I just wanted to bop on here today and ask if anyone is up for a challenge starting the first week in August? I wanted to give you some time to plan ahead before just springing it on you.

As many of you know, for years I have taught about keeping and using food storage, otherwise known as a food pantry, for keeping your grocery costs down, and your family well fed. Obviously we incorporate a lot of strategies into it, most of which are covered in an amazingly popular (STILL!) series I did 3 years ago called Making Do Without Missing a Thing…

But I feel, again, strongly led to encourage you to see where your gaps are. I really can not impress upon you enough that NOW may be the last time you can freely enjoy the wealth of food we have available to us and put it away for times that we are surely facing. Times where things are far more expensive and far less available. The Lord laid that on my heart five years ago to start doing the things that we teach about on here…and when I look back at the amazing journey it has been, the lives that have been impacted and changed from that decision…well I am just thankful to still have this amazing opportunity to speak into your lives.

Now. Are you ready for my challenge?

I would like you to join me from August 1st to the 15th as we AVOID the grocery store. I mean, avoid as in “do not enter a grocery store, period”. I am going to feed my family strictly out of our pantry, providing what we need for a two week period, without buying a single thing from the grocery store.  This will take meal planning, anticipating food needs, figuring out how to use dried items instead of fresh, and making many things from scratch that are easily available at the local grocery store. I know for many of you that may seem like a walk in the park. For others, it will not. I will be doing a short series during that time that shows you exactly what we eat, and the recipes I use to make them, or instructions to make the different items that we use.

If you are interested in participating with me, would you comment or send me a little message over on FB at the Welcoming House page? I would love to make this a community thing where we all share our recipes or adaptations. I would love to encourage others who are not as far along in the process as many of us are…who are just getting started.

For those new to food storage fun and learning to make do, would you do me a favor? On the Welcoming House are TONS of meal plans, recipes, food storage ideas, etc, and all it takes is for you to search for them or look under the tabs. Take a look, do some brainstorming, and get yourself ready. I will have a special giveaway at the end of the challenge for a couple folks who participate, with three winners.

Its all about being prepared, right?

So lets see if we are!

Blessings to you and yours, 

~Heather