Simple Living
Simple Living is simple but not easy. It often means choosing the harder way of doing things in exchange for higher gratification in life. “Hard” has become a four letter word in our society. We will do nearly anything and spend untold amounts of money in order to avoid doing “hard” things. But maybe that hard thing might have been enjoyable. Perhaps the satisfaction of finishing that task will give fulfillment to your day. Let’s not be people who shy away from “hard” things, but lets press in and expand our skill set so the once “hard” things become easy.
Running An Old-Fashioned Kitchen
Many old ways of food preparation and preservation have gone by the wayside since the introduction of fast food in the 1950s. After that, it was no longer necessary to spend time cooking a nutritious fulfilling meal when you could pop a complete dinner in the microwave and have it ready to eat in 5 minutes. Today, we have the benefit of hindsight as we observe the consequences of that societal shift wreaking havoc on our physical and mental health. However, there is a movement of people pushing back by returning to traditional cooking from scratch with whole foods.
Gardening
Nothing beats the taste of a homegrown vine-ripened tomato or the flavor of fresh picked basil. Discover beginner’s steps to growing your own food in your backyard.
Using Herbs
If you enjoy using fresh herbs in your cooking, keeping a few pots in your kitchen window is a great first step. They are easy to dry or freeze for later use.
Surprisingly, many common kitchen herbs also have medicinal properties. With research and training, simple medicines can be made in your kitchen.
Preserving
Preserving encompasses many methods; canning, fermenting, drying, and freezing. All of these require a learning curve, however once you start it is not hard. It can become a fun project that has a satisfying end result. Looking at a shelf full of jams, pickles and sauces that you made yourself is a sure way to feel accomplished.