A Minimalist - Doing It Free Or Cheap

Becoming a minimalist is about so many different things but for the most part its about reducing spending and buying , less clutter in your life . Its about freeing yourself from debt so that you have time to enjoy life and not just working nine to five or more daily to pay for things you don`t have time to enjoy .

I am at a stage where minimalism its about learning and doing things I have always wanted to do  or learn how to do . Doing for myself . Learning I do not have to " buy " food but I can make my own and sometimes its completely free .

Using seeds and dirt for the most part .

Growing up we used to dry fruit , apples from the tree in the yard most of the time for fried apple pies in the Winter , we would lay them on a table in between screens and fight off the ants in the process .

A couple years ago I got money for my Birthday and I bought my first dehydrator , a small plastic four tray dehydrator . I learned so much on this little dehydrator . I dried bags and bags of fruits and vegetables  .

Here are a few things  I began dehydrating  :

Apples 

Pears 

Zucchini chips 

Onions - Onion powder

Garlic - Garlic powder

Red Pepper - Ground red pepper

Fast forward a couple years and I wanted to learn how to eat a " Raw " diet . When you say Raw it means that foods are not cooked but can be warmed or dehydrated and you can make your own bread or crackers on the dehydrator , the small one did not work for me anymore So I went big .

I usually skip the Christmas gifts because I have plenty but last year I wanted the Excalibur five tray with a heat control and thats what I bought .

Just this week I made eggplant leather and a fresh bag of zucchini chips .

I often make corn and zucchini  rolls and more from my eating Raw cookbooks .

I am still learning new ways to make different foods and its all good for me , I get to select flavors and salt content as well .

I do dry some of my own spices and herbs . You know how much you can pay for those at the supermarket , an arm and leg ! But I don`t use the dehydrator for the herbs . Instead I lay those out on a screen / cake cooling racks  in the house , usually the counter , and let them dry out of the heat and direct sun . The reason I do the herbs like this is because it preserves the natural oils that are the flavor you are wanting . 

After drying Basil , Mint and Sage I do not crumble the leaves till I am cooking with them so that it all comes back to life at that moment , full flavor once again .

Now back to dehydrating , the cost of running the dehydrator is not much especially compared to the cost of buying the foods at the grocery store fresh or dried .

Usually apples are cheap at the farmers market when in season , thats when to do this dehydrating  for stockpiling , or free if you grow your own .

The benefit of health is over the top because you do not add artificial preservatives . You control your own sugar and salt .

Yes some people think that preserving your own foods is being extreme but they can tell their boss  " at work " about me while I am  " at home frying up homemade apple pies " . 

Learning to control my life  . Learn to live free .

By Andria Perry