I have stuck to the challenge by only buying fresh fruits and vegetables and forgoing any other purchases - even those non-necessities that aren't related to food. It's a good break from the spendy culture we live in - but I am not committing to that last part of the challenge for the rest of the month - just as long as I can - simply because running a business and a farm means I can't stop spending completely. Oh How I Wish!
This is great practise for seeing how balanced our food storage really is. Do we have loads of one type of food - tomatoes for instance - and not enough butter. We always seem to have a butter shortage in January - perhaps because we tend to bake even more than usual due to the lack of ANY store bought treats.So far we haven't suffered at all but it IS only week one. I may be crying the blues by week four and wishing for some chocolate!
I am always amazed at all the bits and pieces I DO find. I have a problem keeping track sometimes because we have 5 freezers - that sounds ridiculous but it's not really as bad as it sounds. (Well - maybe it is but until I have a root cellar that's the way it is.)
We have a mid sized 40+ year old freezer that was left here when we moved to the farm. It would have left long ago to be re-purposed into animal feed storage or an outdoor cold cellar except for ONE thing. It's the only freezer that still functions in our unheated far-back-room. The newer fridges and freezers were never meant for the cold temperatures in the winter and quit working altogether between November and April out there. (We found that out the hard way when we bought a new fridge and left it out there last winter). It is used as our chicken-holding-freezer when we butcher a lot at one time. It probably costs a fortune to run - I'm not sure I want to know exactly how much. We empty it as quickly as we can and the beast just keeps on going even after months of sitting unplugged. They just don't make 'em like they used to.
Freezer two is our second oldest freezer - probably 18 years old. It's a chest freezer and I hate trying to keep it organized. I am not really sure what is at the bottom on any given month which is how this freezer challenge got started in the first place. Right now - the parts I can see anyway - are filled with chicken, hamburger and a few on-sale turkeys.
Freezer three is only one year old and it's my favourite - an upright. If you are reading this and having any thoughts about buying a new freezer - an upright is the hands down winner EVERY TIME!! So much easier to keep organized and no standing on your head digging through 4 feet of frozen food to see if there is any cauliflower down-there-somewhere!
The other two freezers are the compartments on the two fridges. We have two fridges because of our eggs sales - trust me there is no room for 50 dozen eggs in my kitchen fridge - feel free to buy some and rescue me from my overflow. Maybe I should do a series of posts on angel food cake or quiche to get everyone in the mood for EGGS. These two compartments hold our every day food - nuts, seeds, leftovers etc.Well - back to my original point - sometimes I forget WHAT exactly is WHERE. I have a great plan - every freezer has a different purpose. The plan is brilliant - I just don't always do it. For example my Mom brought over a few bags of frozen strawberries, croquettes and oilebollen and they went into the most convenient freezer - not the one they SHOULD have gone into. They are now keeping the turkeys company and I will have to go on a polar excursion to find them back.
Why on earth do I have so much food stored in freezers - you might ask?? Ah - it's also part of my grand scheme. In the summer and fall I can all the garden produce I can manage. By Christmas I take a break (from sheer canning overload!) but it's the time of year we usually butcher our chickens and turkey goes on super-sale at the grocery store so I stock up. Now that all the busyness of the holidays are over I can take up canning again and put up all the meat so I'll have enough until next year this time. It's the only cycle that will keep some sanity in the process.
You can read Staci's update here: http://oursafehaven.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/eating-from-the-pantry/
farmgals update here: http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/ten-dollar-a-week-challange-callies-update-and-links/ (she also has recipes for things you never knew you wanted to eat!)
and oldschoolgirls update here: http://thatoldschoolgirl.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/january-challenges/
That's where we're at! How are you doing on YOUR challenge??
We have 4 freezers. So don't feel bad. One is a large (old ) chest freezer that at the moment contains an entire pig (it was a small one), plus milk, chickens etc...
ReplyDeleteThen we have another smaller chest freezer with misc things (veggies, apple sauce, pizzas etc..)
Then the other chest freezer is FULL of goat's milk. Some for drinking, some for making soap.
Then finally I have a 2 year old upright. Like you it's great at organizing stuff. It's full of our fresh beef and goat.
So I know where you're coming from only my husband likes to go in the meat section at the store and find "deals" !!! Drives me nuts!
Well - there Lisa - now I don't feel so bad :) One skill at a time! I would love to hear more about the goat soap making process!!!
Deletedern I have made this post 3 times.....gggggrrrr
ReplyDeletehttp://thatoldschoolgirl.wordpress.com/?s=soup its how I store the soup at mom's. Its an easy way to find stuff
sorry oldschool! I know blogspot is a pain! :)
ReplyDeleteWe ate mostly to the bottom of our freezer back in November, we are restocking now. I completely agree with you about the upright freezer. I HATE digging around in ours, and hubby just grabs out something, and when it all falls down, he doesn't stop. Of course, he won't buy an upright because he insists that they aren't as efficient, and don't hold as much. I have all of our vegetables from the garden that I freeze in our's along with a little meat, and we have a second 1940s fridge down in the basement, that I keep all of our fun stuff in like strawberry freezer jam, frozen berries, and ice cream. (The theory is that if I have to make a special trip down for it, I'm less likely to indulge.) Then in the freezer in our regular fridge in the kitchen I keep more meat, bread items, and the stuff that needs to be eaten soonest.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a great feeling! This challenge also puts in the mood to houseclean! I've been cleaning out closets and cupboards like a crazy woman. :) I like the idea of having the one freezer for fun stuff - of course that would make it easier to find :)
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