A Minimalist - Fresh Food

Being a minimalist is not just about getting rid of clutter and keeping a clean house . 

Its about having what you need and not being a slave , working in the nine to five world , living paycheck to paycheck and never enjoying life . 

Its about cutting back on buying . When you cut back on constant buying you have more money and you do not have to work as hard . You could even retire or change jobs .

One thing I try my best to do is grow my own vegetables , fruits and nuts  and herbs .

Buying and planting fruit and nut trees will be one of the best investments you can make for the future . Buying bushes that bear berries is another way to save for many years to come . The best thing about this is that there is minimal care involved and you pay only once .

Growing a garden does not take much time or money . Buy seeds once  and plant once . 99 % of the time it will rain for the watering of the plants . Fertilize once or twice . Now all you have to do is pick the food that the plant makes .

Once you have a garden making food , thats something you do not have to buy . Money stays in your pocket .

Preserving that food is another step to self reliance , Whether you freeze or can  , the bounty of fresh food you get from your garden  that is money saved . You will have to make one investment in canning jars if you chose to can the vegetables and fruits but the jars will last you forever  .

In June the wild blackberry bushes produced enough berries for me to can a case of jam and  lightly sweetened berries for pies , and I froze many quarts fresh berries .

This month my squash  began to come in and I made a case relish and froze twelve quarts , I have ate fresh squash and I have shared with the elderly .

Now the tomato`s and okra are beginning to come in by the baskets full , what will I make for the winter out of those ? hmm...

This is what I have in my garden this year : Squash , zucchini , bell peppers , tomato`s , okra , cabbage , cucumbers watermelons and cantaloupes . I have wild blackberries . I have apple , pear , plum and peach tree`s . I grow basil , oregano , rosemary in flower pots inside for fresh herbs in the kitchen . I also have mint and sage out in the herb bed .

I have noticed that the may pops are back I have never ate any but I see plenty at the edge of the woods . I plan to try them this year and plant my own next year , if not for the fruit for the beautiful free flowers , You may know them as passion flowers . 

But one of the best things about a garden is walking outside and picking dinner . No reservations required . 

Next month it`ll be time to plant greens such as spinach , broccoli , collards , turnip greens and mustard . I want to try growing beets too !

By Andria Perry