The $20/$20 Challenge: Angela From Rural Wisconsin Shows Off Her Pantry

Another $20/$20 Challenge submission that I love. Angela says she has the coolest spice rack, and I have to agree. But she shares a lot more than her spice rack. Here’s her story:

Hello, Mavis! My name is Angela and my husband and I raise three children on five rural acres in central Wisconsin. I am enjoying your food pantry challenge, especially the peek into other families’ kitchens!

I have been clipping coupons for MANY years. This photo box has been the best item I’ve found to hold coupons. It’s a Tupperware product–I don’t know if they sell these anymore, but I can even drop it and the cover stays on! (Although, the coupons might get messed up a bit.) I used to have my coupons organized by each aisle in the store I shopped at, but we’ve moved or sometimes I might shop a different store….However, when I write out my grocery list, I list items in the order I walk through my store. I shop at a very large grocery store that is employee-owned: Woodman’s. They have a HUGE selection and low prices on dry goods. I wish their produce and meat were as wonderful…

Here is what the inside of my fridge looks like! It is the largest residential-use fridge Home Depot had to sell, and I love it! We can usually fit enough groceries for a 2-week period, which typically adds up to between $350-$400…..Yikes! That’s $700-$800 a month! {Just one reason why I find your blog so helpful and interesting!}

The freezer is on the bottom and has three separate drawers. Even so, we have an older fridge in our basement for additional freezer storage. It’s also handy for keeping soda, juice and extra milk, so we’re not constantly running back to the store. We also have a small freezer out in the garage we aren’t using. The few meals I have tried to freeze have not been well-received by my family: lasagna, soups, enchiladas. They have all stated that they prefer the taste of the meal when it’s made fresh. I usually agree, but when I don’t want to cook a big meal from scratch, I can appreciate the frozen meal as a convenience.

Here’s a peek in our cupboards…

The corner lazy susan was here when we purchased our home and we hate it! The top shelf is OK, but the bottom shelf becomes a dark hole that makes it hard to search unless I sit on the floor!

It’s a similar situation with the lower cabinets: the pull-outs are easy to use, but the small shelf above can only been seen properly by sitting on the floor. So we usually keep junk food down there, figuring that if we want it bad enough, then we’ll have a bit of physical activity to find it!

Shortly after we moved in, we added a long peninsula with these three deep drawers. The top drawer is very shallow. It holds washcloths, towels and Tupperware lids. The middle drawer holds most of my Tupperware and the bottom is for extra towels, glass baking dishes and plastic garbage bags.

Our spice rack is one of the best I’ve ever had! The Coca-Cola boxes I got cheap at an antique shop. All of my spices are close to the stove and I can see just what I have at a glance. The items on top are empty antique packages– please don’t think I’m feeding that to my family!

We have additional storage on a narrow ledge going down to the basement. This is mostly for kitchen items: crock pots, large kettles, food processor and the like. We even have a dirt floor room in our basement, but it is NO kind of a cellar, I tell you! Too many newts finding their way in through the cracks in the fieldstone walls! And the occasional mouse….well, the house dates back to the very late 1800’s, so I guess that’s to be expected. I would like to venture into the world of canning/preserving, but haven’t quite gotten there yet. This summer I hope to have enough raspberries to make freezer jam. {Last summer the kids ate all the berries as they picked them from the bushes, so I planted more for this summer!} Carrots have done well here, and I’ve been able to freeze enough to last us until the next growing season for two summers now.

Moving out to the country 2 1/2 years ago was a big step for us. Our house is smaller than what we’d like, but we have 5 acres of land we can plant. I’m hoping to garden more, not only to save money, but to feed my family some yummy fruits and veggies! What we are purchasing at area grocery stores is usually a poor quality: tasteless, expensive, spoils quickly. Last year my garden failed horribly, but I’m gaining knowledge and inspiration from your blog! We also currently have 6 chickens, but that’s not enough to keep us stocked with eggs, especially when I’m baking. Thanks for all of your entertaining posts!

Are you getting your pantries camera ready? You can participate in the $20/$20 Challenge by simply sending in pictures of your pantry. Find out more about the $20/$20 Challenge: Show Your Pantry – Fill a Pantry!