Filling up the Pantry

I have been bulk shopping for many years since it is about the only way to do it when you are feeding a big family!  What a blessing to have so much space in this NEW home!

Once a month shopping saves time in the long run but it sure does take a chunk out of the day! I tallied that my most recent bulk shopping trip took me a total of 6 1/2 hours and made a HUGE pile on the table to put away. It takes about 4 large shopping buggies overloaded and an EXPLORER full to overflowing to fill up the cupboards and freezer.

 
(This is only part of the piles!)

This time around I didn't want to put any food away until all the cupboards were organized.  NOT HAVING CUPBOARD doors (about the very last project to complete on the inside) helps keep me motivated to keep them tidy! So I pulled everything left in the cupboards out and put it all back neat and tidy!

I have found a great trick to keeping the cupboards neat is all similar type containers. Also I open up boxes and bags like pasta and flours and sugars and put them all in bulk-size labeled containers.

I offer copies of my pantry labels at Marmee's Bread Market and other pantry storage solutions.

Updated: You are Never too Old for L-O-V-E!

My DaddyDear is 82! Our new Grancy (NancyWard) is 83! Here is their story in short form:

 “Once upon a time. . .Genie-boy and Nancy Ward lived side-by-side. Their early childhood days were passed playing together. One day as they were playing Nancy Ward swirled her jump rope around her head and hit Genie-boy beside the head. Genie-boy retaliated by biting Nancy Ward. Genie-boy was a biter and Nancy’s mother always told her to bite him back. . .but she never got up the courage to do that to Genie-boy. 

This time Nancy’s mother decided to teach Genie-boy not to bite little girls, especially her little girl! She gave him a good bite and he went home wailing!” This led to a confrontation of the two mothers (Ethel Gurganus –Martha’s Grandmother & Mrs. Williams –Nancy Ward’s Momma).  Big Daddy (Martha’s dad) has an elaborate story of the incident and has told his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren over the years. 

So, Nancy is no stranger to our family. Gene and Nancy began their lives together and Lord willing they will end them together. Most of the family was able to travel and witness their wedding on January 28.2012. Martha, Lydia and Ruth got to sing together as well as Seth,23, and Adam, 31, sang with their Pennsylvania cousins (the other Greenes) during the ceremony. 

We have all fallen in love with “Grancy” and since she was an only child and was never blessed with children—we have piled on her all the “family” she could ever want! So 2012 begins with all the family getting to know our new “GRANCY”! 3 Daughters + 3 Sons-in-Law + 20 GrandChildren + 7 GrandSpouses + 17 Great-Grands welcome her to our Family.

Here is a wedding slideshow of their wedding: Enjoy!

Reading at Home

Learning to Read
3rd Generation Homeschooler