Bailee Bee!

A sustainable lifestyle can often be portrayed by perfection: matching mason jars and reusable straws, canvas tote bags and empty countertops, pantries without a single piece of packaging in sight. But life isn’t perfect, and the best of intentions can be forgotten in times of stress. Today I’d like to share with you a few ways I make my life easier for when times get tough.

When I first started buying locally grown vegetables, it was hard for me to figure out how to use all of them. With some practice and patience, I’ve gotten a lot better at it. Today I’d like to walk you through how I plan to use the seasonal produce I received this week.

In the past few years I’ve taught myself several food preservation methods: fermentation and water bath canning, primarily. But today I’ll talk about how I put food into my freezer, and how I preserve the bounty of not just homegrown and locally grown produce but also foods bought at a typical grocery store. After all, food is still wonderful and precious no matter where it comes from, and you won’t find me wasting it anytime soon.

A sustainable lifestyle is one full of trial and error, learning and growth. Many of my kitchen endeavors have worked out well for my family, but some have not. Today I’d like to share three food related projects that I will never be doing again, and some lessons these failures helped me to remember.