How we survived (20 days - no supermarket)

How we Survived 20 days with no Supermarket

Is wasn't as challenging as we thought, I reckon we could have lasted another week.

The whole impulsive idea was driven by the feeling that we were spending too much time at the supermarket. We hadn't planned it and therefore hadn't stocked up beforehand - but we had lots of pasta, rice, oil, chicken and rolled oats on hand. The tomatoes and other garden produce kept us going. I received many nice messages and comments - but I had to keep explaining it wasn't  because we had run out of money, or due to some new diet or frugality measure.

Porridge topped with a dollop of homemade boysenberry syrup become our preferred breakfast. We had to share the remaining deodorant spray, and Mario confessed he used Draino on the berry stains on my white T-shirt! Our dog Vito made it through the last few days on a pasta meal, a can of sardines and some free beef bones from the local butcher. He couldn't believe his luck; we've decided to cut back on the canned food for him in future.

But the best part was the 'swaps'. We traded grapefruits, babysitting, house-minding and berry jam for cheese, milk, eggs, apples and a banana. Our last meal was a wonderful if slightly unusual 3-course feast which we enjoyed as we watched that disturbing documentary about supermarkets and the food industry in USA: FOOD, INC

Day 20: Silver beet fritters with
tomato, red onion, cucumber salad 

Now we have almost cleared our pantry  we are going to limit our buying to a fortnightly $100 online supermarket order, and support the farmers markets, local butcher, and roadside grower stalls more. Nelson is a perfect place for this. Also, this way we can keep up the fun times with the swaps, foraging and barters.

Anyone out there want to swap some good cheese for grapefruit marmalade?


Lizzie

The 20 day no-supermarket challenge - Day 12

Well, we are up to day twelve, and its getting interesting.

Following a berry-picking escapade we made boysenberry jam and syrup with the last of the sugar. It was a clever move as now we can trade with pots of jam, as well as the grapefruits from our prolific grapefruit tree. We got three fresh eggs tonight for five grapefruit. Prior to that we've managed swaps for a bottle of cream, some plums and some lemons.

Milk has moved to the top of our 'wanted' list - might have to offer some jam-for-milk options around at work tomorrow or I could offer baby-sitting services as there are some young parents in our team. No-one we know has a cow we could visit.

As I write the delicious smell of homemade bread is wafting around the house. He used the last of the flour though, so these three small loaves will have to last us through.

The garden has been a great help. We have feasted on rhubarb, butter beans, silver beet, fennel, lettuce and the slowly ripening tomatoes. There's still a few tins at the back of the cupboard, and a huge bag of rolled oats - so it should be possible to get through to 20 days. He says he'd kill for a banana though...

The 20 day no-supermarket challenge

You know what it's like. You pop in for bread and come out with 7 items. You never got around to writing a list so have to go back the next day for milk, and you come out with another 6 items, and a magazine...

New Year's Day - toothpicks galore

We did a lot of that over the Christmas and New Year holiday. First we had a big gathering and kept needing obscure things like tooth picks and Tabasco sauce. Then it became a habit; something to get on the way to the beach, or because chicken was on special. We both did that one, and ended up with lots in the freezer. Oh, and I had such fun with the online order and delivery service.

We put a sudden and determined stop to it abruptly on the morning of the 4 January.

'Let's see if we can survive without the daily supermarket visit?' he suggested.
'Of course we can,' I snorted.'We have heaps of supplies. It'll be a game - we can barter and forage, and cook up things from those obscure packets and tins at the back of the pantry.After all half the world doesn't have supermarkets!'

We are up to day 7 now and its just getting interesting. Last night we had chicken, couscous and peas. At least I think it was couscous, it was in an unmarked bag behind the wholemeal flour. Then we ate a rather old  dessert thing we found in the freezer.

Hopefully the lettuces in the garden will flourish soon so we can make a big salad. The emergency milk carton is out of the freezer now - we have watered it down to halves. The only bread left is some rolls, frozen. Hubby's making bread tomorrow. Someone at work says she will swap me plums for grapefruit. Our last tomato in the bowl is over-ripe (waiting for the lettuce), but the ones on the plants in the garden are still a bit green... its going to be tough bridging that gap. As the freezer empties we will become more inventive with the dry stores. At least we still have lots of rice and pasta.

After 7 days abstinence it seems possible to leave the supermarket and food buying out of life. Sort of a pantry detox experience. I don't miss it - the music, the announcements about Richard Till's latest recipe, the mood lighting, the free samples of wine, the trolley, the nice checkout lady, the new product displays...oh hell, maybe I do!

13 days to go, and counting.

Lizzie