Food Chat thread - for general convo by food forum regulars (freezer, healthy)

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by elnina

No, not in particular. I do have a well stocked pantry and the freezer but that's my habit for decades now.
Not planning to do anything different...

Eating little less might do many people good

Ha, that's exactly where I am right now! Last week I saw my doc and my blood sugar and cholesterol are up, and I gained about 7 pounds since I was last there.

He said to come back in four months. If I didn't get my bad levels down, he'll put me on meds. I don't want to take meds, so I am adjusting my diet to mostly vegetarian with some fish and very little meat and dairy.

Then this panic-buying business set in. Yesterday the store was completely cleared of meat and poultry, but I didn't care because I don't want it. I've got tons of vegetables, canned and frozen, and rice and beans. Picked up canned tuna and salmon, too.

I did buy fresh veggies for the time being, but if I get stuck, I'll survive on what I've got AND lose weight.

[Futuremauian]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog_Mom

We have a hereditary immune disorder that causes allergic reactions to many things that should be safe.

Sorry for you! Be safe!

[PNW-type-gal]

The spouse tends toward respiratory infections, so we are being fairly cautious - we are always cautious in flu season, but we've added a couple extra layers this year. I had some plans to go to a couple workshops this month and next, but they are all canceled anyway, making my decision easier.

I did do a bit of "freezer-filling" - there is generally at least a few meals in the freezer anyway, but it is currently better stocked than that. The stores here are out of most of the sanitizing supplies, but the food, frozen and produce aisles are in pretty good shape, going through them you'd never know that some people are stocking up. Mostly what I am doing is increasing the quantities when I make something and freezing leftover - like last night I made meatballs and I doubled the ingredients and froze 3/4 of what I made.

On the other hand, I had to get a script refilled at my pharmacy and the line (0-8 people usually) was probably 40 or 50 people long. I still haven't picked that up, I'll probably try going on say a Tuesday morning when they open. I do have 90 days on hand, but I'd rather not dip in to that stock. These meds are generics, made in China, and I am pretty sure that at some point in the next month or two there will be shortages.

[hotzcatz]

We have our usual several month's supply of edibles on hand. If we didn't have to leave for two months, we'd have a fairly boring diet, but we'd be fine. That rooster that wakes me up in the morning would have to worry, though. Chicken soup does cure crowing.


I am going to put in another raised bed salad garden. If things were to get especially dire, it would start producing about the time we were scratching at bare shelves. We are unfortunately at the very end of avocado season, but the mulberry and peaches are ripe. They won't last for more than a month, though.


If folks don't have a yard to plant vegetables in, there's still options such as hydroponically growing lettuce in milk jugs. The easiest way is with a 'net pot', 'starter plug' and Miracle Grow from a garden store. The net pot is a little flowerpot made of plastic webbing, the starter plug is some sort of compacted growing medium. Cut a hole in the milk jug to fit the net pot. Fill the jug with water so it will reach halfway up the net pot, put in a half teaspoon of Miracle Grow, stir, set the net pot in the hole, drop in the starter cube, put two or three lettuce seeds in the cube and set the whole thing somewhere that it can get sunlight. In about a month, all the water will be used up in the milk jug and the lettuce will be ready to eat.


If the lettuce is a loose head type, such as a leaf lettuce or romaine type, you'd be able to harvest some of the outer leaves before the whole head is ready to eat. There's loads of different types of lettuce available: https://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/lettuce All seeds from Baker Creek (rareseeds.com) are open pollinated and heirloom so if you let one of the lettuces go to seed and collect the seed, you won't have to buy more seeds.



If you have enough sunny window space, you can have multiple lettuces growing (plant one every few days so the lettuces won't all get ripe at the same time) plus some sprouting seeds such as alfalfa and some culinary herbs to brighten up various dishes. Alfalfa sprouts are ready to eat in about a week to ten days. Lettuce takes from 40 to 60 days, depending on the variety.

[Miss Hepburn]

Just got 2 reports from 2 female friends - no tp in the usual big supermarket here in CO, USA.
Funny, cuz 2 days ago I picked up a pack and there was plenty.
It was pet food I went in for.

[HawaiiLover]

I am always well stocked with food. I have two freezers in the house and one in my garage. When the virus started getting worse in the US about two weeks ago, I went and got 4 bottles of hand sanitizer and a big package of Lysol wipes. Plus, the traveling size packages of the wipes, also rubber gloves. As for masks, my son gets them from his job so he gave us plenty.
As far as TP, I always buy a 20 count and I have 18 rolls left......more than enough for 2.

My hubby had to pick up a script at our ShopRite pharmacy and he said the store was wiped out of most things and the check out lines were insane.

[jcp123]

Now, yeah. There are now three confirmed cases in my city, so we accelerated the stocking up. That does not, however, include toilet paper. I can’t eat it, and we have leaves in the back yard.

[Dogboa]

I got lots of limes. Seriously, you'd think it was "Capt. Trips", the way some folks are panicking. Went to do our grocery shopping today and at both stores, no shopping karts available in the front entrance.

[eureka1]

NO. We're not into panic buying.

[Mr78609]

I want to be ready. Im going to the store and buy 3 or 4 hundred dollars in canned food and an extra 5 or 10 gallons of bleach for a start. Then maybe 10 cases of water.