Montag, 15. Juli 2013

Thoughts on Ramadan and Simplicity

A fresh salad, simple and oh so good!

Wait, Ramadan and Simplicity? How do these two connect??
Maybe you have seen pictures of iftar tables, bending with food, plates loaded with lamb and veggies, loafs of warm bread and lots of dates and fresh fruits and salads. So where is the simplicity??

Well, first of all, I have read so many great blog posts everywhere on the subject of simplicity, they are inspiring me so much. Rhonda at Down-to-earth is doing an especially inspiring series of posts on the subject of starting a life more simple. I love her view on simplifying your life.

Second: To me, Ramadan is always a good time for changes. The on ething I have changed this year is the food. Well, not the food itself, don't mess with traditions! But I am changing the way we deal with the food. Year after year, we have wasted so much food! Where is the sense in that, fasting for 30 days AND throw away food at the same time?
There were always leftovers. Your eyes are big, but the stomach gets smaller and smaller. Every night, there was soup on the table, bread, some meat stew, finger food like bourek, salad and pickles. We are only three people in our household, no wonder we could not eat all of this.

And I forgot to freeze the leftovers more than once. I left the dry bread untill it collected dust and could not be re-used anymore. Or I left the bread in a plastic bag so it became molded. This year, I cook less. I freeze leftovers, I buy less bread.

I also  opt for less packaged food . At the supermarket, everything comes in plastic foil, so I am trying to buy veggies and fruit at the organinic supermarket or at the Turkish market, where you can pick as much as you need, without packaging. Usually, I send Hubby too the Turkish market. But then he comes home with every.single.vegetable in his own plastic bag, everything in a  big bag and some extra (!) plastic bags, for "just in case"...It's driving me crazy!

Now I am doing the shopping by myself with my own bags. I'll try freezing the leftovers  in glass jars rather than plastic, have never tried this, but have seen so many times on the net. Also, this year, I will not buy the -very convenient- cans of chickpeas, instead I will buy large bags of dry ones and soak and cook them myself., so easy...

We will still have soup, bread, stew, salad, fingerfood and pickles every night. Just a little les sof it all.

Keine Kommentare:

Kommentar veröffentlichen