A Week of Food Storage Eating

So we've been eating from our food storage for a week so far, and it's been easy. Actually, it's been life-as-normal, since I always keep a week's worth of our basics on hand.

We had a ton of chicken in the freezer, so I made one late last week. We ate roast chicken for dinner one night, a chicken casserole the next, and chicken and dumplings the following day. Lunches have been chicken salad sandwiches and egg salad sandwiches. Breakfast has been our usual grab-what-you-want affair... typically a mock sushi roll for me, grilled cheese sandwich for the kids, some canned fruit, or maybe some eggs and toast.

A few months ago I picked up two big blocks of wax-wrapped cheddar cheese from Sam's Club. These were for "emergency storage," but we've dipped into them. Cheese and crackers are a staple snack around here.

I have plenty of frozen veggies on hand, so I throw a bag of peas or mixed veggies into casseroles and such.

Hubby wants tacos for dinner tonight (I always have a few boxes of taco shells in the pantry).

So far I haven't noticed any difference in the way I cook or what we're eating. But we'll see if that changes as time goes on...

Thoughts about Christmas

I know updates have been sporadic lately. We're dealing with the holidays, Hubby's dying aunt, and a couple of sick kids around here.

I didn't brave the crowds on Black Friday. I find the crazy-ass race for a $5 waffle maker to verge on insanity. I'd rather live without waffles, or give someone a nice homemade gift instead.

I do most of my Christmas shopping online, but I did venture out Monday to buy a few things that are just easier to get in stores. Grabbed a couple of art supplies for some of the kids on my list. Snagged a few toys to donate to Toys for Tots. Scored myself a sweet gift pack of Pure Grace by Philosophy scented body wash and lotion. It was an impulse purchase, but I immediately fell in love when I smelled it.

Made a 72-Hour Kit for my friend's car. She travels up and down the road a lot. Bought another one for another friend, and now am thinking that I gave her one last year. Ugh. Will have to ask her.

I feel tired this year, and am not really into the whole season yet. Not sure why. I've been trying to explain to P that Christmas is a celebration of Baby Jesus's birthday. Not sure if she gets it. I think I will make a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas to kind of cement the idea in her head.

(Almost) Eating Food Storage Exclusively For A Month

Our average monthly grocery expenditure is about $800... maybe a little more. This ALSO translates into just a little less than our Christmas budget. Money's tight right now, so Hubby asked if we could live off our pantry food storage for a month and only buy essentials (milk, sometimes bread). I thought about this, and think it might be possible to live normally (i.e. not shit+fan eating, which would be sparse and probably boring) for a month based on what we have.

We've got 8 roaster chickens in our freezer. We're totally out of ground beef (a household staple), so I probably will pick up a few pounds of that soon. But we do have frozen hamburger patties and plenty of frozen fish. The chickens give us 2 dozen eggs a week, so we're good there, too.

My pantry is fully stocked with rice, pasta, soups, canned veggies and canned fruit, as well as baking essentials like flour and sugar. We only have a few potatoes, so we'll eat those first and then hit the shelf-stable stuff.

I suspect we'll end up eating a lot of soup and homemade bread (which I love anyway), tons of quiche, as well as so much roast chicken that we'll be ready to lay our own eggs.

But it'll be an interesting experiment to see if we really can go for a month without any major grocery shopping trips.

Can A RoadRunner Slow Down?

There's a poem circulating via email called "Slow Dance." It's supposed to be written by a young girl dying of cancer, and the main message is "Slow down, enjoy life, time is short." (The email is a hoax of sorts, however, since the poem was written by an adult male child psychologist named David L. Weatherford.)

Nonetheless, the message of the poem struck home for me, especially since my family is also coping with a terminally ill aunt.

When I was a kid, my dad nicknamed me "Antsy," because he said I had "ants in my pants." Various tasks of my life, for me, have always been about the end result. The goal. The final purpose. I am not a "stop and smell the roses" type of person. I am more the kind of person who will tramp over the roses if they are slowing my progress. Call me Type A. Call me impatient. Call me a whirlwind. Whatever you call it, I've probably been labeled it in the past by someone.

I used to take pride in this characteristic. It made me more efficient. When employed, I could do the same job as someone else in half the time. I was focused, quick, and prolific. I did not enjoy the journey, but I was great at producing an end result in short order.

Even with my own children, I find myself constantly saying, "Hurry, hurry." My elder child always wants to pick weeds flowers before we get into the car, and I am always rushing her along. I don't know the meaning of the word "relax." I don't know how to appreciate a moment.

I need to work on this. I want to learn how to live in the present, how to enjoy the journey, how to cherish the small moments. I'm not sure if I can become a slow dancer, but I think it would be best for my family if I tried.

Tips and Tricks for Drunk Gummy Bears

So I've experimented with making Drunk Gummy Bears (aka Drunken Gummi Bears or Vodka-Infused Gummy Bears) a few times, and thought I'd share my tips and tricks for those of you who are interested in doing the same.

For the ideal Drunken Gummy Bears, this is how I do it:

1. Procure Gummy Bears. Buy the best brand possible.
2. Procure vodka. Again, quality matters. It doesn't have to be top shelf, but don't go with the super cheap stuff, either.
3. Place gummy bears in a glass container.
4. Pour in vodka until gummy bears are complete submerged (liquid should be about an inch over the top of the bears).
5. Cover container and place in the refrigerator.
6. Stir every once in a while. Add vodka as needed.
7. Soak gummy bears for about 24-48 hours.
8. Drain off any excess vodka (makes tasty shots!) and serve straight from fridge.

Some tips:

• Fruit flavored vodka (like blueberry) improves the taste.
• Glass containers are best, as plastic can impart an odd flavor.
• Bears need to be completely submerged all the time. Add vodka as needed.
• Bears should be stirred regularly to prevent sticking, at least every 8 hours or so.
• Serve them cold. Once they sit at room temperature for a few hours, they end up a gummy and gooey mess.