I was happy to chat with my sweet Kitchen Pioneers during this month’s live stream on February 10, 2022. Among the topics we talked about, the most important was the need to take our traditional foods journey slowly and to always stay within our budget.

This live stream replay is available to Kitchen Pioneers who have joined my YouTube membership community—The Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy.
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Table of Contents
The Traditional Foods Journey
As so many of you shared with me, making the transition from a processed foods kitchen to a traditional foods kitchen can sometimes be overwhelming. I hear you!
I used to be a bit of a fanatic when I decided to jump 100% into the traditional foods movement. As you can imagine, I was quickly overwhelmed because I simply could not be perfect. Who can?
From that rocky start, I learned that the best way to make a smooth transition to a full-fledged, up-and-running traditional foods kitchen is to take our time. Then, as we work our way through what we can do and not stress about what we can’t do, the entire process becomes a pleasant one.
Ingredients and Whole Chickens
Don’t worry about the ingredients you can’t find, such as raw milk. Instead, focus on what you can find, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
And of course, you know I am going to tell you to buy a whole chicken! Any chicken. If you can afford a pastured raised and organic chicken, great! But if not, don’t worry about it. Do the best you can and stay within your budget.
Stay in Your Budget
And why do I always say stay in your budget? Because when we spend more than we have, we create stress, which is the last thing we want to do to ourselves. Stress is detrimental to our health and does not help our bodies get the benefits of the nutritious foods that we are trying to work into our diets.
So take one day at a time, and before you know it, you will have a full-blown traditional foods kitchen within a year or two!
Whole Chicken Recipes
Did you get a whole chicken? Yea! Here are some recipe videos to help you prepare it in many delicious ways.
Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy Live Stream Replays
These live stream replays are available to members of the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy, who we call Kitchen Pioneers. You can learn more about my optional YouTube membership community, including members-only videos and exclusive perks.
This membership community is optional. I’m still publishing my weekly detailed instructional cooking videos on my public YouTube channel that you can watch for free. (Thanks so much for being a Sweet Friend and subscriber!)
In addition to links to the latest Kitchen Academy vodcasts, this blog post lists some of the public videos that I talk about in my live stream.
More Kitchen Pioneer Videos
I publish exclusive videos for my membership community. In case you have missed any of my past videos, be sure to catch up with the videos below.
- Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy video playlist (Optional Membership Community)
Here are a few of my previous member videos:
Stay in Touch with Maryโs Nest
- Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
- Subscribe to Maryโs Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Get a hardcover book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Get Mary's latest hardcover cookbook about preserving food and making delicious meals from your Four Corners Pantry. Mary's second cookbook is also published by Penguin Random House.
I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!
Shop for items used in this blog post or video
Favorite Kitchen Supplies
- Favorite Aprons
- Spice Grinder
- Countertop Burner (On my kitchen island in many recipe videos.)
- Handheld Vacuum Sealing System
- Vacuum Lids
- Whisk
- Silica Gel Packets (Helps keep moisture from building up in your mix)
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- 8-Quart Slow-Cooker
- Fat Separator (Clever kitchen device to help you decant bone broth)
- Flour Sack Towels
- pH Strips (Helps you check on the acidity of your vinegar)
Use promo code MARYSNST for a one-time 15% off Masontops and Breadsmart products on Amazon.com.
Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide
- Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
- Get a 30-day Audible trial with a free audiobook
- Visit my Shopping Guide page
Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Backwoods Home, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, and More!










