I think one of the most wonderful things about growing up in my home is that I was sure that even in the worst of times and when we were at our lowest, we would always be sure of food supply. And this is because, right from the start, Mom taught us the benefits of gardening and preparing our own meals. She’d usually say, “You haven’t experienced the word satisfaction till you have a meal, with the knowledge that practically everything on your plate was planted by you.”
Of course, the basic things like salt would have to be bought and maybe onions, which cannot grow successfully in my region, but vegetables constitute a large part of our diet. And that’s what we have in abundance at home. Fruits too. Although some of them had been cleared to make way for more.
I’d always loved eating outby default but the nutritional value of preparing your meals as well as the hygiene and cost effectiveness cannot be denied. And since an incident where I had a series of excruciating stomach bites and what have you, I realized that it isn’t just worth it. No advantages whatsoever, or at least the cons far outweigh the pros of eating out. I do still eat out, but it’s gotten a lot rarer. Think I’ve eaten out only twice since the year began and that’s a record for me.
Keeping up with my minimalist lifestyle has greatly affected how I prepare my meals. Since most of the food items are readily available at home and planted by me. It makes it a lot easier. My peppers sprouted beautifully a couple of months ago. I’m particularly excited about this one because I’d tried severally to make this particular species of pepper🌶️ grow and what usually happened was, when it germinated to a certain level, it just withered off.
So, I put in extra care to making this successful and when it did, to say I was elated would be an understatement. Of course, they aren’t fully ripe yet for harvest but we love green peppers just fine too and they make an excellent flavour in meals so it’s just fine. Peppers are like air in my family, practically. We love a good chili in our everyday meals and so with that kind of consumption, buying them in the markets is not cost-effective.
A lot of these vegetables may not be known by a lot of people but they are used to prepare several delicacies here. The bitterleaf and pumpkin leaves and even good old curry leaf (a spice in itself)which I used in garnishing the coconut rice I prepared yesterday are all important aspects that keep my minimalist lifestyle going.
Got this coconut from one of the bigger coconut trees and did a good work of making a quick coconut rice meal. Just kidding, it wasn’t quick at all. I had to manually grate the coconuts and that took a good amount of time I was in a haste so by the time I was done, I couldn’t even get it plated to take a picture but it came out quite nicely.
Early this morning, Mom said she was craving a bit of yam porridge so I got it done hastily. It was quite early so no pictures of the process but just before posting this, I got a bit plated and took a picture. Since it was for Mom, I had to prepare it to her taste and Mom’s taste is for the pumpkin veggies, which I used in preparing it, to occupy practically seventy percent of the meal. Lol
Employing minimalism in my daily preparation of meals has made me realize that the simplest of ingredients could make something incredibly wonderful and tasty too. So, it’s more like a win-win. Preparing my meals with ingredients that were planted by me so it’s healthy and simple and saves cost. Minimalism has impacted the way I prepare meals to a great extent cause now I'm rewarded with that satisfaction that comes with eating my own production and the simplicity that comes with it.
Jhymi🖤
This is my entry to THE #KISS BLOG IDEAS. Do check it out if you're yet to.
All images are mine.
A brilliant read and a lovely write-up. That first paragraph though, your mum is so right 🙌
I know that so well. My mum grates fresh coconut for her Jamaican Rice and Peas every Sunday, and it's never quick, but always a delightful meal.
All your meals are mouth-watering, and that last one, I'm not sure what it is, but it would be great to see the recipe for it:)))
I enjoyed it 😉 Thanks for your #KISS
lips sealed
Glad you like it, Milly.🤗🌺
I should do a post for it later. It's Yam porridge.
Made up of yams, pumpkin leaves(lots of it), onions, pepper, palm oil and crayfish.
It's a pretty simple meal for the most part and really tasty but I don't know if the ingredients are available where you stay.😆
Ok, I'll look out for your recipe. It's still nice to get ideas for when I'm living in places where these kinds of foods are readily available.😁
I understand. I'll tag you when I get the post together. Lots of !luv to you Milly.🤗
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! help(no space) to get help on Hive. Info😍 Ok, that would be awesome. Thank you 🤗
You're welcome.🤗🌺
You have a bountiful garden. It is absolutely the best that one can have when the product we eat are in our backyward. Those dishes look great. I would love to see the end result of the coconut rice - it looks similar to something I make. The yam porridge is different from what I call a porridge but what is in a name. lol It looks delicious. I am sure your mom was happy that you made it. It would be great if you share the recipe.
Yeah, I noticed that what you guys call porridge is different from what we call it.😆
But that's alright and I'd make coconut rice soon enough so I'll show you the end result.
There's a lot of pressure for that recipe. I'll try and get something together.🤗
Ok great 😀
The satisfaction that comes with preparing your food is huge not to even talk of growing them yourself.
Eating out is not something I would do for any reason, I can't even remember the last time I did that.
With the cost of pepper at the moment, you are saving yourself lots of cash. You have done great wonders with your garden produce, great job.... 🤗
Thank you so much @george-dee and yeah, it's a very rewarding activity. I went to the market recently and for #200, the quantity of peppers it was sold for was abysmal. So it's a good thing to invest in, in these times.🌺🤗
It's so cool that you grow your food yourself. The health benefits and other advantages are just endless.
The pepper looks so cute 😅, I never thought I would ever say that😅, but it does.
I would love to learn how to plant some vegetables and fruits some day.
And the plate of porridge, I was about to say, looked super green. Just the way mum would also like it😅. Nice piece.
Thanks for sharing this with us!
Does it now? Lol. Glad you like my cute pepper. Cute owner, cute plant. Hehe.
I think Moms generally are all about, the greener it is on the plate, the better. But I'm glad you like it @zitalove. Thanks for your warm comment 🌺🤗
It is wonderful that they can grow much of the food. Whenever I go to my mum's house I always bring something that she has grown herself, be it chillies (although I don't like spicy ones, I love the ones that aren't), camburs, oregano... I would like to have a house where I can grow food and flowers but at the moment I don't have the space.
Well anytime you have the space, you can always plant. It's rather nice and therapeutic too. So I do hope you get that space soon. Glad you could resonate with my little plant post @verdesmeralda. Lots of love to you.🌺🤗
Being able to enjoy the lifestyle of a self planted garden… hehehe. You do give your all on that farm and it is only right you enjoy the fruit of your labor. Those are very healthy looking plants too and the rice and porridge I bet are yummy. Have you eaten coconut and bread before?
#Dreemerforlife
If this was the farm I was giving my all in, it would have been better. Lol
And it's Yam porridge not rice. You sef😂
PS You have not lived if you haven't eaten coconut with bread.🥺
Oh. So my eyes are paining me? Is that not rice you posted up there? 🙄
That is one thing instilled in us by both my parents that I cannot forget in a hurry or even at all. The necessity of planting what you will feed on as food comprises the basic needs of life.
All cash main foods from beans, cassava, corn, and yam except rice which will need a more swampy area to plant and added fruits/veggies are grown by us mostly for consumption and a few sold off.
Spending hasn't necessarily been curbed but you get your money's worth plus extra in the supply of food not minding the state of the economy.
I stand with you dear. Farming your food is a beautiful experience.
Yeah, that's how I view it. Farming is a beautiful experience. Nature has gifted us with a lot of things at our disposal to make our lives better if we're willing to put in the work.
I'm glad you were able to resonate with this. @whitneyalexx. The trick is to find what works for you and roll with it and if plant power is the way, like in mine, then all the better.🌺🤗
Exactly. Thanks for a lovely read dear.💕
While growing up, I hated home cooked meals. I always thought that eating out was a better option. Also that eating out saves a lot of the time that you’d spend cooking and washing the dishes afterwards. Hehehe.
Now that I’m grown, I understand better that there’s food at home and that cooking your own meals is way better and hygienic.
Anyways, I love pepper and once they’re ripe, I’ll be bringing my bowl to pluck them. Hehehe
This was exactly me. Home cooked meals couldn't come near me with a ten foot pole.
Oh, you're most certainly free. I can't eat them on my own. Thanks for making it here Dearest @mar-ryam21🌺
This was so wonderful, yes I'm in support of planting your food at home, also we have a small farm at home, where we even cassava, so we just make our garri from that. It's reduced expensive. Beautiful work babygirl 🦋💃
And that porridge is so inviting...🤑🤤
#dreemport #dreemerforlife
Yeah. We have a cassava farm too and melon farm as well. It's hardwork trying to maintain them but it's usually very fulfilling in the end. I'm glad you like it and my porridge as well. Lots of !luv to you.🌺🤗
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! help(no space) to get help on Hive. InfoThere are so many benefits tied to gardening. Ranging from the availability of food to eating a more nutritional food rather than chemical/ technology induced food.
Yeah, the benefits tied to gardening are insane. It's just a win-win at all cost. And I'm glad you see it that way. Thanks for making it here.🌺
We won't go hungry if we eat simple food and if we have planted something on our garden. Gardening really have a great role on giving us simple yet healthy food.
Yes, simple yet healthy food. And if you're all about the taste, it has got you covered as well. Thanks for making it here @jenthoughts 🌺
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Your garden is blooming with different plants. You and your family are enjoying the rewards of your labour and saving the money that would have been used to buy those fresh- looking peppers and vegetables (especially the quantity that will suit mom's taste 🤣).
I have a garden as well and I'm really benefiting from it as few cash are retained in my pocket instead of going out 😜.
Appetising meals you've got there.
#Dreemerforlife.
Your mom and mine are the same. I grew up learning farm work. There is practically nothing in farming that I cannot do and it's helping me now. I have a small garden where I do plant some crops and harvesting them do help me save some money.
I guess we have something in common. I rarely eat out because most of the times I do, I have stomach upset and the rest so I prepare my meals and even go to work with my lunch.
It saves me from spending money for hospital bills.
#dreemport #dreemerforlife
Tessa the SuperChef strikes again!
Kamsamida🤗
hehe you are welcome
What language?😏
Hehe well I don't speak Korean, smartpants!