While not a disaster, much anguish was averted this Sunday night thanks to my food storage preps.

The family and I were late getting home from our weekend adventures, and had to grab take-out Chinese food on the way home. We ate dinner, let the kids play for a bit, and then it was time for bed.

I went to the kitchen to prepare two sippy cups of milk and to my horror, there was no milk in the fridge. When I pointed this out to my wife, she gave me a silent look that let me know that this was my fault, I had to fix it, and if the kids wound up hysterical, I'd have to deal with that too. (Come on guys, you know that look.)

There was no way I was making it back out to the grocery store and back without the kids suffering a meltdown. It was past their bedtimes already. And those of you with kids know that you vary the bedtime ritual at your peril. (My sons are 3-years and 16-months old, and they drink milk before bed.)

Into the pantry I went, where I pulled out a carton of Parmalat shelf-stable milk. Was it the "fresh", organic milk we usually feed the kids? No. Was the crisis of crying kids averted? Yes.

Did I get thanks and praise from my wife for having the foresight to store shelf-stable supplies for the future? Not really, but every time my preps make our lives easier, it makes it easier for me to make my next purchase.

Moral of the story: Food storage is not only for major disasters. Sometimes it averts the minor ones, too.

Have a great week, everyone!