Today was our last day living on our food storage. I know we could continue on this path for longer than 33 days, January 26th- February 28th. We told the kiddos this was the challenge time frame and we did it! Not only does having food stored in my home provide me immense peace of mind but knowing how to use the food to create yummy balanced meals for my family is empowering!  To be resourceful, like making brown sugar syrup, when I ran out of Mrs. Buttersworth  is so satisfying. And the brown sugar syrup is so incredibly yummy. Who knows how long I would have gone without knowing how to make my own breakfast syrup had I not done this challenge? We as humans don’t look for solutions unless we have to. I am so happy to have created this experience to learn these bits of wisdom for myself.

I was talking with my sister the other day and she asked, “doesn’t cooking consume your life now that you are making everything from scratch?” Yes, at first it was consuming my life. I was learning and looking for recipes. But after two dedicated weeks of cooking from scratch it became more natural.  Like we have laundry day we have baking bread day now. Or pressure canning beans day. Do we realize how time consuming grocery shopping is? Tonight after dinner we went shopping at Winco. We got to the store at 8:30 and was loaded in the car at 9:45. This doesn’t include drive time another 15 minutes each way, plus fuel.  An hour and fifteen minutes to grocery shop and 30 minute drive time, nearly two hours. Yeah that was the whole family and I was tired and moving slowly. I used to grocery shop once a week. Now with my Q shipment every month and my homestore built thoroughly, I go only twice a month.

On our way to Winco tonight I felt melancholy about going grocery shopping. Mr. Incredible said he was thinking, “why are we doing this? We don’t need to go grocery shopping.” That is the empowering feeling again. To not have to rely on anyone, any business, or any government for survival, that is self reliance.

We spent $251 on our groceries tonight.  I think it could last us all March, except Mr. Incredible is going to start a juicing thing (diet/cleanse) for a number of days, not sure what his goal is.

All the kiddos picked out 3 things for being such troopers during our whole challenge.

Julz picked: baby carrots, dehydrated apricots, and Gardettos

Reese picked: jelly beans, Lay’s BBQ chips, and a whole lobster

Gigi picked: Peeps, grape soda, Gushers (junk I know)

Pagey  picked: Peeps, strawberry ice cream, and a grape fruit roll (fruit leather)

and I picked licorice allsorts!

We didn’t just survive…We THRIVED!! I love Thrive and I am so grateful I am storing so much of it!

I am ready to do a 60 or 90 day food storage challenge once I build back up my food storage and add all those things we put on our list. I will share those “things” as I acquire them.