With fall around the corner and school starting back, it is time to take an inventory of your pantry. You should really dig in and see what is lurking in the dark reaches of your back shelves.

This task should be done on a regular basis to help keep foods rotated and use products that are close to expiration. It is also a good idea to refresh items that are low and you use often.

Many times we are caught in the middle of preparing our favorite dish and find we are out of an ingredient. By planning and taking stock of what is in your pantry, it will be easier to plan quick and easy meals and hopefully avoid that trip to a fast food establishment to pick up something quick.

Basic supplies on hand will keep you prepared to put together a family-friendly meal or a last-minute dinner for friends. Try to plan four or five favorite recipes that your family likes and then keep these items on hand by keeping an inventory of your most used items.

A well-stocked and organized pantry will streamline menu planning and save time on daily food preparation. Your family will thank you for a well-organized pantry that is easy to use, where they can find items that they most often like to eat.

Here are some tips to get started:

1. Decide where you will house your pantry. It can be a designated cabinet, standalone structure or a built in pantry. The idea is to define where you will keep these supplies for easy access and organization.

2. Inventory what you currently have and use these items first. There are many good inventory ideas you can find online. Keep a clipboard handy with your inventory list so that you can quickly see what you have on hand and what you need to add to the grocery list. Look for cost-saving sales to stretch your food budget. Many local stores are running buy-one-get-one sales, so capitalize on these items.

3. Menu planning should be a weekly task to save time and money at the grocery store. As you plan out a week's worth of meals, make a shopping list you have checked against items you have on hand. Meal planning should be centered on seasonal availability and family preferences.

4. Build up your pantry gradually. Make a priority list of what is needed now and what you could purchase for future use. Be careful to not overbuy items that could expire before use.

5. Use storage containers that you have on hand. Glass containers like canning jars make great storage units for staples. The glass also allows you to see what is in the jars quickly. Remember to label items with stickers. In some cases you may need to put the purchased date. These containers will also assist in keeping pests at bay.

6. Food safety considerations are important in the pantry. Discard any bulging cans or items that have expired. Keep your pantry clean and wipe down shelves regularly.

Each home pantry should reflect the needs and preferences of the family members. The amount of space and food budget will dictate the size and amount of goods. Remember to build your pantry to suit your family and this will save time and provide opportunities to quickly prepare meals at home.

Pamela H. Allen is the interim county director and an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 6 tips for building a well-stocked pantry

What is it you have that no one can ever take away from you?

Is it a piece of property? No.

Is it your health? No.

Keep thinking. It is something of great value, something so important that if you lose it, you would suffer greatly.

It is something that no one can take away from you, but you can lose. And when/if you do, it will be a day of great sadness.

The answer I am searching for is — your integrity. This is the honesty and truthfulness you exhibit to the world around you. It is at the very core of who you are. Your integrity is something that you need to protect with great caution and care. If you lose your integrity, there is not much left. Your honor will vanish like a mist.

If you tell lies or "stretch the truth," who will believe you when you tell the truth?

If you do not act honorably, who will trust your sincerity when you do something honorable?

If you belittle someone, others will think you do the same about them.

If people know you cheat on little things, they will wonder what you do about big things.

If you get rich by doing crooked deals, they will not trust you to do what is right.

Jesus said, "What profit is there if you gain the whole world, but lose your soul?" Some will say they don't care as long as they are happy.

Eventually the loneliness of being ostracized for improper behavior takes its toll. People fall away, not wanting to be associated with such a person.

It is "better to be poor and walk in integrity than to be crooked in one's ways even though rich," Proverbs 28:5-6 states.

Be a person of integrity. Hold your head up high knowing you do what is right and good and proper, even if others around you might not.

When you know you do the right things in the eyes of God, you will hear God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Do what is proper

Women are an integral part of the workforce, but they have had to overcome many obstacles along the way. Of course, challenges still remain, but women's success in the working world is worth commemorating – which will happen on American Business Women's Day Sept. 22.

Are you a woman considering "setting up shop" on your own? If so, here are five tips to consider:

•Balance your goals. It's possible, perhaps even likely, that your business goals will conflict with your personal financial goals. After all, if you're purchasing new equipment or services for your business, you've got less money — at least for the time being — to put away for your own retirement or your children's education. Hopefully, your investment in your business will pay off in greater income, but, in any case, you will need to balance your personal and professional goals.

•Create a retirement plan. As mentioned above, your ability to contribute to a retirement plan may be affected by the amount you put into your business — but that certainly doesn't mean you shouldn't have a retirement plan.

In fact, for your future financial security, it's essential that you launch such a plan. Fortunately, small business owners have a choice of plans, including an "owner-only" 401(k), SEP-IRA and SIMPLE IRA. Although the various plans have different requirements and contribution limits, they all offer tax-deferred earnings, which means your money has the opportunity to grow faster than if it were placed in a vehicle on which you paid taxes every year. (Taxes are due upon withdrawal, and withdrawals prior to age 59 ½ may be subject to a 10 percent IRS penalty.) Plus, your contributions to a retirement plan may be tax deductible.

•Arrange for "backup." Virtually all working women are familiar with the conflict between their careers and their roles as caregivers. Women are still more likely than men to drop out of the workforce for an extended period of time to care for young children or elderly parents. And your caregiving responsibilities won't end just because you are now a business owner. Consequently, you need to have someone you trust available to step in for you when your family obligations call you away from work.

•Design a succession plan. When you want to retire, would you like to keep the business in your family? If so, you'll need to create a succession plan that works for you and whomever you'd like to take control. Such a plan can be complex, so you will need to work with your legal and tax advisors — and you'll want to give yourself plenty of time to work out the details.

•Build an emergency fund. Maintaining an adequate cash flow will always be a key task — one that involves your sales, billing cycles, inventory and other elements of your business. One way you can help yourself avoid troubles is to maintain an emergency fund consisting of a few months' worth of your business expenses. You'll want to keep this fund in a liquid, low-risk account.

While running your own business can be extremely rewarding, it's never going to be an easy road. However, with perseverance and careful planning, you can smooth out some of the bumps along the way and give yourself more reasons to celebrate American Business Women's Day.

This article was written by Edward Jones on behalf of your Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 5 tips for women business owners

In working on last week's article about home repairs, I realized many in my age group are unprepared for retirement. We are working so hard that we don't often slow down and plan for our future.

Retirement will come whether we are ready or not.

While our physical homes certainly need to be in good repair, we also need to start to dispose of possessions we no longer use. My mother no longer entertains, so doesn't need her "good" china any longer. I am sure there are many things I no longer need and should donate.

Now would be a good time for many of us to sort through our possessions and decide what to keep, so we don't have to do it when we are older.

Here are a few questions to consider:

•Where do you want to spend your later years? Do you want to stay here in Crestview, in the home you love, or do you want to relocate closer to family?

•Have you calculated how much money you will need to retire?

•Is your home paid off? If not, do you have the money to pay it off and relieve yourself of this financial burden?

•Are your finances in order? Have you paid off all outstanding debts? Do you have a good savings account or solid investments?

•In what shape are your roof, flooring, bathroom fixtures, water heater, etc.? Do you need to replace these or other appliances before retirement?

•Should something happen such as a long hospital stay or assisted living, have you prepared specifically for your pets' future? Please don't leave their future in jeopardy.

•Can you and your spouse physically maneuver in your home as you age?

•Have you planned financially for long-term medical care should either of you need it?

As one can see, there are many decisions that must be made before we retire. We need to seriously look at the items mentioned above and be realistic.

It will be much easier to perform needed home modifications or repairs while one is still working rather than after retirement, so plan carefully.

Here is a retirement calculator that can help one plan for the future: http://money.cnn.com/calculator/retirement/retirement-need/.

Let's not get taken by surprise as the future comes at us full speed.

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 8 questions to plan for the future

The "dog days" are the hottest, muggiest days of summer. In the northern hemisphere, they usually fall between early July and early September. The actual dates vary greatly from region to region, depending on latitude and climate. But, fall is coming.

Did you notice that you got to skip a mowing and that some of the trees are starting to turn rusty-colored?

In ancient times, when the night sky was not obscured by artificial lights, the Romans used the stars to keep track of the seasons. The brightest constellation, Canis Major (Large Dog), includes the "dog star," Sirius.

In the summer, Sirius used to rise and set with the sun, leading the ancient Romans to believe that it added heat to the sun.

Although the period between July 3 and Aug. 11 is typically the warmest period of the summer, the heat is not due to the added radiation from a far-away star, regardless of its brightness. The heat of summer is a direct result of the earth's tilt.

Spending time outdoors this time of year is uncomfortable, and potentially dangerous, due to the intense heat. However, the chinch bugs are very active in St. Augustine grass (see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/lh036 for details), and the summer flowers need water. So, take care of those tasks early in the day and then retreat to the air conditioning to plan your fall planting.

Plant tomato plants in August for tomatoes in October. Varieties such as Phoenix, Florida 91, Solar Set and Heat Wave II are good selections for setting fruit in high temperatures, should summer temperatures continue. Otherwise, try some of the newer varieties recommended for fall planting by the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. These include Bella Rosa, Tribute or Finishline. Refer to http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in756 for more information on tomato selection. Refer to the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021, for information on other vegetables for fall gardening.

Many bedding plants flower quickly and can add color to the fall landscape. These include pentas, African marigolds, torenia, zinnias, melampodium and scaevola. Other can be planted in October for blooms all winter-long. Plan spaces and color themes for calendulas, pansies, snapdragons and violas. Add in ornamental cabbage or kale and some dusty miller to accent the garden. They too will perform through the cold.

See http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg319 for more on Annuals for the Florida Garden.

Dependable fall blooming perennials include lion's ear, pineapple sage, firebush, cigar plant, yellowbells and firespike. Also, garden mums and many different irises will add color again in the spring. See http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg035 for information on perennials.

Webster's second definition of "dog days" is a period of stagnation or inactivity. But, even when the heat forces you to slow down on the labor-intensive work, there is plenty of gardening activity to do. Stay in the air conditioning and plan that spectacular fall and winter yard.

Sheila Dunning is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'Dog days' are good for fall planning