One of the nice things about living in MN is being able to use the garage as a second ( third? Fourth?) Fridge/freezer 3ish months out of the year.

That is  ending this week...  so I finally vacuum packed and froze some meat deals I picked up in the past few weeks.

2 chuck roasts @ $2/lb and 7 packs of chicken breasts at $1.59/lb.

I replaced the brakes and rotors and some other parts on my vehicle. Ended up saving myself close to a thousand bucks by doing it myself. I was hoping to get to the range and zero a new optic on  my Akv but that will have to wait for another day.

Started on a 2nd pantry - organizing into short term/immediate use and longer term/bulk. Put together a list of home maintenance things that needs attention. Organizing my library of books so reference guides are more easily accessed. Putting together a plan to teach the kids how to garden (this will be a good family bonding exercise that gets them off the screens a bit). Picked up some cleaning supplies to add to the stash.

Vacuum sealed some chicken for the big frezzer.

Started tomato seeds indoors. I planted 4 plants last year, started 10 today.

Also experimented canning meatballs in tomato sauce using last years dried cherry tomatoes to make the sauce.

Bought 40 lbs of rice to add to my Putin proof stash.  Last week, changed AR15 5.56 to a flat top configuration and put a cheap scope on it. Sighted it in at 45 yards in back yard.

Picked up 6 (3lb) jars of applesauce and 6 cans of sauerkraut to fill out a flat.

ordered my first IR weapon light...

Added cleaning supplies to preps. Worked on next phase of exercise plan. I'm down another 5 pounds. 20 more to go. And added more gear with a new belt.

Well done on the exercise. It’s the most important and most overlooked prep.

Thank you. It hasn't been easy. I'm in my late 40s and the weight just doesn't shed as quickly as it did 20 years ago. Plus, my body has some mileage on it and joint pain is a thing.  My job is still WFH. When we were sent hime in 2020 I ended up being at my desk 9-10 hours a day on Zoom. I was already 220 lbs. and sitting/snacking all day added an extra 15 its quickly - pushing me to 235 lbs. I changed my diet and bought some exercise equipment. It's one of the best investments I've ever made. Today I'm sitting at 210 lbs. My stamina and muscle definition is better. I sleep better. My acid reflux is nearly gone. My goal is to get to 190 (maybe even 185). I set a personal goal of 30 minutes or more of activity per day. 3x weekly I'm doing strength training (which takes about an hour). The rest is walking or jogging, or yoga.

On the diet side - I don't subscribe to a specific diet. I cut out as much processed foods as possible. No soda, no sugary snacks, no snacks out of a box. I replaced light snacks with nuts and cheeses. I eat more veggies and way less bread, potatoes and pasta. I only do dessert on weekends (and then it's light). I drink 80-90 ounces of water a day. I'm on the 16:8 fasting thing and only eat between 10am and 6pm. And I track everything I eat to see trends.

It's amazing how good you feel when you get away from processed food with high levels of sugar in it.

Sounds like you have it figured out and are dedicated and disciplined. Bravo to you again.

I sighted in a newish rifle, did some pistol work, and then grabbed some extra canned goods and clearance meat while waiting for the curbside groceries.

Heading down now for clean and press and burpees.  Got more range time with friends planned tomorrow and hopefully some force on force with airsoft soon afterwards.

Cleaned, organized, and inventoried the pantry. Bought some pasta and meat that was on sale to add to the stores.

Going to start working on a long-term pantry this weekend.

I’m down 40 pounds since I decided to turn stuff around. Just a few more to get to my college fighting weight

Picked up dry milk

That’s outstanding! Well done; health and fitness are absolutely vital.

I had a busy day today; not my typical routine.

I shot an hour of drills with a couple of guys that included multiple targets, non standard response, reloads and movement.

Then, spent a couple hours doing force on force scenarios with airsoft focused on managing unknown contacts, pre assault indicators and proper level of force response.  Then did some pressure testing of gun disarms/ control and knife control.

Then came home and rowed 4400 meters.

@steviesterno16 - that's awesome - congrats.

Today I did performed some home maintenance - repairing some rot in wood on the house and ordered a replacement part for the malfunctioning ice maker in the fridge.

I started organizing my workshop.

Make it to the next level on my fitness plan - specifically an increase in weight in my training.

Tonight is looking at more food preps,

Excellent!  

From personal experience I can tell you that one more problem area shows up when you reach your goal.  Maintaining your discipline and make this new way of eating into a lifestyle and not just a diet!  

It gets easy to cheat a little more often now and then, but it also gets out of hand, snowballing if you will.  I lost 40 several years ago and am now back up 20 because I started eating healthy less often and indulging in a few more high-test beers, pizzas, and junk food.  I've maintained this weight for a while now, but really need to kick that extra 20 to the curb.  Finding and keeping motivation has been tough, so I signed up for a 5K run-and-gun match at the end of April.  I couldn't run a 5k straight right now if I had a gun to my head, so I've got a lot of work ahead of me...

Have about a half cord of seasoned wood being delivered today.

We like bonfires in the pit in the yard all summer but I also know it’s a good back up cooking method and for water purification.

Anyone know a good small/cheap stove you use with either charcoal or wood?

Done a log on out dry food and toiletries. Atleast now I now what we have. Need to get the frezzer food also.

Buy an infra red temp gun and shoot the exhaust gas. Instant knowledge. Those guns work on 1000s of things. Bearings, water and everything in between.

Yesterday we put up 50 lbs. of red wheat berries in the vac seal with O2 absorbers. 50 more lbs. inbound. Trying to find bulk popcorn to mill on demand as well. Ordered a ton of Gamma Lids and food safe buckets. Headed to the "city" on Tuesday for more stuff for the house and I'll have a good list with me for "unusual" things like toothpaste, rubber bands, and lots more.
Put 10 more gallons of gas in the stash for my shop. That brings me to 40 in the shop and 20 in my truck that I rotate with my Tera Pump along with keeping Stabil in all of them.

Excellent idea! Thanks!

Two cases of corn,green beans and peas. Also sams size paper towels, hefty cups and paper plates.

Another five cases of LDS Wheat arrived today. FEDEX guy gave me a WTF look.

Now to stash it before the wife gets home.

Last years 1/4 cow was tough as shit. This years’ is much better, from a Mennonite farmer who knows what’s up. So I trimmed and ground a bunch of the old stuff. I’m making meatballs to cook and re-freeze, and using bones to make several quarts of stock.

I just planted 2 navel trees and 2 Honeybell trees in the backyard.  They'll produce fruit for years to come and it gave me some exercise.  I'm down about 22 lbs and have about 35 more to go so every bit helps.

Packaged 50lbs of rice and 24lbs of beans.

stocked up on another 3 small bins worth of rotatable, pop tarts, oatmeal, pasta and sauce and 2 more of long term protein in meats.

took delivery of 5 55 gallon drums to add another 3 months of on hand water. next i need to clean them and figure out keeping them out of the sun and elements.

Is popcorn the go to for corn storage?

I never thought of using wood on my weber lol

What attachment is that on top?

Yes.

FYI, I've heard it's much harder than regular dried corn, so if you are planning on grinding it check to make sure your grinder will handle it  (some lower end grinders will not).

Not all done today but I've put up 800LB of bulk storage foods since moving from MN to western MT last summer. Well, I will have that much once my LDS order for 100LB each of hard red and white wheat, spaghetti bites and macaroni in cans comes in next week. Other items are white rice, pinto beans, black beans, northern beans, AP flour, rolled oats, dehydrated hashbrowns, sugar, salt and whole peppercorns.

22cu ft of freezers are stacked full of meat, cheese, butter and a few fruits/veggies with a plan to keep them cold in a power outage. --These were empty last July.  

In kitchen pantry is overstocked and kept at 90%+ of current levels.

500 canning jars have been acquired between all sizes. (Our jars didn't make the move, but my ~2500 canning lid stockpile did)

Currently fixing up the chicken coop and goat sheds by replacing the metal roofs, cleaning them up and installing new fencing (including bird netting for the chickens). Roofs are done and the structures are cleaned out. Next up is fencing. After that I'll work on some water catchment for both.

Acquired 21 baby chicks to keep ourselves and the neighbors in eggs. They're currently in brooders in two batches in the spare bedroom.

Have our names on 3 Nigerian Dwarf goats that are born and we will get them in about 6 weeks when weaned.

Bought the materials last fall when wood was cheap(er) for eight 4x8 raised garden beds with corrugated metal sides. Need to make friends with a dump truck driver for a couple loads of good dirt. Researching Hugelkulter to reduce dirt needs in each box and provide natural fertilizer.

Acquired deer fencing for in ground garden area and separate garden bed area. Still need some T-Posts for that project, but have over half of what I need.

Bought 13 fruit trees at Costco last week. 9 apple trees (Johnathon, Honeycrisp and Summer Red), a Montemerceny tart cherry, Van sweet cherry, Red Bartlett pear and Superior plum. Neighbor's going to drill 18" holes with his bobcat and we'll put great dirt in the holes. He's getting some fruit trees too. Need pollinators for the sweet cherry, pear and plum.

Helping a neighbor plan and power a 4 season greenhouse with a wood boiler hooked up to a solar and wind setup to keep his house and greenhouse warm in a power outage. I will start the greenhouse management for him until he gets the hang of it.

I'm just SLIGHTLY busy, especially with spring coming on fast.

Thanks!


I had a LDS order come in and Im waiting on a second one that has more wheat/rice/pasta

I have been working on turning a cold cellar into a storage room for my #10 cans. It leaks a little water when it rains heavy but I figured I could keep the shelfing unit agaisnt the house wall where there isnt any water that comes in. Will have to use a dehumidifier to keep the RH down

In the last week:

Received an LDS order of dried carrots and onions.

Stocked up a on a bunch of stuff from my local grocery using sales to buy cheap and stack deep.  Of course there are limits to the sales, so I have to keep going back to get "deep" quantities.

• Elbow Macaroni - $0.49/lb -- planning on putting some of it in mylar at 5lb increments


• ground pork - $0.99/lb -- adding to the freezer


• Peanut butter - $0.77/lb -- this was a one day sale with a limit of 2, still managed to get 8 jars


• ground beef (73/27) - $1.99 -- this is at KwikTrip and the sale is still going


• Mayonaise - $1.88/30oz -- I keep about 9 jars in storage and rotate through, bought a few extra while still cheap


• 6 packs of white mushrooms for the dehydrator - $2/lb

Attached File

Damn, i'm exhausted just reading this!

Most of the garden/orchard/animal tasks were put on the back burner over winter but now its time to hit them hard. Good progress has been made but we have a long way to go.

Luckily we have solid, like minded neighbors who have equipment that I don't and are willing to help.  

We're not calling it "homesteading" but we're effectively heading down that road. The only utility we pay for is electricity (and a couple 100LB propane fills a year).

...Oh, and I need to acquire about 11 more cords of wood to burn next winter but I want to have 20+ on hand to start getting ahead on wood. Have just under 1 cord split and stacked at the moment with about 5 more on the property in various stages of "ready to burn". Outside of that I need to go cut in the national forest or buy it at the firewood processor up the valley.

Seriously, good for you.  I'm working to get to that level with the self sustaining items like fruit trees, garden, etc.  I have two years worth of storage food, water filtration, etc.  Using your post as an inspiration to get off my ass!!!

Thanks man. It really feels like a full time job today. I've been going hard on projects 4 days in a row. My body's tired but this "muscle ache equity" (I'm not sweating because it's cool out) will pay off.

Hope we have that much time before the wheels come off but I'm not so sure. Time certainly feels like it's getting short.

Setup my new Country Living Grain Mill and made a cup of flour... yeah, F-That. Tomorrow setting up the electric drive, lol.

Bought some pet food.

Our local Costco is apparently limiting purchases of pet food.  Signs of bad things to come?

Yeah, it kinda sucks if you try to do it all at once.  I leave mine mounted and grind in short spells, just one or two minutes every time I walk by.

A buddy of mine has a local feed store he said cat food is hard to come by right now. The regular canned stuff premium stuff is in good supply.

Picked up 5k CCI 500 SPP from another arfcommer locally. Can't eat them, but they damned sure won't be getting less expensive.

Picked up a rifle caliber can. Should be here before too long, I hope. But will allow some greater capacity at home which is cool.

Also continued Keto and IF. Almost down to the lowest weight I can remember.

Filled some more mylar bags...
with steel cut oats. And some pasta.

Got a two pounds of augason peanut butter powder. And glad kitchen bags (150 ct.)
Little at a time but it all counts.