Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details. (Note: the schedule is now full until May — but if you don’t mind waiting, feel free to send me your submission!)
Today, I’m pleased to introduce you to Lisa Fine. She’s the blogger behind Lisa’s Foods on the Move, where she moves towards simplicity through unconventional eating, and tracks her minimalist and other ventures, including baking her own bread for an entire year.
Lisa writes:
Lisa Fine
When I think about all of the ways I can make my life more minimized, food always seems to come to mind (besides giving away, selling, and throwing all kinds of items I no longer need, which I’ve been doing plenty of the last few months).
As a former vegan, and a current vegetarian and healthy foodie, I love to think of ways to eat and cook more healthfully, and more simply.
Two people whom I often think about in this quest are Helen and Scott Nearing, who decided late in life to uproot from New York City to Vermont and then Maine, to live more authentically and sustainably. They were vegetarians, grew most of their own food, bought a lot of food items in bulk, and rarely ate anything processed.
Why am I so in awe by this radically odd and eccentric couple?
Because they lived a minimalist life starting in the 1950s, when most Americans were just starting to pick up on consumerism. Because they wanted to have as little impact on the earth as possible. Because they deliberately spent four hours a day working – building stone buildings, gardening, and making and selling maple syrup and other goods – and four hours a day playing – making music, writing, reading, and socializing with their many visitors.
While I’m not off to live as extreme a lifestyle as the Nearings, I do hold their ideals up high, and late last year, put my talk into action. I began a series of Ventures, projects and goals that involve activities I want to learn more about, grow through, and minimize through.
Some ways I’m currently minimizing through food:
+ Bread baking. In November I decided that for one year, I would bake my own bread. Sick of the packaging and poor flavor and texture of store bought breads, I am on a mission to bake all of my own, mostly through my bread machine and no-knead recipes. No more excuses that it takes too much time or that I don’t have the right ingredients – I want to prove to myself that I can live minimally in a different sense, and to challenge myself.
+ Cereal making. Another venture I’m pursuing is to make my own cereals for a year. While I eat lots of oatmeal, I usually buy several boxes and bags of cereal a year, tired of eating the same breakfasts. No more. Just like with the bread, I’ll be experimenting with different recipes for granola, muesli, and homemade hot cereals all year long.
+ Buying in bulk. The closest food co-op is about half an hour away, so I only make a trip there once a month or so. I fill up my reusable bags with mason jars and other containers, and get them weighed when I arrive. Then I fill them with grains, flours, beans, oils, nuts, chocolate chips, and soap, with no extra packaging involved. Plus, once I get home, I can unload the containers straight into the cupboard.
I like to think of these Ventures as steps towards a more sustainable and simpler life, and continue to think of creative ways to minimize, especially in the kitchen. Better to live the life you want to live than to dream about it.
{If you’d like to read more about minimalist living, please consider buying my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
To be clear… because this woman bakes her own bread and has two role models who are minimalists, she too is considered a minimalist?
My view of minimalism is pretty broad and inclusive. I think people apply minimalist principles to their lives in different ways–be it reducing their possessions, their carbon footprint, their consumerism, etc.
I find the different facets of this lifestlye fascinating–which is why I love running this weekly feature. :)
I am *thoroughly* inspired by this idea of working for four hours and playing for four hours every day. I’m also caught by the idea of baking my own bread for a year–whoa. This is cool! This whole post totally recharged my batteries and makes me want to do neat stuff.
Thank you Lisa for sharing your story! I enjoyed reading how you are minimizing through food. I am also striving to live an environmentally sustainable life and become freer. You idea for making your own breads and cereals sounds great!
I’m inspired by the thought of a food co-op and using my own packaging. There has got to be something like this in the Chicago area. Now just to find it and use it!
The Nearings were fantastic!! I must have read Living the Simple Life a hundred times in my 20’s and 30’s…so inspirational.
Sorry…Living the Good Life
Lisa,
I just went to your blog and read about persimmons! Why does this excite me? Because I haven’t had a good ripe persimmon since I lived in South Korea (9 years ago). It’s time to go on a hunt!
Aw, thanks, and I’m glad you’re inspired to find persimmons. I love them so much, but wish they were available seasonally and more often in Massachusetts. Good luck finding them!
Bravo, Lisa! I’ve baked our own bread for 25 years — you will get so spoiled on it, you’ll never want to go back to the cheap “store boughten” stuff. Same with muesli and granola. Easy to vary with dried fruit, nuts and spice combinations. I love your mason jar bulk buying idea. I’m going to have to try that … thank you!
Lately it seems like many of the minimalist blogs are pushing vegetarianism/veganism as the best/correct way to be “minimal”. That’s not an option for those of us that feel that grains are not healthy and that animal protein and fat is. My food style is healthy, and simple; local, pasture raised meats and fats (beef, pork, lamb), fresh veggies, pastured eggs, some nuts, a little fruit. You can have a simple lifestyle and still eat meat!
i don’t think she was pushing her lifestyle or saying you can’t be a meat-eating minimalist. she’s just saying what she’s personally doing.
Hi Lisa your story, like so many others I am reading sounds absolutely awesome and quite parallel to my own life. You look gorgeous by the way and I would guess that it’s due to your natural diet and the happiness that comes with living life according to your values. I will head on over and check out your blog now but I just wanted to say thanks for sharing!!
Worth reading from one of minimalism proponents. He’s even taking his book The Art of Being Minimalist off the market.
Fuck Minimalism: How a Movement Began to End
http://www.farbeyondthestars.com/fuckminimalis/
LOL — to each his own.
i really wanted to read that, but it redirects to a totally different page. :/
I like how Lisa has incorporated healthy lifestyle choices in her minimalist approach. Just an idea, but maybe we should have a forum or something similar to exchange minimalist recipe ideas? I think that would be great because I’ve noticed a great deal of recipes usually require 10 different herbs or over 5 ingredients at least. And while I understand some of this could be for nutritional reasons, I don’t really think it’s necessary to have that many ingredients to meet your nutritional guidelines. I saw a great book in Kmart the other day http://www.4ingredients.com.au/recipes
I was considering buying it but wanted to know if it’s on kindle/e-book. Hopefully if not I may just buy the book or enquire :)
Thanks for sharing this book, Carly. It’s a great idea to exchange recipes, and I’d like to try to arrange something like this on my blog. If you’re interested, I’m collecting vegetarian and vegan recipes (up to 3 per person) until February 12th, and they’re going to be used in a fundraiser cookbook. All net profits will go to Farm Aid, an American organization that supports local and organic growing practices, and keeps farmers on their land.
Ah I just noticed the name of your blog *slaps forehead* haha.
But it’s a great idea, I’ll take a look. Thanks Lisa and to MM for posting this.
Hi carly. if you go look up stonesoup, Jules gives ways of reducing complicated recipes down to just 5 ingredients. very helpful stuff
http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=534309 Although must admit I just came across this review and felt a bit disappointed. Still- it may be a handy cookbook for novices or people on the go. And it has “extra” suggestions to add if you feel the meal is too plain- so you can basically mix and match to your own preference.
Haha sorry for all the comments but I’ve read the reviews and well- simply put alot of the recipes are processed and unhealthy, which totally goes against my values on health. Still- I think it would be a good idea to exchange healthy, wholesome minimalist recipes.
I love your “minimizing through food” projects. I know what you mean about being tired of store-bought foods and getting tired of eating the same thing.
One way that we are working to change our lives currently is thru our food. We were definitely the “eat everything from packages and cans”. We are moving towards fixing our own meals from scratch. Big shift for us. LEarning to enjoy the process of cooking with fresh veggies and spices.
Loved meeting Lisa!
Bernice
Letting go of who I thought I was supposed to be
Cultural differences are fascinating… Never knew that baking bread was so unusual in the US! We have done it routinely for years, and are not unusual here in the UK.
P.S. Whilst a bread maker is a great way to get some confidence, it really is incredibly easy to make bread entirely by hand, and kneading is not something to be scared of. Hand made bread has a superior consistency and texture to machine baked bread in our experience.
I have been truly set free by learning about minimalism/decluttering. I found myself trapped for the most miserable 6 long years mainly stemming from being tied down by possessions. No more- I am moving by end of February and leaving most things simoly behind in exchange of my security deposit. Money very well spent, and thereafter will never fall into such societal traps again. I am my own being and have suffered too long subscribing to narrow minded “norms and mores”. Anyhow, sites like theese are godsend and would still (possibly forever) be imprisoned in body and mind without the simple yet all liberating ideas and practiced ideas throughout the minimalist sites, especially this one. I used to live similarly and did’nt know how well I was really doing. I saved so much that I bought into the “have lots of expensive possessions to show for your success”, and soon thereafter I was a slave tied down to them. Turns out that before my life destroying consumer binge, I was a model for simple smart living. Now I am returning to simple smart living, with more emohasis of being very mobile, almost a modern nomad. I will be living short periods in all the places I dreamed of living to find where to settle. Few multipurpose possessions is key for me. I plan to share alot more as I have found this a gewat place to share and learn. Right now I am concentrating of food and food prep minimalism, as proper nutrition is mandatory for a happy and healthy state of being. Looking now mostly for sites where people can find the best prices for buying bulk food online. Any help would be literally life saving. Sincerest Gratitude to ALL :)
I love the idea of using reusable containers. I hate the amount of crap that we waste everyday. Getting the mail everyday is depressing because of all the paper that goes to waste. I am going to look for more ways to use reusable containers. Thanks.
From rooting plant cuttings in medicine bottles to using jar lids as palettes, so many things can be repurposed. There is a wealth of things we see every day that can be used one more time.
I suggested to my husband that when we go out for fast food we bring our own utensils with us rather than use plastic as it is non-recyclable. He thinks I’m crazy. Yet he gives money to lots of environmental groups. We have plenty of mismatched stainless steel utensils we could keep in the car and I always carry plastic bags for taking home recyclables.
I bought some bowls at a thrift shop so my houseplants living in margarine containers can have better looking homes. I like that my Chicago condo looks like the tropics.
I try to pass things on and reuse everything. I get upset when I see littering like I did this morning at the park near our home.
I used to bring cheap plastic gloves and clean litter everywhere I went. Now, I only clean around the neighborhood and forest preserves. I wish there weren’t so many water bottles and the thin plastic bags that fly around.
I read an article that there are several different reasons people become minimalists. There are many kinds of minimalism. I am thrifty and trying to save the planet. There are minimalists who want few things but better things. I enjoy making art from things that cost nothing. I also like my home to be neat and ond tidy. I know artists who have huge stacks of egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, and various kinds of paper. Unless I am teaching a class in the next few weeks, I recycle cardboard, egg cartons, string, and a lot of other things I can easily replace.