Soapweed
Well-known member
It seems that "all natural" (whatever that is :? ) products are being touted as being so much better than the "stuff you buy in grocery stores." My first reaction is that perhaps most of the people in our modern society have just never been hungry enough to appreciate our wonderful supply of darned good food.
I grew up in the 1950's when things weren't quite as spiffy as what we have it today. We always had a couple milk cows, and I did become fairly accomplished in the art of milking and turning the cream separator. My mother grew up on a Minnesota farm, but was never much of an outdoor person. She tried a garden for a year or two in her early married life, but she hated snakes so bad that she was not able to give growing vegetables proper attention. :roll: As my dad didn't particularly care for garden fresh items, he never really encouraged her along those lines. My mother was a fantastic cook, but didn't had much luck in making bread. Neither she nor my dad particularly liked "home-made" bread anyway, so our family grew up on Old Home brand white bread available in any grocery store. This is still my bread of choice.
Both of my parents always preferred margarine to home-made butter, and that preference has carried on to me. Some of that old rancid stuff that some of our neighbors called "butter" still sends shivers down my spine. Once in a while, if a good fat cow broke a leg or something, my dad would butcher this grass-fat beef to be used by our family. It never ever measured up to grain-fed beef in my book.
The first half of my life I just about couldn't stand fried chicken. Usually the old hens that someone fried and fixed for potluck dinners just didn't pan out all that great. You know, now I rather enjoy Swanson and Banquet brand store-bought fried chicken. McDonald's fast food white-meat chicken mcnuggets are also very good.
As far as there being more honesty and integrity in local butcher shops rather than the big bad evil corporations, that is subject to the people involved. There were plenty of stories in the old days about unscrupulous local butchers who leaned on the back side of their scales when selling meat. It was often inferred that butchers never bought any of their own beef, instead they just took a package or two of meat from each of their customers.
The food supply of our nation gets blamed on the obesity that some of our citizens have. Duh....too much food equates to too much fat. Has anyone ever heard of self-control? Too much food rather than the wrong type is the problem. Instead of going through the drive-through, park the vehicle and walk across the lot and clear up to the counter to order. At least there would be a little bit of exercise involved that would burn off a few extra calories.
I, for one, am very happy with the wonderful food supplies that both the USA and Canada have so readily available. We are nations that are truly blessed. I admire and encourage the entrepeneurs who are filling niche markets with their home-grown "all natural" food products. It would just be more admirable if these products could be promoted without trying to make everything else look less than desirable.
I grew up in the 1950's when things weren't quite as spiffy as what we have it today. We always had a couple milk cows, and I did become fairly accomplished in the art of milking and turning the cream separator. My mother grew up on a Minnesota farm, but was never much of an outdoor person. She tried a garden for a year or two in her early married life, but she hated snakes so bad that she was not able to give growing vegetables proper attention. :roll: As my dad didn't particularly care for garden fresh items, he never really encouraged her along those lines. My mother was a fantastic cook, but didn't had much luck in making bread. Neither she nor my dad particularly liked "home-made" bread anyway, so our family grew up on Old Home brand white bread available in any grocery store. This is still my bread of choice.
Both of my parents always preferred margarine to home-made butter, and that preference has carried on to me. Some of that old rancid stuff that some of our neighbors called "butter" still sends shivers down my spine. Once in a while, if a good fat cow broke a leg or something, my dad would butcher this grass-fat beef to be used by our family. It never ever measured up to grain-fed beef in my book.
The first half of my life I just about couldn't stand fried chicken. Usually the old hens that someone fried and fixed for potluck dinners just didn't pan out all that great. You know, now I rather enjoy Swanson and Banquet brand store-bought fried chicken. McDonald's fast food white-meat chicken mcnuggets are also very good.
As far as there being more honesty and integrity in local butcher shops rather than the big bad evil corporations, that is subject to the people involved. There were plenty of stories in the old days about unscrupulous local butchers who leaned on the back side of their scales when selling meat. It was often inferred that butchers never bought any of their own beef, instead they just took a package or two of meat from each of their customers.
The food supply of our nation gets blamed on the obesity that some of our citizens have. Duh....too much food equates to too much fat. Has anyone ever heard of self-control? Too much food rather than the wrong type is the problem. Instead of going through the drive-through, park the vehicle and walk across the lot and clear up to the counter to order. At least there would be a little bit of exercise involved that would burn off a few extra calories.
I, for one, am very happy with the wonderful food supplies that both the USA and Canada have so readily available. We are nations that are truly blessed. I admire and encourage the entrepeneurs who are filling niche markets with their home-grown "all natural" food products. It would just be more admirable if these products could be promoted without trying to make everything else look less than desirable.
