Taking back control over your food.

[SoCalDem]

I know it sounds impossible, but every little bit you do CAN help.

Many people under 40 have been raised on "fast-food" or "packaged-mixes" or "frankenfoods".

The franken-foods are harder to eliminate since the very essence of them has been manipulated at the start, but there's a LOT you can do about the others.

NUMBER ONE:.. Ignore all the glitzy ads on tv and in magazines/papers

NUMBER TWO:... Stop buying the prepared stuff

NUMBER THREE:... Invest in some old cookbooks (used book stores/flea markets/estate sales..or even online)

NUMBER FOUR:...Buy a decent food processor

NUMBER FIVE:... PURGE your cupboards and freezer of all the "combination foods".

NUMBER SIX:...Learn how to cook..(It's not rocket science, and once you get the hang of it, it actually takes less time than you would think.

NUMBER SEVEN:.. Make your OWN "frozen dinners" for times when you don't want to cook.

NUMBER EIGHT:... Plant a garden and let your kids help..Anti-veggie kids will probably eat "their" own veggies..(Mine did)

NUMBER NINE:... Buy good spices

NUMBER TEN :... Make your OWN cake mixes, pancake mixes, baking mixes (HP Make-A-Mix Cookbooks are wonderful)

Modern people think they have no time to "cook from scratch", but it's not that hard and it takes less time than one thinks.

It's not a cheap as buying $1 Banquet frozen dinners or 2/$5 Dominos Pizza, but it's a lot better for you, and so-called convenience foods are LOADED with salt and artificial flavors.

Look for canned foods that have the FEWEST "ingredients".. Choose the no salt added, if you can.. Choose UNSWEETENED when you buy canned fruits.

Buy local and buy local in-season when possible.

Unsweetened iced tea made from water & teabags is better for you than soft drinks & adulterated juices. (My own kids did not have their first taste of soda pop or koolaid until they were school age, and they still prefer unsweetened iced tea as adults.

There are many things you can make on your own that are so cheap, you cannot imagine. You probably just never tried, and don;t even know it.

Here are a few family "specials" that we have always loved..and are super fast too

Left over rice, a little chopped ham, sliced green onions, julienned carrots, a little soy sacue and some other veggies and you have instant stir fry

Peel an apple, core it, split it almost to the bottom (in fourths)..sprinkle a little cinnamon on it and zap it in the microwave (covered)..serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Light frosting for a cake.. whipped cream with mooshed frozen strawberries blended in.. (sweetened with real sugar)

Make your own cookies.. (just about any ole recipe will yield more cookies and there's no comparison on taste)

MOST of the prepared foods actually started with a "real" recipe that has just been adulterated to accomodate the middlemen... not the comsumer.

Salad dressings take about 10 seconds to make..

If you have a breadmaker, and then buy the "mixes", you are still getting the "add-ins" from the corporate food companies.

Get a nice breadboard, and assemble the dough yourself from the basics.

If the box-mixes end up staying on grocers' shelves instead of in grocery carts, they WILL change . As long as people keep buying the stuff, it will elbow out more healthy stuff..

To us oldies, these tips are second-nature, and I am not trying to be "preachy", but I know there are busy people out there who just never took the time, or had parents who taught them to cook.

Commercials have been selling us "fast & easy" for so long that many people actually believe them.

That's a myth that needs busting..in a big way..

[Donnachaidh]

1. Old Cookbooks are a TREASURE

I am teaching my kid to cook with real food so he doesn't get caught up in the fast and lazy food circle of poison.

Take it BACK people! :rant:

[SoCalDem]

3. It's a great way to teach them math too..

My boys are all great cooks, because they started out doing it as kids.

I know they do 'cheat', but they don't have allergies or weight problems, so I'm happy about that.

My grandfather always said "Food's cheaper than medicine":)_

[kineneb]

10. hanging on to mine

I have several from an antique store that were printed between 1910 and 1930. They are fun, but not necessarily healthy - boiled vegetables comes to mind (uck). On the other hand, I have one of Julia Child's early cookbooks and it has wonderfully detailed instructions for really good food.

[SoCalDem]

12. True.. I have one from the '20s & sheez some of the things they ate

There is actually a recipe in there that uses SQUIRRELS :cry:

[Donnachaidh]

102. wow -- of course, people were alot poorer back then

But with rabies and other assorted critters being carried around by squirrels -- I'd be too scared to try it.

We tried quail once -- blech. And I cannot force myself to even try rabbit, even though our market offers it.

My grandmother used to go to the market to buy 10 CENTS worth of hamburger to feed 3 people - can you imagine that today?

[SoCalDem]

105. When I first got married, I would always look for the $3.00 roast

a $3 roast was perfect for us and for leftovers.. but then I could also fill my full-sized dodge with $4 worth of gas :)

[Donnachaidh]

109. told my son that I would gas up my VW for the week -- $5 for a tankload

and then drive a total of 500 miles a week on it, back and forth to college. He was STUNNED. I wish we still had even something close to those prices.

[Hekate]

112. Squirrel, possum, raccoon, beaver, woodchuck -- this from my 1973 copy of Joy of Cooking

Made me realize just how citified I am. The Little House books and folk songs alike celebrate the tastiness of "small game" as well as their usefulness in fending off starvation in pioneers and country folk. When I got Joy of Cooking I was still living in Hawaii, where there aren't any of those particular animals, so it was still an abstract concept.

It was a bit of a shock the first time I really looked at some of those critters (squirrel, possum, and raccoon) wandering through my California coastal suburb and realized they were formerly popular food items. Squirrels are LITTLE -- how many would it take to feed a family?

Bemusedly,

Hekate

[AnneD]

151. How many squirrels to feed your family?

depends on the way you prepare it and the number of people. If you fry them, 1-2 squirrel per 2 people. If you are going for squirrel dumplings, 1 for 2 people. Quail 1 for 1.

I never cares for possum (greasy AND ugly)and racoon(hands are too human). Snake and rabbit are ok. I love elk and deer (roasts, steake and ground into hamburger, sausages, hot dogs, etc).

They take different prep but all are good and most folks can't really guess WHAT they are eating.

I have an extensive collection of cookbook and my fav are the pioneer books and depression and WWII era, when they rationed everything.

[diamidue]

180. Squirrel recipe - short video

The woman in this video used one squirrel to make 4 "squirrel melts" on English muffins.

I've got many squirrels in my CA yard, too. But seeing the little squirrel in this video get shot so that the woman's son could have a squirrel sandwich was too much for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RlK0Xd4c2c

[jwirr]

160. Back then squirrels were healthier than they are now. Many today

have worms in their livers. Not unlike the penned hogs they raise now.

[SoCalDem]

162. Another reason to not eat the precious little cutie pies n/t

[Donnachaidh]

14. oh me too -- only problem I have is with

terminology. For stove heat and measuring yeast. My local stores don't sell yeastcakes anymore, so I have to wing it when making bread by hand.

I have one tiny book of cakes that I swear by. Even has Depression era cakes and cookies, so you can really save on ingredients.

[murielm99]

120. Buy yeast in the jars,

instead of the small packets.

I agree with you about terminology. They talk about #2 and #10 cans, and that sort of thing. I had to ask about those things.

My grandmother made four loaves of bread every day. She had nine kids. She also made wonderful cookies with less expensive ingredients. She made pies with whatever was most bountiful in her garden and orchard that year. I use some of her recipes.

I live in the country. I learned to garden and to harvest the fruit from our trees by trial and error.

My kids all went to 4-H. They learned to cook at an early age, and were rewarded for it through 4-H. If you live anywhere near a 4-H club, sign your kids up for it.

My son was a problem when he got older. I only bought pop and sugary treats about once a month. We went to fast food restaurants rarely. When he went away to school, he was so enamored of the novelty that he gained a great deal of weight. He continued to live on that stuff for several years after college. He developed migraines, and found out he was borderline diabetic. He started a sensible diet, but had his gall bladder removed at 25. Now he is on a Seattle Sutton diet, and he has lost 34 pounds. I started to wonder if I should have brought some of that junk food home more often. But my girls never had a problem with that stuff. They have continued to eat healthy foods. They never did understand why their brother needed everything super-sized and a foot long. We are glad he did not pay an even higher price for his eating habits.

[Carni]

157. Anyone know what the hell *sweet milk is*???

Speaking of OLD cookbooks and this very topic...I was lucky enough to find an old *gourmet southern cooking* collection from the 50's and there truly are some great recipes in it (now I know where Emeril and co got theirs....ah-hem!)

To get to the point many of the baking recipes call for *sweet milk* is that sweetened condensed milk?

In other recipes it will just call for white sauce -- I don't know if there was a canned white sauce they used back then or if they mean a butter, flour light roux with milk added kind of a *white sauce* (bechamel I think?)

I agree with the original poster though--people are a lot better off, staying as far away as they can, from the prepared, high fructose laden, preservative laden garbage on the market today!

[SoCalDem]

158. white sauce.. butter -flour-milk that's all it is

They didn;t explain it because everyone knew how to make it..

chipped beef on toast
tuna casseroles
biscuits & gravy
chicken fried steak
new potatoes & peas (now I'm hungry dammit)

all used white sauce


sweet milk is probably condensed, but evaporated milk is also sweet..hmm

might want to ask an "oldie" :)

[Carni]

165. OK that's what I suspected about the white sauce

Thanks! I didn't know if white sauce then was the same as now!

[cpamomfromtexas]

174. Sweet milk is regular milk which is different than buttermilk

That's how they differentiated it.

[SoCalDem]

159. Online discussion of "sweet milk".. it seems to be just regular whole milk

http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/merrymeeting/vpost?id=1023372

[Carni]

168. Thanks! eom

[BonnieJW]

198. As opposed to buttermilk

Sweet milk is regular milk.

[KittyWampus]

24. Depends on what you mean by 'old'. From 50-60's many call for canned soup etc.

However, my Grandmothers from when she was in college (Boston School Cookbook, ex.) are good standards.

Craig Claiborne's NYTimes version from the 60's is a good standard, IMO.

Less orante than Julia C.'s.

[Raksha]

119. You guys inspired me to dig out one of my old cookbooks,

although it's not really all that old. It's from 1981 and it's the Los Angeles Times California Cookbook. I found it at a thift shop but then forgot all about it until tonight. I'm in southern California so it's very relevant and useful. A lot of the recipes call for monosodium glutamate (always marked "optional"), but I hope I'm smart enough to ignore that. Other than that, the focus on fresh fruits and vegetables makes it just as relevant as it ever was.

[grace0418]

173. But lots of old cookbooks are full of recipes calling for lard, way too much sugar,

way too many simple carbs, and directions to cook the living crap out of vegetables, fruits and protein until there is no flavor or nutrition left. My mother still thinks vegetables should be boiled until they are limp and tasteless. Better to find a modern cookbook that focuses on easy healthy recipes than to use one of those old ones. Just MHO.

[SoCalDem]

179. I know I know.. but when I make refried beans I MUST use lard

they just don't taste right without it.. But we don't eat lard sandwiches or anything.. just those refried beans..gotta have the lard :)

[grace0418]

183. I'm more of an "everything in moderation" kind of person.

I enjoy bacon, I'm sorry but I do. I don't eat it every day but I do have it once in awhile. And I know that the restaurant in Chicago that makes the best refriend beans I've ever had is generous with the lard. But some of those old cookbooks have shocking amounts of pretty awful ingredients.

[SoCalDem]

184. It's all they had then, so we can modify them to use what we have

My husband still remebers having to knead in the yellow dye when margarine frist came out.. I never buy margarine. We use very little butter, I'd rather risk it to have a little real butter on my carrots :)

[grace0418]

186. Oh heck yeah. Real butter for sure. I actually buy European style butter in foil

wrappers. Everything else starts to taste like the inside of the box after a bit.

[Cant trust em]

189. If moderation is key...

...try making a few more meals per week vegetarian. I'm a meat eater and there aren't a whole lot of things more satisfying than a big steak, so I'm certainly not a veggie snob. That being said, I don't a huge chunk of meat every day. Smaller portion sizes and more vegetables can go a long way towards a healthy diet and a healthier environment.

[grace0418]

193. I do make several vegetarian meals per week, actually.

And even when I do have meat I eat only a few ounces.

But maybe you were just giving that as general advice.

[Cant trust em]

194. Yeah.

More of a general statement, not specifically in response to your post. I'm new here so I'm still trying to work out the etiquette on where to post.

[grace0418]

195. Welcome, Cant trust em.

I know it can be confusing! :hi:

[BonnieJW]

199. Actually, lard is better for you

than Crisco when you need to use a solid fat. At least lard is real food, while Crisco is something like eating plastic. And you body just doesn't know what to do with Crisco, so it just tucks it away in your arteries.

[Shallah Kali]

214. There are at least two Non-Hydrogenated Shortenings out there to replace crisco & the like

Earth Balance Shortening - No GMOs http://www.earthbalance.net/product.html#p6

Spectrum Organics Shortening - http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=87

for those who are vegan or just go Yuk! at the thought of lard ;)

[DireStrike]

197. I wish I had some old cookbooks

Some that had basic information and simple, common recipes. Every cookbook I pick up is filled with strange things newly imported from whatever foreign culture is the "flavor of the month", excuse the pun.

I just want to know how to cook standard food well with local common ingredients.

[Xenotime]

210. Old cookbooks make great hot pads...

for microwave meals...

[SoCalDem]

211. You rascal :)

[Xenotime]

212. LOL love the graphic.

[Raven]

2. You are wonderful! Just wonderful. Thanks for this post! n/t

[gizmo1979]

4. I always cook out of

my two heart healthy cookbooks,made by the American heart assoc.My only concern is,where are my spices coming from?How do I learn the origin of the spices I use?I use Durkee most of the time unless it's an obscure spice.

[SoCalDem]

6. I know what you mean, but since they are truly used in miniscule amounts

and they are usually "single ingredient", you're probably ok..

The combo-spices might be another thing, since they often have lots of alphabet-ingredients listed ..

[Donnachaidh]

8. have you ever thought of growing your OWN spices?

Those are the sort of things that can be done in a sunny kitchen window -- or a window box.

[SoCalDem]

9. My kitties would probably graze on them :)

I haven't grown my own spices, but I know people who love homegrown spices.. Actually the spices I use a lot, I'm not sure i could grow them.. I use mostly pepper, saffron, cinnamon & oregano :)

[Donnachaidh]

11. my kitties graze on what they can reach

But I feel better about that - at least I know what they are ingesting.

I also have boxes on my porch that are used for spices. Furbabies don't go out there. I'd grown some catnip for them, but the youngest is a really MEAN drunk when he gets into it. :eyes:

[SoCalDem]

13. Catnip causes a RIOT in my house.. (we have several cats)

they go a bit berserk and squabbles ensue :rofl:

[Hekate]

113. A lot of herbs are pretty easy, especially the perennials

In my area the Mediterranean-type herbs take hold well--rosemary grows into a bush, the oregano and lemon balm have "escaped" and seeded themselves around the yard, which is fine with me, thyme stays in one spot but is hardy, sage is very tough, and so on. The tender herbs are more difficult--I am finally keeping them in big pots under the eaves to mitigate our sun and heat. The French sorrel really took off when I did that.

I think if I ever found myself back in an apartment with a balcony I could still keep a bunch of these going.

The first time I roasted a chicken with a couple of handsful of fresh sage, rosemary and sorrel, I was amazed at the difference. Same thing with squash.

Actual spices are often from tropical trees, so there's not much to be done about needing to buy them. Like you, I use a lot of cinnamon.

Hekate

[gizmo1979]

18. I've tried but I get

confused on harvesting and what part to use.They always seem to all look the same.

[kestrel91316]

65. Growing herbs at home is easy. Spices are harder - they come from

tropical environments like India and Indonesia for the most part, and are tree parts.

[SoCalDem]

67. I still have some of my Tahitian vanilla It smells so divine :) n/t

[Shallah Kali]

88. Do you have a healthfood store near by that sells bulk spices? Organic bulk can be cheeper than reg.

If they Frontier Co-op ( http://www.frontiercoop.com/ ) they list the origin of their spices whether they are conventional or organic. Unless you buy the ultra cheap spices and herbs buying in bulk is probably less expensive than the name brands plus they might have some unusual things you might end up loving. I had never found Herbes de Provance at the grocery store but found it at the health food store and I love it on chicken and on potatoes.

[Gormy Cuss]

152. With spices, irradiation and age are usually at issue. Country of origin is rarely shown.

Many commercial spices have been irradiated. If that doesn't bother you that's fine, but there are ways to avoid it and get fresher tasting spices too. Whole Foods or an old hippie-style food coop would have many spices in bulk bins and they're better priced than the pre-tinned ones at the supermarket. The price is per pound and looks ridiculous high but you don't buy more than an ounce or two at a time of most herbs and spices. You will find that the bulk spices are more intensely flavored because they're at least a year younger than the pre-packaged national brands.

Another good source for inexpensive, fresh-tasting, non-irradiated spices is CostPlus World Market. For most common herbs and spices they sell their own brand in cellophane packs and they're cheap. They have stores in your state but I don't know how close to you. Their website is www.costplus.com

[knitter4democracy]

171. Penzey's is the best.

They do what they can to encourage good growing techniques, and they actually travel to check on things. I use them a lot except for what I grow and dry myself. They have good no-salt and low-salt mixes, too.

http://www.penzeys.com

[Raksha]

5. Great post - K & R

[aquamarina]

7. Excellent post. Excellent advice.

[live love laugh]

29. Agree. nt

[uppityperson]

15. Buy a pressure cooker and use it.

Don't cook dried peas, don't load too full, otherwise they are simple and (mostly) safe. They can cut way down on cooking times, for instance if you presoak dried beans they will take 15-20 min to cook. If you don't pre-soak they will take 16-21 min to cook. Yes, you can come home from work and cook food fast.

[Donnachaidh]

16. umm -- you just gave me a flashback I'd ratehr not have

pressure cooked turkey at Thanksgiving. :shiver: I swore I'd NEVER buy one of those things after having to eat turkey with a spoon. :puke:

[uppityperson]

19. No no no no no. Turkey soup=yes. Turkey-NO

[SoCalDem]

21. Microwaved turkey is a cruel hoax too.

:rofl:

The year my best friend and i got our microwaves 1978 or 79..we had almost a daily ritual we called the "Microwave flop 'o the day"

The recipes in the book looked so yummy, but mostly we arrved at the conclusions that those mega-expensive contraptions we HAD to have, were best for warming coffee & for storing bread :)

[SoCalDem]

17. I still use my grandmother's pressure cooker (circa 1930's)

and I have two newer ones.. LOVE those things..

I always soak beans & lentils overnight and then cook at low temp (no pressure cooker for them)..

Nothing better than homemade ham & beans..

To get the lucious color, I use about 10 carrots, blended into a mooshy consistency.. and of course smoked hamhocks (which I discard and use chopped lean ham after the beans are done..) I know it may seem unhealthy, but I also put in a stick of butter.. But then I use a HUGE pot and freeze about half of it.

I also save chicken bones in the freezer until I have a bunch and then use the pressure cooker to make a nice broth for chicken & dumplings ..

Mostly I use my PCs for tougher cuts of meat & swiss steak ..and to cook unsmoked pork roasts (to make egg rolls)..

I have never had a cookbook for them, so I cook by the seat of my pants with them.. We prefer our veggies a bit "crispy", so I mostly cook them on top of the stove :)

[BrotherBuzz]

114. One of my favorite things to cook in my pressure cooker, esp. in the winter

is a chuck roast with a sliced big onion browned first for 20 minutes or so, then pressure cooked, with enough water to surround the roast, @15 lbs. for 30-40 minutes . We either have the meat shredded in burritos with refried beans, rice, shredded cheese, salsa, cilantro, and sour cream, or we have it as sliced pot roast with mashed or baked potatoes and a vegetable/salad.
Then I have the delicious broth and some meat left over for chili; heat in pot (after toasting some chili powder and cumin in it) with canned or home cooked pinto and or kidney beans.
Or it provides ready-made onion soup with a round of sourdough bread and parmesan cheese in oven proof bowls, put under the broiler for a few minutes. YUM!

[SoCalDem]

115. Same here. and that wonderful broth makes the BEST french dip sandwiches

EVER.. and gravy's a snap too..

I brown the roast before I pressure it too to make the au jus nice & brown :)

and the mushed up onion in the gravy is to die for :)

I do the same with swiss steak, only I add canned tomatoes. yummmmm

[Shallah Kali]

86. Crockpots are excellent too. Fill it up, go away, come back food is done

the only problem is that things smell so go long before it is cooked enough to eat. My Grandmother swears her kids would never have gotten fed if not for her crockpot. Her husband was useless and she worked full time so the only way for her to get a decent meal for dinner was to load the crockpot before going to work.

I am still learning to cook myself after years of subsisting on tv dinners and canned soup. That is about the only good thing to come of my celiac disease getting diagnosed.

[Retrograde]

137. All I use mine for is canning stocks

and I feel I'm getting my money's worth! I feel so virtuous looking at my shelves of chicken and beef stock, made from scraps and bones, just waiting to be made into a quick soup or sauce.

[SoCalDem]

225. Pressure cookers are good for so much more than canning..

Once you use it for roast beef , you'll never want to change your method:)

[terip64]

20. Walk around the outside aisles at the store. Stay out of the middle aisles as much as possible. nt

[Donnachaidh]

22. Has anyone else noticed the disappearance of INGREDIENTS in their stores?

Our local supermarket has a steadily shrinking produce aisle. And simple ingredients are disappearing off the shelves -- types of flour, etc.

I've had to resort to the local organic store just to buy ingredients for meals. And don't EVEN get me started on cleaning supplies! My local market no longer carries the REFILLS for fabric softeners that were in boxes and a LOT cheaper than buying new bottles. :grr:

[Vinca]

23. I've noticed fewer choices in the baking aisle. Fortunately, we have

a natural foods store nearby that sells flours in bulk. My husband is a diabetic and after discovering semolina has a low glycemic index, we make 100% semolina bread at home. It's delicious - especially toasted.
Here's the recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/89434

[KittyWampus]

25. have you tried Erythritol as a sweetner yet? It's an alcohol sugar that one can buy granulated

to use in place of sugar. No digestive distress problems as associated with sorbitol or xylitol.

[Vinca]

26. I've never even heard of it. Is it sold under a brand name?

I usually use Splenda, but about half the amount called for in a recipe to avoid that weird, funky taste. I also look for recipes that can incorporate natural sweeteners like (unsweetened) applesauce.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

216. Splenda has chlorine in it. Not good.

Stevia is the only healthy artificial sweetener I know of.

[blondie58]

131. I've not heard of Erythritol- it sounds like a

type of pesticide- LOl

But I have tried Stevia- which is sold at health food stores. It comes from a plant. My daughter doesn't care for it in her coffeee, but I don't find it offensive. There is definitely an aftertaste, but no calories!

[KittyWampus]

139. Stevia with Inulin (FOS) tastes much better than the brands without

[jgraz]

27. Why "resort" to the local organic store?

I make that my first stop. Doesn't GA also have some decent farmer's markets? The standard commercial grocers are all going to hell, even out here in earthy-crunchy CA.

[Donnachaidh]

90. the nearest farmer's market is in downtown Atlanta

And the traffic isn't worth the trouble. Seriously.

Now that the summer is here we want to travel north to scope out little roadside stands. But the findings are pretty limited there.

We do go to Harry's which is sort of a meld betweem regular market and organic. I do like the fact that we can purchase much more from around the world there. And the produce section runs several aisles, rather than a lost bit of corner at the back of the store.

[Shallah Kali]

117. Have you tried LocalHarvest.org? You can find nearby organic CSAs

http://www.localharvest.org

[Donnachaidh]

140. I'll check it out -- thanks!

I really do want to find something local.

[Carni]

175. Oh wow thank you!

We moved last year and have not been able to find a good source for decent produce(and we moved to *the country*--go figure!)

I have searched for six months for farmers markets where the produce is actually fresh, decently priced and hasn't been trucked in from somewhere two weeks prior to it's sale and I haven't had much luck.

This link provided me with several new places to try!

[SoCalDem]

28. Vinegar is a natural fabric softener

Stop Static Cling Without Toxic Fabric Softener or Dryer Sheets ...
Vinegar is a natural fabric softener. Use 1/2 cup in the wash cycle. (But don't use bleach at the same time—mixing vinegar and bleach may create toxic fumes ...
www.grinningplanet.com/2004/04-29/stop-static-cling-fabric-softener-article.htm - 36k - Cached - Similar pages -

from the site:

PROBLEMS WITH DRYER SHEETS AND FABRIC SOFTENER

Your fabric softener or dryer sheets likely include some of the following not-so-snuggly ingredients: alpha-terpineol, benzyl acetate, camphor, benzyl alcohol, limonene, ethyl acetate, pentane, and chloroform. According to the manufacturers' Material Safety Data Sheets, these chemicals have the potential to do things to you such as:

* cause central nervous system disorders, headaches, and loss of muscle coordination;
* irritate mucous membranes and impair respiratory function;
* cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or drowsiness;
* cause liver or kidney damage;
* cause skin disorders and allergic reactions;
* cause cancer.

[Donnachaidh]

91. ahh -- but does the smell linger?

I don't want my kid to have that lingering smell when he gets to school. It's bad enough he has to deal with the gagging amounts of perfumes and colognes at school. He's asthmatic. I don't want to have him getting picked on for a vinegar smell.

[SoCalDem]

95. vinegar tips

http://www.vinegartips.com/laundry/

Prevent lint from clinging to clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the wash cycle.

To remove soap residue that makes black clothes look dull use white distilled vinegar in your final rinse.

Get stained white socks and dingy dishcloths white again. Add 1 cup white distilled vinegar to a large pot of water, bring it to a rolling boil and drop in the articles. Let soak overnight.

Some stains on clothing and linens can be soaked out using equal parts milk and white distilled vinegar.

Before washing a mustard stain, dab with white distilled vinegar.

Attack spaghetti, barbecue, or ketchup stains with a white distilled vinegar and water solution.

Remove perspiration odor and stains on clothing, as well as those left by deodorants, by spraying full-strength white distilled vinegar on underarm and collar areas before tossing them into the washing machine.

Forgot that you left wet laundry in the machine and it now smells moldy? Pour a few cups of white distilled vinegar in the machine and wash the clothes in hot water. Then run a normal cycle with detergent.

Remove smoky odors from clothes by filling the bathtub with very hot water and 1 cup white distilled vinegar. Hang the garments above the steaming water and shut the door so the steam can penetrate the fibers.

Keep the steam iron clean and in good working order by getting rid of mineral deposits in steam vents and spray nozzles. Fill the water chamber with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and distilled water. Set it in an upright position and let it steam for about 5 minutes. When the iron is cool, rinse the tank with water, refill and shake water through the vents onto an old cloth. Test before using.

Remove scorch marks from an iron by rubbing it with a warmed-up solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and salt. If that doesn’t work, use a cloth dampened with full-strength white distilled vinegar.

Remove musky smells from cotton clothes by sprinkling them lightly with white distilled vinegar and then pressing them.

Get water and salt stains off shoes and boots by wiping them down with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and water.

Give patent leather shoes and bags a better shine by wiping them down with white distilled vinegar.

Get cleaner laundry! Add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew.

Eliminate manufacturing chemicals from new clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the water.

Remove soap scum and clean the hoses of your washing machine with white distilled vinegar. Periodically run the machine with only a cup of white distilled vinegar in it—nothing else added to the wash cycle.

Bring out bright colors by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Fluff up wool or acrylic sweaters (hand- or machine-washed) and rid them of soap smell, with 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar in the last rinse water.

Get rid of the tiny holes left along the hemline when you take out the hem of any garment by moistening a cloth with white distilled vinegar, placing it under the fabric and ironing.

[Donnachaidh]

96. Thanks! Just printed that out!

I'll definitely try out the socks suggestion (two big guys who love white socks, but bring them home looking like they surfed through a mudslide with them) and the tip to remove manufacturing smells. Those I will try in the morning.

[SoCalDem]

99. Here's the vinegar link.. Apparently vinegar does everything short of landing on Mars

http://www.vinegartips.com

[Donnachaidh]

101. LOL -- even automotive tips for vinegar!

I guess I'm going to have to buy a case of the stuff to try it out! Thanks! :bounce:

[CrispyQ]

202. We buy white distilled vinegar in the 1.5 gallon jugs at Costco,

along with the 12 pound bags of baking soda. ;)

I love this book, "Clean House, Clean Planet" by Karen Logan.

http://www.amazon.com/Clean-House-Planet-Karen-Logan/dp/0671535951/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-3159725-6152769?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178567437&sr=8-1

Thanks for the other great vinegar tips. My dishcloths are grungy; I will soak them tonight!

:thumbsup:

[dysfunctional press]

108. just the opposite, in fact.

we have two major chains that are always in competition, and the stores keep adding.

[Carni]

170. Funny you should say that I have noticed the same thing!

I thought it was my imagination!

[druidity33]

30. might i add...

PLANT BERRIES and FRUIT and NUT trees!

This month i planted on less than an acre...
Hardy Kiwi, Gooseberries (White and Red), Blackberries, Raspberries (Black, Yellow, Purple and Red), Currants (Pink and Black), Elderberries, Dwarf Plum Trees (Burbank and Methley), Sweet Cherry (Stark Gold and Black Tartarian), Sour Cherry (MontMorency), American Hazelnut, Butternut...

They don't take quite as much tending as a garden does once they've set and they'll produce for years...

you'll make the birds and the deer happy too!

and things that bear fruit often have very pretty flowers!

[SoCalDem]

34. Isn't that the TRUTH.. I am kicking myself for NOT doing that

the years just passed us by and we never planted any.. We've been here 25 years now, and could have been enjoying free avocados, apples, pears etc.. Of course we would have had to fight the bugs & birds :)

[blossomstar]

68. I did just that last year

keefer pears, bartlett pears, plums, avacado, 2 varietes of peaches, winsap, yellow delicious, red delicious and granny smith apples, a brown turkey fig tree and a montmorency cherry tree! All on less than one acre because most were dwarf varieties. I planted in Feb. 06 and already the red delicious and granny smith apple trees are FULL of little apples, also 2 of the little peach trees are full of peaches. I decided that if I'm going to do all the work of getting trees started, might as well have some benefit, and if we couldn't eat it all, then the birds sure could. I am SO glad to have done it after all this with our food problems. Also put in a square foot garden (Mel Barthomew's Book, Sq. Ft. Gardening) to raise my own salad greens, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, etc. It is very rewarding and the winters are so warm now, I had romaine and buttercrunch lettuce all winter! Anyone, even someone in an apt. with a deck could plant a sq. ft. garden!

[druidity33]

127. some pointers...

Fruit trees and berry bushes LOVE feeding you! But sometimes they put out so much effort to produce that they end up hurting themselves... especially when they are young and eager. If your trees are only a year or two old, pinch off most (if not all) of the blossoms/fruit buds. Your harvest next year will be much better and it won't kill the tree from stress. Also, mulch to conserve water, prune conscientiously... and use good compost, not NPK from a bag.

Different groundcovers for underneath the trees which help with bees and Nitrogen...
-white clover
-vetch
-borage

The Backyard Orchardist is a good primer. So is Fruits and Berries for the Home Garden by Lewis Hill.

Have fun!

[blossomstar]

208. Thank you!

We're having a nor'easter right now and it's already blown off over half the little peaches, pears and apples, but I'll go out tommorrow when it's over and pick off a few more. I did get some good mulch and compost (good stuff from my kitchen and yard). Also will get those books! Thanks again, these trees are important to me and I sure want to take good care of them.

[SoCalDem]

209. Don;t fret.. the little ones that blew off will be bug food, which

might interest the birds enough to leave the rest of the fruit alone :fingerscrossed:

[Donnachaidh]

92. we have a blackberry bush in a half-cask on our porch

I'm hoping I can work the magic it needs to produce fruit someday. And I'm waiting for seeds from the seed exchange to grow some italian sweet peppers, tomatoes, and some other veggies. All on our porch. I've grown peppers in teh past, and cucumbers. I trained the cucumbers to wrap around the metalwork of the railing, and it worked like a charm -- and looked really cool.

[druidity33]

128. most blackberries self pollinate

But plants ALWAYS fare better when there is a co-pollinator. You may need to get another plant, if in a couple of seasons this one doesn't fruit.

To make your plant multiply, wait till the canes grow long enough to touch the ground then dump a shovelful/bucketful of compost/topsoil on the end of the cane so that it stays aground. Water occasionally until it roots, then cut the cane that attaches the old plant to the new.

have fun!

I have Ilini Blackberries, do you know the variety you have? Which hardiness zone you're in?

edited to add:
The best co-pollinators are different varieties of the same plant (species diversity and all)... so you wouldn't be able to pollinate the "momma" plant with its "babies".

[jwirr]

169. Asparagus and rhubarb are also perennials.

[druidity33]

191. i prefer...

hog peanuts and jerusalem artichoke...

i hate asparagus pee!

for me, rhubarb is only tasty with strawberries...

[Truthiness Inspector]

31. Great post and a question...

How long do you microwave the apples for that dessert idea you mentioned? Sounds delish.

[SoCalDem]

32. I think about a minute or two I never really pay attention

That is one problem with "scratch cooking".. terms like a smidgeon or a dash or a couple'a minutes come into play :)

[Truthiness Inspector]

35. Thanks, and I know what you mean about estimates.

I'll have to give that a try. :9

[SoCalDem]

37. just poke it with a fork to test it.. and use a deep dish..the juice comes pouring out

and might make a mess of the microwave. i use the pyrex medium sized ones and cover it with saran so it steams as it cooks.. careful with the steam when you unwrap it.:)

[Truthiness Inspector]

42. Now I'm really salivating

and I don't have either apples or ice cream in the house! Tomorrow night for sure.

(And speaking of ice cream, nothing is better than homemade in my opinion, which also fits with your thread.)

Thanks again for that idea. :)

[SoCalDem]

44. Y'know? I am 58 and have never had homemade ice cream

:pout: I had something called Glacee or something like that..I could taste the gelatin, so I did not like it.. but someday I plan to have homemade icecream:) you bring me some.. I'll fix the apples..K?

[Truthiness Inspector]

47. Try it, you will not be sorry!

The lack of artificial tastes can't be beat.

Sorbets are also excellent when homemade. I made a pomegranate-tangerine sorbet last Thanksgiving and people raved about it. If I remember correctly, all I used was pomegranate juice (100% pure juice), then I fresh squeezed tangerines, added some sugar, then brought those to a boil before pouring it into the machine and then I garnished the servings with mint sprigs. Yes it has sugar, but is fat-free.

On edit, this is the recipe I used, for anyone interested: http://www.hungrymonster.com/recipe/recipe-search.cfm?Course_vch=Sorbet&ttl=1&Recipe_id_int=2925

[Carni]

176. The business with the rock salt always put me off lol

Not sure why--but ice cream makers sound so complicated that I have never ventured into buying one. I always picture a huge mess and lugging big bags of salt around.

[kestrel91316]

71. When I was growing up my grandfather ( a Nebraska farm boy) used to

make homemade ice cream in a hand-crank machine. There is truly nothing like it in any store. Period. Died-and-gone-to-heaven good.

He also was the family candy maker. Made fudge from scratch til he was about 85. I have his candy thermometer - it's a Depression-era museum piece, lol.

[SoCalDem]

72. I have my grandmother's thermometer too

but I have lost strength in my hands and cannot get the pot out of the cold water bath and the fudge out of the pan in time..I only had one successful bath last time I made fudge :) It's still good but chipping it out of the pan, is not the best way to eat it :)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

218. You don't make fudge the way I do then.

Cook it on top of the stove in a very deep large skillet (They have a name I have forgotten). Then pour it up in to a buttered 8 x 13" pan.

Use the Kraft Marshmallow creme jar recipe, except:

1) Use 1/2 as much chocolate, 6 oz. of chocolate chips instead of 12 oz. of chocolate chips;
I use 3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa.

2) Put in twice as many nuts as it says to. I love walnuts, personally.

World's Best Fudge.

[SoCalDem]

219. I use Karo syrup, sugar , cream, vanilla, nuts, cocoa

The marshmallow creme stuff is too sweeeeeet for my taste buds :)

[CelticWinter]

33. Great post!!!!

I have been talking about this for years! There is so many ways one can save and get "GOOD" foods instead of garbage. One other thing you might want to look into if it is in your area is the 4-H club. Usually the stock goes up for bid after the kids are done raising them. My sister goes every fall and buys her pork--organic no chemicals in the meat. Another thing to is check out local farmers, we have one in the area that sells black angus beef organic at slightly over 2.00 a lb., now where can you buy good beef for that price.
I have a collection of over 200 cookbooks and the one I really enjoy is one called The Amish Cookbook, it contains some recipes such as, making your own cake mixes, bisquick, hot chocolate mix just to name a few. We can, freeze and dehydrate what we can. Im tired of the grocery stores getting my money and the food tasting like cardboard and then not knowing what kind of "yummies" they are putting inside them.
Celtic

[SoCalDem]

36. Yep.. they pile in the ingredients, making people think it's difficult

but if you condense things down to what they are, you realize it's not all that complicated.. I mean..what IS potato soup?
potatoes, butter, onion , celery, and a little flour for thickener..and homemade does not have all the "creepy stuff"..

When we fed 3 boys, we always bought a hindquarter from a local farmer.. it was grass fed beef and it was wonderful.. The farmer's wife always tossed in a dozen chickens and several pounds of homemade sausage to sweeten the deal..and we got our ground beef packaged the way WE wanted it..90% lean

[CelticWinter]

39. They target the kids too----

My granddaughter likes those kid cruisines so I fixed her lil red wagon I made homemade ones, with leftovers of her favorite foods, and a homemade treat. I found slotted trays and now she has her choice of what she likes and I know nothing bad is in them. Hubby and I dehydrated wild leeks last week (boy did the house stink LOL) but they are only out in early spring and will make a nice compliment next winter when he makes chili or bean and leek soup.
CelticWinter

[eppur_se_muova]

55. Wild leeks? Do you mean the kind known as 'ramps'?

You mentioned the smell, so I thought of ramps ...

http://www.wild-harvest.com/pages/ramp.htm

[Retrograde]

138. and worse, they don't recognize actual food when they see it

True story: I offered to look after my mother after she was released from a rehab center. She's diabetic, so I at least am concerned about what she eats. My sisters spent yesterday bitching at me because "There's no food in the house!" Lessee, I bought carrots, potatoes, chicken, onions, whole-wheat pasta, lettuce, asparagus (the local crop is coming in), milk, rice, oranges, other assorted fresh fruit, mushrooms - with which I've made 1 meal for 4 and 7 meals for 3 so far. But they looked in the cupboards, saw nothing in a package, and assumed I'm starving her.

[KansDem]

156. KansDem's instant exotic dinner...

Your list of food made me think of a family-pleasing dinner that's quick and easy to make!

I chop up celery, carrots, bok choy, mushrooms, and chunky tofu. Put in all in a large skillet to saute in olive oil. Here's the secret: I include one teaspoon of curry and one teaspoon of ginger, and a few shakes of garlic powder. Then I serve it all over jasmine rice. Yum! :9

It only takes a few minutes to prepare but tastes wonderful. And it doesn't cost very much.

My whole family enjoys it!

[Retrograde]

187. I think it sounds great

but tofu is much too exotic for this crowd. I've tried. Maybe if someone marketed a Tofu Helper...it's all about the branding.

BTW, I hope you and yours are steering clear of the tornadoes!

[KansDem]

192. I've been through Greensburg many times driving between CA and northeast KS

When I was a kid, I begged my parents to stop in Greensburg to see the "largest hand-dug well". It's quite a sight!

Thanks for the concern about the tornadoes. None yet this far NE in Kansas, but we've had quite a bit of rain (it rained all day yesterday). I suspect some flooding as I believe the forecast is for more rain this week.

[nam78_two]

38. Great post but I would add a few foot notes on meat

I think the factory-farming meat industry is a huge problem. If you are not vegetarian, I would buy the most free-range, organic meat (preferably from a local farmer) you can find.

Cage free eggs, organic milk etc. Its a little more expensive but it would be worth it health-wise (if you don't care about the humane aspect) in the end. Avoiding places like McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's etc. would be a good idea too.

If you have to eat microwave meals (I have to-never find the time to cook on a regular basis :-/), I would go with better brands like Amy's-the food is delicious even if you are not a vegetarian and healthier than most other brands out there:

http://www.amyskitchen.com/

Other good brands are :
http://www.cedarlanefoods.com/
http://www.seedsofchange.com/

I know fresh prepared meals are ideal but as most of us under 30 know, it often doesn't end up happening :-/. There are brands that would be vastly superior to their "Hungry Man" (shudder) alternatives.

Just my 2 cents :).

[SoCalDem]

40. Even under 30 you can do it .. I have faith in you !

Remembering to thaw things out was always my bugaboo.. I would go off to work, and then remember I forgot to do it..so that night we would end up "having breakfast".. waffles (nothing but flour , buttermilk , a couple of eggs , a little soda and some oil) & sausage or "Domenics"

My boys would beg for Domenics (named after an old Italian guy at the bowling alley who would always make them one)

shaved ham, shaved turkey, swiss cheese, finely shredded lettuce ,thinly sliced tomatoes..

Sheepherder bread

butter the bread,, layer all but the lettuce tomatoes.. grill & carefully turn to bropwn both sides.. sprinkle bread with parmesan & garlic powder before you turn it.. then carefully open it on the plate and add the lettuce & tomato.. serve with some cole slaw & chips & you have a 5 minute meal :)

[nam78_two]

43. You make me ashamed

:blush: :)
I don't know what I would do if I had to feed three kids as well as work. Actually then I would probably have more motivation to cook. I feel ok with abusing my own body but wouldn't if I had a kid.
Thanks for the tips. This is a very informative thread :toast:.

[SoCalDem]

48. Cooking for one is a drag.. I still have problems downsizing my cooking

since it's just me & my husband now..but then I can always give the extra away:)

I call my son sometimes & send stuff home with him..

It's impossible for me to make chili and not end up with enough to feel 6 people for DAYS !

same for vegetable soup or ham n beans or beef & noodles.. I cannot make a "small" batch :)

[demigoddess]

107. cook some, freeze some. then all you have to do is thaw and nuke

I am downsizing too. I make salads and fill out with leftovers. Love to cook chili and eat it for 2 or three days. Gives me more time to sew or work in the garden.

[Carni]

181. Regarding thawing in the microwave

You know how the thaw setting on the microwave is usually at a 30% power default?

Don't use that...use ten percent--then thaw in increments to make sure the food isn't cooking as you go along.

the ten percent thing -- works WAY better than the default defrost setting!

I used to shop every day and pick up what looked good at small markets but now I live ten miles from the nearest town and the selection is of the grocery store variety, so I have to deal with frozen meat and chicken most of the time which is a total drag.

With that said...Regarding the above, we have never gotten sick thawing in this manner--I have no idea if it is health approved, but I have been doing it for years with no problems!

[roody]

41. It takes 5 minutes or less to steam green vegetables.

Or red ones.

[SoCalDem]

45. My favorite spring "meal"

white corn on the cob, steamed broccoli & asparagus.. Pure heaven :)

Reminds me.. I once had a plate ready to go and someone came to the door.. when I got back, my son (3 or 4 at the time) had eaten the tops off all my asparagus :grr: he ate his too :)_

[roody]

46. Yummy. Asparagus is the best!

[AspenRose]

49. Bookmarking! You get a big thumbs up from my DH.

Alas, for me, it's a hard habit to break, but I can't stand what I'm seeing these days. Progressing slowly....

[GoneOffShore]

50. You hit the nail on the head with this

It puts the lie to those who say that eating at Olive Garden is ok.

Eat food. Not too much. Plants mostly. Michael Pollan - The Omnivore's Dilemma.

[we can do it]

51. Organic Gardens and Lawns Are Much Healthier, Too

Its easy to grow your own tomatoes, peppers, zuccini, spinach, lettuce, etc... Organic alternatives to chem-lawn and miracle grow are safer for people and animals and work just as well if not better, the costs are comparable and sometimes cheaper.

[we can do it]

52. While We're At It, A Great Book On Earth Friendly Cleaners To Make Yourself

Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan. We have been using many of these homemade "potions" for years. They really work, are cheaper and really make your house smell naturally fresh.

[SoCalDem]

56. Oh my... you reminded me of something..

When we lived in New mexico I had a lovely fenced in garden 40' by 40'. I had never had such a big space, and was determined to have a successful garden. We asked the farmer who sold us our hind quarter if we could have some manure.. he gladly obliged and we spread on manure and tilled the garden.. Planted the garden and had SOD .. His beef was grass raised..and well.. the manure came loaded with grass seed :)

I also planted 14 zucchini plants. I could have mass markets those things.. I also planted (in a separate area) 8 mounds of water melons (4 seeds to a mound)..

Our WHOLE yard was overrun with melons.. Every morning before breakfast the boys would have to "check on the baby melons "..

Those were the best melons ever !!

I had beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots (fizzled), and some other stuff..

We had to abandon the garden when my then 2-yr old started "finding" rattlesnakes in the yard :scared: I killed one with a hoe, and was too afraid to go out back after that.. That was the ONLY critter I ever deliberately killed :cry:

[we can do it]

59. Too Funny - I Could Not Believe How Many Tomatoes You Get from One Plant

Zuccinis too, picking a fresh salad is cool. I grew all of the above in a small space in my small city lot, so ANYONE can do it, even in a pot on the patio.

[me b zola]

97. Is the abundence from one plant altered by whether you pick green or ripe?

[jwirr]

172. And if you are one of those lucky gardeners who produces much

more than you can use take a hint from my father: Every time he drove into town he loaded the car with his extra produce and distributed it to the elderly and the poor. FREE.

[mcg]

53. Directories of local growers, organic food stores, etc.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/purelink.html

http://www.localharvest.org

[wicket]

54. Crockpots are great too

Toss in the ingredients in the morning, and dinner's ready when you come home. Easy, cheap & healthy, there are tons of great recipes out there for it.

[bonito]

57. Awesome post

Bookmarked! My addition when making chicken soup use butternut squash as well it just about completely dissolves and adds much flavor.

[SoCalDem]

60. I also save "potato water" when I make mashed potatoes.

I have a cylindrical stainless container, and I just freeze it (once it's cooled) and when I need to make gravy, I just hack off a chunk of it & add it to the gravy :) also good to add to soups

I have gotten to the point that whne I eat outm I cannot order anything with "gravy" except for a few places. Most places use package-mix gravy which is brown goo..not gravy.. real gravy has 'stuff' in it.. :)

[Gormy Cuss]

226. Potato water is also good for homemade yeast breads.

The loaves stay fresh a bit longer.

[MountainLaurel]

58. Doing my best

And after a year or so of trying my best to avoid processed foods, I can tell you that I CAN'T eat them now. I cannot stand processed products. After getting accustomed to real food, I can taste the artificialness of the other stuff. We bought some packaged potato salad tonight to go with some burgers (ground our own beef, may I add), and we each had a bite or two and had to toss the rest. To my husband, it had a petroleum taste. To me, it was bland and had no taste, but did have a grainy texture.

[we can do it]

61. I Agree - the Processed Stuff Tastes Like Poo To Me

[tinfoilinfor2005]

62. You can thank me later for this recipe

when you are chowing down on the best french fries you've ever tasted made from butternut squash, full of fiber and almost calorie free.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/week/weeklydetails.php?isid=684

Love the post...and the best part is rediscovering how good real food tastes.

[SoCalDem]

64. French Fried sweet potato is yummy too :)

I don;t see how ANYONE can stomach what passes for french fries these days..

and yes. I KNOW that frying is bad for us, but then we don;t eat them every day :)

That's one reason I bought the stive I have.. It has a SUPER HIGH burner, and I bought a commercial sized big-ole pot to use for frying :) Most stoves boil stuff in oil instead of fryiung things :)

[kestrel91316]

73. Sweet potatoes make good oven fries, too.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

77. Yes they do, but they have three times the cals and not near as much fiber.

Try the butternut fries...because of the texture of the squash, they bake up crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Remind me of the decadent no-no McDonald's fries when they used to be fried in peanut oil.

[kestrel91316]

63. Sadly, there are more than a few DUers who will whine and complain

that they don't have TIME to cook from scratch. I happen to think they are probably too busy watching TV or engaging in other useless pursuits. Or they are being workaholics, pursuing the almighty dollar. They get no sympathy from me.

Cooking from scratch is so much cheaper, you sure don't have to work as many hours to pay for your food.

Time to enlist everyone in the home in food preparation as a family activity.

[SoCalDem]

66. AMEN !. I taught my boys from early on..

I said : You EAT..you can cook
You get your clothes dirty, you can CLEAN them

One christmas I got them each their own iron :)

[twenty4blackbirds]

118. I'm on DU...

:hi: eom

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

190. You seem to be in dire need of becoming informed of how the real world works.

By the way, I love to cook, and to use fresh veggies while I do so, but reading posts like this make me want to pick up the phone and order a McD just because.

Four words for you: Low wages. Three jobs.

[japple]

207. There are some people who have multiple

jobs, who are raising children and/or serving as care givers to elderly parents, who are overwhelmed with demands on their time. There is never enough money, and they are so chronically tired that they can't even think about tomorrow. They buy or fix whatever is easiest and fall into bed as soon as they can. Please don't judge them so harshly.

[Der Blaue Engel]

222. Well I wasn't going to until I read your post

I get home from work at 7 or 8pm every night and with depression/chronic fatigue, the idea of cooking after working all day is enough to make me cry. I'm not a workaholic, and I'm not working extra hours to pay for processed food. I am a tired single mother, and I'm trying my best.

I sure don't need your sympathy, but I will not take your derision or judgment either. You can keep it.

[kestrel91316]

69. Everybody needs a copy of Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living.

It is the definitive source for home food production and preparation. that, plus a basic cookbook like Betty Crocker, should get you by.

Cooking is EASY. Stay away from elaborate preparations and recipes containing lots of ingredients.

[SoCalDem]

70. I have found that the fancy-schmancy recipes could do without 2/3

of the stuff they call for :)

and when you come down to it, most families have a repertoire of favorite foods that they eat over and over , anyway.

I'll have to look for my "dining out" recipes. We had a dining club..took turns and everyone brought something. we all got a printed menu with recipes of the dinner. there were some very tasty recipes.. one sounded so aaaack! but was delish.. Beef & olives :)

[Skittles]

74. huh

I would not advise people to eat such crap as ice cream, whipped cream, cake, cookies etc

[SoCalDem]

75. Every once in a while you gotta have a treat

Not every day:)

[Skittles]

76. I keep my weight down by keeping that stuff out of my home

if I want a "treat" I have to walk to go get it

[SoCalDem]

80. You could always dangle it from your hat and walk around the house

Hi

[Liberty Belle]

78. More suggestions, from a nutrition editor....

- buy organic (if you can't grow your own) of anything you can afford,
especially milk, meats and veggies

- If you can't afford or find organic beef, buy grain-fed (to lessen risk of mad cow).

- Don't eat hotdogs or other mystery meats that may contain fragments of spinal cords

- Buy free-range chickens

- Opt for wild-caught salmon over farm-raised

- Don't eat more than 1 or 2 helpings of tuna weekly and avoid if pregnant

- Fish is healthy to a point, but too much causes mercury poisoning, so use moderation and learn the signs of mercury poisoning (such as lines in fingernails); it is far more common than you think

- Eat 5-9 helpings of fruits and veggies daily. The darker the color, the better and richer in nutrients. Grow your own if you can or buy locally grown to avoid pesticides used on foreign-grown produce not allowed in the U.S.

- Buy organic milk and dairy products to avoid bovine growth hormone (antibiotics)

- Organic grains by law cannot be genetically engineered. Some health food chains (Whole Foods, notably) won't buy genetically engineered anything. The vast majority of soy and a high percentage of corn, wheat and potatoes grown in the U.S. are now genetically engineered. Monsanto has a GMO potato that is actually a registered pesticide with the EPA (really!)

-Eat foods high in antioxidants and consider taking a multi-vitamin. Learn the top "super foods" such as blueberries, walnuts, etc.

- Consider immunity-boosting supplements, which are used regularly in Japan and elsewhere i Asia to fend off viruses and infections.

- Eat foods rich in DHA/omega-3 fatty acids for proper brain health, eye health, etc. These are found in northern fatty fishes (salmon and mackerel) primarily. You can now buy eggs and some other foods fortified with DHA.

- Wash foods before eating them, including veggies as well as meats, to avoid e-coli and other pathogens. Use separate cutting boards for chicken and veggies, or a plate to cut raw meats.

- Cook chicken and pork thoroughly to avoid salmonella and trichonosis. Never eat ground beef unless it's well done, to avoid e-coli.

- Don't eat raw eggs, which have high rates of salmonella. Consider raising chickens to product your own fresh eggs, or trade your fruits or veggies with a neighbor for fresh eggs. Start a neighborhood coop!

- Avoid sugar-packed packaged goods such as sweetened children's cereals. You can find whole-grain cereals without all the junk for less money in any health food store.

- SAve money on bulk items (flour, rice, brown sugar, nuts) by buying only what you need from bins in health food stores.

- Check where spices originate. Don't buy spices from China.

- Plant an herb garden - you can grow many easily at home, such as oregano, thyme, margerum, basil.

- If you have a garden, make it organic or use least-toxic products possible. There are many natural predators (ladybugs) and natural treatments (such as bacilli to attack caterpillars' digestive tracts instead of poison). Garlic spray will dissuade many pests. Also planting garlic and onions amongst your tastier veggies.

- When buying fruits or veggies, shop farmers' markets to get locally grown items, avoiding risks of foreign-grown produce.

- Don't forget about what goes ON your body as well as IN it. Buy the most natural or organic personal care products (lotions, shampoos, etc) that work well for you. Many commonly sold items in grocery stories and pharmacies are packed with cancer-causing chemicals. Try health food store products instead, especially for skincare as your skin is the largest organ in your body!

[DemExpat]

133. Great list, LB, in a great SoCalDem thread! Thanks all.

:thumbsup:

DemEx

[Donnachaidh]

143. Spinal cords???? Question -- are they found in Kosher Hot Dogs?

I almost fainted when I read that. Would Kosher also have that sort of ingredient. I just printed out your post, to put in my kitchen book.

We don't do mystery meat, but occasionally we have no time and do the cheap meal - hot dogs with kraut and pork and beans. After reading your post I'm worried about that now.

arrgghh.

[SoCalDem]

144. My guess is that you could probably go to the website of the manufacturer

and if it's not listed, write them an email..

One time one of my sons was reading the fine print on bologna in the store and saw lips & snouts listed.. That cured him from asking for bologna :)

[Donnachaidh]

146. That reminds me of another observation we've made at the market

When the economy was doing 'well' -- ie, well for everyone, we didn't see what my son calls weird meat items -- pigs feet, brains, etc.

Well, those items are BACK in a big way in the last couple of months. He noticed it before I did. You can basically buy anything except the *oink and the a-hole* (as my DH says) at the market now. And a lot of the expensive cuts of beef are literally sitting in the bins, turning grey because people don't want to pay the extreme prices.

And the market has expanded the prepared meats section. I just wonder how much of the old extremely expensive cuts are being cut up, heavily spiced, and slapped back out for human consumption?

[SoCalDem]

148. Having worked in a grocery store, I can only say

You don;t want to know..

never buy chicken unless it's wrapped in the "name brand" wrapping.. some stores, "wash" the old chicken and remove the original packaging (with the expiration dates) and re-wrap it in their own containers.. or (worst case scenario) it ends up in the deli as BBQ chicken..

[Donnachaidh]

164. Don't they use some sort of gas to re-brighten up the old beef?

I cannot remember where I heard this -- but don't they use carbon monoxide (or some sort of gas) to make the meat RED with a capital R, after it's past it's expiration date?

I've openly embarrassed the store butchers by pointing out that the darkish, greyish steaks being sold are BAD, or as close to bad as possible, out LOUD, in front of other customers. I worry about people buying this crap, especially the college-age kids who might not know any better. I'd rather be classified as the 'crazy lady with the big mouth' than think these kids are buying rotting steaks.

I haven't gotten thrown out of the store yet, but I have caused a few faces to burn with shame. :evilgrin:

[SoCalDem]

166. I know they use special light bulbs to enhance the color.. Always look at the meat

away from the counter.. I used to get really pissed when I would see a package of meat that someone stashed in the magazine rack when then changed their mind.. I would walk it back to the meat counter and stay there until they put it in the spoils bin..minus the wrapping & tray..just so a helper didn;t put it back out on display..

[BluePatriot]

206. Sodium nitrite

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_nitrite

Not good stuff --

"As a food additive, it serves a dual purpose in the food industry since it both alters the color of preserved fish and meats and also prevents growth of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria which causes botulism. In the European Union it may be used only as a mixture with salt containing at most 0.6 % sodium nitrite. It has the E number E250. Potassium nitrite (E249) is used in the same way.

While this chemical will prevent the growth of bacteria, it is also toxic for mammals. (LD50 in rats is 180 mg/kg.)

Various dangers of using this as a food additive have been suggested and researched by scientists, although no conclusive evidence has been put forth. A principal concern is the formation of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines by reaction with sodium nitrite; other ingredients are often added to prevent nitrosamine-generating reactions.

Recent studies have found a link between high processed meat consumption and colon cancer, possibly due to preservatives such as sodium nitrite. <1>"

No wonder my hubby turns his nose up at hot dogs!

[SoCalDem]

145. Found this online..

Everything in a hot dog is edible; otherwise manufacturers wouldn’t be allowed to put them on the market. In general terms, a hot dog is a sausage made of a 5-4-3 forcemeat: 5 parts meat, 4 parts fat, 3 parts ice or ice water, plus seasonings stuffed into a casing.

As with any sausage, it is the recipient of, well, the “less glamorous” parts of the animal: the parts that are more difficult to sell when they’re packaged as themselves: which is to say, the various scraps left over after the animal has been segmented into saleable cuts, etc. If a weiner includes organs (heart or kidney, eg), the organ and the breed of animal it came from must be named in the ingredients list.

Kosher hot dogs can only be made from animals and cuts that are considered to be kosher: which is to say, in the case of hot dogs, they are all-beef franks from an appropriately-slaughtered bovine (killed by an observant Jew with an extremely sharp knife with a single cut to the neck of an animal that has not been frightened) and all blood and blood vessels have been removed from the meat before it is ground to become the hot dog.

You may have seen the ads for kosher hot dogs on TV which brag about how they don’t have any butts. This is because kosher law dictates that the meat in their hot dogs does not come from the hindquarters of the animal. This relates to Genesis 32:32, which is perhaps least confusingly translated in the New American Standard version of the Bible, “Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.”

Basically, it means unless the sciatic nerve is removed, the muscle is unclean according to kosher laws. [

[Carni]

185. I've been told that kosher hot dogs do not contain that stuff

Kosher standards are very strict so I would have to believe you would be at least safER going with the kosher hot dogs--although I just priced hebrew internationals this weekend and a pack of 6 is 5.29 here (WTF?!?!)

Prices on food ingeneral lately have just skyrocketed!

[Shallah Kali]

217. More on spinal matter in ground meat

I won't post the details here to spare those with a queezy stomach. Just read the links below if you really want to know what is in your food.

Cattle Better Protected From ‘Mad Cow Disease’ Than People, CSPI Warns
Health and Consumer Groups Urge USDA to Keep Cattle Spinal Cord Tissue Out of Processed Meat
http://www.cspinet.org/new/madcow_protection.html

Mechanically Separated Meat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanically_separated_meat

[Liberty Belle]

224. No, Kosher hotdogs are okay. More info....

Any others are suspect. They don't intentionally grind up spinal cords, but do use a machine that scrapes meat close to the bone and occasionally results in fragments or bone or spinal cord in the meat. Hotdogs and sausages are worst, though some ground beef can also wind up with these, ah, added ingredients.

Organic ground beef is okay, though, because the cows are only fed grain, not feed containing animal parts.

If you eat beef, safest are the muscle meats (roast, steak) especially organic or at least grain-fed. Some "natural" labeled beef brands are from grain-fed cows, others are not. Ask your natural grocer or call the manufacturer to be sure.

I suspect mad cow has occurred in this country among people but it's being kept quiet. I know of two people in San Diego County who died of Cruetzfeld-jacob in the past year, but both families were told it's the sporadic "natural" variant version, couldn't possibly be from eating tainted meat. One of them was a regular blood donor, so who knows how many others have contracted the fatal disease.

In New Jersey, 18 or 19 people in the same area all died of it-way too many to be coincidence.

Veggie-burgers are sounding better and better.

[NotGivingUp]

79. great post. we definitely need to take back control over our food.

they keep putting more and more gargbage into the processed foods. tons of msg hidden under other names, high fructose corn syrup, and other crap. i couldn't believe the one time i bought a can of kidney beans...there was high fructose corn syrup in a can that was supposed to be regular ol' kidney beans. it's a real shame what they've done. they claim to wonder why people are getting so fat. give me a frigging break. they've known since at least the 60s that msg makes people fat and they keep putting more and more of it into all of the food...plus it's also addictive...how convenient!

[Mrs. Overall]

81. I agree with you 100%! We got rid of processed foods about 7 years ago

and my kids have not had to go the doctor for any illnesses since we kicked out the junk foods.

Another thing I've done to stick it to the chemical corporations is to stop buying cleaning products. I have a spray bottle filled with white vinegar and a little rubbing alcohol and I use it for everything from toilets to sinks to counters to floors. It's even handy as a topical treatment for cuts and insect bites.

I'm glad you posted this info!

[SoCalDem]

83. My favorite home remedy? Ice !

Press hard with an ice cube and no cold sore
ice pressed on a small cut helps clotting & pain
Ice for bumps & bruises make it quit hurting
Ice is great for minor burns..and a spray bottle of super cold water makes a sunburn feel better too :)
We always had "mr Hand" (a surgical glove frozen over a bag of peas). The boys would hurt themselves and yell for Mr Hand :)

[Lorien]

103. An alternative to that vinegar smell:

http://www.shaklee.com/ or http://www.mrsmeyers.com/?gclid=CMX8npSn-4sCFQsIFQodVxiSaw

Shaklee products are superconcentraited, very green, safe, and economical. $84.00 worth of Shaklee products equal $2000.00 worth of commercial "grocery store" cleaning products, plus Shaklee products have either no scent or a very soft scent.

Mrs. Meyer's products are for those who enjoy a home scented with Lavender, Lemon Verbena or Geranium, among other special scents (like honeysuckle, available spring only at Whole Foods). The items aren't as super concentraited as Shaklee's, but they are a better overall value than the usual commercial stuff-plus they're also green and very safe.

[SoCalDem]

106. Wow ! I forgot about Shaklee.. I used to use them

they do make good products:)

[StarryNite]

82. Thanks for starting this post

I've been learning a lot by reading all the tips posted on this thread. For one thing I'm going to trash my dryer sheets!

But as far a microwaving, I have read a lot of articles that say it is very unhealthy to eat microwaved food. Here is just one of bunches of websites which discuss the dangers.

http://www.relfe.com/microwave.html

[SoCalDem]

84. We only use ours for warming coffee & storing bread :)

and the occasional baked apple or potato.. Not much else.. they are waaaay overrated :)

[BrotherBuzz]

121. Warming coffee, storing bread, starting baked potatoes to finish in oven....

precooking chicken before BBQ (only way I know to create fully cooked moist BBQ chicken), and drying the Sunday paper on rainy days. Those are the only functions our microwave performs in our house besides softening butter to make garlic butter. Mmmm garlic sourdough French bread!

[TygrBright]

123. Well, they're very good for melting chocolate and sometimes butter.

And I often use them on the lowest settings for less than a minute to warm baking ingredients like milk, cream and butter to room temperature if I've forgotten to take them out of the refrigerator. It's easier for me than keeping an eye on them on the stove.

I never use them for thawing meat or soup or stuff like that anymore, though. A bowl of warm water works fine and is plenty quick enough if I remember by lunch to take it out of the freezer for dinner.

Except sometimes I use them to separate a couple of slices of frozen bacon just enough so I can pull it apart without busting it.

But actual cooking? No. Warming leftover casserole is as close as I come to that.

I have a breadbox for bread, but it makes a great pie safe/cake box.

Very useful object if you have plenty of space. If not, a good toaster oven is a better investment when you're cooking for one or two.

opinionatedly,
Bright

[SoCalDem]

124. My mw is an over the stove version.. so no counterspace worries

I also melt stuff in it from time to time, but nver really "cook" in it.. I hate the defrost cycle. I tried it one time, and it cooked the edges ..creeped me out, so I cut that part off and let whatever it was thaw at room temp:)

[otherlander]

85. Can I recommend a good vegetarian cookbook?

It's the Tassajara Cooking book, lots of good recipes for nutritious meals. There's also a Tassajara Bread Book. Homemade bread tastes so much better than bread from the store, and if you've got the time, it's cheaper to make your own, too.

Plus, then you won't need anyone online to remind you to buy bread. :evilgrin:

[Donnachaidh]

93. also -- I'd like to recommend a great book site

ESPECIALLY for older books --

http://www.alibris.com

You can search for older cookbooks, as well as music. Even LP's. I've found some great stuff on this site, and have been a customer for several years.

[fortyfeetunder]

87. That's right cook from scratch

I rarely if ever use mix because I want to know what I eat.

Processed food is too high in sodium, fat and high fructose corn syrup.

It's not difficult, really to cook from scratch!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

89. Cuisinarts are great. Made in Japan.

I've had mine since about 1982. They have big, heavy, powerful motors.

They're great for making yeast bread. You pour the ingredients in and it mixes them for you in less than a minute or so, so you can pour the dough out in a bowl and let it rise, punch it down, let it rise again and then bake!

They come in different sizes. Mine is fairly big but not the largest they make.

Trivia note: The original French company that invented them was called Robot Coupe.

[alfredo]

94. Stay out of the aisles at the store. Sure you may need soap or TP, that's

OK, but it is those processed and packaged foods that don't give you the nutrition for your money. You will eat better and eat cheaper if you stay along the outer walls of your grocery.

Vegetable soups are fun and keep you from wasting veggies. Eat low on the food chain, learn a third world cuisine like North Africa or India. They will teach you spices. Chinese will teach you technique, presentation, and subtlety in flavors. ME and N African vegetarian dishes will make you a believer.
You will find the Chick pea is more than something that rolls off your plate at the salad bar.



Two things to remember:

Don't shop hungry

Don't shop stoned.

Either way you will end up with things like Milanos, Cherry Garcia ice cream, and smoked Herring.

[Donnachaidh]

100. Even the Frozen aisle is packed with processed, pre-packaged foods.

I used to be a Stouffers nut back when they were the only company making the meals, but now - OMG. And even stouffers has gotten bad. You have to surf for any of them that have actual GREEN veggies in them. It's all meat and potatoes, or meat with pasta, or meat with rice. And all crowned in sauces to cover up what is actually in them.

And the veggie frozen food. I really don't want to buy frozen veggies loaded with cheese or butter. I just awant frozen veggies!

There are more organic frozen dinners, but I distrust anything pre-packaged now.

[alfredo]

155. The plain frozen veggies are good. I use them some times, but I

tend to forget about them in the freezer. There's only two of us so a bag of lima beans will last several meals. The last part of the bag ends up being wasted.

[Maraya1969]

98. Run your drip coffee maker with several tea bags in the coffee pot.

I use decaffeinated green tea and throw in a few mint teas or other flavor teas. Let it sit on the heater until it gets real dark and then pour it into a pitcher and add water, (and sugar if you want).

I make a gallon at a time this way and it's as easy as making a pot of coffee. Then you can drink REAL green tea without junk in it.

It's cheep too.

[SoCalDem]

104. Bonus recipe 'Apple Squares'

2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
½ C butter
1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 C chopped walnuts
2 C finely chopped apple

Sift all dry stuff together

Mix all wet ingredients..add apples..stir in dry ingredients

9x12 pan 350° until it shrinks from the sides

while it's still hot, sprinkle with ½ cup sugar & 1½ tsp cinnamon

cut into 2 x 2 squares

[StarryNite]

110. That looks yummy!

[DemReadingDU]

129. Sounds yummy! Do you leave peels on the apples?

When I make apple pies or cobbler, I leave the peels on the apples. Really, leaving the peels on saves a LOT of time, and healthier for us too to eat the peels for extra fiber. :)

When my kids were younger, we would read the ingredients on various boxes and cans of foods. If we couldn't pronounce the words, we wouldn't buy the product!

Another kid trick for cereals...if the first ingredient was sugar, we didn't buy that kind. We only bought unsweetened varieties or oatmeal.

We rarely ate at fast food restaurants, did not buy soft drinks nor snacks. We bought fruits for snacking. We were healthy too, rarely visiting the doctor.

Plus, not buying a lot of boxes and cans of pre-packaged convenience foods would save a lot of storage space in my small kitchen.

:)

[SoCalDem]

132. I peel the apples, but not peaches or other fruits..

Since they are all mooshed up, you could probably leave them on..

[neuvocat]

111. Pressure cookers go a long way towards meeting much of what you mention.

They're great for tenderizing cheap cuts of meat as well as adding flavor to it. Imagine a 5 dollar roast that can last you a week on sandwiches that taste better than anything you can buy.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

116. nicely done SCD

thanks :9

[Roland99]

122. Another benefit of doing more cooking yourself is ....

More family time!

You'll spend more time helping each other in the kitchen and engaging in conversation and less time playing video games and watching a DVD or regular/cable TV!

[wakeme2008]

125. Good DU post to newspaper "Self-sufficiency on a balcony "

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=115&topic_id=94024

[SoCalDem]

126. Good article.. That's one rason I reject "foreign" fruits out of season

I don;t need grapes in january, that badly :) I can wait for California grapes:)

[wakeme2008]

136. After my contract at the railroad is up I am moving to

Tehachapi, Ca. I am tired of having to work outside of Florida to make good $$. I can live cheap in Tehachapi, and work in LA or other parts of Ca. I HATE commercial tomatoes and my friend Mac in Long Beach always grows his own. So I plan to grow them. Also the lemons in the article sound like something I would like to have a plant of. :) Tehachapi from what I have read is the apple growing part of Ca. :)

[blondie58]

130. wow, what a great post

I've bookmarked it- now I just need to DO IT!

And I'm motivated. I helped at the MS Walk here in Denver on Saturday and spoke with a lady who has- she said that she prayed and the Lord told her- controlled her MS, not with the drugs that can alter the disease- but with organic foods and Ambratose- a natural supplement by a company called Mannatach.

I vow to start eating healthier and take control of my life. Add more organic and more raw foods.

[DemExpat]

134. Bookmarking this treasure of a thread!

Thanks so much!

DemExd

[formercia]

135. Library book sales

I sell books on the Internet to make some extra income to make ends meet. I have a wonderful personal collection of non-fiction how-to books that had little value, were unlistable or just too damn good to sell. Some day, many of these works will be almost impossible to find because people don't check them out, as it is much easier to use the Internet.
When people don't check out a book, it is disposed-of in many cases, sometimes being hauled to recycling as trash.

Better get them before they're gone.

Usually hardcovers are a dollar and soft covers 50 cents or less.

[Peggy Day]

141. Use food in the landscape, and sprouts are easy to do. nt

[jelly]

142. Wonderful post.

I agree completely and only wish somebody had made me learn how to cook sooner than I did. It usually only takes about an hour or less to make a meal. I mean, sometimes the food has to be in the oven longer than that, but at that point you can just walk away. My husband and I have been cooking regularly from scratch for about a year now and not only does my family love it, is has become one of my favorite pastimes. I love trying new recipes. We eat healthier, spend less money (between not buying processed foods and not eating out so much), and rarely snack because we are so satisfied with our meals. Let's face it, not much satisfaction comes from eating a Banquet frozen dinner! I would always be hungry afterwards.

[Oldenuff]

147. Don't forget about growing your own heirloom non -gmo veggies

There was a thread awhile back that listed some of the heirloom (open pollinated) seed sellers that don't offer gmo (genetically modified) seed,but the thread was archived b4 I could get back to post.I wanted to offer for your consideration

http://www.heirloomseeds.com/

They have a pretty extensive online catalog as well...I ordered big this year,as I've got a feeling that Big Agro-Biz would really like to control seed sellers.They would surely hate to have their gmo strains tainted with open pollenated genetics I suspect.

[tinrobot]

149. "Real food doesn't need labels"

Ever notice how real foods (i.e. fresh fruits, veggies, meats) don't need to have FDA labels on them to tell you what's inside, while processed foods are required to have them?

Simply eat food without labels and you'll be eating food that is much more fresh and natural.

[SoCalDem]

150. That's the truth.. plain and simple..

add salt & pepper at the table..

[kath]

221. Unfortunately, more often than not, produce is unlabeled as to country of origin. So dog only knows

what awful pesticides have been used on the produce. US companies sell dangerous pesticides which were banned in the US long ago to third world countries, where they are sprayed on the crops, which then make their way back here and are sold to unsuspecting consumers. I haven't bought Chilean grapes for years for this reason.

And China is still using DDT(!!) for crying out loud. WTF?!!

[BlueJac]

153. Thanks for the post...........

You are talking about the lost art of great food.


I made a cake from scratch this week and it was great. I started canning a couple years back and love what I can do with it. Great food the good old fashion way.


Thanks again.

[SoCalDem]

154. Great but easy.. that's what people don;t understand if they have not done it

The only "hard" things I have ever cooked turned out to be not all that much better than the easy stuff..

Good and fancy don't have to be the same thing..

shredded colby cheese on macaroni beats that nasty stuff in a blue box any day

About the only cake I never make is angelfood..just because it wastes so many egg yolks.. ( I could make pudding with them, but I am lazy and we don;t like pudding all that much:) )

the best cake I ever ate was Aunt Mabels Lemon chiffon cake with caramel icing.. :)

[earth mom]

161. Great thread! Remember when Home Ec was taught in school?

I don't think schools offer it anymore and that's why we're seeing so much processed food. It's a shame.

My tips:

Buy a copy of the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook because it's full of tips on how to cook.

A crockpot is a must for those who want the simplicity and convenience of processed food. Just throw in veggies, broth, spices and a bit of meat-or not-and in a few hours... voila...dinner!

There are tons of great easy recipes online for free.

There is information online for weekly or monthly cooking, where you cook a week or months worth of meals over a day or two and freeze it all.

[ripple]

163. Awesome post! A couple of additions

Always look for whole grain rice and pasta. If you purchase your bread pre-made, try to get it fom a bakery and look for whole wheat or whole grain.

For carnivores, bison meat is much leaner and healthier than beef...tastier, too. :smile:

[SoCalDem]

167. When we lived in Michigan City, Indiana there was a wonderful Polish bakery

Eagle Bakery.. They got there at midnight, and if you did not get to the bakery by 8 am, they were sold out.

Egg poppyseed bread to DIE for.. and Challah that was as light as a feather ..

they also sold homemade egg noodles :)

[grace0418]

177. Some convenience foods worth buying:

bagged, cleaned mesclun, dark leafy greens, and "cole slaw" mix.

I don't have the room in my fridge to buy six different kinds of lettuce, nor the time or patience to trim and clean them. Same with dark leafy greens. But those bags are wonderful. They are the right amount for two of us to finish in a few days and they are ready to go. We can stir-fry the greens with tofu or put them in soup, plus make a quick and delicious salad with minimal prep.

And I never make cole slaw with the cole slaw mix. But the cleaned and chopped carrots and cabbage are great in soup or added to salads or stir fries. Or I mix them with vinegar, lime juice and a dash of fish sauce to make a wonderful Vietnamese-style relish to put in wraps.

So not all convenience foods should be thrown out. Otherwise a wonderful rant.

[jwirr]

178. Can anyone tell me the names of some good canning, freezing, root

cellar preservation books? When the garden overflows we do not want any waste.

Also I want to thank everyone in this thread. In the last week there have been two really positive threads, this one and "The Hippies Were Right" thread. They are life savers - the best anti-depression pills ever found. There is no defeatism here, just plan old persistence in the face of difficulties. Thank you again.

[SoCalDem]

182. This link looks promising..

http://missvickie.com/canning/quiz.htm

[Deb]

200. this is my favorite canning book -

http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Journals-Freezing-Canning-Cookbook/dp/0385134444

Mine is a 1973 edition and falling apart from use. I didn't know it was still available until just now and may order a replacement. CoOperative Extensions have good resources on canning. Do you have an unheated basement? That would be a great area to build a root cellar.

[Shallah Kali]

220. MotherEarthNews has some articles on Root Cellaring- also try your Cooperative Extension Service

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=dBw&q=+site:www.motherearthnews.com+motherearthnews+root+cellaring

National Center for Home Food Preservation
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_home.html

Also look up your local Cooperative Extension Service here:
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/partners/state_partners.html

They should have info on home food preserving. Also check what variety of veggies you grow - some varieties are better for keeping long term than others.

[Cant trust em]

188. A sobering thought on "Frankenfoods"

When you look at the back of the box and read the label, you see things like phosporates, sodium bicarbonate, etc. These are all minerals that we had to go into a mine and excavate. These have been grounded, pounded and emulsified to simulate something that tastes like butter or eggs. Since real eggs and real butter used in a cake would rot if it sat on the shelf for more than two days convenience food corporation came up with these preservatives as a substitute. Next time you see an ingredient that ends in -ate, or -ide just think that you are eating ground up rocks. That can't be good.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

196. sodium bicarbonate = baking soda.

Phosphorate is a verb. If you mean "phosphate", it's rather important to all life on earth.

If you're worried about things coming up out of the ground, I recommend thinking about how plants work.

[Cant trust em]

203. I just made those words up

I don't have any twinkies on me, so I didn't have time to find the real names. There are plenty of REAL examples on the back of any box of Ritz crackers, ho hos, or Ruffles chips to illustrate my point of eating a bunch of artificial preservatives is not a great idea. As for thinking about how plants work I'll do that, but it's also a good idea to read the labels.

[Cant trust em]

204. In case anyone still cares...

Here is where I got this idea.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17303919/site/newsweek/

[K8-EEE]

201. I am blanching and freezing veggies right now, TIPS!

If you've frozen fresh veggies and they turned out tough, you forgot to blanch them, most veggies require this to freeze nicely.

Just wash and cut up the stuff (I'm doing brocholi, carrots, cauliflower today) cut in 1 inch pieces and put in boiling water, then turn the heat OFF -- take out in two minutes and rinse with cold water, let cool completely before freezing.

BONUS ECO-POINTS! If you freeze in little foil pouches you can recycle them with the cans....this takes MUCH LESS packaging and waste than buying boxes of frozen stuff at the store and that stuff is YEARS OLD! Also if you use an insert basket, you can cool the cooking water (I water all my potted herbs with reclaimed water from the kitchen, I live in So. CA so every drop counts!)

I steam the stuff (for about four minutes) when it's time to eat it, if you freeze brown rice in muffin tins (they can then be popped out and kept in a ziplock bag) you can steam a couple of those at the same time as the veggies for a healthy lunch - although I will admit to putting cheese on it half the time!

[jeffrey_X]

205. GREAT POST!

i can't walk into a regular grocery store any longer and find something I want to buy outside of the fruit and veggie section.

whole foods, trader joes and other markets like this are the only place I can shop now.

I agree 100% with everything you are saying. We have made these changes and it has been great for our health and it's right in line with our politics. I will not be a drag on the health care system because I chose to eat big macs and drink pop (i.e. cancer water).

[GoneOffShore]

213. Time to end the Olive Garden/McDonalds hegeomony.

[SoCalDem]

215. Huh?

I "heard" about the battle, but did not participate :)

[clyrc]

223. I've been preparing more and more of my own food

I'm dieting now, so it's kind of essential. I have several new cookbooks which I love, I'm using two recipes from two of them today.

When I first moved to the Middle East four years ago, I was in a panic because they don't sell much convenience food in the stores here. Luckily for me, I love to cook, and over time I learned to make food that most of the family will eat. It's still not as easy, though, because my husband won't eat left-overs, and my oldest daughter is too picky, and now I'm dieting and trying to eat much less meat, which the rest of the family can't handle. I seem to go through just about every bowl, pot, and pan in the kitchen every day, which means a lot of dishwashing.

However, I think it is worth it because I feel so much better no than I did before. Produce is cheap here, even if the selection is a little different than in the States. There have been a few times when I didn't know the name of the vegetable I was cooking, just that it looked similar to one I was familiar with, so I cooked it the same way I would the vegetable I know. It's a good thing I like culinary adventure!