First published Saturday, October 21, 2017
Half-way through the 1970's the "More-with-Less Cookbook" found its way into my family's home, a project hatched in the world-wide Mennonite community as it wrestled with issues of personal responsibility in a world plagued by food shortages. Doris Janzen Longacre started to imagine a way of "wasting less, eating less, and spending less which gives not less, but more." There was a call for low-cost, low-fat, low-sugar and less expensive protein recipes, and it was heeded by thousands, which led to the cookbook. That deeper conversation also took place in my own community at the time. It was an articulated search for ways of living more simply, consuming less and impacting less negatively on the planet. Forty years later, these values are still compelling. Those who feel "overhoused" sometimes look towards downsizing, also known as right-sizing. There is something uniquely satisfying about using available space really well. Case in point: a simple cupboard, purchased cheaply, easily assembled and serving well as a pantry in a modest kitchen. More with Less.
