The Status of Things

It always feels like that by this time of year, we should be half way through using up the food we've froze and canned.  But, alas, shelves and freezers are still more full than empty.  They do look different, though.  My pantry starts looking like it's full of empty jars because, well, when the empty jars get put back in the pantry, they are placed where ever there is room (the fronts of shelves) because...hey, it's cold in there and we just want to get in and out as fast as possible.

As you can see, it's quite a mess.  I need to get in there and move the empty jars to the back so I can see what's left.  Do you see what I see?  That pint of tomato sauce that looks almost 1/3 empty (top right)?  I didn't notice it until the photo and then went and inspected it.  How it ended up with so little sauce is beyond me.  It's nicely sealed, though, so we'll eat.  Weird.

Both freezers are showing some freed-up space, but not nearly enough to combine the two so one freezer can be unplugged.  I need to be doing a better job of setting applesauce out to thaw the night before instead of forgetting and pulling a out a jar of it from the pantry at the last minute.  The faster we use up the frozen applesauce, the sooner we can unplug.

 

It might not look like we've eaten much, but these two freezers were quite a bit fuller.  You can see how they started out here.

I'm already making a mental list in my head of changes for next year: more strawberry jam, more peas, more tomato sauce (yes, 90 pints doesn't look like it will be enough), less salsa, more tomato soup, no leeks (I was uninspired), more spinach, less chard...you get the drift.

Most of the chickens we harvested have been eaten.  I think there are only three left.  We still have some sausage (from Ham), venison and a little bit of free-range beef.  That's going to have to get us through (a goal set by me), so we need to slow down on the chicken-using and use the rest sparingly.

Our lunch rotation is still going well.  Dinner planning is a but more willy-nilly.  Last year, I was very deliberate about planning out my meals ahead of time, but I felt a bit tied-down when I assigned meal ideas to certain days.  This year, I make a list of ideas, buy what I need and then see how I feel each day.  The see-how-I-feel approach feels much better to me.

I am desperate for the beginning of Lent.  Putting all the spiritual reasons aside for the moment, I need discipline when it comes to what I'm eating.  Cold weather makes me a terrible eater.  I crave sweets and carbs over veggies and fruit and my decrease in physical activity just adds to the problem.  Maybe I should teach while doing squats and jumping jacks.  My kids would like that.  I plan on giving up sweets for Lent again.  Why don't I go ahead and start awhile?  Because I'm a wimp with very little self-control.  That's why.

A few weeks ago, my 18-month-old Miriam pooped and peed in the potty on separate occasions.  She hasn't since.  I knew it was too good to be true, but couldn't help hoping.  I'm planning on waiting until summer when she's a little older and I can let her run around in big girl undies.  Oh, to be diaper-free.

Other status updates (this was written last Wednesday):  My bathrooms are dirty, the house needs dusting, there are large piles of laundry that need distributing.  Snow is falling, Sam and Sadie are out in it, Miriam has just woken up from her nap.  Jamey is on his way home from work early because of the snow, I know what I'm making for dinner (this), and tonight I will walk on the treadmill (dag nab it).

I'm thankful for all of it.

Oh, and I almost forgot.  Today (Monday) is my grandparent's 69th wedding anniversary. 

Happy Anniversary, Grandpa and Grandma!