I’m almost 70 years old. My grandmother was born in 1893. She was concerned with eating whole foods, fresh foods and lots of vegetables From childhood. I remember in the 1980s when she was in her 80s, she read in Rodale’s Organic gardening magazine that she should be eating fresh food. And if you could eat fresh than it should be frozen. Canned or dried was the last resort. She ground her flour every day. Her cholesterol went from being high to being low normal. My grandmother‘s name was Ruby. Ruby was very concerned about pesticide pollution - She took Rachel Carson silent spring book to heart. Every few years will hear someone say how there is the first generation to be concerned about organic gardening, or to be concerned about clean food. It’s just not true. A Small percentage of the population has been able to see past the corporate media massive advertising of “convenience food” fight for healthy and natural food, a clean environment, clean housing for everyone.
Watching this gives me so much anxiety as a mom who lives nothing like this and works full time, but knowing how we should be living. It's going to be a slow process, and I don't see how I can ever attain this level of a natural lifestyle. I can make some small changes. Not sure I want to start with a whole chicken. The thought of that makes me nauseous! Thank you for the information and advice.
It's so crazy...I'm only 25, but so much has changed since I was a kid. I was babysitting by the time I was 11 or 12...Like I'd bike to the family's house and watch their kids, without supervision. I think I started when I was 11? I am just amazed by people freaking out about 11, 12, 13 year old helping with little kids these days. Kids thrive on small increments of responsibility, especially at those ages! I totally approve of you letting your daughter hold and care for the baby for increments of time, she will be a well-rounded young woman seeing her mother trust her with responsibility.
I am SO glad and thankful you talked about having little ones and being in survival mode. I was recently let go from work, we have debt we are trying to work on, have 2 under 2.5 and I’m trying to stretch my partner’s paycheck as far as possible. I get SO frustrated at myself that I have a hard time taking care of a sourdough starter, making bread 2x a week, making 3 meals a day, keeping the kids alive, maintaining a relationship, and keeping a house clean (to my parent’s unrealistic standards as we live with them currently).
Enjoyed the visit. How I deal with tomatoes: Whirl up in blender, skin, seeds and all. Pour into turkey roaster and bake low and slow in the oven. May can as sauce or freeze. Thank you.
It’s VERY hot in Tennessee this year. I don’t remember it being this hot last year, but my hubby said I say that every year lol, so who knows. Living clean and simply is such a joy! You feel so much better physically when you eat a whole, clean diet, and you feel better mentally when you keep your life simple! I love our life!
Going to jump in, when I had babies, being young, having so much energy, way more productive!! Older, young adults now, I had way more time back then!!!
My childhood was the same - looking at my mom’s garden it’s amazing how she intuitively planted flowers (mullein, peonies) and appreciated a few healthy foods (nuts, broccoli) that were exactly what her body needed. She was always 100% into doctors and the modern way and I tried to explain healthyness to her after I left home and learned about one’s ability to take control of their health and avoid so many toxins in modern society. Unfortunately, she caught on too late. I wish I’d worked harder to learn about, harvest and cook things that she intuitively was drawn to. It’s an overwhelming landscape, that of nutrition/healing...perhaps one of the keys for someone really, really new to everything or overwhelmed helping others is to find those sort of intuitive moments people have / cravings / things that they are drawn to with plant and animal food and learning about how to incorporate those into your diet / daily habits. - a little off topic but the convo was really great and I totally agree with everything. Ps my grandparents knew about health and grandma apparently always had a bowl of hard boiled eggs and apples in the kitchen for a “snack” and they never left home without a gallon jug of water in the trunk. How complicated, unhealthy and expensive the modern food landscape became! Lol
Always ate homemade healthy meals growing up. My mom was the "health nut!" Now that i have to cook for my family,I fully appreciate her cooking now. 😆 I never realized how much work she put into her cooking. Her cooking is way better than mine. But I'm getting there. Slowly but sure.
Growing up, I didn't have much experience with gardening. Sometimes my mom would grow a tomato plant or try raspberry bushes, but that was about it. This year is my second year of marriage, and my husband rented a rototill, plowed up a chunk of land, fenced it in and told me that I was in charge of the garden. I was pretty nervous! But once I started, I fell absolutely in love with watching things grow. I've frozen bell peppers, green beans, and canned tomatoes. We've eaten fresh cantaloupe, beets, and spinach. We have had such an abundant harvest just this first year of experimenting! It is so much fun, saves so much money (I will hopefully never have to buy tomatoes or bell peppers again), and I think it is the most satisfying experience to tend something and watch it grow. I am learning so many skills just by taking that one step to start a garden. Once you begin dabbling in that, canning, cooking, and other food preparation/preservation techniques will follow!
This was so helpful! I’m in the process of transitioning our family to a more real food diet and it’s been a bit overwhelming at times. But I’m determined. ♥️
I grew up in New York, but my Greek grandmother lived with us and we always ate healthy Mediterranean meals. My older sister always took care of me. We were 12 years apart but became the best of friends as adults.
Oh my goodness, I love that you have elderberry trees! I used to go to the woods in Germany with my tiny girls and pick the flowers and make delicious elderflower syrup - you should try it! 😋 I did not know they grow in this country!
Yes, I have one huge elderberry tree now. In my former yard, we planted 6 bare root elderberry trees and later found out we could make jelly from them. Now I make elderberry syrup and also dry a bunch and mail them to my daughter. The berries are so easy to pick and make juice from!
We found a Paw Paw grove on our homestead 2 years ago and have been cultivating them ever since! They are delicious and we look forward to the fall every year so we can enjoy them.
I love the idea of having a family owned, healthy, non toxic skin care and makeup. But wow!!!!! The Toupsandco is soooo expensive. How do you justify the cost? Thank you
My thought is you pay now or you pay later with health problems from toxic overload in your system. I don't wear makeup everyday, but when I do I want it to be clean ingredients...traditional make-up is loaded with chemicals. I would rather not wear makeup than put toxins on my skin everyday. You really have to follow your own health journey and do what is worth it to you...