Meal Tins

I spent the past month cleaning up the travel trailer and again getting it ready to use at a moment's notice.  After having it for a while now, I've accepted the fact that there is nothing I can do to keep mice out.  Maybe it's not much of an issue in the city, but out in the sticks it's an entirely different matter.  The situation got entirely out of hand when our tabby cat Cougar decided to take early retirement--without informing us, naturally.

The acquisition of two barn cats has remedied the problem, and I think the super powerfully fragrant dryer sheets placed all over the interior of the trailer help as well.  But cats out here are notoriously short-lived (most people blame coyotes, when it's more likely to be owls) and we never know when our own cats will disappear (or opt for early retirement).  I don't want to have to clean every item in the cabinets and drawers and on the beds again.  So instead of having the ideal trailer that was theoretically ready to sleep and cook in, and when needed finding it was in no shape for either, we have made some modifications.  In our trailer the mice can't get into the upper cabinets or the upper bunk; they can get into all the lower cabinets and drawers and on the lower beds. To deal with this, we put everything into Rubbermaid totes on top of the upper bunk.  Then drawers get put on top of the totes.  Bedding is also put into those plastic bedding bags and on top of or next to the totes.  Fortunately, it's all pretty lightweight, so there's no worry about collapsing that upper bunk.

Unfortunately, we can't put any food in the cabinets under the sink, because that area is a favorite hangout for vermin.  So all the food needs to be placed in the upper cabinets.  And we really want at least a two-week supply.  And we haven't been able to pull that off in the past.

But while cleaning, I had a stroke of genius.  Two or three years ago Nestle was celebrating their 75th anniversary and marketed commemorative tins of their chocolate chips.  They went on deep discount at the grocery outlet store, so we bought a lot.  Like 28 tins.  I so wish I'd gotten more.

Yep, these are the tins.  Someone on eBay is trying to sell two tins (empty!  no chocolate chips!) for $45.  If only I'd known they'd be worth their weight in gold....

The tins hold about eight cups each, and fit perfectly in the cabinet seven across.  With two high, there is about three inches to spare on top for paper plates and cups.  And with two deep there is just a little space in front.  So now these rather tall cabinets have no wasted space and a lot of room for food.

What do we have?

Staples:  flour, sugar, oats, instant rice, instant oatmeal, powdered milk, hot cocoa
Mixes:  biscuits, pancake, muffin, cornbread, bread, tortilla
Meals:  spaghetti, pizza, chicken and biscuits, shepherd's pie, soup mixes
Snacks:   granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, jerky

In addition, my husband developed a fondness for some cookies that came in smaller round tin canisters.  They aren't what I would initially have considered an ideal size, but I've come up with a remarkable number of uses for them as well.

Staples:  salt, popcorn, dried onions, baking soda, dehydrated butter powder
Treats:  tea, spices, candy

To keep the canisters clean and the food bug-free, each is lined with a light-weight food storage bag and then filled.  Twist, tie, and replace the lid.  We now have a wide variety of meals for two weeks--meals that are quick and easy to fix, with a minimum of clean-up.