Saved food

I've been making use of my foodsaver vacuum sealing machine which I got a couple months ago. I really like that it has a jar attachment so I can vacuum seal my odds and ends pasta. They tend to poke through the bags, so sealing them in jars works well. Also, because we have such a bug problem here in Florida, vacuum sealing items in jars assures we don't share our food with critters!

In this photo I have walnuts, split peas, raisins, a cake mix, macaroni and cheese, leftover ham to put in beans (this goes in the freezer) and jars of beans and pasta. My neighbor does everything in the bags - rice, flour, soup, veggies, you name it.
I have quite a few quart size bags I got on a great sale from hsn.com. Wish I'd gotten a lot more because they can be expensive.

Yesterday I made an excel spreadsheet for my food storage, listing everything I have, the amount, and the amount needed for one year. Can't plot the route if you don't know where you're at. Taking the inventory was eye-opening. For example, I discovered I have 10 gallons of dried apples. That's about nine more than we'll use in a year! But, they could be good bargaining items if times get tough. I also found a didn't have as much of some items as I thought.

My next project will be to start a small garden in buckets. I have a few, and will be visiting some bakeries to see if I can get some more. Then we'll try tomatoes, green peppers and maybe peas.