

[@Solitude1990]

You are such a lovely human being. Cooking takes love and the fact that you put so much time and energy into making freezer meals for the women in your family that have given birth or are about to give birth says so much about your character. Food is possibly the one thing new parents are most in need of and often lack the time and energy to make

[@peaches44]

Because of her, when my friends have children I'm gonna meal prep for them. I never thought of it before and it's honestly genius!

[@kellieh4807]

I can’t believe how much your channel just keeps growing. I feel like yesterday you hit 100k, and here you are now way past 200k. Your hard work is paying off! I love watching and can’t wait to see what this year brings for you.

[@jenniferalt8118]

Yes pls!!! Keep the vids coming!! :) I'm a disabled military veteran and have medical issues I battle every day. On most days, you help me keep going!!! You're SUCH an inspiration for me to fight my anxiety and depression by staying in my kitchen. Thank you!!! I really feel like you're a friend in my kitchen with me. (Hopefully that doesnt sound weird 😳)

[@n.a.garciafamily]

Hugs darling Jennifer 🤗 thank you so much for your service ❤️

[@bettypowers5166]

❤ I appreciate your service, my daughter battles with same issues, cooking and baking is how she deals as well. And no ma'am I don't think it sounds weird at all. Keep cooking friend!😍

[@Cooki3crisp]

I did January and February. Decided I’ll be doing it through April. Now in saying that, I do allow $15 a week for a gallon of milk and fresh fruit for my son. My husband and I worked so very hard on our build up of groceries ( it took years to get here ) and it’d be absolutely awful if I let it expire and ruin. So I am so excited about this challenge! I am doing this however. So I don’t find myself empty handed with the prices going up so fast and way of the world is right now , I will purchase items on sale or I see I’m getting low on. I WILL NOT be touching these times until after the challenge. I have the space to store away from current rotating food. (Made space actually lol) I have learned so much from your videos, thank you for the inspiration you bring to the KZbin community 💜

[@tthoover5207]

Royalty Soaps here on KZbin makes cold process soap, and she puts her oils recipe in the descriptions of her videos. 💕 Love the weekly meals.

[@sharonp3563]

And she also has a free soap making course . Katy is amazing

[@shannonscott3185]

I believe you can buy her oil mix too she takes all the guess work out of soap making

[@sharonp3563]

@@shannonscott3185 ive never known Katy to have oil mixes. I am a vip customer but I definitely could be wrong . I know bambleberry do though.

[@mollycoad5752]

@@sharonp3563 she had one a while back sold through one of her partnerships that was premixed with her recipe. Not sure if it's still available/ can't remember if it was bramble Berry or another. It wasn't shipped or sold by her directly though. I think Safiya Nygaard used her premix in one of her soap videos a while back

[@wallflower5182]

Back when our kids were little, and we lived in a small town, I didn't want to run out of essentials, either. The local places closed up early in the evening, and you had to make do until you could shop again the next day. I learned quickly to buy on sale those extra items I normally use and store them up in the pantry until needed. Not only foods, but other necessary things from hardware 'staples' to toiletries to specialty purchases. And although I never did a 'pantry challenge' back in those days, by necessity, I had to continue using up what we had and make it stretch until the next time I could spend grocery money. I even made 'baby cereal' by throwing oatmeal in the blender and using the 'flour' for cereal instead of paying so much money for the boxed baby cereals on the store shelf. Like you, I expanded my recipe world and tried lots of things I might not otherwise have tried. My Betty Crocker cookbook was always out on the counter. I especially liked that book because it was a bit of a teaching book as well. I also delved into gardening to help with our food bill and was happy with all our harvest out of a very small patch, and the borrowing of a neighbor's pressure canner. I have my own canner now and have used it a bit, but it fell into disrepair. Your mentioning how you pressure canned all year long, canned bone broth and dry beans, got me thinking I should buy new canner gaskets and odds and ends to fix it. So I sent off for parts and have installed them, and will get busy canning dry beans soon. I plan on using some of my pre-canned tomato juice with some beans - which would work for soups or for making my own baked bean recipe. Thanks for providing me with incentive. :)

[@sandybunn7924]

My family and I participated for a month, which coincided with our move back to a forever home--alot of my food storage was actually in a storage unit for 6 months!! Biggest thing we learned was to actually re-purpose leftovers and how to get the entire family involved in the challenge. We worked through a lot of my home preserved foods and store-bought supplies. Even brought foods to social events every week from our pantry. Working on my whole grain supply now with more bread-baking. Also started sprouting again --great success!! This challenge was a true blessing.

[@cynthiamyers4265]

I did the challenge and was really pleased with the results. Next year I think I will give myself an allowance for fresh produce in the second month -- cabbage, carrots, apples, and citrus last a long time, but we were down to canned fruit the last two weeks and that got old fast.

[@Peg06]

YES to continued meals of the week! I prefer more detail than less, since repetition is the way I learn best. Even if you've shown us a specific recipe previously, I'm all for viewing the methods again. (You make a roux look easy. That has not been my experience.) Also looking forward to the freezer meals! It's so thoughtful of you to give these to expectant mothers.

[@ewkelch]

Highly recommend winter gardening. Elliott Coleman has a good book on 4-season gardening, and Charles Dowding has info on it, too. I'm in 7B and have greens all winter with just a fleece row cover: arugula, mache, spinach, kale, chard, lettuce, herbs. They started getting lush again in late February. Coleman (in zone 5? Maine) uses a double cover and gets greens too. Plus you can late-plant things for early spring growth; I may have beets next month, fingers crossed.

[@erincardoza1766]

I wouldn't say I participated, but between you and Jessica, it encouraged me to use up as much as I could of what we had/repurposing leftovers etc...I dug things out of my pantry and freezer that had been there for a while. I still grocery shopped, but I'm glad I got into the habit of using what we already have first!

[@carolyndymond5521]

Everyone should give this a go its amazing what you can make.

[@sam.nothanks]

Agreed! This is a realistic, but really awesome outcome! I think most us us here probably have stuff in our pantry thats just sitting around. This is a great way to get around to using those items lol.

[@vickiewalker184]

Dishwasher tabs are super simple to make! Baking soda, castile soap and lemon essential oil and some people add vinegar. They're so much cheaper to make yourself and work just as well as store bought!

[@vickiefont27]

I use the Bramble berry app for soap making. They have lots of recipes under the Lye Calculator tab. You can adjust the amounts of oil and it automatically calculates the Lye for you. I like the “lots of lather” recipe.

[@jenmistaria5331]

I was going to say the same thing. I have a book on soap making but found Bramble Berry so much easier to use.

[@GrandmaBsBusyLife]

Brambleberry App is easy to use. I love it for soap making.

[@kimstrating8511]

Becky, here's a 4th vote for using Brambleberry's soap calculator. I used it 20 years ago, when we had goats and I was making soap. That said, you may find it most useful if you start "playing" with adding different oils for their (amazing) different properties. Use it, but I'd recommend starting with some basic recipes that interest you, as you will get a better feel & comfort with working with cold process soap. It is SO much fun as the imagination wheels start turning! I'd recommend Susan Miller Cavitch's books, A Soapmaker's Companion and The Natural Soap Book. With them and Brambleberry you'd be in good shape. FYI, soap should NEVER be too "lye-y". 😊 All oils have different soponification values and if calculated properly, the lye is no longer lye in the end, due to the chemical process AND aging / drying. Hoping this is something you find enjoyment in. Wishing I were there to be making soap with you. 😊

[@carlak8419]

there ARE many homesteading site/channels to soak info... but YOU are the one i watch CONSISTANTLY! (no pressure 😅) i am not about numbers of subscribers, rather than the quality of content! you.. YOU are most favorable in my viewing pleasure world! YOU ROCK, BECKY.. 'nuff said 😉💝

[@samanthawoodman2428]

Can't wait to see all the new freezer meals! I filled my freezer with Marinated chickens last month and we still have a bunch left! Love the summary of all the things you learned in the pantry challenge and I gotta go and make some more brown sugar of my own this weekend.

[@samjones9465]

Hi Becky, I have done no buy January for about 30 years now, then buy fresh only February and use my freezer and my pantry over these 2 months. The money saved goes towards things for the house and/or garden to process food or grow more of my own food. Love January and February, makes you think and use ingredients creatively.

[@DishingDelights]

The pantry challenge taught me I needed to stock up on more oil. I ran out pretty quickly. It also taught me I need to switch to an electric grain mill because once I ran out of flour I realized my arms were weak quite quickly grinding my own wheat.🤣 Love seeing everybody's azure hauls!

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

Mine was liquids in general, chicken broth, oil, shelf stable milk.

[@debrawichmann5152]

I live in an upper apartment that faces south, so it's hard to grow anything, it's too much sun, believe it or not, I tried green peppers and tomatoes, didn't get hardly any fruit...pretty plants but they didn't yield much. I've however still learned a bunch of great things from your channel, freezing meals, making bread and pasta, some new recipes, plus buying stuff on sale and stock up as much as possible does help. My hubby does most of the shopping, and does a great job with saving money, now if only he would remember to check the list so he didn't forget something, Lol. Keep doing the things you do and sharing your journey, love watching your channel ❤

[@lindas.8036]

HI, Becky. Thanks again for taking the time to make the videos. I sure enjoy them. One of the things I have noticed on your channel and a couple of others that I watch along the same lines is that no one ever mentions the efficiency of keeping a list of grocery and household items needed. I keep a sheet of paper on my refrigerator, along with a pencil on a string, so it is always available. The list is preprinted from my computer to show the basic categories that I use--dairy, produce, non-food, etc. When I start a new list, I put the date at the top. When I notice something is running low, or that I am out, I add it to the list. If it just running low, I make an asterisk by it. If I am out, an "!." That way, when I do my shopping, I know the item's status on the day I started the list and can buy what I need. On the back of the list, or on the same side, if there is room, I add in the grocery specials and discounts at the local stores where I shop, to be sure I take advantage of them. This only takes a few minutes, and makes grocery shopping much more efficient. And I don't have to worry about REMEMBERING something. It sure works for me, and you can change the format to accommodate your specific needs. I also add how much of an item to buy.

[@coupondawnsavesalot6268]

We use a dry/erase board and take pics of it as I'm leaving the house. It's right by the door. There have been times I have forgotten to take a picture and I just call up my teenager and ask her to take a picture and send it to me real quick. It's easy everybody knows where it is and if I'm unable to stop what I'm doing and go right on the board I can tell my daughter and my husband to go write it on the board.

[@gailpetchenik3048]

U r sooo efficient 👍

[@BrittanyKellie]

Thank you for your honesty and authenticity throughout this challenge, Becky! It has been such an interesting experience for me, starting the pantry challenge, then a week or two in having to continue out of necessity... But I certainly have grown and learnt a lot. We got severe flooding in QLD, Australia which hit 2 weeks ago - we were isolated surrounded by water and everything was shut down - thank God our house didn't get destroyed, and right before that our dog got incredibly sick and so a lot of our savings went to vet bills. The one thing I could control in our budget or reduce the cost of was groceries. It has been a challenge indeed. I had been shopping every 2 weeks instead of weekly with 2/3 of the usual budget. I have worked through my freezer meat, and most of my grains, almost all of my tinned items, and pasta in the pantry. What I have enjoyed is that I have found ways to use leftovers, even the tiniest bits of extra stuff I have frozen, and incorporated into new meals successfully. I made bread often, and gnocchi with leftover mashed potato for the first time. I also make my own soap regularly and citrus vinegar cleaning spray which goes a long way. I have had little to no food waste, and very little packaging rubbish each day. I ran out of flour and had a lovely friend give me a jar of hers which I used to make enchiladas entirely from scratch for the first time. Lots of successes, but also some fails. Ran out of milk and fresh fruit and vegetables very quickly, as we can only store so much fresh produce in our small freezer. I have loved making my own bone broth with scraps I've saved - I know I would've saved heaps of money with that. And making my own bread has been a huge hit. We don't unfortunately have access to bulk stores like Azure Standard in Australia, there are alternatives but some organic items through those ones are not cheaper bulk than the prices at the grocery store and the cost of shipping is through the roof. It's better to be savvy with what you have and if you know someone who grows something. There are local crop swaps in my area which are a fantastic way to get what you need and give too. Thanks for all your insights and encouragement throughout this challenge, I'm going to have to be continuing for a while but seeing the positives are so much more worth it than the negatives for me. I'm doing my next fortnightly shop in 3 days as the flood waters have finally receeded, I have a lot more confidence in my ability to cook from scratch now and I'm excited to continue to stretch myself. Thanks Becky x In regards to soapmaking, I'm starting a skincare business and my standard recipe has always been 500g coconut oil, 250g of rice bran oil, 250g olive oil, 145g caustic soda, 380g water. I add clays for colouring and my own blends of essential oil from a wholesaler for scent. This can make a beautiful soap, and if you want a harder bar, add 12g Sodium Lactate to the lye mixture before blending to trace. It'll make just over a kilo of soap, not sure now much that is in pounds. Try it out! Hope that helps. Edits for typos

[@BrittanyKellie]

@@cynthiafisher9907 thank you for your kind words Cynthia, they do a lot of good! 😊

[@BrittanyKellie]

@The Aussie Family Thank you. We are so blessed compared to some, my aunty lives in lismore (northern NSW) and her house got totally inundated... It's so horrible. Try Terra Madre online, they have a bunch of organic pantry produce and they're located in Victoria so if you're close enough to pick up, you'll save money on delivery. For sure try the gnocchi! Don't over think it, is easier than you think. Becky has a video on it but I just estimated it and did it by feel like she reccommended and it went super well. Make sure you have a few hours set aside though, it took me about 3-4hrs because I'm no professional! I love it though they turned out great. Oh yum, I can't say I'm much of a sweets baker but I'll definitely keep the potato idea for cake in mind that sounds like it would work well. Thank you for the tip! 💕 Have a lovely day.

[@BrittanyKellie]

@@infjandcoping4614 what an amazing idea!! Thank you I will try that for sure

[@scarletbluefield2542]

Yes! I do want you to continue showing your meals. It's fun to get new ideas. I don't have the space to keep a large stock of food, so I participated in the pantry challenge by using up things that had been around for a while. I also ate through some meat to free up freezer space.

[@MynewTennesseeHome]

I participated and am still going strong. My rules were: I could go to the store for fresh fruit when I keep the grand kids and I like beer. I had three G-kids (2-6yrs old) for 4 weeks during the first two months. I learned when you have wee ones you go through a lot of flour, oatmeal and sugar, I didn't run out but used a lot making bread and breakfasts. I have a heated greenhouse so I had fresh greens and peas. I learned I need to stock plenty of PB&J when the Wee Ones are here and I need to stock up more honey or learn how to raise bees. This is a great exercise to know what to grow and preserve and what you actually use. #threeriverschallenge

[@MynewTennesseeHome]

@@infjandcoping4614 I've considered bee keeping but being allergic would take a lot of extra gear, not sure if I want to chance it. The peanut butter is something I hope to try this year, I have peanuts started in the greenhouse to plant out when it warms up. I have videos here on KZbin you can check out and see some of the things I do.

[@kaylabryson1932]

All I can say is you are amazing. I hope you schedule in some down time for yourself. You work so hard, you need breaks to recharge! I’m suffering from overworking when I was young… I regret not paying attention to my health ! 💜💜

[@starlet5350]

That's a very good advice. What else would you've done differently in your 20s?♥

[@kaylabryson1932]

@@starlet5350 In my 20’s I was the main bread winner raising two children… so I would have tried to say no more..to things that were “extra”. I was lucky to work at home so I would have built in good breaks for myself. I never took a break, hardly ever in my twenties ! Thanks for asking … hope this helps 💜

[@heidiquayle5054]

I did the same. Rest is critical. Her energy seems boundless, I can't believe she had a full time job outside of the home for the first few years she made videos and did all that gardening/cooking/preserving!!!! I guess I used to have it but I didn't do a good job of tending to MYSELF and now I'm 48 and the energy went somewhere else :)

[@karincope3019]

I used my home canned goods and dis one shelf a week . I made Honey Crisp Apple sauce , I used my electric roaster and had 14 pints from 15 pounds , my husband Loves it and uses 1/2 a pint for his lunch , this fall I will do at least 100 pounds if not 150 . All I did was core them and add brown sugar , cinnamon, vanilla and that was it . Then I cooked down then with a stick blender blended . It was so good.

[@growingveggies]

Re: elderberries: I have 6 plants, and get more berries than we need. I don't like the sugar of the syrup either but I've found that the fastest easiest way is to pick berries and freeze on trays, then pour into bags. When needed, boil some berries and water into a concentrated tea/juice. Will last a couple weeks in the fridge, you can just take a swig as needed, or add into tea or smoothies, etc. Just 100% elderberry juice, very potent!

[@robynm7221]

Thank you 👍 Good to know, I just bought 2 lbs of organic Elderberries & want to make cough syrup, cough drops, jello & now a tincture after learning it will last longer. I want to use honey as my sweetener so I'll be experimenting & hoping to come up with some good recipes for future use. I live in S. Florida. I don't have land to grow on, but I did all that years ago & I have orthopedic issues that inhibit that kind of strain on my hands 😔 & abdomin. I'm so glad there are so many younger women involved in learning how to be self sufficient! It gives me hope for future generations. I'm just so sad our land & water has been polluted by chemtrails & our food is so loaded with chemicals. That worries me a lot for the next generation. I pray it can be reversed & we can become aware of the pitfalls of chemicals in our lives. Becky is a blessing to the younger ones to teach them how to make their own cleaners & meals from scratch & to read labels. If you can't pronounce an ingredient, its best to leave it on the shelf, ir fo what I do & ask my search engine what it is & is it harmful to ingest. Congratulations on your awesome elderberry crops, I'm so happy for you❣ Keep up the awesome work & if you have ideas on making preserves, I'd love to hear them❣ God bless 🙌

[@robynm7221]

@@cynthiafisher9907 I love cinnamon & lemons, the honey is my choice of sweetener. I don't like any of the artifical sweeteners that are on the market. Great ideas❣🌿🌺🌿🙆‍♀️

[@growingveggies]

@@robynm7221 I started the first year by making a syrup with honey, but then when I got sick and wanted to use it I felt like I needed to ingest way more honey than I wanted in order to get the elderberry part. It tasted good though! Now I just make the concentrated elderberry juice so I can make a cup of tea with customized amounts of the juice and honey as desired. It works for me and I'm glad you've found a way that works for you too! 😊

[@sweetpea6144]

I can’t find elderberry plants locally. Can someone suggest where to purchase? Thanks

[@robynm7221]

@@growingveggies I'm open for trying new tried & true ways of making anything with elderberries. I'm going to try your way as I love tea 🍵 & if it saves using a Lot of honey, I'm all about saving the extra $$$ on honey 🍯 ❣ Thank you for another way to use elderberries❣🌿🌺🌿

[@hummerfan9360]

I adore your chickens. You have the prettiest chickens I have seen in a long time.

[@nanetterivera6612]

Yes, keep trying new recipes w/us. The last couple of months was a hoot to watch, you go girl! And, some of the seeds, you can sprout & have great salad toppings.

[@RomaniKiwi]

Your videos are a joy to watch, Becky! I did the challenge and lasted 7 wks. Then I ran out of catfood! My cat is a princess and doesn't eat everything I put in front of her! Before I started the challenge I thought I needed another little freezer... After finishing off a lot of forgotten meals and fruits in my smoothies, I know I don't! I'm only halfway through my freezer and pantry stash... I can easily last another 2 months... I've learned to make a list of what I have in my pantry and freezer, and that I get very creative when I need to...

[@RomaniKiwi]

@@infjandcoping4614 I think it might be world wide... There's a country wide shortness of cat and dogfood here in Aotearoa (NZ), so there's limits on what you can buy. They often don't have what she likes... I've been tempting her by mashing a tin of fish and a tin of catfood she doesn't like together and freezing half. No complaints so far... I had the same problem with the biscuits she doesn't like, now I'm just mixing 3types together, and she eats most of it....

[@carolmiettinen324]

Try The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. There are soap recipes as well as a list of resources for soap making. This was my "go to" book when I first moved to the country more than 40 years ago and there have been many updates over the years. BTW you're doing a great job!

[@firequeen2194]

😮. Excellent suggestion, thank you 🙏

[@firegirl441fromga6]

I learned to milk my dairy goats with this book in my lap lol 😂 and we learned to butcher chickens with it on the table for directions as well. It is an awesome book that covers anything a homesteader could need including how to preserve your dead…that’s right! It covers it all!

[@seabreezesoapsofmaine]

I have made soap and had a soap business long ago. Soap Queen on YT as well as her books...fantabulous!

[@kathybridges3343]

I had a easy time on the pantry challenge, the only thing I ran out of was milk. And if I had a bigger freezer I wouldn’t have ran out. But the challenge hit me at a great time. I could have done February but it wouldn’t have been fair to my husband and sister. I’m good at roughing it. I grew up with nothing and learned the hard way to take care in all situations. I love your videos!

[@alisonwillis13]

I have a tiny kitchen so pantry challenge looked quite a bit different for me. It was more about us not going out to eat for 2 months. I allowed eating out once a month each month and we made it I’ve still not been out to eat since my husbands birthday dinner last month. 🙌🏻 As far as groceries went I really tried to only use what I have in my pantry and freezer before I went shopping. And when I did go shopping it was only for what I needed with no extras! I’m probably going to take that into the rest of the year. I’ve enjoyed being in my kitchen and cooking more. Thank you for the inspiration! 🤍

[@MikaylaRickard]

I live with my parents and I’m passionate about sustainable living both ecologically and economically and I grew up not having a ton of money so I’ve become good at looking at a sparse pantry and seeing a meal. I’m hoping this year to start growing food to reduce produce shopping and hopefully find bulk buy stores to reduce general trip. Maybe next year I can participate

[@chrystalbliske9512]

I moved to where I am just at the end of August, did one or two full grocery hauls the first two months, and then it's been mainly just restocking what we used and building up my food storage. I just restocked my freezer in February and will say that January and February were both partially pantry challenges for me. I used the money that I saved for building emergency food storage. I was inspired by you to just keep plugging along and get creative again. Since we all eat differently I did shop some but I was able to figure out what I need to really stock up on now. I did make sue, except for 3 of those weeks, that I was buying around $30 of fruits and veggies a week. Also, I'm going to be attempting your fish crackers soon.

[@joycekatende2928]

I inadvertently participated starting around Nov last year to about end Feb. I greatly appreciated having stocked up on bulk foods for my pantry and freezer earlier last year. Definitely I'm sold on bulk purchasing

[@starlet5350]

Great achievement, Joyce. Congratulations and how did you start on the bulk purchasing or did you have preferences?

[@joycekatende2928]

@@starlet5350 Thank you. I was forced to get into bulk purchasing when I got pregnant and I wanted to have really good food and yet the doctors wanted me on bed rest. So I started buying in bulk and on days when I had the energy, I would batch cook for like a month in one day and rest the rest of the month knowing I had good food in the freezer. So when I tried it once and it worked I continued. So when I got to a point I was literally on bed rest during and after c section delivery... I relied on what was in my freezers to feed my family for that time.

[@starlet5350]

@@joycekatende2928 wow. Finding the silver lining. Thank you once again for inspiring me. Much love♥

[@joycekatende2928]

@@cynthiafisher9907 thank you

[@joycekatende2928]

@@starlet5350 thank you

[@sumatrippin4851]

I loved this series! So interesting & creative. Here in Australia we're dealing with natural disaster after natural disaster so it's great to learn these skills.

[@growingveggies]

Also I've created a very easy root cellar by adding a special thermostat to a chest freezer. Everything keeps really well for 6+ months, and you don't have to bury anything in damp sand nor worry about losing food in a cold snap. It's just an easy and energy efficient way to eat from the garden year round. Carrots, beets, rutabaga, cabbage, celeriac, kohlrabi, parsley root, etc. Let me know if you want to chat more about it!

[@sschueneman]

tell us more about the specialty thermostat. what a great idea

[@daniellewoodward4728]

I would love to know more about that since I live in Florida and cannot have a root cellar

[@softhome1510]

I would also love to know more! please message or tag me if you respond :)

[@garfield5841]

I am definitely interested also. Can you email me?

[@KikisCraftRoom]

Ohhh this sounds amazing! I live in south Texas so there are very few places (none) that are cool in the summer.

[@katiegarcia8255]

I have absolutely been so inspired by your channel! And one of the MOST inspiring things is that, during this pantry challenge, many people may would have had the tendency to hoard and be stingy with what they had…but you continued to serve others, cook for others, share your wisdom, experiment with new foods and recipes, etc. What a beautiful heart you have!

[@TealKnight]

Loved this whole challenge and how honest you were with your struggles.

[@hazelmeldrum5860]

During the first lockdown I did my equivalent of a pantry challenge, I live alone and the supermarket is only 5 minutes away. I realised then that I shopped as a social convenience, Not the way I was brought up. So I made lists , used my store cupboard goods to avoid going into them.It does make you think about what you use weekly and what impulse goods you have bought and should not do again..Well done

[@pamt3915]

I placed my 1st Azure order for hard white wheat berries & sorghum several days ago. I can’t believe how easy the process is & have already been in contact with my pickup person. Can’t wait to get my order!

[@annies8857]

what would you suggest making with the sorghum? I have a local farm who makes this and I bought a pint almost a year ago...is this still good?

[@robynnparker1455]

1st I make soap! I use a glycerin base because it doesn't strip all of your natural oils from your skin. There's lots of recipes.2nd your house looks so much brighter since you painted it! So awesome!3rd your nails are cute lady!

[@darlamroz4410]

Hello Becky! Heard you say that you were going to put your cream in the freezer, your can if you don't want to whip it. It will not whip up after being frozen, you can cook, put in recipes.

[@sschueneman]

Thanks for the information. I did not know that.

[@shannonbrice8012]

I was getting frustrated not know the quantities in the pantry, canning area and freezers. My roommate built me a system on the computer so I can add the quantity, and measurements of each item. I have a different minimum and it will automatically add it to my grocery list when I hit that minimum. This has helped everyone figure out where the food is located (ie: under which bed because of spacing issues) it also assists in planning meals and using things up we tend to forget about. I am also not having to rack my brain on trying to remember how many tins of coffee we have on the shelf (when they go on sale). I can just look at the system when grocery shopping.

[@suzannes5888]

That's super awesome and would be really helpful! (How sweet of your roommate 😊) Is that a document you're open to sharing via Google Docs, or somewhere else? That would be very much appreciated.

[@dreaming-of-spots6805]

That's brilliant, I'll have to see about setting something similar up for my mom

[@shannonbrice8012]

@@suzannes5888 sorry we only have it for internal use at the moment.

[@Loriann4444]

Foxfire books are amazing if you can find the series. Everything from soap making to building your own barn. These books are amazing. It took me years at yard sales and used book stores to find all 12 books but it is so worth it. Also a big resource I have used in 40 years is the Tightwad Gazette and coutrysider magazine. I hope this helps Love your videos.

[@shanondavis6189]

I’m glad that you find the Foxfire books so useful all these years later. I was fortunate enough to go to Rabun Gap during it’s early years. I worked on the article of the Talluah Falls railroad and also the sorghum article. The knowledge that the old timers had and their willingness to share that knowledge with a bunch of high school students was amazing. It’s hard to believe that 48 years later, parts of it are still relevant.

[@jacob8899351]

I am on Book 2 of the Foxfire series and have learned a lot! I’m amazed by the knowledge these folks possessed.

[@InAgatasCottage]

I love watching your weeks of meals. I am in doing mini freezer/pantry challenge every 3 months I am doing it 10+years now. Actually I stocked up a little on flour and sugar today. And doing now mini freezer cooking day - just 2 things - meatballs ( I use equal amounts of meat and veg) and leek and potatoes soup

[@hollyjordan1307]

Hello my new friend🙂 could you do some content on how you keep your recipes organized and any other related tips/tricks

[@zormier2002]

Yes please!

[@cherylmosher6026]

Please mine are a mess

[@carolynvsetula3007]

Agree. I have thought about some sort of “cloud” to save my online recipes too. Would be so much easier. Then I would buy a cheap tablet and mount it in my kitchen as a permanent cook book. Would ideas on a platform

[@jillmartin6878]

I did the pantry challenge for the month of January. I allowed $20/week for fresh produce and dairy. I only spent $62.00 for the month so I didn't use the entire amount which I was proud of. I learned a lot about what we eat and use which was my goal. Now I know I need to grow more tomatoes and preserve more potatoes this next growing season. I could have easily done February with what I have but with inflation what it is I felt it was better for us to restock and strengthen our reserves

[@stephanieshowalter623]

I’d love to continue seeing meals of the week, especially fresh from the garden months! Always looking for new recipes.

[@emmi3785]

I would like to see those too. However, no worries if it is not every week, if you don't want. :)

[@janetroyal6009]

I forced myself to eat what we had in the freezer before buying more. I was inspired to jump into dehydrating and love it. I have a freeze dryer but realize that dehydrating has purpose as well. I have learned to water bath can and love sharing with my family. I have stepped out of my comfort as well in watching you and appreciate all that you share. Oh, put in and picked up my first Azure order last month and love most of their prices and products but will continue to shop around to make sure I'm spending in a way that is best for me and my family. Love your channel.

[@AcreHomestead]

Wow Thank you!

[@carolynlulinski8593]

I bulk buy because of my income once a month. What a tried (following you ) was trying to make a new recipe or different meal from my items on hand.I wanted to not just use my food items for the same old recipes . It was fun looking on Pinterest & you tube for ideas. I love cooking one day a week . I also bake one day a week. I bake my own bread. Like you I will make a couple of breakfasts for the week. Also one or two deserts. When I buy my meats I like to cook as much as I can. I will buy a whole ham and portion it up for several meals. Like cube some for breakfast casserole or potatoes & ham casserole or beans & ham. It’s amazing how far one ham can go.I do make ham steaks. With hamburger I will cook up 10 lbs. dividing it . I will season some for tacos, spg. Sauce, chili, meatloaf, and hamburger Pattie’s. It saves me so much time and money. I always have my freezer full of dinners and deserts. Like you I love food security.

[@threerivershomestead]

Thank you for participating, Becky! You did a great job!!

[@colettetaylor466]

I’ve been watching you for a while now, currently in the UK. I enjoy seeing you progress and evolve. I haven’t done the pantry challenge, but what I have done is create a pantry and start to grow my own veg, salad herbs in my small garden. So maybe next I can take part.

[@nbhomestead2020]

I did the challenge and documented it on my channel. I learned so much and even took a look at things i grow in the garden that we really dont eat much of and things i need to grow more of. Like you we are primarily a house of 2 sometimes 3 but during the storm i was here alone and really didnt cook much that week and should have. We only purchased milk and i didn't run out of anything. Im glad i did the challenge!

[@carolynvsetula3007]

Thank you for pantry challenge. You saved me so much money and made me more environmentally friendly. Like you, I did no grocery store for 2 months. It forced me to go through my freezer and “get to the bottom.” I had so much food in there and I didn’t realize what or how much it was. I was considering the purchase of another freezer (not now) and I am better at cycling through my freezer now and won’t waste as much food. I saved enough on groceries and realizing I didn’t need a second freezer, that I was able to take the savings and spend it on a cruise. Thank you!

[@Melshed]

I’d love a few videos of how you use up a specific item that you’ve preserved yourself… like, making several different recipes with your frozen shredded zucchini. I know you use them in your cooking videos, but I’d love videos focusing on one veggie at a time, it would be especially handy when I’m getting in a ton of tomatoes and squash!

[@Cole_Cross]

My husband is loving that I started watching your channel :P We both also play EFT (like i THINKKK your husband does) The pantry challenge has been great to do before we move into our newly built inlaw unit. He's been loving the new recipes every week, too! Thank you for the warm fuzzy feels with every video

[@1gr8lpta]

Great job people! I made it to 6 weeks. I did go for a few things to Costco at 6 weeks (hubby was out of his drinks). I used up a ton of my pantry and freezer. I just loved every bodies efforts during this challenge.

[@isadelahunt2284]

Azure sometimes has a 3 gallon maple syrup with a tap, just like wine in a box! It's dangerously easy to use, and requires no refrigeration. You have to keep the box intact, is all, as the bag inside is floppy. I use maple syrup constantly.

[@n.a.garciafamily]

Thanks for this!!

[@AKMamaBear]

In my experience, maple syrup will mold at room temperature. I haven’t had a problem since I started keeping it in the fridge.

[@gailmarlatt8029]

We did participate mostly because we ordered 1/2 beef and a hog and needed freezer space. I also wanted to use up some canned goods from previous years gardens. We did run low of frozen vegetables and it did help us to realize what we needed to stock up more. On top of cooking from the pantry, we also cleared the freezer by freeze drying things for longer storage.

[@dulceg928]

My fiance and I are getting married this November I'm so excited to start gardening and homesteading in our own place! I couldn't really do the pantry challenge because my dad has a massive say in what goes in the kitchen but I'm excited to try next year!

[@nikkien7259]

Congratulations! 💍

[@LydiaMoodyinFlorida]

I really enjoyed being part of the pantry challenge. My husband was not going to participate in the pantry challenge at first and he ended up also trying to cut back on his daily trips to the store. I guess we didn’t realize how often he was going to the store.I only went to the store to pick up Vegetables and cream and eggs.

[@lindad2008]

Becky have you ever heard of this? I saw it on a face book post. I’ve never tried it but I wondered what your thoughts were. Zucchini flour. Might be old news to some, but you never know right. With rising concerns on wheat costs just thought I’d share it. There’s probably fancier ways of doing this out there, but here’s how I learned. Easy peasy. Nothing to it. We love and make tons of zucchini flour every year. You may have heard it called Amish flour or troops flour before. It’s a Staple in Amish and Mennonite household for generations here. It was also embraced in the 1940’s during rationing. You let your zucchini grow, oversized is actually better. Large to extra large. Marrow sized. I peel mine with a carrot peeler, into thin even strips for less drying time. Or slide it through a mandolin for speed of prep. Run it through the electronic dehydrator or just thread it. . No large seeds if possible for finer texture. Everything else is fine. It must be absolutely dry. It’s essential. If in doubt always dry it more, any moisture will ruin it during storage Then run it through a food processor or hand grinder until you have a powdered consistency. It will be a marbled green looking power. Texture is similar to a good quality whole wheat flour. That is zucchini flour. Three large zucchini is about four or five cups for me finished. It can be used to replace 1/3 of flour in most recipes without any change to the finished products, acts as a thickening agent for gravies, great for breading fish but we really tend use ours for tortillas and bannock since those are our quick go to breads. It also makes great dumplings and brownies. Store in air tight jars , or we often vac pac ours For us, we still purchase grains from a local family owned grist mill. So this is free, sustainable, easily produced on site and it has a mild taste. Most people wouldn’t pickup on it. It cuts our flour usage by a third . You can do the same with sweet and regular potato, other squash acorns, and pumpkin. I just find myself zucchini is the least flavoured. Plus we get overloaded by the darn things.

[@EllisSmiths]

What a cool tip! Thanks for sharing; I’m going to try this!

[@wereallmadhere9086]

Hi Becky I love.ypur videos. If you ever need some video series ideas, I'd love to see a beginner cook series where you go through the process of making things like chicken broth, bone broth and traditional comfort meals for those of us who don't have a lot of experience cooking!

[@andreaf5497]

Becky, it just brightens my day when I see a new video from you. I also love making things from scratch. It brings me so much joy.

[@shenanfaas1802]

I love your videos. I have seen you asking what type of videos we would like to see. I’d love to see how to make chips… like lays or doritos. My family loves those and I’d like to find a way to make them where I actually know what’s in them

[@zormier2002]

I am so proud of you Becky. Please please please teach other young people the in and outs of being self reliant

[@kimberlynw1799]

I told my daughter about your channel. She eats all organic and clean foods. She got her first order from Azure Standard on Monday this week and was so excited. She had been buying buckets and the good lids for sometime. She was so happy I found you. Now we sew really big fans ❣️

[@FraniaMarie]

I loved the pantry challenge. It was my first time. We allowed $40 per month for ourselves to get fresh vegetables. I also did not include milk/eggs which I bought when needed. I did run out of dry cereal, but switched to steelcut oats, a s your baked oatmeal, and I made batch pancakes. We used so much from the freezer and pantry. It was an incredible experience and in fact we are continuing with the challenge for March and possibly until Easter. We are a family of two so the freezer takes a while to empty. I did do 8 banana breads for my daughter's family and we enjoyed making a number of your baking recipes. Thanks to you for your fun videos!!

[@marlynejoiner7808]

I try to shop only every two weeks, I hate grocery shopping! We keep a grocery list on the refrigerator door, so when we take the last item out of the pantry, we add it to the list. My husband and I have been doing this for probably 30 years, it works for us. Thanks for all the good ideas.

[@rejenlifestyle4485]

Would love for you to continue the meals of the week. Such great inspiration! We were very successful here with the pantry challenge and made it 2 months with only a few small items needed from the store. When I do it again I would definitely take better stock of what I had that were the oldest and move those items to priority to use up first instead of just “winging” it. A really great experience overall and lots of savings!

[@Supergace1234]

Yes! Please film your meals of the week! I’ve started getting into freezer meals, and it’s nice to see how you actually use those freezer meals!’ Also whenever you film your freezer meal video and add those recipes to your site, can you add a “how to cook from frozen” portion of it? Not used to cooking at allll especially from frozen so would love info on that!

[@NancySutherland]

I really enjoyed the creativity that I was forced to do during the pantry challenge. I took a complete inventory of my pantry and freezer. I was able to use up quite a few things that were “lost” and would have been wasted. Finding the holes in my pantry was also another benefit. Thanks for sharing!

[@jaybeepepper3910]

Soap calculator is a great resource. It lets you choose your oils and shows you if it's a balanced soap in terms of bubbles/suds, cleaning, hardness. I like to use olive oil, coconut oil, almond or avocado oil and a bit of a butter like mango or Shea it makes a great soap

[@ReadAndThrift]

Would love to have more pantry items in stock. I would have to figure out a storage solution. I’m starting a garden this year and I’m so excited!

[@crystaljones.]

Yes, please keep doing your weekly what's for dinner videos. They give me loads of inspiration that I definitely need!

[@LindseyHeine]

I am due with twins in about 6 weeks! Super looking forward to your freezer meals, I am trying to get stocked up before the babies arrive! Thank you for sharing, love your videos!

[@hermonorossco7988]

I live in southern Oregon and the company that makes your soap donates the off cuts to the local food bank. They are pretty amazing. I got my elderberry bushes from our local growers market I’m Medford Oregon. You might check at your local growers market

[@dawncatalano7443]

Awesome job! We didn't really participate in the pantry challenge. We challenged ourselves not to go out to eat during that time. We set a grocery budget and stuck to it. I did use the time to experiment with cooking with some of my home canned foods and it was very encouraging.

[@heathersumner4497]

Mom makes fries mush with cornmeal and then fries it. She made a rice pudding that solidified overnight. We sliced it and treated it like French toast. I am not a sweet rice person but I loved it!

[@JL-hn6hi]

We got out of the grocery store habit during Covid- learned lots about freezing fresh veg and then eating out of the freezer instead of going to the grocery often for fresh veg).

[@amandaahler2264]

I would love to try the pantry challenge and seriously thinking about doing it for next year. Some things to consider is try to talk to your local grocery store (not a big box store) most of the time they will sell you items to that are used in bakery like flour, sugar, vanilla… and you can get cases of items like your sunflower oil for little mark up. Also produce like bananas that are not good to put out but you could use them for baking. I work at a small town store so that is one of the advantages that I see and use my self.

[@KathyW5]

Love Meals of the Week. However, like KBB said below: take a some down time for yourself after this incredibly busy pantry challenge time. We will wait for you.

[@rebeccapellerin5809]

We typically move every 2 years so we have a good clean out the pantry by force. Knowing we arent moving this year, im forcing myself to eat through the pantry and freezer anyways. Plus, we are planning our small 150sqft garden and have a large farm share this summer. We will need the freezer space! Learning we dont eat canned peas, canned soup or oatmeal and that we eat a lot of frozen corn! Getting a lot better in subbing half of ground beef with lentils or blackbeans.

[@jennisleavingobesity1062]

This year is the first time I’ve heard of the pantry challenge, and I enjoyed watching you take on this challenge. I am starting to develop a more well-stocked pantry, and I am going to see how much food I can grow in our tiny yard. I plan to pop a few onions in between the perennial flowers, add some veggies in pots on the boulevard (hell strip gardening), and a neighbour is sharing a couple of her raised beds with me. I might be ready to try the pantry challenge next year, and even if I’m not ready for 2023, I will do what I can to build our food storage. With the upheaval in the world right now, growing and preserving more food is good for the mental health.

[@lauragarmon6969]

I loved watching you do your pantry challenge and, most likely, will do it with you next year. I did take your idea of using up items before they expired with the result that my cabinets got pretty bare between shopping trips.

[@lauragarmon6969]

I will continue to build up my stock of items now, as budget allows. I’m in my second year of gardening on a larger scale than in previous years, hoping to do more preservation as I go.

[@JCMM2]

Hello Becky, I love watching all your videos and find my self being influenced in a lot of the things you do ( except gardening I live in NJ and the soil in my back yard is not the best for planting foods) I didn’t participate in the challenge how ever I have been buying my meats and separated them and seasoning then and then I vacuum seal them. During your pantry challenge I started using things I had in the pantry/fridge so nothing went to waste and I was able to use a lot of stuff before they went bad. I’ve added veggies to meals I normally wouldn’t so they didn’t go to waste. I won’t do a pantry challenge but I’m more aware of what I have and I use it before they go bad. I have saved a lot of money doing freezer meals we eat less out, and we take food for lunch everyday. In short I’ve learned so much from you and have saved a lot of money from watching you. I might try the container gardening but we shall see.

[@JCMM2]

@@infjandcoping4614 the contractors who build the houses in our area decided to dump all the garbage underneath the soil instead of paying to dump it. When we bought the house it was 10 years old and as we started to do projects in our garden found lots of garbage we had to get rid of. Our neighbor told us he and others dealt with the same. Even in the front of the house when we were digging to paint a cherry blossom tree we took concrete slabs and rocks out.

[@teedub1990]

I like watching meals that use up leftovers or that create ingredients to be used in subsequent recipes. Like using the drippings in a second dinner or using extra potatoes as an ingredient instead of a stand alone side.

[@tiffanymengor217]

I have noticed at stores that the main items that have truly jumped in prices is the staples to make something else. Flour, salt, sugar, rice, and water have sky rocketed in our area

[@hermburn4536]

I'm really glad you showed us how to do our own powdered sugar too. It's something i just dont use all that much, and it takes up space in the pantry, and isn't as fresh since it sits for a good long while. It looked so easy, and i think i'll stop buying it seperately. If i make my own, it'll be fresher, save space in the pantry, and help me cycle through my plain sugar faster to keep that fresher as well.

[@carolyndymond5521]

Yes I really enjoyed the meals for the week. I found I actually waste an awful lot of money without preparation and planning and searching my pantry made me use things up.

[@kristacoleman4712]

I apply the concept of a pantry challenge to myself periodically and try to keep a stock pantry. My husband gets so used to having extras on hand that sometimes he forgets to tell me when he pulls the last of something... Then he's shocked when we are out the next time! He used to say my hobby is hoarding food because our fridge, freezer, and pantry always have staples.