Hi friends, if you'd like to jump right to the haul, click 5:15. I'm joining the #threeriverschallange this year, and I chatted about that at the beginning of this video. Have a wonderful day! Love, Chelsea
I’m excited to see how creative you get and hope this makes winter more entertaining. And how invaluable will it be to know that you can do this and what you can learn?!
I did the pantry challenge last year for 3 months. I allowed $50 a month to pick up some fresh foods like milk and some fresh vegetables that I can’t grow. I was so surprised at the some of the recipes I prepared. It was fun. I cleaned out a lot of stuff.
I did a pantry challenge one year, and I really found it cost me more in the long run. We used up what we had but then we had to replace those items and a lot of things were not on sale that we NEEDED. It was a sticker shock to purchase items when they are not on sale. The only items I will pay full price for is milk. Meat, cheese, staples must be bought when on sale.
I am just lurking. But I wondered how many people would find this in the end. I often stock up in the fall ,(midwest US) and visit stores less often due to the weather. It is eye opening when you haven't purchased in a while to NEED things and pay full price.
I’ve been eating out of my pantry for a few weeks now and I tell ya it’s humbling when you have no choice. It brings out creativity in the kitchen. Mine is not a challenge or a choice.
After a tornado destroyed our home,including much of our stockpiled foods, I now just regularly “shop” my pantry and supplement with fresh items. We still can make do for a few weeks off what we have, but I no longer routinely keep months worth of food.
Last summer we bought a counter top ice machine from Costco and it has been our all time favourite purchase!! We found putting the ice into a large ziploc bag the easiest way to store it as the ice loves to stick together making it hard to break up if its in a container.
This is exactly what I do as well. I found the thicker reusable silicone zipper bags work perfect for this. I put in my ice and freeze flat so the ice is easier to break apart to get the amount needed.
We have one of those counter top ice machines - I run it on a day I’ll be in the kitchen a lot and empty the basket at intervals into zip lock bags and pop them in the freezer. When they’re empty I store them in the freezer ready for next time - I find they take up less space than a container, especially as we use the ice. When we open the last bag we run the ice maker again to replenish our stock. Here in Australia in summer that can be every few days, sometimes every day, as my kids like ice water in their yetis for school and home.
I love buying clothes at Costco too. I do them online because they have $25.00 off a $75.00 online purchase sale sometimes. I will clothes for my grandchildren and my family.
I would say stock up on stuff then see if it costs less than what you would spend and by how much - give you an idea of where the pantry needs to be worked on etc to get you through
She makes sure to shop for her children's birthday meals n treats! Good mama! For my part of the challenge I will try to use as many frozen garden things as I can.
I have that ice maker.... Rule of thumb, don't leave the water in it when you're done with it, water tends to go stagnate.... And they say to store the ice in a paper bag ( something I'm testing currently) so it doesn't stick together
We invested in a counter top ice maker and I love it. I make ice once a week while I am doing other stuff and it saves so much money. I also make ice for us to take along camping. I like cold drinks cold! You will love it.
I believe being able to feed your family should come before any challenge. I would never want you to get so low on food you cannot feed your family. I'm sure Jessica wouldn't either she is very sweet and caring person like you Chelsea. Good Luck 🤞.
I bought a soda stream and thought I could use it with my home canned juice, to make it bubbly, but it said to only use water or it might be explode! I was so disappointed.
TRH pantry challenge is a nice thing and it works for her family because she works to it all year. You are in a totally different environment so things will work different for you. And that is nothing to feel bad about. Personally I do not have a garden and I'm on the lookout for deals all year long. I know around christmas our shops sell some veg really cheap and I prepare for that time. I bought like 40 heads (is that what you call them?) of broccoli and blanched them all for the freezer. I bought 8 kg of carrots and except for a kg I blanched all and put them in the freezer. 20 kg of potatoes because they last now in the colder weather. But 6 kg of them already turned into croquettes for the freezer. My years worth of let us say. And knowing the cheap veg were coming up I did my own challenge of using up as much as was still in there meatwise to make space for all the veg. Now that all that is put away I'll start looking for good meat deals and fill the freezer up with that as we go pulling out the veg I put in there. I do my own challenge, we all sort of do. So don't feel like you have to do it TRH way. I like LMR way of preserving and using up. You shop when you have to and you don't seem to run of for every little thing you forgot. So be you please.
I don’t know what grocery stores you have there but one of the things I find that saves money and saves us from buying extra is to order everything ahead of time and do grocery pick-up. When we use Walmart for this we order everything online and then go park in the designated parking spot and they bring everything out and load it into our vehicle for us.
I just keep our ice in a gallon size bag, that way if it sticks together all you have to do is drop bag on counter. With a Tupperware container you could crack it, trying to break ice up if it does try to freeze together.
I am with you Chelsea, a little apprehensive about using up the pantry! I think it's my brain saying "but you've worked so hard" when reality is this is EXACTLY why I worked hard... To feed my partner and I through the winter when food is at its most expensive! I will be joining you, Jessica and other creators for the #threeriverschallenge! Let's see what our hard work can do for us! Hugs ❤
We have the same ice maker. I run it to fill the in fridge maker, which we turned off because of the typical water leak, then I fill a thick plastic bag, just like the gas station, put that in the freezer for larger needs like after blanching. I run the maker once a week till I refill those, but I always use the big bag to fill the fridge maker firstly, then refill the bag. Rotating the ice keeps it fresh, you'll find your own rhythm after awhile, there's only 3 of us. I know this will sound strange, but it's a tip worth doing. Tip out the just made ice onto a t towel first to soak up the water that's in the holes, roll them around then put them into your choice of storage, before this, they tended to clump together, hard to separate, the bag would break etc., pain. Long story, but it was our experience. Have a great week, see you for the next video. Ps. Love your hauls, I'm a Long-term Costco employee 😊
I am joining in this year. I have so much stock up that I need to get thru. I am looking forward to seeing how creative I can be and also learning what I like and what I dont like. This is such a great idea, I am so happy to be a part of it.
You should try growing stevia - we can easily BUT it is green! Powdered green sugar! The stuff you buy at the store is bleached to white. SO much sweeter than sugar and no calories. Just have to get used to how much to use and with your freeze dryer it would be super easy. Enjoyed your video today.
Just keep an eye on the ice maker, those get very mouldy very quickly in the internal pipes and mechanics. If youre concerned about the health impacts of black mould, please look into it and consider returning and just sticking with ice cube trays in your freezer with a container to store the ice cubes in so you always have plenty available :)
Good luck with the challenge. I was watching another channel and she was making caramelized onion's and she used her potato slicer to chop all her onions. I thought of you when I seen this. That would save you so much time with chopping.
I love Becky from Acre homesteads view on the challenge. She gives herself X amount of money per month for the store if needed and she uses it as a time to be creative. Please dont stress yourself on the pantry challenge. Its not time worth spending if you're constantly stressed for 2 months.
Can’t wait to see what all you fix. I only buy groceries once a month . I am bedridden most if the time and I have them delivered so I only get what is on my list and I find it has saved me a lot of money
I learn so much from you and your lifestyle. Although I don’t live of my land, gardening is universal and bonds us all together. Your outlook is refreshing and honest, thank you.
@margarethairsine8648 now all you need to maximize that membership, is to take advantage of the weekly sale prices, and the executive coupons (if that's your level of membership) paying with your Costco credit card to get the year end rebate, and shopping with a share buddy, not everyone can use large amounts of items, but if you buddy shop, you can split. Less likely to waste food, and the price shock at the end is not too bad 😅 Happy shopping! Thanks for being a member 😊
Hello I noticed that you use jet dry for your dishwashers. Just a suggestion: I stop buying this product over 20 years.I replaced with regular white vinegar and it works wonders. It Keeps my dishwasher clean and no calcium buildup,plus it is cheep.
That’s a great idea. Thank you. I want to use cleaner products in my cleaning routine but the cost of clean products in dollars scares me, while at the same time the cost of not using clean products on our Earth also scares me. It’s an internal battle that this may alleviate a bit.
Making vanilla is so simple, I am surprised you don’t make it yourself. They make great gifts too. And I admire you doing the challenge. I do find if I stick to a menu , I save monies, as Incoporate more of my home canned. And frozen food i have put up.
My thoughts were a bit like yours: we are told to have a years worth saved in case of emergency and now we are supposed to eat it all up lol. I am going to see how it goes. If I find a great sale though I will stock up!
Rotation is key. I'm sure there are some things in your pantry that need to be used up soon. I keep a box set aside for pantry items I need to use up first. The goal of the exercise is to rotate and get an idea of what you use to help you inventory in the future. Keep a list of items you use in the month on your shipping list and that can be your master plan. I do this three times a year to see where my holes are in my pantry based on my seasonal eating patterns
I too am on the fence about this challenge. I’m unsure about stocking up prior to starting the challenge. Not sure how that saves money or pushes us to use what we already have. Maybe the holiday sale prices help but there are also some good sales on certain foods in January and February. I do however see that it forces us to use more of our stores than we normally would. I love the look of shelves full of the good food I canned but sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s not just there to look at and needs used. I also agree that it is a good test to see how far it would go if something did happen. I guess the best part is no rules so we can all do it however we want and essentially we will all learn something about ourselves and our own situation. For me it will probably be more about using up leftovers in the freezer though. Thanks for sharing your concerns. I somehow thought it was only me that had them.
I’ve lost power in the storm that came across the NE USA so now I am really glad I didn’t go stock up and planned to participate more as a freezer challenge. We are lucky enough to have a generator to run our freezers but sounds like we are going to be without power for a while. We are pretty prepared for such things, just wish our grill wouldn’t have died this past summer. I may be buying a grill tomorrow. This challenge has just become much more than I planned.
I absolutely love your channel and your Instagram! I just love the simplicity you share that gives hope to me and reminds me not to over think things and to buy bulk and cook from scratch! I am newer to your page and I have noticed you say you have a large family but you don’t show your kids which I totally understand but have you ever shared how many kids you have? Just wondering after I look at all you buy and preserve curious how much this feeds😁 Thank you for all you share!
We love having a countertop ice maker. Our refrigerator ice maker broke several years ago. We live down in Georgia and have cold drinks year round. Buying ice has gone up a lot over the past few years. We don't have freezer space for ice cube trays. We got our maker and large britta filter for around $100-$125 on sale a few years ago. We could easily spend that just in our warm season.
Great haul! Y’all will do wonderful on the challenge I think as prepared and as well as you can cook oh yes you’ll do wonderfully. I agree with you if you spend a bunch of money a Azure Standard, Costco or Sams Club the 2 months before the challenge you really can’t be saving any money doing it would have to be to just deplete your pantry for the next Harvest
Do you keep a spreadsheet of all your food? Especially the ones with expiration dates. It’d be a good way to see what foods and items are used more often vs those that you eventually get to, to prevent wasting it.
@nancyrea3863- Yes, I can understand your take on a pantry challenge. It also depends on how isolated your are. Chelsea is on a farm and so are we. I grocery shop bi-monthly. It saves on gas and time. That said, I have been stocking up since 2020 with dry pantry and the freezers. Being a farm we " could" get a dairy cow. We raise grass fed beef. I also buy my organic eggs, but could get some laying hens and meat rabbits. Those options are on the back burner, should times get worse, regarding food shortages.
I made something called Hoover Stew tonight. A wartime dish made with macaroni, weiners, canned tomatoes and whatever you can glean out of the fridge. (I am on this "Clean out the fridge Friday" thing.) Anyway it was good! The weiners really add a huge amount of flavour, I sauteed some onion and celery, added some turkey broth and a teeny bit of spices. Ya not bad. Next time I will add peas and corn. Nice and filling. I used 4 weiners, 1 pint tomatoes, 1 pint broth and just under 1 cup noodles plus a few veg and it made a pot big enough to easily feed a family of 5!!
I buy refilled ink cartridges from eBay. They work in name brand printers because they are the name brand cartridges - just refilled. It’s a third the price of brand name ink!
Also, I make my own dishwasher soap (which also works as a toilet cleaner) with baking soda and dish soap. and enough water or vinegar to make it moist and moldable. i scoop into flat rounds and let dry. throw one in and just as great
Hi I'm new to your channel. My name is Wanda and I live in Los Angeles, California. I just wanted to say that I have an Ice maker and I use gallon zip lock bags to put my ice in. I stack them in my fridge freezer and in my deep freeze. When I have a lot I turn off my ice maker and let it have a well deserved rest, You can also get 2 gallon zip lock bags to use. This works great for me since I only have 3 adults in my home. But with Teen agers keeping it running all the time might be better for you. I hope this New Year brings you many Blessings.
Hi Chelsea. I have an ice maker something like yours. I make a bunch of ice and store it in Ziploc bags in my freezer. It works out great. Right now I have about 20 bags in there. It was great for Christmas dinner because so many in my family love iced tea and as you said they love ice with their drinks. Just a suggestion for you. I love your videos and anxiously awaiting the pantry challenge!! Happy New Year to you and your family. 🎉🎊
I love watching and participating in Jessica's challenge! Your hubby is correct, it's a test situation that helps you figure out where you're actually at. Now is time to test because we are in a good place to "restock" if neccessary.
I love watching your videos. I'm excited to see the end results of the challenge. If you have an amazing recipe for red beans and rice, would you please share? Thank you
P.S.- I just saw your ice maker. We have one and I love it! You do have to empty the ice maker. I bag mine and put into the upstairs freezer. I like that I can use filtered water.
With your icemaker, read the manual about what to do to clean it inside. I have brought some to icemakers because I didn’t understand this. There is a product you can buy that you add to water and run it through the machine that helps the skillet. I am now on version three with the product and it will be interesting to see how that works. I love having ice and in the summer I run it continuously
We do pantry challenges all the time, I am becoming very intentional about what we buy and eat, when we do have to restock it’s going to be all from Azure standard be grow and can a lot of our own stuff so we are ok
Rather than buy vanilla extract you could consider making your own. It’s very simple, is hands off in terms of time just the initial expense of the vanilla beans and whichever carrier you decide to use and makes a huge quantity.
Last year when we did the pantry challenge, we used up what we really did not like first and would not can or make again. This way, I was able to use up first and save what we did like post challenge.
I purchased an counter top icemaker over the past summer. I ahve found that if you use the small cube setting they are not6 very think and melt quickly. I use the large cube setting and they re thicker and last a lot longer. I store mine ice in the freezer in gallon ziplock bags. Works great.
I have a similar ice maker, I also have well water so I use a pitcher with a filter still gunk builds up, I clean with vinegar water every week or two check water levels frequently especially having kids, if the basket isn't put in where its supposed to be the machine reads as full and won't make more till basket is adjusted God bless
I store my extra ice in a gallon freezer bag. I think I have like 6 bags now in my freezer. It is really convinced to just pull from and close back up.
Really looking forward to the budget friendly recipes. Always good to save where possible and I know your recipes will still be delicious, thank you. 💙
I got tired of spending big bucks on ink cartridges and my old printer broke. I purchased an ecotank printer (which goes on sale at Costco). I just refill (every 2 to 3 years for me) with ink. Last time it cost 25 usd for all four colors.
Good to know about the ice maker! I want to get one too and thought it stayed in there too. My kids could live off ice in the summers! I order groceries online and pick up at the store now. It really stops you from buying things not on your list. I wish you could buy online and pick up at Costco. They need to get on that! Love your videos they always brighten my night.
In a last video, you showed a micro green kit that you bought at West Coast Seeds. I have looked for it but cannot find. Can you give me some specifics? I would love to learn more about that.
Not on the topic but....I was just looking at kitchen hacks and it said to put your onions in the freezer for 15 minutes to avoid crying. Just in case you lose your onion glasses...lol!!
Hi friends, if you'd like to jump right to the haul, click 5:15. I'm joining the #threeriverschallange this year, and I chatted about that at the beginning of this video. Have a wonderful day!
Love,
Chelsea
I’m excited to see how creative you get and hope this makes winter more entertaining. And how invaluable will it be to know that you can do this and what you can learn?!
Yay! So glad you are joining us 😊
Looking forward to it!!!! I suspect it’s going to be very educational.
I did the pantry challenge last year for 3 months. I allowed $50 a month to pick up some fresh foods like milk and some fresh vegetables that I can’t grow. I was so surprised at the some of the recipes I prepared. It was fun. I cleaned out a lot of stuff.
Same!
I absolutely want to try a pantry challenge. Was $50 a month (US dollars) enough for fresh stuff?
@nancycowan6109 its our first time and we are aiming for under $50 a week which is still way under budget for my family.
I did a pantry challenge one year, and I really found it cost me more in the long run. We used up what we had but then we had to replace those items and a lot of things were not on sale that we NEEDED. It was a sticker shock to purchase items when they are not on sale. The only items I will pay full price for is milk. Meat, cheese, staples must be bought when on sale.
I am just lurking. But I wondered how many people would find this in the end. I often stock up in the fall ,(midwest US) and visit stores less often due to the weather. It is eye opening when you haven't purchased in a while to NEED things and pay full price.
I’ve been eating out of my pantry for a few weeks now and I tell ya it’s humbling when you have no choice. It brings out creativity in the kitchen. Mine is not a challenge or a choice.
So glad to see that you have a pantry to fall back on. Hope things get better for you soon😕
Please make use of local food pantries and other resources. They exist for a reason.
After a tornado destroyed our home,including much of our stockpiled foods, I now just regularly “shop” my pantry and supplement with fresh items. We still can make do for a few weeks off what we have, but I no longer routinely keep months worth of food.
Last summer we bought a counter top ice machine from Costco and it has been our all time favourite purchase!! We found putting the ice into a large ziploc bag the easiest way to store it as the ice loves to stick together making it hard to break up if its in a container.
This is exactly what I do as well. I found the thicker reusable silicone zipper bags work perfect for this. I put in my ice and freeze flat so the ice is easier to break apart to get the amount needed.
We have one of those counter top ice machines - I run it on a day I’ll be in the kitchen a lot and empty the basket at intervals into zip lock bags and pop them in the freezer. When they’re empty I store them in the freezer ready for next time - I find they take up less space than a container, especially as we use the ice.
When we open the last bag we run the ice maker again to replenish our stock. Here in Australia in summer that can be every few days, sometimes every day, as my kids like ice water in their yetis for school and home.
I love buying clothes at Costco too. I do them online because they have $25.00 off a $75.00 online purchase sale sometimes. I will clothes for my grandchildren and my family.
I would say stock up on stuff then see if it costs less than what you would spend and by how much - give you an idea of where the pantry needs to be worked on etc to get you through
The good thing about her challenge is you can make your own rules!
She makes sure to shop for her children's birthday meals n treats! Good mama! For my part of the challenge I will try to use as many frozen garden things as I can.
Thank you ❤ I also have those ice machine
I have that ice maker.... Rule of thumb, don't leave the water in it when you're done with it, water tends to go stagnate.... And they say to store the ice in a paper bag ( something I'm testing currently) so it doesn't stick together
Yes, please do a sausage video. We got the attachment for the ktichen aid this Christmas.
We invested in a counter top ice maker and I love it. I make ice once a week while I am doing other stuff and it saves so much money. I also make ice for us to take along camping. I like cold drinks cold! You will love it.
Question: how do you clean it?
Store the ice in zip lock freezer bags, that way you can just drop the bag to break up the ice, a container doesn’t work as it freezes in a block
Just do the best you can. If your food supplies get dangerously low then stop. Just have fun with it.
I believe being able to feed your family should come before any challenge. I would never want you to get so low on food you cannot feed your family. I'm sure Jessica wouldn't either she is very sweet and caring person like you Chelsea. Good Luck 🤞.
Chelsea I watch you all the time. Trying to learn how to can. It's a little scary for me. Any advice for is very welcomed.
I will be watching you while you do the challenge hoping you can do it with without any problems.
I highly recommend switching to a sodastream. It’s so much cheaper than pop. I like the buble flavours
we make our own lemonade concentrate and use that with the soda stream. All the yummy and a fraction of the cost.
I bought a soda stream and thought I could use it with my home canned juice, to make it bubbly, but it said to only use water or it might be explode! I was so disappointed.
Best of luck in 2024 !!
Thank you for sharing!
TRH pantry challenge is a nice thing and it works for her family because she works to it all year. You are in a totally different environment so things will work different for you. And that is nothing to feel bad about. Personally I do not have a garden and I'm on the lookout for deals all year long. I know around christmas our shops sell some veg really cheap and I prepare for that time. I bought like 40 heads (is that what you call them?) of broccoli and blanched them all for the freezer. I bought 8 kg of carrots and except for a kg I blanched all and put them in the freezer. 20 kg of potatoes because they last now in the colder weather. But 6 kg of them already turned into croquettes for the freezer. My years worth of let us say. And knowing the cheap veg were coming up I did my own challenge of using up as much as was still in there meatwise to make space for all the veg. Now that all that is put away I'll start looking for good meat deals and fill the freezer up with that as we go pulling out the veg I put in there. I do my own challenge, we all sort of do. So don't feel like you have to do it TRH way. I like LMR way of preserving and using up. You shop when you have to and you don't seem to run of for every little thing you forgot. So be you please.
Thanks for the encouragement.♥️
I don’t know what grocery stores you have there but one of the things I find that saves money and saves us from buying extra is to order everything ahead of time and do grocery pick-up. When we use Walmart for this we order everything online and then go park in the designated parking spot and they bring everything out and load it into our vehicle for us.
Good idea to avoid impulses.
They always substitute it and charge to deliver…. Nope I like to go in
We have been taking advantage of businesses that offer the curbside pick up...we find that we spend less not going inside.
I just keep our ice in a gallon size bag, that way if it sticks together all you have to do is drop bag on counter. With a Tupperware container you could crack it, trying to break ice up if it does try to freeze together.
Great point!
I am with you Chelsea, a little apprehensive about using up the pantry! I think it's my brain saying "but you've worked so hard" when reality is this is EXACTLY why I worked hard... To feed my partner and I through the winter when food is at its most expensive! I will be joining you, Jessica and other creators for the #threeriverschallenge! Let's see what our hard work can do for us! Hugs ❤
For my pantry challenge I am just being honest with myself on the random and passed over items and using those up first.
I do like the sage color kitchen upper cabinets 👍
We have the same ice maker. I run it to fill the in fridge maker, which we turned off because of the typical water leak, then I fill a thick plastic bag, just like the gas station, put that in the freezer for larger needs like after blanching. I run the maker once a week till I refill those, but I always use the big bag to fill the fridge maker firstly, then refill the bag. Rotating the ice keeps it fresh, you'll find your own rhythm after awhile, there's only 3 of us. I know this will sound strange, but it's a tip worth doing. Tip out the just made ice onto a t towel first to soak up the water that's in the holes, roll them around then put them into your choice of storage, before this, they tended to clump together, hard to separate, the bag would break etc., pain. Long story, but it was our experience. Have a great week, see you for the next video. Ps. Love your hauls, I'm a Long-term Costco employee 😊
I am joining in this year. I have so much stock up that I need to get thru. I am looking forward to seeing how creative I can be and also learning what I like and what I dont like. This is such a great idea, I am so happy to be a part of it.
Interesting. I can't wait to follow you thru this challenge.
You should try growing stevia - we can easily BUT it is green! Powdered green sugar! The stuff you buy at the store is bleached to white. SO much sweeter than sugar and no calories. Just have to get used to how much to use and with your freeze dryer it would be super easy. Enjoyed your video today.
We grew Stevia one year, the deer loved it and munched it down to the ground. Guess they have a sweet tooth😊.
One can only do with what your comfortable with, I’ll be watching 😊
Good luck with your challenge.
Thank you for sharing. I love your videos!
Ice machine: make sure you clean the tubes and drain hole clean. We have one and the drain got full of sludge and the tubes did too.
I have a similar ice maker and love it.
Just keep an eye on the ice maker, those get very mouldy very quickly in the internal pipes and mechanics. If youre concerned about the health impacts of black mould, please look into it and consider returning and just sticking with ice cube trays in your freezer with a container to store the ice cubes in so you always have plenty available :)
We have that ice maker. Just make sure you have water by it all the time. It makes great ice as long as the well is full. 😊
Good luck with the challenge. I was watching another channel and she was making caramelized onion's and she used her potato slicer to chop all her onions. I thought of you when I seen this. That would save you so much time with chopping.
I love Becky from Acre homesteads view on the challenge. She gives herself X amount of money per month for the store if needed and she uses it as a time to be creative. Please dont stress yourself on the pantry challenge. Its not time worth spending if you're constantly stressed for 2 months.
I watch her too
Had to look up Zap Straps…I was like…HUH??? We know them as Zip Ties in the US. Haha
Love your channel!
Can’t wait to see what all you fix. I only buy groceries once a month . I am bedridden most if the time and I have them delivered so I only get what is on my list and I find it has saved me a lot of money
I learn so much from you and your lifestyle. Although I don’t live of my land, gardening is universal and bonds us all together. Your outlook is refreshing and honest, thank you.
That looks just like the ice maker I have. I love the 2 different sizes.
My daughter got me my 1st ever Costco membership for Christmas......crazy that I have never had one up till now. :)
@margarethairsine8648 now all you need to maximize that membership, is to take advantage of the weekly sale prices, and the executive coupons (if that's your level of membership) paying with your Costco credit card to get the year end rebate, and shopping with a share buddy, not everyone can use large amounts of items, but if you buddy shop, you can split. Less likely to waste food, and the price shock at the end is not too bad 😅 Happy shopping! Thanks for being a member 😊
Hello I noticed that you use jet dry for your dishwashers.
Just a suggestion: I stop buying this product over 20 years.I replaced with regular white vinegar and it works wonders. It Keeps my dishwasher clean and no calcium buildup,plus it is cheep.
Thanks for the tip. I don't like using Jet Dry, so I will try vinegar.
I'm going to try vinegar, too. Thanks for the tip!
That’s a great idea. Thank you. I want to use cleaner products in my cleaning routine but the cost of clean products in dollars scares me, while at the same time the cost of not using clean products on our Earth also scares me. It’s an internal battle that this may alleviate a bit.
Making vanilla is so simple, I am surprised you don’t make it yourself. They make great gifts too. And I admire you doing the challenge. I do find if I stick to a menu , I save monies, as Incoporate more of my home canned. And frozen food i have put up.
My thoughts were a bit like yours: we are told to have a years worth saved in case of emergency and now we are supposed to eat it all up lol. I am going to see how it goes. If I find a great sale though I will stock up!
I agree! Seems like we should be stocking up instead of 'cleaning out', especially with the uncertainty of our economy.
Rotation is key. I'm sure there are some things in your pantry that need to be used up soon. I keep a box set aside for pantry items I need to use up first. The goal of the exercise is to rotate and get an idea of what you use to help you inventory in the future. Keep a list of items you use in the month on your shipping list and that can be your master plan. I do this three times a year to see where my holes are in my pantry based on my seasonal eating patterns
I too am on the fence about this challenge. I’m unsure about stocking up prior to starting the challenge. Not sure how that saves money or pushes us to use what we already have. Maybe the holiday sale prices help but there are also some good sales on certain foods in January and February. I do however see that it forces us to use more of our stores than we normally would. I love the look of shelves full of the good food I canned but sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s not just there to look at and needs used. I also agree that it is a good test to see how far it would go if something did happen. I guess the best part is no rules so we can all do it however we want and essentially we will all learn something about ourselves and our own situation. For me it will probably be more about using up leftovers in the freezer though. Thanks for sharing your concerns. I somehow thought it was only me that had them.
I’ve lost power in the storm that came across the NE USA so now I am really glad I didn’t go stock up and planned to participate more as a freezer challenge. We are lucky enough to have a generator to run our freezers but sounds like we are going to be without power for a while. We are pretty prepared for such things, just wish our grill wouldn’t have died this past summer. I may be buying a grill tomorrow. This challenge has just become much more than I planned.
I absolutely love your channel and your Instagram! I just love the simplicity you share that gives hope to me and reminds me not to over think things and to buy bulk and cook from scratch! I am newer to your page and I have noticed you say you have a large family but you don’t show your kids which I totally understand but have you ever shared how many kids you have? Just wondering after I look at all you buy and preserve curious how much this feeds😁 Thank you for all you share!
We have 7 still home.😊
We love having a countertop ice maker. Our refrigerator ice maker broke several years ago. We live down in Georgia and have cold drinks year round. Buying ice has gone up a lot over the past few years. We don't have freezer space for ice cube trays. We got our maker and large britta filter for around $100-$125 on sale a few years ago. We could easily spend that just in our warm season.
Great haul! Y’all will do wonderful on the challenge I think as prepared and as well as you can cook oh yes you’ll do wonderfully. I agree with you if you spend a bunch of money a Azure Standard, Costco or Sams Club the 2 months before the challenge you really can’t be saving any money doing it would have to be to just deplete your pantry for the next Harvest
I live in Alberta, in the winter months, I do hydroponics for my vegetables 🥗. Have you ever thought about trying that?
I like your perspective on the challenge!
Good Luck with the challenge. Looking forward to seeing your progress
Do you keep a spreadsheet of all your food? Especially the ones with expiration dates. It’d be a good way to see what foods and items are used more often vs those that you eventually get to, to prevent wasting it.
I could never see doing the pantry challenge. Like tempting fate lol. If I can go to the store I will so my things will be available if I can’t.
@nancyrea3863- Yes, I can understand your take on a pantry challenge. It also depends on how isolated your are. Chelsea is on a farm and so are we. I grocery shop bi-monthly. It saves on gas and time. That said, I have been stocking up since 2020 with dry pantry and the freezers. Being a farm we " could" get a dairy cow. We raise grass fed beef. I also buy my organic eggs, but could get some laying hens and meat rabbits. Those options are on the back burner, should times get worse, regarding food shortages.
I made something called Hoover Stew tonight. A wartime dish made with macaroni, weiners, canned tomatoes and whatever you can glean out of the fridge. (I am on this "Clean out the fridge Friday" thing.) Anyway it was good! The weiners really add a huge amount of flavour, I sauteed some onion and celery, added some turkey broth and a teeny bit of spices. Ya not bad. Next time I will add peas and corn. Nice and filling. I used 4 weiners, 1 pint tomatoes, 1 pint broth and just under 1 cup noodles plus a few veg and it made a pot big enough to easily feed a family of 5!!
Awesome video….looking forward to making sausage video. I’m considering making my own as well just haven’t decided where to begin.
Love your hauls and your channel!
You'll enjoy the icemaker. We've been using that brand and run them 12 hours a day.
I’m already loving it!
I buy refilled ink cartridges from eBay. They work in name brand printers because they are the name brand cartridges - just refilled. It’s a third the price of brand name ink!
you can use vinegar instead of jet dry. works great and so much cheaper
Also, I make my own dishwasher soap (which also works as a toilet cleaner) with baking soda and dish soap. and enough water or vinegar to make it moist and moldable. i scoop into flat rounds and let dry. throw one in and just as great
Hi I'm new to your channel. My name is Wanda and I live in Los Angeles, California. I just wanted to say that I have an Ice maker and I use gallon zip lock bags to put my ice in. I stack them in my fridge freezer and in my deep freeze. When I have a lot I turn off my ice maker and let it have a well deserved rest, You can also get 2 gallon zip lock bags to use. This works great for me since I only have 3 adults in my home. But with Teen agers keeping it running all the time might be better for you. I hope this New Year brings you many Blessings.
Welcome!!
Hi Chelsea. I have an ice maker something like yours. I make a bunch of ice and store it in Ziploc bags in my freezer. It works out great. Right now I have about 20 bags in there. It was great for Christmas dinner because so many in my family love iced tea and as you said they love ice with their drinks. Just a suggestion for you. I love your videos and anxiously awaiting the pantry challenge!! Happy New Year to you and your family. 🎉🎊
Also if you had an issue and have no water your ice will be a life saver!😊
@@monahardy978great point!
I bought myself a ice maker for Christmas but i haven't used it yet
I love watching and participating in Jessica's challenge! Your hubby is correct, it's a test situation that helps you figure out where you're actually at. Now is time to test because we are in a good place to "restock" if neccessary.
That's exactly his thinking.
I’m going to do the pantry challenge this time too. And like you I’m concerned about my “stash” getting low and then SHTF and needing it!
I love watching your videos. I'm excited to see the end results of the challenge. If you have an amazing recipe for red beans and rice, would you please share? Thank you
I'm excited about this challenge. Thanks heaps.
Blessed Née Year
Looking forward to seeing how you do.
P.S.- I just saw your ice maker. We have one and I love it! You do have to empty the ice maker. I bag mine and put into the upstairs freezer. I like that I can use filtered water.
With your icemaker, read the manual about what to do to clean it inside. I have brought some to icemakers because I didn’t understand this. There is a product you can buy that you add to water and run it through the machine that helps the skillet. I am now on version three with the product and it will be interesting to see how that works. I love having ice and in the summer I run it continuously
By the way the food grade Canadian Tire buckets, are fantastic. Thank you for suggesting them
We do pantry challenges all the time, I am becoming very intentional about what we buy and eat, when we do have to restock it’s going to be all from Azure standard be grow and can a lot of our own stuff so we are ok
We have had a counter top ice maker for 2 years, we love them.
A helpful hint, you can use white vinegar instead of the jet dry. I have used it for many years. The difference in cost is amazing.
Rather than buy vanilla extract you could consider making your own. It’s very simple, is hands off in terms of time just the initial expense of the vanilla beans and whichever carrier you decide to use and makes a huge quantity.
Last year when we did the pantry challenge, we used up what we really did not like first and would not can or make again. This way, I was able to use up first and save what we did like post challenge.
I purchased an counter top icemaker over the past summer. I ahve found that if you use the small cube setting they are not6 very think and melt quickly. I use the large cube setting and they re thicker and last a lot longer. I store mine ice in the freezer in gallon ziplock bags. Works great.
I have a similar ice maker, I also have well water so I use a pitcher with a filter still gunk builds up, I clean with vinegar water every week or two check water levels frequently especially having kids, if the basket isn't put in where its supposed to be the machine reads as full and won't make more till basket is adjusted God bless
U did well at Costco Chelsea I shop there in Perth I like the herbs. And I love the glory bowls so delicious
I store my extra ice in a gallon freezer bag. I think I have like 6 bags now in my freezer. It is really convinced to just pull from and close back up.
Merry Christmas Chelsea and Dan hope your new year is great! Love watching you and Dan. Your recipes are great.
I’m looking forward to seeing what you make during the challenge. I need some new, frugal recipe ideas!
Will be intersting to follow this challenge!
Great video!!
Really looking forward to the budget friendly recipes. Always good to save where possible and I know your recipes will still be delicious, thank you. 💙
I got tired of spending big bucks on ink cartridges and my old printer broke. I purchased an ecotank printer (which goes on sale at Costco). I just refill (every 2 to 3 years for me) with ink. Last time it cost 25 usd for all four colors.
I am allowing some money for a few fresh items as we have a very small garden, dirt products and eggs.
I’m excited to follow along with your pantry challenge! It does seem kind of weird to stock way up on food to do the challenge, though.
Next time you buy a printer get one with the ecotank ink tanks. The bottles of ink are much cheaper and you get way more prints between filling up.
I bought the same glasses😊
I really appreciate you showing hauls from a canadian perespective. Oh how i wish wr had azure like the rest of them huh. 😅
Good to know about the ice maker! I want to get one too and thought it stayed in there too. My kids could live off ice in the summers!
I order groceries online and pick up at the store now. It really stops you from buying things not on your list. I wish you could buy online and pick up at Costco. They need to get on that!
Love your videos they always brighten my night.
Costco uses instacart for personal grocery shoppers.
Can’t wait to see how it turns out ❤
Have you tried white Vinegar instead ofcthe jet dry? We switched years ago the vinegar works great and so much cheaper!
In a last video, you showed a micro green kit that you bought at West Coast Seeds. I have looked for it but cannot find. Can you give me some specifics? I would love to learn more about that.
I'll be planting a ton over the next few months so I'll show you more in some upcoming videos. I got that kit from West Coast Seeds.
So good You are, just as cool aty watch every time,, Many greetings Rosemarie Sweden
Not on the topic but....I was just looking at kitchen hacks and it said to put your onions in the freezer for 15 minutes to avoid crying. Just in case you lose your onion glasses...lol!!