I did suggest she start buying her essentials bit by bit over the next month or so, just to avoid a mega-buy/bill. She’ll do it her way, of course.
One nice thing - since they’re living with us, there’s no rush to move, other than their own eagerness - no lease deadline or anything. I know the first thing she intends to do is paint the whole place (I’ll be helping with that) before moving anything in. Then they’ll use our truck and take boxes over gradually - unpack, remove boxes, bring in more boxes, lather rinse repeat. I’ll be amazed if they spend their first night there within a week of closing, but we shall see.
Pet stuff will be easy - it’ll just go from here to there. Toddler stuff less easy - she’ll need to decide what stays and what goes (I’ll be daycare so some toys and books will remain.) The biggie will be when SIL moves his video gaming setup! That’s when I’ll know they’re outta here!
The new place is lots closer to civilization than we are - it’s about 15 miles from here to the main shopping area of the county, but they’ll be maybe 2 miles from Target and grocery stores. It’ll be convenient if they need something fast.
I think closing is a month from today, not that I’m counting or anything…
ETA: Good point about the fire extinguisher. I think they’ll get one with a big bow on it!
Short moves always seemed like more work. We carried small loads to the new place. Set stuff up and organized. Then bring another load. It dragged on for three weeks.
We used movers for our only long distance move. Everything boxed up and went in one truck. Unpacking was definitely a chore.
I would also suggest just picking up what she needs when she needs it (which, after a while, adds up to a good deal of stuff), instead of trying to stockpile everything conceivable in a single mega-buy. In my case the nearest bodega is about a 15-second walk from my building and there are plenty more where it came from; I realize not everyone lives in the city.
She doesn’t intend to create a fully stocked pantry and spice cabinet in the first week, but since they know they’ll want salt and pepper and ketchup and mayo and pasta… they’ll start with some basics and go from there.
has anyone else suggested a smoke/carbon monoxide alarm for kitchen and each sleeping area? To be installed right after the painting is finished and before anybody is sleeping there?
I recently replaced all of mine-about $50 on Amazon. Just don’t make the mistake I did. Buy a recognizable brand name-I didn’t and I was sorry.
This is how I survived moving to Saudi Arabia 30 plus years ago… two fry pans, a 2qt pot, a set of wooden spoons, salt,pepper, Sugar, tea, instant coffee(yeah I know) . Plates x four, glasses x four coffee / tea Cup x four. Evaporated milk, fun times
What you are referring to is a “pounding”. Has a history in the South and among many christian churches.
When a family moves to a new home or newlyweds are starting their home, members of the community would drop off a pound of sugar, flour, butter, etc. etc., essentially the pantry staples that people need in their kitchen.
Thank you for sharing. Gives me hope about our country-similarities are stronger than differences. In Iowa, where I grew up, something similar was done. People would drop off some Mason jars of green beans, honey, tomatoes, pickles, smoked carp, jelly, whatever they have extra from the previous season’s canning. Usually they just set it on the new folks porch and then went on their way, so has to be humble. Don’t remember what we called it, certainly nothing as poetic as ‘pounding’.
Spice-wise, I’d think the following would be a good start for a new house (get from somewhere reputable- Spicewalla, Penzeys or Spice House are 3 I like):
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Red Pepper Flakes
Thyme
Oregano
Sage
Rosemary
Black peppercorns
Some kind of prepared blend- maybe Tony Chachere’s or another Creole/Cajun blend.
Cinnamon
Nutmegs
Ground Cloves
Vanilla Extract
Gear
Pepper mill (8" Unicorn Magnum)
Microplane graters (coarse and fine)
Salt pig of some kind
Good knife set (Victorinox is good and cheap)
Good cutting boards (I like the Epicurean type they sell at Target and elsewhere)
Garlic press
Stainless steel mixing bowls
Glass 1 cup prep bowls
Silverware
Pots/Pans
Good springloaded tongs - my Oxo Good Grips ones are fantastic.
Vegetable peeler (the Kuhn-Rikon “Y” peelers are fantastic and really cheap)
Since they are starting with a new kitchen, here is something I wish I’d done from day one.
Painter’s tape and a sharpie pen. Put the buy date on all of those spices and pantry essentials. Month and year are good enough. That way, when you pull the container of bay leaves off the shelf and see that you bought it 8 years ago, you can use it one last time (it will have lost most of it’s flavor), toss the rest, and add it to the next shopping list.
The tape is to make a spot to write, if the container doesn’t have one ( I use it for stuff I freeze as well).
