Snowed in? No power? No problem!

A well stocked pantry will keep you fed

Photo by Luisa Brimble on Unsplash

My mom kept a pantry. She also grew her own veggies and herbs. Not because she feared the apocalypse, but because she was frugal. That’s a nice word for cheap.

This is not a bad thing. Why spend more than you need to?

I never bothered to keep a pantry, myself, until I moved to Colorado with its blizzards. While the snow typically melts within a few days, I figured it would be wise to keep a few supplies on hand, just in case.

This proved a wise decision when we were snowed in without power.

Candles, flashlights, trail mix, wine, and a fire made the difference between coziness and misery. When the deep freeze hit us in Texas last year, I was fine thanks to my pantry along with a few non-edible supplies.

So what should you keep in your pantry in case you’re snowed in?

Pantry staples

There are all sorts of “emergency” kits out there. You don’t need them unless you can’t boil water or use a can opener. There are cheaper, healthier options:

• Have items that don’t need to be heated, like trail mix, jerky, granola, crackers, and dry cereal. If vacuum packed, hard cheeses like cheddar will last up to 6 months and cooked…