Survivor Month

A few years ago, probably 3, a great friend of mine, (Meredith Jackson) someone I look up to A LOT was talking to me about a concept she and her hubby had adopted involving grocery shopping. She did regular shopping, used coupons I'm sure, etc. but, once a month or every other month they did something called, "Survivor Week". Let me explain... For one week (or however long you can do this) they would not buy any groceries, but instead use up things they already had in the house to 1) save money 2) be creative with already purchased foods. In this way they did save money and the creativity flowed. :) Brad and I attempted this often the first year and usually ended up going out to eat which completely killed the point of it! But, I did always try. I just wasn't prepared.

Over the years I continued to try and incorporate this into our lifestyle. I would stock up my pantry with sale items and bust out my "Can Opener Gourmet" cookbook and then go to town, figuratively. I'd try to watch when carrots and celery went on sale so I could stock up - they seem to be the base for lots of things! So, Brad and I got a little better at this and actually quite a few GREAT meals came out of it. Not to mention money saved on using canned foods that were still plenty nutritional! (by the way, I DO recommend this book)

All this to say - Brad and I have decided to have a "Survivor Month" for the month of December. But only in regards to our main meals. I'll still be shopping for baking goods, etc. because I bake for gifts and it IS Christmas... gotta have baked goods!

So, after we finished all of the Thanksgiving leftovers (which took a week...ew, I know) I opened up the cupboards and fridge/freezer to see how I could be creative. It's kind of a challenge for me because I'm not a creative cook AT ALL and fully rely on my cookbooks. Anyway, the first night I remembered I had purchased two pork loin roasts when they were BOGO (free) @ Hyvee a few months back. So the first night we had a delicious garlic/lemon pork roast with creamed corn and rolls. Not too shabby. Which then led to shredded pork sandwiches the next day. I was feeling good about myself... I CAN do this survivor thing! Ava even loved the roast, so double score! Lastnight I had one massive bag of rice, a bag of frozen broccoli pieces, 10 bags of frozen cheese (Hyvee 10 for $10 a few weeks back), some canned cream soups and a can of bread crumbs. Voila... Cheesy broccoli casserole! And you know what? It tasted SO good! :) I don't normally brag, but, it really was great!

I'm just really encouraged and excited to save money this month, by not buying groceries and probably overspending on them. (guilty) This frees us up to give to others MORE and keeps me from additional snacking during the day. I'm eager to learn more "survivor recipes" and I'm excited to see what we come up with for the rest of the month. I'm also really thankful for Meredith and the wisdom that I gained from watching her over the years. She is an excellent woman, wife and friend. Someone I would love to model after... So, Mere's if you read this - love ya! Here she is with her hubby, Jax, we miss them both so much!