As you all know, a few months ago, the peeps at Valley Food Storage sent me a 1 Month Food Gluten Free Value Food Storage Kit to try out. Since we didn’t have anything exciting planned for the month of October, or house guests scheduled on the calendar I decided to give it a go.
When I started the challenge of eating my way through an entire food storage kit my weight was up a little due to my parents 17 day stay at our house. The idea of not having to really think about food, going out to eat, or planning a single meal was pretty darn appealing to me.
One of the things I wanted to do this time around was figure out exactly how much water I would need to have on hand to be able to prepare a 30 day meal kit. The particular kit I was set, needed 100 cups of water {roughly 6 1/2 gallons of water} to prepare the entire 30 days worth of food. That’s not bad, in my opinion. But honestly, while there were enough calories in the meal kit to survive, at around only 750-1000 calories a day, there are not enough to thrive.
That being said, the easiest thing in my mind if I was going to buy a meal kit that you had to prepare and just add water to, would be to toss in 30 cans of chili or canned chicken into a food storage kit, plus the water to prepare the meal kit with and call it good. But then again, you’d need a way to HEAT your water.
Plus, conventional wisdom says you should have 1 gallon of water person, per day on hand for a disaster type scenario for drinking and sanitation purposes. And thus starts another conversation about exactly what you and your family would need to have on hand to get through 30 days of meals with no power, while you were in your home waiting out a disaster. If you still had a home that is.
So, how much weight did I lose eating only the prepared contents of my 1 Month Food Gluten Free Value Food Storage Kit plus the vegetables foraged from my backyard? 5.5 pounds. Which, I thought was interesting because when I did this challenge 3 years ago {and ate beans and rice as my supplemental meal instead of {mostly} eggs and potatoes, I lost 9.7 pounds. The whole part about going gluten free for 30 days…. I couldn’t even tell a difference.
The only real changes I can think of were from when I did the challenge 3 years ago was that I started the challenge during the month of July. I would have been WAY more active during the month of July working outside in the yard and taking Lucy for walks {I remember I even ran a 5k race during that challenge}. This time when I did the food storage challenge it was October and most of the garden chores were finished up in September. Plus, these days, the HH takes Lucy on her walks instead of me.
Also…. I’ve gotten older. And my metabolism has slowed way down. Way, way down.
That whole metabolism thing didn’t stop me on November 1st though when The Girl and I showed up bright and early to one of our favorite pastry shops for a breakfast pastry {YES, a lime curd tart counts as breakfast, it has EGGS in it after all!} and a London fog. 30 days is plenty long enough to live off of survival food if you ask me.
As we were walking back to the car my daughter read a reader board sign and let out a little laugh. I asked her if she knew what the sign was a reference to {Prince, the 80’s, Purple Rain etc.} she didn’t have a clue. Even worse, she didn’t know who Prince was. {How is this possible? Have I failed as a mother?}
The next day the HH made me some homemade rolls {Give me a shout if you want the recipe} and they were delicious. Especially with Christmas jam slathered between the folds.
And then the day after that we went to The Causeway for lunch. And skipped dinner that night and maybe breakfast the next day. The portion sizes…. they’re kinda big there. 😉 But I love that place. It’s so working class New England. I could sit there all day listening to people talk in their Northeastern accents. And again, real food, with all the toppings. You can’t stuff that in a bag and just add water.
Market Basket $61.63
On Sunday we went to Market Basket to load up on groceries. Since I only leave the house about once a month to buy food these days {and because the HH is obsessed with Market Basket and likes to go on his own} I just walk behind him with my list as he navigates down the aisles. I don’t really know where anything is {nor do I care to} and he gets to feel like the big man on campus because he does.
It is HILARIOUS. I asked a girl in the produce section where the mushrooms were and he let out this BIG SIGH…. and maybe even rolled his eyes a bit. I was like WHAT!? What’s wrong with asking someone WHO WORKS HERE where an item is….?
And he was like…. I already KNOW WHERE THE MUSHROOMS ARE!
Well…. E X C U S E ME!
Market Basket donuts………..Yum Yum.
Also, check out those eyebrows!!! They’re coming back. Well, sort of. I haven’t plucked a single brow for about 6 months and I’ve been using one of those fancy eyebrow pencils too. I’m able to add just enough color to make it look like I actually have more eyebrows than I really do without looking like I took a sharpie to my face. {It’s the little things}. 😉
Real food. With no water added. I’d rather be 5 pounds heavier and walk away from the table with a smile on my face {and a little sugar high}. 🙂 🙂 🙂
~Mavis
Total Spent This Week $61.63
Total Spent in October $218.57 <– Stocked up on cheese {because cheese is life}
Total Spent in September $180.97
Total Spent in August $259.90 <– $30 on salami splurge
Total Spent in July $276.56 < – $38 Spent on Amish meat and cheese
Total Spent in June $206.47 <- Attempting once a month grocery shopping
Total Spent in May on Groceries $216.50 <- Included a stock up trip to King Arthur Flour
Total Spent in April on Groceries $169.98
Total Spent in March on Groceries $306.75 <– Apartment life, moving across the country and settling into a new house
Total Spent in February on Groceries $259.81 <- Living in an apartment and buying a lot of ready-made meals
Total Spent in January on Groceries $240.15 <– Packing mode and not cooking from scratch as much
Go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories.
Connie says
Please post the homemade rolls recipe. They look delicious. Thank You!
Ellie says
The homemade rolls look amazing!! He made them from scratch? Need recipe!
What happened to your eyebrows? I missed something…
Teresa says
I also would like the roll recipe. I’ve used the same crescent roll recipe for Thanksgiving for the last 20 years. Time for something new.
Lillian says
Yes please the roll recipie
And yes what happened with your eye brows? I missed that.
We love the taco soup recipie. I have made it twice now and the crew like it. They are picky eaters.
LaToya says
What happened to your eyebrows? Did I miss that?
My daughter doesn’t have any really. And now that she’s a teenager apparently it’s a big deal. We’ve had a hard time finding an eyebrow pencil for her because she’s a redhead. But we found something that we could work with, she did them herself, and looked like some sort of scary clown or someone from the Addams Family – LOL
My kids know Prince. And they are younger than yours. So yes, I’ll call that a parental fail – hee J/K.
Also is that Good & Plenty? If you like that, you’d probably like biscochitos. And it’s biscochito season! – – https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/restaurants/recipes/holiday-recipes/
Kristina says
I just love those polka dotty specs on you!
Em says
I think you could put together a list of music/artists that your daughter (and Monkey-boy) need to know about. Maybe ask for input in the comments?
I grew up watching the Monkees on TV.
Thanks for the post on the food kit. I was wondering how that turned out!
Sue says
Mavis, what kind of scales did you use to weigh your vegetables. I need to get one for this next season, I will have several raised beds. Just want to keep a record also.
Thanks
Mel says
I’d also like the roll recipe, though I use your other roll recipes routinely and happily. 🙂
We picked 100 lbs of apples last week, so I turned 40 lbs into applesauce over the weekend and froze it. I need to turn a few more pounds into apple scones (which also use applesauce), but it’s been a very busy week, so I’m just focusing on meatloaf and butternut fritters for dinner tonight first.
Kay Bonikowsky says
Roll recipe PLEASE!!
Laura says
Yes, EPIC parent fail if your kids don’t know Prince! My kids can sing the lyrics in the living room (16 and 19) Apparently, I am a better parent (JK…not possible I know!).
I would have giggled if I had come across that sign. I guess we are of an era, huh? Your polka dot peeps make you look even more like your mom. So fun!
Alex Graywolfe says
I so love your stories and I think my husband was cut from the same cloth.
He is such a home body and I’m not.
I now have been transitioning into the never leave home kind of homeschool mom.
I found your blog and have been in love with the idea of scratch cooking and less prepared foods. I make an Amish bread that we love, and I love to cook. But my dilemma is I am from Puget Sound where I can’t get my veggies to grow only strawberries, and the rabbits are crows love those. So we usually only harvest once. What can I do to get growing more.
Maxine says
Are there other gardeners around? Maybe ask them? Maybe you need certain varieties that grow best there? Or raised beds to drain water off? I would think someone has a garden guide for your area or climate? I follow a lot of UK allotmenteers and i’d Think some of them have similar weather? I don’t really know, just throwing out ideas trying to help. Good luck!
Mary Kerns says
I live in Kitsap County. I am able to grow just about anything except melons but my neighbor grows them. Corn is iffy some years. Lots of good info at Seattle Tilthe.
Mary Kerns says
Sorry, no ‘e’ on tilth.
laura a says
Mavis, can you tell the story of exactly how you first got into making ceramics? And what kind of kiln and clay you use? I’d love to hear the story. The kiln sounds kinda scary but I’m interested in how you got one in your house and decided to make your own ceramics. Thanks!
Teri says
Thanks for the gluten free report. You are amazing. Love how you never give up! The rolls look delish — slathered with butter; would like the recipe.
Logica says
I would guess that the weight loss was impacted by eggs instead of beans (the rice and potatoes are similar).
Glad you made it through and that you didn’t notice anything from the lack of gluten, now you know you don’t need to avoid it.
Enjoy your treats!
Lolly says
I, too, missed the thing about your eyebrows…..but I thank you for NOT looking as though you colored yours on with a SHARPIE! bahahahhaa! Cause too many people nowadays look like that and idk how on earth to NOT STARE AT THEIR EYEBROWS while they talk to me! It’s like clown eyebrows or something.
I have learned to brush my eyebrows up straight and trim the ones that grow crazy long. I learned that from my dh….and him from his barber! Idk why when one gets to the upper 30’s to 40’s that the eyebrows decide they want to be 4″ all of a sudden?!?!! Ugh!
Cheryl says
Looks like your dh has a Vermont flannel shirt on. Eggs in a pastry is breakfast.
Marcia says
For sure I think that age and activity level probably affected the weight loss 3 years ago vs. today. I’m closer to 50 than 40 and the metabolism slows down by the minute it seems.
5.5 lbs in a month is still really good
Pam Kaufman says
Why were we encouraged to pluck our eyebrows into oblivion back in the day! Mine are also super thin and just won’t fill in now that I’m older.
Leslie says
HH’s roll recipe- yes please. Those look good!
Prince. Wouldn’t you think his death was big enough news? #kidsthesedays amiright?
Mary Kerns says
I only lasted 22 days. I rebelled on the 23rd day. Too many beans and rice and chicken ala king. I had apples and beets from the garden and just a few potatoes. Who knew a big steamed beet could be such an anticipated snack. But the weight loss made it worth it.
Connie says
I’d love the rolls recipe. We. love. bread! Thanks so much.