Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Pots and pans for an army

When I first started prepping I kept everything and collected even more.  I loved going to garage sales and getting great deals.  I also went to antique stores and bought more.  Looking back at what I was doing I realize that I was way off track on my purchases. 

I have three different residences.  The main house on five acres, the bug-out house (weekend getaway on 5 acres - a total dive that the bug-out renters live in), and the 25 year old travel trailer.  Each has stuff in it to live well.  What about the extra?  What am I talking about this time?  Pots, pans, and baking equipment. 

Back in the 70s and 80s a lot of new brands of pots and pans came into the market.  Having grown up in a home with Revere ware and a couple of cast iron pans I wanted something different. I bought an entire set of good pots and pans.  Magnalite was the upscale version of Wagner ware and still guaranteed for life (except the company went out of business).  I bought every size pot and pan they sold.  I probably spent close to $1,000!  Back in the 80s! 

Thirty years later and they are still great pots and pans.  But I don't use any of the pans anymore.  I use cast iron.  In fact, I use two cast iron pans each day...the 10" pan and the flat 10" pan for flat bread or pancakes.  I rarely use the 1 qt. Magnalite pot or even the 2 qt.  I have a couple of 3 qt. pots, the steamer inserts, and the double boiler inserts.  These I use at least weekly. I have the 5 qt., 7 qt., 16 qt., you name it.  If they made it I have it.

But I didn't stop there.  I bought even more, just in case.  I just don't know what the just in case was for.  After all, they pretty much last forever.  I'd go to a sale and find old Wagner ware stuff - both for stove top and oven.  I'd get excited because I could buy this stuff for under five dollars and remember the cost of the new stuff and think, wow, such a deal!  I wanted one or two or three or five of everything!  I have enough pots and pans and baking sets to supply my grand kids. 

Once we had 100 people for dinner.  We had to borrow tables and chairs (we ate in the backyard).  I had enough supplies for all that cooking and baking plus more to spare.  

This weekend I was in the barn looking at some of the shelves and figuring out exactly what I have.  Ok.  Enough is enough.  I know the saying that two is one and one is none. At what point do you figure out how much is enough?   I don't expect to hold any more 100 person meals.  If all my brothers and sisters and their kids, and my kids and grand kids all came over we would have thirty or so.  So why do I need more pots and pans and baking equipment to serve more than that?  I don't. 

I've had these things for thirty years.  I'm going to live 30 more and they will last that long.  I don't need any new stuff.  So now I'm going to give some things away to kids and grand kids.  I'll sell some of my pots and pans.  Maybe I'll be able to make enough money to buy something that I don't have!  Like dehydrated cheese.  That I need!

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