You've probably guessed by now that I was a little bit of a "prepper" BEFORE this whole COVID-19 thing went down - long before self-distancing turned into self isolation turned into the current stay at home ordinance.
Supplies for cleaning and baking were always in stock in our house. As were paper towels and toilet paper. I had 3 tiny hand sanitizers for travel purposes and 2 N95 masks to protect me from fumes while painting etc. Our lives would not have been awful if we hadn't been able to buy much at the store in the last couple of weeks either.
That didn't stop us from adding to supplies though and we were quick to buy additional canned and frozen veges, a big bag of flour, more sugar, pasta, rice, potatoes, onions, meat and treats for the cat, a frozen whole chicken for us, plus freezer-type Ziplock bags and reusable plastic storage containers.
In the last week, I have found a few additional things online too - at less well trafficked websites - not even close to the first page of your Google search. I acquired a couple of travel sized/3oz spray hand sanitizers (70% alcohol), UHT milk, two reusable filter masks. All at normal prices and in quantities that are perfect for two people. I refuse to contribute to the hoarding insanity or reward those who are price gouging.
I'm happy to share tips and tricks to make your stay at home more like a vacation than a prison sentence.
Got symptoms and need to leave the house? (Thankfully no... but...)
Personally, this is only the time I'd wear a mask. It would stop me from coughing/breathing germs on others and when I inadvertently touch my face (which we all do) it's a little barrier between dirty hands and direct contact to mouth and nose.
UHT milk. It seems half of the US is unfamiliar with this product. UHT milk is milk that has been heated briefly to a much higher temperature, to kill bacteria. It is packaged appropriately and then doesn't need refrigeration, but is shelf-stable for 6-9 months. If we experience milk delivery or supply issues, having this on standby means no big deal. I will not be leaving the house to go in search of milk. It may not taste exactly like the milk you are accustomed to but it's close and if you are like me, it's absolutely good enough. Much more, natural and less processed than all those nut, soy and oat liquids that call themselves milk, but if that is your thing, you can probably find shelf-stable versions of these too. You can often find UHT milk at office supply stores, FYI. (Or at least, you could.)
What do I think about milk powder? It's pricey and perhaps getting pricier by the day. It will never taste like milk when you drink it or put it on cereal, but Im sure it's a better than nothing for cooking etc. I do not have any and have no plans to buy any at this point.
On a side note... A few years back I took a camel safari in the Thar Desert in India. We camped on the dunes, slept under the stars and our guide cooked our meals from scratch. Every morning and night, he made us chai over the campfire. We were 3 days in before I saw his "recipe". He had been using baby formula as the milk substitute for campfire chai. Truthfully, it was darn good chai.
The moral of the story is, in a pinch, we use the resources available to us - whether it's price or supply that is the issue, there is often an alternative and our less privileged brothers and sisters all over the world have long been practicing this successfully. As did our grandparents and generations before them, who endured and survived more hardship that we will probably ever experience.
NOTE: I am not suggesting you run out and buy up baby formula!!! Leave it for the babies, please. I'm just saying, in challenging times, we get creative to solve problems. Think outside the box and be grateful for all the alternatives and options we still have. :-)
Supplies for cleaning and baking were always in stock in our house. As were paper towels and toilet paper. I had 3 tiny hand sanitizers for travel purposes and 2 N95 masks to protect me from fumes while painting etc. Our lives would not have been awful if we hadn't been able to buy much at the store in the last couple of weeks either.
That didn't stop us from adding to supplies though and we were quick to buy additional canned and frozen veges, a big bag of flour, more sugar, pasta, rice, potatoes, onions, meat and treats for the cat, a frozen whole chicken for us, plus freezer-type Ziplock bags and reusable plastic storage containers.
In the last week, I have found a few additional things online too - at less well trafficked websites - not even close to the first page of your Google search. I acquired a couple of travel sized/3oz spray hand sanitizers (70% alcohol), UHT milk, two reusable filter masks. All at normal prices and in quantities that are perfect for two people. I refuse to contribute to the hoarding insanity or reward those who are price gouging.
I'm happy to share tips and tricks to make your stay at home more like a vacation than a prison sentence.
Got symptoms and need to leave the house? (Thankfully no... but...)
Personally, this is only the time I'd wear a mask. It would stop me from coughing/breathing germs on others and when I inadvertently touch my face (which we all do) it's a little barrier between dirty hands and direct contact to mouth and nose.
UHT milk. It seems half of the US is unfamiliar with this product. UHT milk is milk that has been heated briefly to a much higher temperature, to kill bacteria. It is packaged appropriately and then doesn't need refrigeration, but is shelf-stable for 6-9 months. If we experience milk delivery or supply issues, having this on standby means no big deal. I will not be leaving the house to go in search of milk. It may not taste exactly like the milk you are accustomed to but it's close and if you are like me, it's absolutely good enough. Much more, natural and less processed than all those nut, soy and oat liquids that call themselves milk, but if that is your thing, you can probably find shelf-stable versions of these too. You can often find UHT milk at office supply stores, FYI. (Or at least, you could.)
What do I think about milk powder? It's pricey and perhaps getting pricier by the day. It will never taste like milk when you drink it or put it on cereal, but Im sure it's a better than nothing for cooking etc. I do not have any and have no plans to buy any at this point.
On a side note... A few years back I took a camel safari in the Thar Desert in India. We camped on the dunes, slept under the stars and our guide cooked our meals from scratch. Every morning and night, he made us chai over the campfire. We were 3 days in before I saw his "recipe". He had been using baby formula as the milk substitute for campfire chai. Truthfully, it was darn good chai.
The moral of the story is, in a pinch, we use the resources available to us - whether it's price or supply that is the issue, there is often an alternative and our less privileged brothers and sisters all over the world have long been practicing this successfully. As did our grandparents and generations before them, who endured and survived more hardship that we will probably ever experience.
NOTE: I am not suggesting you run out and buy up baby formula!!! Leave it for the babies, please. I'm just saying, in challenging times, we get creative to solve problems. Think outside the box and be grateful for all the alternatives and options we still have. :-)
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