this weekend was wonderful, filled with community spirit, kickin’ tunes, beautiful friends & some crafty goodness. him + her designs participated in {block street block party} with great success! we sold an array of vintage beauties, photography, block prints, & hand-crafted jewelry. we have a few pieces left that i plan to add to the {shop} once i am finished with a new wholesale order {yay!}due this week! we also shared a space with stacie of {gingiber} & amber of {amber perrodin}. i just love those talented girls.
this week is much slower & i am thankful. we plan to eat many dinners outside, plant more okra seeds, take some walks, go to the gym a bit more regularly & just take it easy.
what are your plans for the week?
love,
natalie
of course i started a challenge during what feels like one of the busiest months of the year. two craft shows, a new job, graduations, parties, set aside time for self portraits (kidding!), and little things in between.
but of course, my freezer still stays packed.
here are the contents:
animal protein-
4 packages of deer hamburger
2 lamb livers
1 package of ground lamb
1 package of deer sausage
1 package of frozen deer meatballs
1 package of lamb ribs
1 package of bacon
1 ham hock
1 package of beef stock bones
1 chopped sirloin
20 15! lb. chicken breast
1 frozen bag of acorn squash & sausage stuffing
4 packages of deer hamburger
2 lamb livers
1 package of ground lamb
1 package of deer sausage
1 package of frozen deer meatballs
1 package of lamb ribs
1 ham hock
1 package of beef stock bones
1 chopped sirloin
1 frozen bag of acorn squash & sausage stuffing
meal ready-
freezer bag full of frozen ice cube sized basilfreezer bag full of frozen ice cube sized pesto
freezer bag of swiss chardfrozen tomato soup (serving size 2)
2 bags of hot peppers (for salsa making)
freezer bag of skinned tomatoes
box of morningstar veggie burgers
fruit-
2 gallons of strawberries
3 ripe bananas
freezer bag of black cherries
dole brand bag full of mango, pineapple and strawberries
2 jars of peach conserve
1 gallon of blueberries
small tub of homemade cookie dough
this week, we prepared fruit smoothies for breakfast most mornings. a handful of frozen blueberries, strawberries, mango & banana makes for a delicious meal. we also managed to eat 5 lb. of chicken & seasoned it with our frozen pesto & a bit of olive oil from {this} recipe. i must say, this challenge is fairly difficult. we regularly prepare vegetarian meals & rarely eat meat. it’s been difficult to find restaurants & groups of friends who share in the same eating choices of only ethically-raised meats so we’ve slowly adapted to a vegetarian diet. i purchased the meat currently in our freezer in an effort to stretch myself. thankfully, this challenge has definitely helped us save money & be a little more resourceful with what we already have. if you have any favorite meat meals, please share!
natalie’s freezer fruit smoothie
serves 2
1 1/2 cups frozen fruit: strawberries, blueberries, mango, pineapple, banana
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 soy or coconut milk
blend in blender on high for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure fruit is fully shredded & mixed well. serve in glass mason jar & enjoy!
love,
natalie
last summer i went a little crazy. i’m not sure if i was preparing for the end of the world or the great rapture, but i canned, preserved, and froze food until i was left with battle scars & a full pantry. i also stocked up on meats & grains in bulk. like i said, i’m not sure what i was thinking, but at the end of the winter, we were still left with a freezer full of food. i don’t even want to mention the 20 lb. of organic chicken breast in my mother-in-law’s freezer… anyway.
once my weekly rant of “we need more storage! we have too much crap!” resided one afternoon last week, i decided to actually follow my own life mantra & began sorting through our belongings with simplicity in mind. once i got to the kitchen, i was forced to face my overwhelming freezer. i tossed unrecognizable foods in plastic bags & freezer-burned bread. i used a damp cloth to pry gooey substances from the bottom & scrubbed the rest. i made a list of what was left & organized until late into the evening. i was left with this:
the contents of my freezer:
animal protein-
4 packages of deer hamburger
2 lamb livers
1 package of ground lamb
1 package of deer sausage
1 package of frozen deer meatballs
1 package of lamb ribs
1 ham hock
1 package of beef stock bones
1 chopped sirloin
20 lb. chicken breast
1 frozen bag of acorn squash & sausage stuffing
meal ready-
freezer bag full of frozen ice cube sized basil
freezer bag full of frozen ice cube sized pesto
freezer bag of swiss chard
frozen tomato soup (serving size 2)
2 bags of hot peppers (for salsa making)
freezer bag of skinned tomatoes
box of morningstar veggie burgers
fruit-
2 gallons of strawberries
3 ripe bananas
freezer bag of black cherries
dole brand bag full of mango, pineapple and strawberries
2 jars of peach conserve
1 gallon of blueberries
small tub of homemade cookie dough
with plenty of food still packed in my small freezer & a tight budget in mind, i plan to use at least half of this food during the month of may. each thursday i will check-in with my progress & possibly include a recipe or two. at the end of the month, i will report the leftover food in our freezer & photos for proof!
i never really thought i would write about my freezer, but sometimes i have to unearth those not-so-glamorous parts of my life. also, you guys keep me accountable & i hold zero willpower without accountability. in case you are totally uninterested by my freezer challenge, avoid this blog every thursday during the month of may! for the rest of you, i hope you feel just a little more inspired to make your list & join the freezer challenge!
week 1 progress:
+ blt sandwiches (goodbye, bacon!)
+ tomato soup
a slow start, but i plan to kick it in gear this upcoming week! who’s with me?!
love,
natalie