The Experiment

Since loosing my job, I find myself thankful that we started prepping. We have very limited resources now but I'm back to work. It will continue to be a little tight,until my checks start coming in regularly. That should be in another 3 weeks. Which brings me back around to food storage! (My Favorite Topic!) I've not been able to continue onward with preps for now. Funny how weird that makes me feel. I keep thinking I am getting behind the curve and it's not a feeling I like. But things will get back on track!

We have been totally reliant on our food storage since unemployment bashed me in the face. (Here's where I WON'T bash my ex-employer , even though I could. I'm pretty sure she is aware of this blog , and some of the IP addresses look suspiciously like hers. Suffice it to say that I, unlike some, do not want to stoop to that level.)

Now back to the reason I decided to share my adventures in testing our food storage. Since we are on a forced break from actively prepping, I decided we might as well use this time in our lives to "Test" the waters. I wanted to see where the holes in our food preps might be. We have been using only our preps for the last 4 weeks and will continue to do so until the money is regular again. I have made two concessions in this. Milk and eggs. I DO have powdered milk and use it for cooking and recently for cereal. I just happen to LOVE milk and I decided that I will continue to buy it until

a) we can't anymore due to shortages in the food supply
b) we find a way to raise our own goats or cows
c) find a local source

Eggs are another thing. We have no place to raise chickens. I sorely wish we did. Hopefully some day! The old couple that own the park we live in raise chickens and alot of the time she has eggs for sale. Not always but most of the time. We kind of barter with them with veggies out of the garden. Barters not exactly the right word but it works like this. DH takes her veggies out of the garden which she loves. She is in her 90's and gets excited over a fresh tomato like a 6 year old and candy! So when we go to buy eggs....she won't take money for them.

I am happy to report that I am learning a few things during all this. I can see where my powdered milk needs to be stepped up. I have plenty for this "experiment" but not enough for longer term if we can no longer buy milk in the future. Flour is another concern. Again, plenty to get us through this, but not nearly close to even 6 months. Thats a BIG hole which we will certainly be working on in the future. Since I started making bread a few months ago we plow through it. (Sidenote... I have not bought one single loaf of bread since then!)
One of the things I found myself thinking in all this is that I want to focus more on growing herbs. I've piddled around with herbs but never got too serious. I need to change that. That is a renewable source that will continue to produce long after all the herbs in my cabinet are gone.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I feel like we have a good grasp on our food preps. We are headed in the right direction and have been gathering the "right" foods for us. I believe in storing what you eat and eating what you store. And now I KNOW it's the right way for us. We have not even noticed a difference in our meals. Isn't that AMAZING!!!
And so, other than a couple of obvious areas to work on, we are heading in the correct direction. LOL now I just can hardly wait to start prepping again. It becomes a lifestyle, or did for me. First thing I have planned is to replace what we have used. (of course)

Oh and on another subject, I want to give a shout out to my Mom!! That woman is so totally amazing. I received another note in the mailbox saying I had a package in the office. (Sound familiar?) I was blown away when I opened the box. My mom purchaced (and off my site-bless her twice) The Heirloom Organics Seed Vault! I LOVE YOU MOM!