Just another Day on the Farm

Hello December, Where has the year flown? 

We set a goal of 365 declutter for the year and its been both a very good thing and a challenge.. a good thing as it means I have been very aware of things coming into the house and I can honestly say that we have bought or brought in maybe 10 to 15% of the amount we do in a normal year (I do love my second hand shops) I have spent most of the year saying, use what I have or do I really need 6 of those, when 4 will do..  I am certainly NOT throwing away things unless they are damaged so badly that parts can not be used and or they should not be reused.. otherwise, they have found their way to new to them second hand homes or placements.

With a month to go, even though I have meet my goals for the year already, I am going to get a box or two and I am going to challenge myself to see if I can lean down another 31 items a min of one each day for the month of Dec, with the overall goal of 1 to 3 each day or 7 to 21 per week.. 

Ps, Uther says, I am the best! nicknac, can’t get rid of me ma.. me for life!

Poor Faith, such a freak way to be hurt, I am not going into details but it was truly a HOW did this happen and we were hopeful that maybe we could get lucky and we would lose a leg and get to have the sweetest three legged indoor house kitty..

She always followed us everywhere we went..  If we were on the deck, so was she, if we were in the gardens, so was she, if we were working in the pasture/big gardens, on a fence post, or a rock or a higher spot.. faith would be talking up a storm and making sure you did a good job and maybe had time to give her a pat..

Faith loved her yard time and the small croft by the house yard, she was always a indoor/outdoor kitty and would turn into pretty much a indoor winter kitty..

Sadly, it was worse then we first thought and that very hard choice had to be made..  The only good thing I can say is that we got to say goodbye and that she seems to understand that it was time to go..

We were able to give her a final resting place on the farm by one of her favorite spots.

Lift a glass to the prettiest, sweetest, Fluff you would ever meet, she was shy as heck with peaple she didn’t know.. but for her peaple, she was the most gentle, loving, purrpot you could ask for..  I can not even get to the point of saying gone to soon.. because it does not fit..  I am still in shock..  Its going to take time to wrap our heads and heal our hearts.

By this time, we have all seen the posts, the pictures, the news shows and newspapers and heard it said over and over again on the radio.  Panic Buying, Rationing, Empty Shelves..

SLOW DOWN.. Breath.. Take another deep breath, yes I know maybe you are out of milk, maybe you are out your favorite fruit, maybe you are low on fresh bread..  Maybe even more concerning for some. you are saying.. no you can’t have that.. one portion at this time..

This post is not meant at all for those that are out of their homes, stuck on the road but its for pretty much will work for everyone else..

Do not let the Media get you spun up

Do not let the Canadian Food Guide rule at the moment..

Do not worry if your family is eating half a cup of apple sauce daily for a week or two.. they are getting their fruit..

Instead of looking at what is missing.. take that deep breath and look at what you do have!

• Take stock of your kitchen cupboards. and I do not mean open it and look at it.. I mean take things out from those dark corners, that can of lima beans, that jar of antipasto, that small tiny jar of jam that came in a gift basket..
• Take Stock of your deeper pantry, be that a small walk in kitchen pantry or your where you keep your rice, flours, beans, pasta and so on.
• Look into  your tea and coffee area often extras are tucked in that area, like hot chocolate, or herbal tea or perhaps a tea box set has extra has something extra in it.
• Look over your spice/herbs
• Look in your fridge, take a good hard look at the sauces, salad dressings and all the little bits and bobs you have
• Look in your freezer, perhaps use the top, side or bottom freezer in combo with your fridge, perhaps you have a small apartment freezer.. take stock of what you have..

The odds are very good that you have far more then you think you do.. or if you are truly super lean, the odds are you do not need this post. you already live lean and are the queen of figuring out how to take a small amount of x combine it with broth for soups or pasta or rice to make full family meals out of it..

If and when you do get to the store.. NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO STOCK UP!

Stop.. just stop! Unless you are truly lean (as in extreme limited income/food bank/community support programs, you had time to put up a extra bag of rice or pasta, along with a few other stables after the lock down..  if you truly have made the past two years and you spent your money “supporting the local and ordered in” without a thought of bringing in at least a 14 day personal home lockdown stock up..

Well, honestly, I am going to shake my head at you while giving the stink eye..  and also welcome because you have clearly not been here long..

So if you are lucky enough to find items on the shelf, take only what your family needs and think outside the box but stay flexable.  if you can get a jar of apple sauce and have a working fridge, you can portion it out, do they only have the fruit cups, don’t get fuss right now.. you can find a way to use the cups somehow.. or maybe they only have soft apples.. that will only last a short time.. eat while you can, but be prepared to process iffy items instead of passing on them.

If you can get a bag of powdered milk or canned milk even if its just one, along with a smaller milk, if your house is a milk drinking.. keep the fresh milk for the littles, make the powdered for all cooking needed.. keep the canned for use as a rich way to replace milk..

Allow yourself to think outside the box. no butter.. consider Gee in a jar.. consider cream cheese, consider any kind of nut butter.. for certain things.. for cooking, baking etc.. move to oils or lards..

When you make your list.. come up with the backups and then come up with backups for the backups.. be willing to take the store brand, be willing to try new foods.. if you want fruit cocktail in a can and normal one is not there but the ones with papaya is.. take one jar and make it fun and adventure.. BUT if you know you will not eat it unless you are “starving” do not take it..

If you have a well stocked pantry.. stay home for a few weeks..

Keep track of what you are using most and they should be the items you are looking for to refill your own gaps as basic things become somewhat stable..  Hubby and I have made a list of lets add this list per once a month shopping trip.. its not a long list, and we are looking for one of each, its not something we are out of, it is something we use regular and this will mean that we will replace what we are using and rotate though oldest to newest.

We need to eat, of course we do.. but do we need to eat as much as normal? the odds are strongly no we do not.. I know, I know, I am totally a stress eater.. I get it!

However this is a area that we can STRONGLY look at.. over and over on so many media and blogs, its all about how to make frugal meals and I am right there.. but the truth is most of us N.A. eat far more calories then we need daily..

Could we eat 10 percent less calories per day for a few weeks, could we eat 25% less calories per day, could we make a “kitchen sink” type bits and bobs soup and have it with tweek’s for lunches.. its a trick used forever, add broth and make the bowls seems fuller then they really are, tastes good, makes us feel full..

Instead of looking to the stores or the supply chain or the feds to make everything “normal” .. its not normal times right now for tens of thousands and another storm is coming right at the other half of B.C right now..

Look inward to what you have and make it count!