Winter stockpile

So we ALL know (because it's all i talk about... sorry) that Cecelia has severe food allergies. she can't have anything that has been processed because of soy contents. that means she gets to eat super healthy, all fresh and mostly organic fruits and veggies and baked or boiled chicken and beef (or SOME ground turkey meat).

Well two days ago i went downstairs into my basement and opened up our deep freezer. At one point this puppy was FULL to the brim of cow meat (we got 1/4 cow for our wedding) and breast milk (tmi and gross, sorry life of a mother) along with a bunch of other foods. It felt so good knowing if financial hard times struck (or more likely if life continued as it always does) we would still have food.  When i opened it two days ago it was COMPLETELY empty. This scared me.

It hit me that this winter it is going to get SUPER expensive to feed a growing toddle and myself and my husband off all natural and fresh food. Prices are super cheap right now for fruits in season. This paranoia gave me a plan.

Kel and i shop and SAM's Club a lot. we usually don't get much because with only 2 adult and 1 small child mouths too feed their portions are too big. Not anymore. kel and i went to SAMS and for the first time bought fresh produce. We got strawberries, watermelon, mangos, pineapple, carrots, and tomatoes for ridiculously cheap considering the size. I then got everything home and cut it all up. i took 3/4 of it and put them in 1lb increments into baggies and froze them. I learned for fresh fruit it avoids freezer burn and lasts longer is you cut them into pieces and froze each piece on wax paper individually then put them all in a baggies. that way you can take out the pieces you need and don't waste anything to freezer burn. We have started a small stockpile that in winter we can pull out piece by piece and not have to pay a ton for it. We will be able to eat strawberries in December and they will have not been processed at all. The watermelon i pureed and put in ice cube trays. It works great for smoothies, they don't have to be watered down with ice and they taste sweeter. I was able to do this with a lot more than just fruit.

Total we have:
2lbs mangos
5lbs strawberries
3lbs watermelon
2lbs blueberries
2lbs pineapple
7lbs cheddar cheese (fresh shredded from a 10lb block, cheaper than buying shredded and goes a lot further)
4lbs mozzarella shredded cheese (also from a block! so much cheaper)
3 tilapia fillets
1 chicken breast uncooked
1 chicken breast cooked and diced
2 beef soup bones
2lbs carrots diced
5lbs onions (bought a large bag at SAM's, diced them all and they freeze GREAT and are ready to pour straight into homemade soups)
1lbs green onions
2 pizza dough crusts

All in one afternoon and all for $100ish at Sam's (that also included our meals for this week not listed). I am so encouraged to have food stored again, know Cecelia can eat fresh and healthy all year long. I finally feel like i am being proactive about her food, but at the same time i am still helpless!

Roller coaster

Warning: I am typing this on my break on my phone so expect more typos than usual and odd words that shouldn't be there because of autocorrect.

Life has been a cliche roller coaster. I have some amazing positive thing going on and they're what get me through each day.

1. My baby girl is 9 month old. She is crawling and standing, right on developmental track. She is so cute and everyday giggles and smiles when I hold her. My world literally revolves around her.

2. My husband has started a new job and I am so proud of him and all his hard work. Also I love my job and its so fulfilling.

3. One of my best friends is getting married in a week. I am in the wedding and am so excited for it
I can't wait to have a married friend to talk with.

4. A lot of my other close friends (4) are getting married this year. It is gonna be a fun year!

However I find that lately I have hit some major speed bumps in life that have kept me overwhelmed and distracted me from all the positives.

1. Cecelia we found out has some Major food allergies. She has two minor allergies to eggs and peanuts. These are easy to avoid and not very major lifestyle change. However she has severe allergies to peas (legumes and chickpeas) and... Soy. The soy is proving to be the most difficult thing I could ever imagined avoiding. There is soy in every processed food (I challenge you to go 3 days soy free). We have to make everything from scratch, double and triple check every ingredient on ever food label and we are forced to buy mostly organ  or vegan options (which are SUPER expensive).The worst is her allergy is so severe if you touch her with A soy product she gets horrible hives and if she eats it her throat will swell shut. She has had an outbreak at least one to two times a week, we have epi pens on hand at all times and we have seen the doctor a minimum off once a week for the past month because of this and other health issues. Cooking is getting a bit easier thanks to practice, but it Is so expensive and time consuming I can't help but stress and worry constantly.

2. 2 parents Working 40-50 hours a week each with unconventional hours is taking its toll. Cleaning and laundry are on a back burner and I can't stand it. Not to mention dates (as if) or time together. We are desperate for time and a bit of cash for just the two of us. I miss my husband :(

3. Money. There's never enough. These extra doctor bills and organic/vegan grocery trips plus the wonderful weddings (I am super pumped but to be honest it all adds up... And fast. Gifts, showers, bachlorette parties, dresses, nails, time off.... Holy moly)  are all adding up!

Overall I should not be complaining. I have such an amazing support group of family and friends, a roof, a job and a beautiful little family. However instead 50% of my day trying to figure out how to make it through the week with food (that won't kill my kid) on the table and gas in the car  the other 50% working myself silly. I need some sort of relief and there is none in sight. *sigh*