On Wed, 4 Aug 2010 13:58:07 -0700 (PDT), Scooter
> wrote:

>On Aug 4, 2:21*pm, Nancy2 > wrote:
>
>> I wonder how you'd like making soda crackers or oyster crackers from
>> scratch. *
>
>See, I wonder that too. I might enjoy it. If I didn't, I might
>question how important crackers are to me.
>
>> You apparently don't currently buy "meal in a box," but you have no
>> problem buying box mixes like for brownies? *Scratch brownies are so
>> much better. *And making granola is good, but how much variety can you
>> arrange for scratch cereals? *Do you make one kind? *two? *four? *The
>> packaged cereal gives about 50 times more variety.
>
>I agree that scratch brownies are better, and I do make them from
>scratch most of the time. Sometimes I let convenience win out, which
>is what I'm questioning now. As for variety, do we really need 75 or
>100 kinds of cereal? If I have a choice of granola, coffee cake,
>bagels, toast, or oatmeal for breakfast, all well-made at home,
>shouldn't that be sufficient?

Very few food items here are purchased that are 'pre made'.

In fact, about the only thing I can think of that I buy are Ryvitas (a
crisp bread).

Otherwise, it's all basic ingredients, meaning everything is made
from scratch. Also grow and hunt most of our fruit, veggies and
Poultry and meat. Dairy comes from an adjoining property - except for
some cheeses which I get from the delis. Undoubtedly more time
consuming than pre made products, but far more enjoyable in every way.
No, I have very little spare time in my day because of this - it's
basically a full time job (being self sufficient) - but no regrets.

Scooter wrote:
> I have been thinking about trying an experiment. (Okay, not really
> thinking about it, more like daydreaming about it. Musing. I'm only
> about half serious at this point.) We eat fairly well as a family,
> relatively speaking—we cook a lot from scratch, we don't eat frozen
> convenience dinners or meal-in-a-box things, etc—but there are still a
> lot of processed/prepared items in my shopping cart every Saturday
> morning. We certainly could do better.
>
> So I was thinking, what if I only bought basic single-ingredient food
> and we made everything else ourselves from those single ingredients?
> If we want cookies, we make cookies—no more buying Oreos. Shredded
> Wheat is fine, but Honey Bunches of Oats is not. (That's okay; I make
> a damn fine granola.) Brownie mix? Nix. I buy chocolate, butter, eggs,
> sugar, flour, vanilla, and nuts instead. We don't buy anything
> prepared if it can reasonably be prepared in a home kitchen. Basics
> all the way.
>
> How would life change under this new approach? I think we would eat
> better. I think, but am not certain, that our grocery bills would be
> lower (or at least not higher). I think initially we would spend a
> whole lot more time cooking, but I think over time we would gravitate
> toward meals that were either simple and quick to prepare or were good
> enough to justify the extra effort.
>
> If you were to adopt this approach, how would your life change? Are
> there prepared items that you would particularly miss? Any deal-
> breakers for you? (I'm close to calling no more Diet Coke a deal-


I don't see a big problem. That's basically what goes on in our house.
we eat very few prepared foods. My cereal supply is Shredded Wheat,
Cream of Wheat and oatmeal. I make my own jams and jellies. I bake my
own pies, cakes and cookies and almost never use mixes. I do
occasionally buy pasta sauce and I buy soups. If I want lasagna, I make
it from scratch (except for the sauce), and use fresh grated Parmesan
not the canned stuff. I even make my own ice cream.

On Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:28:59 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

> I do occasionally buy pasta sauce and I buy soups.

Those two are nevers in my house.

> I even make my own ice cream.

That's an "occasional" here.

--

Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

sf wrote:
> On Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:28:59 -0400, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> I do occasionally buy pasta sauce and I buy soups.
>
> Those two are nevers in my house.
>
>> I even make my own ice cream.
>
> That's an "occasional" here.
>

It's an almost. I make a batch of ice cream every 2-3 weeks. I have not
bought ice cream since I bought my maker. I did, however, make an
impulse purchase last week, a quart of raspberry sherbet.

On Aug 4, 3:28*pm, Dave Smith > wrote:
> Scooter wrote:
> > I have been thinking about trying an experiment. (Okay, not really
> > thinking about it, more like daydreaming about it. Musing. I'm only
> > about half serious at this point.) We eat fairly well as a family,
> > relatively speaking—we cook a lot from scratch, we don't eat frozen
> > convenience dinners or meal-in-a-box things, etc—but there are still a
> > lot of processed/prepared items in my shopping cart every Saturday
> > morning. We certainly could do better.
>
> > So I was thinking, what if I only bought basic single-ingredient food
> > and we made everything else ourselves from those single ingredients?
> > If we want cookies, we make cookies—no more buying Oreos. Shredded
> > Wheat is fine, but Honey Bunches of Oats is not. (That's okay; I make
> > a damn fine granola.) Brownie mix? Nix. I buy chocolate, butter, eggs,
> > sugar, flour, vanilla, and nuts instead. We don't buy anything
> > prepared if it can reasonably be prepared in a home kitchen. Basics
> > all the way.
>
> > How would life change under this new approach? I think we would eat
> > better. I think, but am not certain, that our grocery bills would be
> > lower (or at least not higher). I think initially we would spend a
> > whole lot more time cooking, but I think over time we would gravitate
> > toward meals that were either simple and quick to prepare or were good
> > enough to justify the extra effort.
>
> > If you were to adopt this approach, how would your life change? Are
> > there prepared items that you would particularly miss? Any deal-
> > breakers for you? (I'm close to calling no more Diet Coke a deal-
>
> I don't see a big problem. *That's basically what goes on in our house.
> we eat very few prepared foods. My cereal supply is Shredded Wheat,
> Cream of Wheat and oatmeal. *I make my own jams and jellies. I bake my
> own pies, cakes and cookies and almost never use mixes. *I do
> occasionally buy pasta sauce and I buy soups. *If I want lasagna, I make
> it from scratch (except for the sauce), and use fresh grated Parmesan
> not the canned stuff. I even make my own ice cream.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

You make lasagna noodles, but not sauce? It's exactly the opposite
for me. I always make my own sauce for pizza, lasagna, and any dish
that calls for tomato sauce.

N.

Scooter wrote:
> I have been thinking about trying an experiment. (Okay, not really
> thinking about it, more like daydreaming about it. Musing. I'm only
> about half serious at this point.) We eat fairly well as a family,
> relatively speaking—we cook a lot from scratch, we don't eat frozen
> convenience dinners or meal-in-a-box things, etc—but there are still a
> lot of processed/prepared items in my shopping cart every Saturday
> morning. We certainly could do better.
>
> So I was thinking, what if I only bought basic single-ingredient food
> and we made everything else ourselves from those single ingredients?
> If we want cookies, we make cookies—no more buying Oreos. Shredded
> Wheat is fine, but Honey Bunches of Oats is not. (That's okay; I make
> a damn fine granola.) Brownie mix? Nix. I buy chocolate, butter, eggs,
> sugar, flour, vanilla, and nuts instead. We don't buy anything
> prepared if it can reasonably be prepared in a home kitchen. Basics
> all the way.
>
> How would life change under this new approach? I think we would eat
> better. I think, but am not certain, that our grocery bills would be
> lower (or at least not higher). I think initially we would spend a
> whole lot more time cooking, but I think over time we would gravitate
> toward meals that were either simple and quick to prepare or were good
> enough to justify the extra effort.
>
> If you were to adopt this approach, how would your life change? Are
> there prepared items that you would particularly miss? Any deal-
> breakers for you? (I'm close to calling no more Diet Coke a deal-
> breaker, but that's me.) Would your life be better or worse?
>

We pretty much do without processed foods here. I don't think it has
changed our lives for the worst, but I've always cooked from scratch,
being raised in a Kosher home where there just wasn't any of that
processed junk available at the time.

My kids didn't taste jarred spaghetti sauce or canned soup until they
were in college. Stuff was home made because it was cheaper to make it
myself than to buy it.

No Diet Coke would be a deal-breaker for me.


--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

I go through this dilemma all the time in my head. I work in a school with some cafeteria gals who know how to cook "old school." It drives them nuts that we blow money on prepackaged PB&Js and fake ribs; me too.There once was a day when cool vegetables, fruits, fresh bread and soup were offered most days.

Sounds too easy.

Beef stew (the kind grown by people HERE), while offering a vegetarian choice of a well stocked salad bar would be any easy money saver if made from scratch. The poeple are in place. ADELANTE...DEGUELLO!!!

It could be done cheaply, and with more options for kids. Now, I need a french onion soup recipe that doesn't include wine. :x

On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 05:22:05 +0000, Gorio
> wrote:

>
>I go through this dilemma all the time in my head. I work in a school
>with some cafeteria gals who know how to cook "old school." It drives
>them nuts that we blow money on prepackaged PB&Js and fake ribs; me
>too.There once was a day when cool vegetables, fruits, fresh bread and
>soup were offered most days.
>
>Sounds too easy.
>
>Beef stew (the kind grown by people HERE), while offering a vegetarian
>choice of a well stocked salad bar would be any easy money saver if made
>from scratch. The poeple are in place. ADELANTE...DEGUELLO!!!
>
>It could be done cheaply, and with more options for kids. Now, I need a
>french onion soup recipe that doesn't include wine. :x

Fr onion soup could also be made using a combination of beef broth,
chicken stock and some apple cider, not apple juice. It turns out
really good.

koko
--

There is no love more sincere than the love of food
George Bernard Shaw

www.kokoscornerblog.com
updated 08/02/10
Watkins natural spices
www.apinchofspices.com

On Aug 5, 1:22*am, Gorio > wrote:
> I go through this dilemma all the time in my head. I work in a school
> with some cafeteria gals who know how to cook "old school." It drives
> them nuts that we blow money on prepackaged PB&Js and fake ribs; me
> too.There once was a day when cool vegetables, fruits, fresh bread and
> soup were offered most days.
>
> Sounds too easy.
>
> Beef stew (the kind grown by people HERE), while offering a vegetarian
> choice of a well stocked salad bar would be any easy money saver if made
> from scratch. The poeple are in place. * ADELANTE...DEGUELLO!!!
>
> It could be done cheaply, and with more options for kids. Now, I need a
> french onion soup recipe that doesn't include wine. :x

Why?

Cindy Hamilton

Oh, heaven forbid, the powers that be would never condone cooking with wine for school lunch. Apple cider is cheaper anyway. I still think you'd be lacking that lovely dark-n-deep color.

"Gorio" > wrote in message
...
> Oh, heaven forbid, the powers that be would never condone cooking with
> wine for school lunch. Apple cider is cheaper anyway. I still think
> you'd be lacking that lovely dark-n-deep color.

That lovely dark-n-deep colour is made by caramelising the onions properly.


--
--
https://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

On Aug 6, 12:50*pm, Gorio > wrote:
> 'Cindy Hamilton[_2_ Wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > ;1515102']On Aug 5, 1:22*am, Gorio
> > wrote:-
> > I go through this dilemma all the time in my head. I work in a school
> > with some cafeteria gals who know how to cook "old school." It drives
> > them nuts that we blow money on prepackaged PB&Js and fake ribs; me
> > too.There once was a day when cool vegetables, fruits, fresh bread and
> > soup were offered most days.
>
> > Sounds too easy.
>
> > Beef stew (the kind grown by people HERE), while offering a vegetarian
> > choice of a well stocked salad bar would be any easy money saver if
> > made
> > from scratch. The poeple are in place. * ADELANTE...DEGUELLO!!!
>
> > It could be done cheaply, and with more options for kids. Now, I need
> > a
> > french onion soup recipe that doesn't include wine. :x-
>
> > Why?
>
> > Cindy Hamilton
>
> Oh, heaven forbid, the powers that be would never condone cooking with
> wine for school lunch. Apple cider is cheaper anyway. I still think
> you'd be lacking that lovely dark-n-deep color.
>
> --
> Gorio

Sorry; I'd lost track of the school cafeteria involvement.

Cindy Hamilton

Scooter,

All cooking aside, you would definitely eat better as you would no longer be packing your body with chemicals and preservatives. Yeah, I know sounds paranoid and all, but think about how slender and healthy people used to be, compared to now.

On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 12:21:53 +0000, Cornelius
> wrote:

> think about how slender and healthy
> people used to be, compared to now.

That has a lot to do with the volume of food that we stuff down our
gullets today.

--

Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

sf wrote:
> On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 12:21:53 +0000, Cornelius
> > wrote:
>
>> think about how slender and healthy
>> people used to be, compared to now.
>
> That has a lot to do with the volume of food that we stuff down our
> gullets today.
>


That and the lack of exercise. We used to walk or ride our bicycles to
school. Most of kids go to school by bus these days. When I was a kid we
were all involved in team sports, hockey in the winter, baseball and/or
soccer in the summer. We were not allowed to watch much television. My
mother used to kick us out of the house every morning if the weather
was halfway decent. She often packed a lunch and sent us off on a hike.
I am surprised to see how much television kids watch these days, and
how much time is spent playing video games. We rarely had junk food in
the house and soda pop was for special occasions only. I am surprised
when I see parents of young children out shopping and the amount of junk
food. I occasionally see a very fat woman with a couple of fat kids and
two shopping carts piled high with soft drinks and junk food. I am
tempted to feel sorry for them.

Dave Smith wrote:

>
> That and the lack of exercise. We used to walk or ride our bicycles to
> school. Most of kids go to school by bus these days. When I was a kid we
> were all involved in team sports, hockey in the winter, baseball and/or
> soccer in the summer. We were not allowed to watch much television. My
> mother used to kick us out of the house every morning if the weather
> was halfway decent. She often packed a lunch and sent us off on a hike.
> I am surprised to see how much television kids watch these days, and
> how much time is spent playing video games. We rarely had junk food in
> the house and soda pop was for special occasions only. I am surprised
> when I see parents of young children out shopping and the amount of junk
> food. I occasionally see a very fat woman with a couple of fat kids and
> two shopping carts piled high with soft drinks and junk food. I am
> tempted to feel sorry for them.

I was talking to a young woman about this the other day. We used to send
our kids outside to play. All the neighborhood kids would get together
and play some kind of game that involved movement, very much different
from a video game.


The moms of today, my own daughters and daughter-in-law included, are
afraid of sexual predators attacking their children while they are
outside the home, playing on the street. They keep the kids indoors and
the kids play video games, computer games, Wii, Ninetendo and they text
and text and text and when they are done texting, they Facebook.

No wonder we are raising a nation of fatties.


--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

On Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:04:29 -0500, Janet Wilder
> wrote:

>Dave Smith wrote:
>
>>
>> That and the lack of exercise. We used to walk or ride our bicycles to
>> school. Most of kids go to school by bus these days. When I was a kid we
>> were all involved in team sports, hockey in the winter, baseball and/or
>> soccer in the summer. We were not allowed to watch much television. My
>> mother used to kick us out of the house every morning if the weather
>> was halfway decent. She often packed a lunch and sent us off on a hike.
>> I am surprised to see how much television kids watch these days, and
>> how much time is spent playing video games. We rarely had junk food in
>> the house and soda pop was for special occasions only. I am surprised
>> when I see parents of young children out shopping and the amount of junk
>> food. I occasionally see a very fat woman with a couple of fat kids and
>> two shopping carts piled high with soft drinks and junk food. I am
>> tempted to feel sorry for them.
>
>I was talking to a young woman about this the other day. We used to send
>our kids outside to play. All the neighborhood kids would get together
>and play some kind of game that involved movement, very much different
>from a video game.
>
>
>The moms of today, my own daughters and daughter-in-law included, are
>afraid of sexual predators attacking their children while they are
>outside the home, playing on the street. They keep the kids indoors and
>the kids play video games, computer games, Wii, Ninetendo and they text
>and text and text and when they are done texting, they Facebook.
>
>No wonder we are raising a nation of fatties.

When I was five years old my mother would give me an old soup spoon so
I could go out to a vacant lot where other five year olds with similar
spoons gathered so we could all dig to China... all we needed was one
tin truck (or a soup can that we imagined was a truck) and we'd
excavate dirt roads better and further than NASA plots paths through
the milkway... we'd burn a lot more calories than ten kids could suck
out of a wad of bubblegum. We all enjoyed childhood while none of us
ever had any money. The main reason why anyone is obese today is
simply because they all have a pocketful of money. I honestly don't
remember any fat kids, none of us ever had enough money to buy enough
food to get fat... it's very difficult to get fat on the occasional
wax lips and baseball card bubble gum. Today there are seven year
olds who regularly buy an entire pizza any time they get the urge...
three year olds subsist entirely on Happy Meals and Chucky Cheese
birthday party grub. When I was a kid birthday party food was a
teensy cupcake and a teensy basket filled with peanuts, raisins and
maybe a few good n' plentys, and a dixie cup of ice cream... most
times all we'd actually eat was some of the dixie cup, because under
the lid was a picture of some childhood hero like Roy Rogers, Gabby
Hayes, Captain Video, or the Three Tons of Fun... kids then idolized
Trigger but never the Three Tons of Lard. We ate Shredded Wheat and
Wheaties, I don't remember ever eating pizza until I was maybe
fifteen, and thought it was disgusting TIAD. Back then a whole
dripping with oil, loaded with cheese and a ton of calories pizza cost
75¢. A few steps away for the same 75¢ I'd much rather a kosher
tongue on club, a kasha k'nish, and a Cel-Ray tonic... and of course
all the zero calorie half sours I could schtup.

Kids are fatties because both parents have careers so to negate their
abandonment guilt they schtup their rug rats with Jeffersons like it
were TP. I've seen eight year olds with credit cards There is no
other reason whatsoever for obeasties. Career mothers give birth,
NONE parent. There is no way anyone can maintain a career and do any
parenting, Playing birth canal is NOT parenting. Day care is
definitely not parenting, it's lower than dumping a kid at a kennel...
no pet of mine has ever been at a kennel, never will.

sf wrote:
> On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 12:21:53 +0000, Cornelius
> > wrote:
>
>> think about how slender and healthy
>> people used to be, compared to now.
>
> That has a lot to do with the volume of food that we stuff down our
> gullets today.
>
It also has a lot to do with the amount of physical labor surviving on a
day to day basis required then too.

"Goomba" > wrote in message
...
> sf wrote:
>> On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 12:21:53 +0000, Cornelius
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> think about how slender and healthy
>>> people used to be, compared to now.
>>
>> That has a lot to do with the volume of food that we stuff down our
>> gullets today.
>>
> It also has a lot to do with the amount of physical labor surviving on a
> day to day basis required then too.



Exactly. Remember the PBS series from 2002 'Frontier House'? Those people
had to *work* for their food. Sure, the folks in 1883 on the American
frontier had some canned and jarred goods. But they also milked cows,
planted gardens, raised hogs and chickens (and butchered them). They
chopped firewood because how else were they going to cook? Talk about
making things from scratch... LOL I loved that series

Jill

Sorry, but nope. It has a lot more to do with the kinds of foods we stuff down our gullets. People in the past were not simply inherently more virtuous. People is people.

"Cornelius" > wrote in message
...
>
> 'sf[_9_ Wrote:
>> ;1514624']On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 12:21:53 +0000, Cornelius
>> wrote:
>> -
>> think about how slender and healthy
>> people used to be, compared to now.-
>>
>> That has a lot to do with the volume of food that we stuff down our
>> gullets today.
>>
>> --
>>
>> Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
>
> Sorry, but nope. It has a lot more to do with the kinds of foods we
> stuff down our gullets. People in the past were not simply inherently
> more virtuous. People is people.

I think it has more to do with our level of activity today. In addition,
the processed food.

Cornelius wrote:
> Scooter,
>
> All cooking aside, you would definitely eat better as you would no
> longer be packing your body with chemicals and preservatives. Yeah, I
> know sounds paranoid and all, but think about how slender and healthy
> people used to be, compared to now.
>
Was that before TV? Before "labor saving" devices such as washing
machines? Was that when kids played outside?? Was that when farming was
far more common and far larger a household task than a little hobby in
pots on the deck?
I mean, why *do* you think people were more slender? And you don't even
want to discuss healthy because many were far from it. But they're not
being glorified.

Cornelius wrote:
> Scooter,
>
> All cooking aside, you would definitely eat better as you would no
> longer be packing your body with chemicals and preservatives. Yeah, I
> know sounds paranoid and all, but think about how slender and healthy
> people used to be, compared to now.
>
>
>
>

In the world of "used to be" we were all very active. Most people worked
on farms or in mines or other labor-intensive occupations. Today most
of us work at sedentary occupations. Even if we labor for a living,
modern technology has taken a lot of the "work" out of our work. As a
consequence we don't need as many calories to function as we did in the
days of "used to be"

Most of us learned to cook from families who were engaged in more
labor-intensive occupations. Our culture is based on the "Meat and
potatoes" that Europeans ate, or the beans and rice of the South and
Central American cultures, or the rice of Asian cultures. Since most of
us don't burn up those additional calories that were needed by our
previous generations to survive a labor intensive life style, we are
facing an epidemic of obesity.

I don't have the solution.
--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Sycophant wrote:

>> How would life change under this new approach? I think we would eat
>> better. I think, but am not certain, that our grocery bills would be
>> lower (or at least not higher). I think initially we would spend a
>> whole lot more time cooking, but I think over time we would gravitate
>> toward meals that were either simple and quick to prepare or were good
>> enough to justify the extra effort.
>>
>> If you were to adopt this approach, how would your life change? Are
>> there prepared items that you would particularly miss? Any deal-
>> breakers for you? (I'm close to calling no more Diet Coke a deal-
>> breaker, but that's me.) Would your life be better or worse?
>>
>> Scooter
>
> Dude, I did this years ago... ;-)
> Get with the program!

....and yet, even though you have all those years of experience, you failed
to answer even ONE of the questions asked. CHRIST, you need to get your
brain fixed!

Bob