Tomato plants have such a pleasant scent. Every time I water them they show their appreciation  by sending forth that wonderful fragrance.Plants say 'Thank you'  if you pay attention. Basil does the same thing.

I start my tomato plants  in egg cartons on my window sills. Each window holds 3 cartons perfectly. Then I transfer them to yogurt cups until it's time to move them out into the greenhouse.I usually already have them in the greenhouse by now but it has been too cold because of all this global warming. I 'll probably transfer them this week if the nights aren't too cold. I grow 2 types of tomato plants, heirloom ( so that I can save seeds and replant them)  and hybrids for heavy big meaty tomatoes.They have to be planted away from the heirlooms so that they don't cross pollinate and ruin the heirloom reproducing capability.

      What will I do with all those plants ??  I have around 50 altogether.  Well, tomato sauce, whole tomatoes, tomato puree' and tomato soup, ketchup, BBQ  sauce and  salsa. 

Then there are soups and stews to be made, and I add tomatoes to canned Swiss steak and hot Italian peppers.When you don't have time to cook you can just dump out a jar of  sausage & peppers into a bowl and heat them up in the microwave then put them on a roll or over rice or noodles which don't take as much time to prepare. Even though I complain, " I don't want to see one more tomato !!!" by the end of canning season I miss having fresh tomatoes  right out of the garden when fall comes .around. By February I'm so happy to see the seed catalogues come in the mail,

I  was so amazed when I started making bread of the many types of flour that are available.

 All Purpose flour is used for most things but for bread you need higher gluten, hence Bread flour. If you can;t find bread flour in the grocery stores order it online. Bread flour is a white flour. If you make rye bread you use part rye flour and add white bread flour. The same goes for whole wheat flour.

Semolina flour is mixed half & half with all purpose flour for making pasta   but you don't need semolina to make pasta. A.P. flour is fine.  In fact, fettucine noodles are lighter and absolutely delicious when made homemade.   Store bought fettucine seems heavier and takes longer to cook. My stash of flours consist of All purpose flour, bread flour, rye, whole wheat,buckwheat (for pancakes & waffles) and semolina. Once in a blue moon I'll buy cake flour which is finer and silkier.

       Think of all the things you can make with flour: 

          Pastas(spaghetti, ravioli,lasagna,noodles for soups & stews,fettucine,) tortillas , pierogis, breads, bread crumbs from stale bread , cakes, pies,struedles and other coffee cakes,cookies, biscuits, dumplings,pancakes,waffles. There's more but I can't think of them now. So, unless you have dietary restrictions flours are a good thing to stock up on. It takes time to do that. We would buy a bag or two every time we grocery shopped until we had enough.
           Rice, barley, dried beans , lentils and peas are good to store up  also, I get gallon pickle jars and hot pepper jars from the mom & pop deli nearby. Flour and beans, etc store beautifully in them and so far I haven't had bugs make their way into those jars. Melted wax around the rim of the jar lid is an extra precaution to make a snug fit,

      Five years ago I posted this advice on my Facebook page.  It has profited us greatly during this lockdown .  We haven't been to the grocery store in 2 months but we have been to a small mom & pop market & the Dollar general  for things like dog & cat food, dairy products, junk food and things you can't make.   here's what I posted  5 years ago:   
     
       I would STRONGLY suggest, with the greatest of urgency, that if you have not done so yet, this spring and summer you either raise or purchase your produce and learn to can it. (Freezing is good, but if the electric goes off for any amount of time it will thaw. )You can still can on a propane grill if you need to pressure can and a campfire will allow a boiling water bath enough heat to can high acid fruits . Lawns are nice, food is nicer. You would be amazed at how much will grow on 1/4 acre. Buy bread flour and All purpose flour.It freezes nicely ( to keep summer bugs out).What do you use flour for? Italian bread,whole wheat bread,rolls,cookies,pita bread,rye bread,pies,cakes,macaroni, spaghetti,fettucini,stromboli,pizza,every kind of pasta( buy semolina flour to combine with white flour to make pasta. It only uses small amounts as compared to the ratio of white flour).Look at EVERYTHING you use on a day to day basis.If you stocked up on different flours,yeast (get the freeze dried 1 lb brick that Fleishman's sells),rice,dried beans and split peas (to make soups and chili).A fugitive in Yugoslavia said he wished he had toilet paper stocked up because of his war torn zone.Always keep seeds and have seed potatoes.Do you have a SHORT WAVE RADIO ?? They are cheap to buy. Get the hand crank one. I have a hand crank flashlight in my car that still works GREAT after 8 years. Get one of those also.Being a prepper is not an off the wall anxiety state of mind. It is being realistic with the possible situations confronting us.The "grid" collapsing is one of them knocking out all electric and computer access.We immediately return to the 1800's but unprepared.

You don't need semolina flour to make good pasta. All purpose flour is great.  You also don't need a farm or a lot of acreage . A trip to the supermarket and ask for a crate of corn when they go on sale,  Then can or freeze it,You can buy "seconds" at fruit stands.  Tell them you are looking for "canners".... tomatoes, peaches, etc.  Start your tomatoe plants on your window sill in egg cartons. Then transplant the end of May.