Cool Info to Complement Your Yoga…On and Off the Mat

Ok, so how many plastic food storage containers do you have tucked away in your cupboards? You know what I’m talking about. The little ones, the big ones, the round ones, the rectangular ones, the ones with little compartments, the ones with missing lids, the ones with warped lids, the ones permanently stained from that pasta sauce you had in there 2 years ago. Yeah. I know. Well, just like the Jefferson’s it’s time we start ‘movin’ on up’!

I’m sure you’ve heard that plastic isn’t good for the environment. Maybe you’ve even heard that plastic leaches chemicals into the food it contains. And if you added up all the money you’ve spent on plastic thingies that you’ve purchased in the last several years and you come up with an amount that you’d be embarrassed to admit to, then isn’t it time for a change?

Old Timey Mason Jars. Photo Courtesy of AlabamaFrugalMom.com

Enter:  the wonderful, magical Mason jar!

So, mason jars aren’t just for canning. They are multi-functional, sturdy, reusable and safer than plastic. I’m sure you have some already in your house from sauces or condiments  that you might have purchased . It’s kind of crazy to think that we are (hopefully) recycling these useful storage containers while we reach for our gross old plastic thingies to put our precious food in. Or worse, we’ve gone out and bought new plastic thingies, when right at our disposal are beautiful glass jars just waiting to be used.

So make a extra big batch of sauce or soup and store it in your trusty mason jars. Freeze them and then on those days you don’t want to fuss with food, you still have something wholesome and made with care at your finger tips. You can tote your soup or stew to work in them and reuse for the next meal later. They clean up beautifully and again, no leaching of chemicals like the plastic stuff.

Hey my jar is Sprouting!

Sprout in your jars! Bean sprouts are chock full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals & enzymes.  Sprout People are a good resource for info on how to sprout in jars and they have cute accoutrements,  if you want to spend the dough. They have a video you can watch about how to sprout on their site which is good. I like the video from MountainRoseHerbs.com a little more.

Serve drinks in your jars! Nothing like sittin’ on the porch in the summer with a mason jar of ice-cold lemonade or sweet tea, pickin’ away on a banjo (the banjo thing is optional). Or use it as your water bottle. No need to go out and get another one that you let get stinky or end up losing on a road trip anyway. Let the mason jar be your water fountain.

Store your craft/office supplies in your jars. Keep your cotton balls/Q-tips/lip balms, etc. in them. Save your change in them. Put flowers in them like as a vase. The small ones can be used for herbs and the big ones for your dried goods-cereals, flour, etc. stays fresh and won’t be easy prey for critters.  If you are lucky enough to be able to buy food and herbs in bulk where you live, you eliminate all that needless packaging too.

Cherry Pie in a Cute Mason Jar! Photo Courtesy of ourbestbites.com

And if you are feeling a little sassy you can make cute little pies in small jars and wow everyone. (FYI: If you do this and bring me a yummy, cute pie, you get a free yoga class! Pot pie, berry pie, whatever -as long as it’s cute and yummy, you definitely deserve a yoga class and a hug!)

Glass jars come in all sizes and shapes: half gallon, quart and little ones too! There are all kinds of lids to go with the different sizes too. You can buy the jars and lids online or at one of those big retail stores. And you can start reusing the jars that your food comes in.

Hey, we’ve all got some plastic in the closet somewhere, but when you can, try integrating glass into your life and at the least try not buying any more plastic thingies.  There is so much these jars can do to make your life better. Store, cook and serve in them and more. You won’t be spending money on disposable junk and you won’t be storing your precious food in thingies that poison you or the environment. Plus, I think you’ll look super cool toting around yer jars and your cupboards will look nice too. Happy Jarring!