I haven't done a very good job sticking to pantry challenges in the past. I tend to get all excited about the coming up season's deals, and then shop anyway. However, this year I have a bit more motivation. We have a garden now, and fruit trees and berry bushes of all sorts. While some folks out there are thinking, "Ug, January, it's cold and I can't wait til spring..." I'm thinking, "Oh no! It's January. I'll be starting things indoors in one month, greens will be popping up to munch on and eat in March, and we have a whole lot of frozen veggies still in the freezer!"
See, I actually NEED to make room for the upcoming season, so that I can put fresher produce away for the next year. If I leave it there for two years, it doesn't really save us money, and we're not eating the freshest possible produce.
So, I plan on doing a pantry challenge again. But not to clean it out completely. Just to eat up any produce that I know won't store for two years without tasting blech (spinach, kale, collards, swiss chard, possibly the plums and berries). Plus, if I try to feed more of them to the family now, we won't have to be eating the frozen ones at the same time that the fresh ones are coming on--and who really wants frozen when they can eat it right off the plant?
Another perk? Money. We've been blessed with this garden, and I know that growing my family's food is a way to win the game when it comes to finances. Good food doesn't have to be expensive. It can be very cheap, especially when you master seed saving. I'm excited to practice being a better steward of the resources that my Father in Heaven has given me, to attempt to put the best food in my family's bodies, but not spend all my dear husband has worked hard to earn.
I'm excited to report!
