A few years ago I read a really good book, Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser. I heard about the book when I watched the documentary "Supersize Me". At the end of the documentary, Morgan Spurlock, who was the subject of the show, interviewed Mr. Schlosser about his book. The book was written in 2001 but it is still so relevant today.
The book starts out giving the reader a history lesson on how "fast food" was born in this country and shows the progression from small "mom and pop" operations to the big corporations that exist today. The author states that "the fast food chains now stand atop a huge food industrial complex that has gained control of American agriculture". The once family farms and local ranchers are becoming a thing of the past, replaced by big feedlots, factory farms and giant corporate farms. The independent farmer is disappearing.
He goes on the explain how the big fast food chains influence how the cattle are raised and how the meatpacking business is run. There is also a section on how this big business affects the workers in some of these jobs. It is sometimes low-paying and dangerous.
Mr. Schlosser goes out West and talks to some of the ranchers whose land is being surrounded by big agribusiness operations and they explain how these companies are ruining the land. One in particular shows the author around his ranch, and tells him how he rotates his cattle to graze in different pastures everyday so that the land can recover and not get over grazed. He feels he is being squeezed out by the "corporate" farms and they are ruining the land.
There are sections on how McDonalds grew into an international corp., scary insights into the meatpacking industry, food safety and what's really in our food.
Towards the end of the book, the author talks to the operators of a family-owned restaurant in Nevada. It's a small place, their beef is from a local, small, independent producer, formed by hand. The buns come from a bakery down the street, the fries are cut fresh right in the kitchen. There's no drive-thru and it costs only slightly more than the fast food chain across the street. There is nothing wrong with having a hamburger and fries, occasionally, when it is from a place like this.
I really enjoyed this book, although, I will say that parts of it where cites a lot of statistical information and may be a little hard to understand some of that part, for me anyway. But I believe it is worth reading and will provide many insights in to our culture of fast food.
Kathy
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Randomness and Guilty Pleasures
I've had lots of things occupying my mind these last few days, some good, some curious and some frustrating.
Take this morning, I was paying my bills online and when I opened my cable/internet/phone bill it had gone up almost $20 from last month. It's just crazy. A new company took over a couple of months ago and we worried prices were going to increase and it looks like they have.
I would like to get rid of my landline phone, but when I called the previous company about that, they informed me that if I did cancel it that it would make the price of cable and internet go up since the three services were in a price bundle. Turned out it was cheaper to keep the phone. Crazy right! I guess I will call the new company and see what the pricing will be if I cancel my landline and cancel my movie channel, HBO. But I have a feeling they will tell me the same thing. I may consider switching to a different company altogether.
As I was watching the evening news yesterday, they did a story on the long-lived people on a Greek island. I can't remember the name of it, but a lot of them easily lived to be in their 90's and even into their 100's. What's their secret, apparently it has a lot to do with their diet, the classic Mediterranean diet, which is lots of fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, lots of fish and a small amount of meat. Also wine seems to play a role in it also. (I've got the wine part down). They also stressed the amount of exercise and calories burned by the natives of this island, up to a 1000 calories a day in "non exercise" activity. The stay fit by walking, gardening, cooking meals, dancing and chores around the house.There's no gym, bike lanes or buses....but there are lots of hills and people walk to visit their neighbors and go to the shops, they tend their gardens and knead their bread and apparently that all adds up. There's a lesson in there for all of us, me especially.
Today is a beautiful day, sunny with temperatures in the upper 70's which is almost unheard of at the end of July in the South. I'm trying to take advantage of it by not doing anything today. This is very hard for me to do. Anytime I try to just sit around all day and read or just enjoy the deck, I start getting antsy after a little while. I feel I should be up doing something, getting something accomplished, cleaning or cooking something.
I think the reason I want to be lazy today is that I spent all of yesterday shoveling out my son's room. Washing his windows, curtains and blinds. Wiping down the walls and moving and cleaning under the furniture, flipping the mattress. I was wore out. Instead of spring cleaning, I like to clean like this at the end of summer before I close up the house for the winter. I usually take one room every weekend and do a thorough cleaning and then I will shampoo the carpets, clean the oven and clean out the refrigerator. By the time Fall gets here I'll have the whole house done.
I really had planned on cooking a couple of special treats today, but I just couldn't make myself do it, but I feel guilty for not doing anything. Will this make me busier later in the week? Will I be able to sleep tonight after sitting around too much today? I'm not even cooking dinner tonight. My son is eating leftovers from yesterday and I am heating up some lasagna that I had baked and put in the freezer a while back. I'm such a sloth. Even Lola is being lazy today.
I've been battling my tomato eating squirrels again this weekend. I saw one out my kitchen window Friday afternoon sitting on the fence post eating a small, green tomato. I walked out on the deck to see if he had the nerve to go back for seconds and he did! I was able to throw something at him and he ran off. It seems now they are not even wating for them to start to ripen, they're taking them when they're still small and green. When I went down there to check the plants this is what I found......
and this.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I had two pictures to insert here but for some reason<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>they won't upload. The service with this new company<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>is sometimes iffy. Just picture half eaten tomatoes on<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>the ground.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Also, this weekend, I pulled up what was left of my lettuce, it was going to seed. The lettuce was a big success and I will grow it again next spring, apparently squirrels aren't fond of lettuce. I pulled the bok choy up too, it just wasn't doing right. It did better than the first batch, but this batch just couldn't quite get there. I will be trying my had at brussel sprouts sometime next month as it's a fall crop.
I have to go now.....I'm going to clean out the deep fryer. I have to get SOMETHING done today.
Kathy
Take this morning, I was paying my bills online and when I opened my cable/internet/phone bill it had gone up almost $20 from last month. It's just crazy. A new company took over a couple of months ago and we worried prices were going to increase and it looks like they have.
I would like to get rid of my landline phone, but when I called the previous company about that, they informed me that if I did cancel it that it would make the price of cable and internet go up since the three services were in a price bundle. Turned out it was cheaper to keep the phone. Crazy right! I guess I will call the new company and see what the pricing will be if I cancel my landline and cancel my movie channel, HBO. But I have a feeling they will tell me the same thing. I may consider switching to a different company altogether.
As I was watching the evening news yesterday, they did a story on the long-lived people on a Greek island. I can't remember the name of it, but a lot of them easily lived to be in their 90's and even into their 100's. What's their secret, apparently it has a lot to do with their diet, the classic Mediterranean diet, which is lots of fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, lots of fish and a small amount of meat. Also wine seems to play a role in it also. (I've got the wine part down). They also stressed the amount of exercise and calories burned by the natives of this island, up to a 1000 calories a day in "non exercise" activity. The stay fit by walking, gardening, cooking meals, dancing and chores around the house.There's no gym, bike lanes or buses....but there are lots of hills and people walk to visit their neighbors and go to the shops, they tend their gardens and knead their bread and apparently that all adds up. There's a lesson in there for all of us, me especially.
Today is a beautiful day, sunny with temperatures in the upper 70's which is almost unheard of at the end of July in the South. I'm trying to take advantage of it by not doing anything today. This is very hard for me to do. Anytime I try to just sit around all day and read or just enjoy the deck, I start getting antsy after a little while. I feel I should be up doing something, getting something accomplished, cleaning or cooking something.
I think the reason I want to be lazy today is that I spent all of yesterday shoveling out my son's room. Washing his windows, curtains and blinds. Wiping down the walls and moving and cleaning under the furniture, flipping the mattress. I was wore out. Instead of spring cleaning, I like to clean like this at the end of summer before I close up the house for the winter. I usually take one room every weekend and do a thorough cleaning and then I will shampoo the carpets, clean the oven and clean out the refrigerator. By the time Fall gets here I'll have the whole house done.
I really had planned on cooking a couple of special treats today, but I just couldn't make myself do it, but I feel guilty for not doing anything. Will this make me busier later in the week? Will I be able to sleep tonight after sitting around too much today? I'm not even cooking dinner tonight. My son is eating leftovers from yesterday and I am heating up some lasagna that I had baked and put in the freezer a while back. I'm such a sloth. Even Lola is being lazy today.
I've been battling my tomato eating squirrels again this weekend. I saw one out my kitchen window Friday afternoon sitting on the fence post eating a small, green tomato. I walked out on the deck to see if he had the nerve to go back for seconds and he did! I was able to throw something at him and he ran off. It seems now they are not even wating for them to start to ripen, they're taking them when they're still small and green. When I went down there to check the plants this is what I found......
and this.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I had two pictures to insert here but for some reason<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>they won't upload. The service with this new company<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>is sometimes iffy. Just picture half eaten tomatoes on<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>the ground.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Also, this weekend, I pulled up what was left of my lettuce, it was going to seed. The lettuce was a big success and I will grow it again next spring, apparently squirrels aren't fond of lettuce. I pulled the bok choy up too, it just wasn't doing right. It did better than the first batch, but this batch just couldn't quite get there. I will be trying my had at brussel sprouts sometime next month as it's a fall crop.
I have to go now.....I'm going to clean out the deep fryer. I have to get SOMETHING done today.
Kathy
Monday, July 22, 2013
What's Charlie Brown Got To Do With It?
See these tomatoes? Take a real good look.....
Beautiful aren't they.......they're not MY tomatoes!! The big ones are from my brother's garden, the cherry tomatoes are from my Mom's plants.
Where are mine you ask? Well, the squirrels have gotten a hold of about 5 partially ripe tomatoes and the 3 others that I picked and put in my window sill started getting mushy and soft when they were about half ripened. I had to throw them out. I'm so frustrated. I still have about 8 tomatoes on my vines so there is still some hope.
I had three large tomatoes from my brother and I've eaten one and it was heavenly. I am so envious of his vines. They are over 6ft. tall, bushy and loaded with tomatoes.
These are mine, barely 3ft. tall and not very full and bushy. We use the same plant food. Granted I have a lot more squirrels than he does, so why don't mine look like his, I water and feed regularly.. Could it be that mine are in containers and his are planted in the ground?
Compared to his vines my look like "Charlie Brown" tomatoe vines. It's very frustrating.
But in the meantime, I will be enjoying the tomatoes my brother gave me and my Mom will be having lots of cherry tomatoes for me so I can still taste "heaven on earth". But I haven't given up on mine yet.
Here is my favorite summer lunch.
Cheese and crackers, a homegrown tomato (from my brother) and a cucumber, also grown by my brother (now he's just showing off).
Kathy
Beautiful aren't they.......they're not MY tomatoes!! The big ones are from my brother's garden, the cherry tomatoes are from my Mom's plants.
Where are mine you ask? Well, the squirrels have gotten a hold of about 5 partially ripe tomatoes and the 3 others that I picked and put in my window sill started getting mushy and soft when they were about half ripened. I had to throw them out. I'm so frustrated. I still have about 8 tomatoes on my vines so there is still some hope.
I had three large tomatoes from my brother and I've eaten one and it was heavenly. I am so envious of his vines. They are over 6ft. tall, bushy and loaded with tomatoes.
These are mine, barely 3ft. tall and not very full and bushy. We use the same plant food. Granted I have a lot more squirrels than he does, so why don't mine look like his, I water and feed regularly.. Could it be that mine are in containers and his are planted in the ground?
Compared to his vines my look like "Charlie Brown" tomatoe vines. It's very frustrating.
But in the meantime, I will be enjoying the tomatoes my brother gave me and my Mom will be having lots of cherry tomatoes for me so I can still taste "heaven on earth". But I haven't given up on mine yet.
Here is my favorite summer lunch.
Cheese and crackers, a homegrown tomato (from my brother) and a cucumber, also grown by my brother (now he's just showing off).
Kathy
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Squirrels vs Me
Those dastardly squirrels have been at it again. I came home from work today and went in the backyard, walked to the side of the house to make sure the gate was closed so Lola wouldn't get out and there it was......mocking me....my biggest, green tomato. The one I said I might pick to make fried green tomatoes.
I wish I had taken a picture of it where I found it. It felt like the squirrels were taunting me, daring me to do something about it. But here is a picture of it after I brought it up to the deck.
I must say that this picture doesn't do it justice, doesn't look as mocking as it looked where it was originally sitting, but it hurts none the less.
Even the top had little bite marks on it, like the "little fella" was taste testing to make sure he wanted this one.
I went over and looked at the tomato plant to see if this really was the one I thought it was. It was. And then I saw it......
This much smaller tomato that was on the vine right next to the big one........and it had been taste tested too.
.......in two different spots AND it was still hanging on the vine!!!!! That little son of a ..........gun.
This is a declaration of war. But what can I do, I can't sit outside and watch all day, I could put chicken wire around them....if I had any.
Then I remembered something I had seen online, a helpful hint on how to keep squirrels (those cute furry creatures) off of the tomatoes.
This or.........
......this, hot sauce or cayenne pepper.
I read that if you put some of either of these on the actual tomatoes, the squirrels won't like it and stay away and then it just washes off of the tomatoes without harming them or leaving a taste.
So tonight I watered all my plants, made sure that the tomatoes themselves were wet and then I sprinkled the cayenne pepper on them. They aren't covered but hopefully there is enough that it will get on their cute little paws and when they go to lick it off......SHAZAAAM....their mouth is lit up!! And if they're brave enough to take a big ol bite they will get another big surprise. I don't want to hurt them, just give them a stern warning to stay away from my 'maters.
Here little squirrely squirrely.............
Kathy
I wish I had taken a picture of it where I found it. It felt like the squirrels were taunting me, daring me to do something about it. But here is a picture of it after I brought it up to the deck.
I must say that this picture doesn't do it justice, doesn't look as mocking as it looked where it was originally sitting, but it hurts none the less.
Even the top had little bite marks on it, like the "little fella" was taste testing to make sure he wanted this one.
I went over and looked at the tomato plant to see if this really was the one I thought it was. It was. And then I saw it......
This much smaller tomato that was on the vine right next to the big one........and it had been taste tested too.
.......in two different spots AND it was still hanging on the vine!!!!! That little son of a ..........gun.
This is a declaration of war. But what can I do, I can't sit outside and watch all day, I could put chicken wire around them....if I had any.
Then I remembered something I had seen online, a helpful hint on how to keep squirrels (those cute furry creatures) off of the tomatoes.
This or.........
......this, hot sauce or cayenne pepper.
I read that if you put some of either of these on the actual tomatoes, the squirrels won't like it and stay away and then it just washes off of the tomatoes without harming them or leaving a taste.
So tonight I watered all my plants, made sure that the tomatoes themselves were wet and then I sprinkled the cayenne pepper on them. They aren't covered but hopefully there is enough that it will get on their cute little paws and when they go to lick it off......SHAZAAAM....their mouth is lit up!! And if they're brave enough to take a big ol bite they will get another big surprise. I don't want to hurt them, just give them a stern warning to stay away from my 'maters.
Here little squirrely squirrely.............
Kathy
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Squirrels
Now I love my little furry friends, I even have a special squirrel that I feed nuts to almost everyday. But when they come between me and my homegrown tomatoes, it could get ugly.
Finally after a rainy, cooler than average spring and summer, I had a couple of tomatoes start to ripen. I pulled those two off and put them in the window to let them ripen in the safety of my house. During the day I would set them in the sun on the deck.
Well, clumsy me knocked one off and it splattered on the deck. The other one started getting all soft and mushy on the bottom and the rest wasn't getting ripe, so I had to throw it out.
Then I noticed one on the vine starting to ripen so I decided to let it stay on the vine for as long as I dared hoping it would ripen faster.
Take a good look because 4 hours later it was gone!! I'd been keeping a close eye, watching for those dastardly squirrels to snatch it up. I left the house for about 4 hours yesterday and when I came back I went out to check and OMG.......it was gone, without a trace. I know a squirrel had to have taken it, but usually they take one bite and drop the rest but I didn't see any trace of it.
My mouth had been watering for my first tomato...grrrrr.
I still have lots on the vine.
Today I picked a couple more that looked to be starting to ripen and put them in my kitchen window, that way they will be safe from me and the squirrels!
I may have to pull one of the big green ones and make some fried green tomatoes.....now that sounds yummy.
As I've mentioned, my herbs are growing like wildfire. I made some more homemade butter with chives again last Friday.
This barrel of herbs is in addition to what I have in pots on my deck. I think I overplanted! Next year I'll have a better idea of what amount I should plant.
It's been a long week. I'd wanted to post earlier in the week but every evening when I would sit down and get online I could hardly keep my eyes open. I've been busy at work, trying to get my son to work and back while his car was in the shop for almost two weeks. I also went to a memorial service for one of my dearest friend's husband who died suddenly last month. I feel like I've been in perpetual motion all week. I was finally able to dial down a little today so I made a lemonade pie, cut grass, paid a couple of bills and was able to post. Haha, if that's what you call dialing down. It's ok, I like to keep busy and don't like just sitting around doing nothing all day.
Here's to a more relaxing week.......maybe.
Kathy
Finally after a rainy, cooler than average spring and summer, I had a couple of tomatoes start to ripen. I pulled those two off and put them in the window to let them ripen in the safety of my house. During the day I would set them in the sun on the deck.
Well, clumsy me knocked one off and it splattered on the deck. The other one started getting all soft and mushy on the bottom and the rest wasn't getting ripe, so I had to throw it out.
Then I noticed one on the vine starting to ripen so I decided to let it stay on the vine for as long as I dared hoping it would ripen faster.
Take a good look because 4 hours later it was gone!! I'd been keeping a close eye, watching for those dastardly squirrels to snatch it up. I left the house for about 4 hours yesterday and when I came back I went out to check and OMG.......it was gone, without a trace. I know a squirrel had to have taken it, but usually they take one bite and drop the rest but I didn't see any trace of it.
My mouth had been watering for my first tomato...grrrrr.
I still have lots on the vine.
Today I picked a couple more that looked to be starting to ripen and put them in my kitchen window, that way they will be safe from me and the squirrels!
I may have to pull one of the big green ones and make some fried green tomatoes.....now that sounds yummy.
As I've mentioned, my herbs are growing like wildfire. I made some more homemade butter with chives again last Friday.
This barrel of herbs is in addition to what I have in pots on my deck. I think I overplanted! Next year I'll have a better idea of what amount I should plant.
It's been a long week. I'd wanted to post earlier in the week but every evening when I would sit down and get online I could hardly keep my eyes open. I've been busy at work, trying to get my son to work and back while his car was in the shop for almost two weeks. I also went to a memorial service for one of my dearest friend's husband who died suddenly last month. I feel like I've been in perpetual motion all week. I was finally able to dial down a little today so I made a lemonade pie, cut grass, paid a couple of bills and was able to post. Haha, if that's what you call dialing down. It's ok, I like to keep busy and don't like just sitting around doing nothing all day.
Here's to a more relaxing week.......maybe.
Kathy
Saturday, July 6, 2013
My New Fascination
I've always enjoyed cooking, soups, stews, casseroles, etc, etc.....from scratch. But now all of a sudden I'm fascinated with pies. I think after making that peanut butter pie last week, it peaked my interest. And then coincidently, last week I was watching a movie on Lifetime about this woman who made pies. The movie was a lot more than about her making pies, it was about love and growing up and being confident, yada, yada,. yada. But she would go quiet all of a sudden because she was making up a pie in her mind. If made me wonder if I could make up flavor of pies. Or anything else for that matter.
Oh, I've always tweeked recipes that I use, adding some seasoning the I liked that may not be in the recipe, switched around different meats or veggies in soups or casseroles to better fit my taste. But I'm wondering if I could make up completely original recipes and how do you know that it's completely original and not something you've heard or read about sometime in the past?
I do have a couple of ideas already for a couple of savory dishes. but right now I'm fascinated with pies, pies, pies. Baking, unlike cooking where you can improvise, is an exact science where the measurements of ingredients need to be fairly exact. I made a pie today, a buttermilk pie. It's not my recipe, I saw it on Facebook and thought it looked delicious. But I will say that I made the crust from scratch. It's the first time ever that I've made homemade pie crust (the pastry kind, not the graham cracker kind). I must say that it turned out pretty good, the crust that is. And of course the pie was good too, but I'm waiting on my "pie tester" to give me her review.
It was so easy to make, actually the crust took longer to make than the filling. For the filling all you do is mix together the following ingredients.
1/2 cup buttermilk
1-3/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
3 tbls. of flour
pinch of salt
1 stick of melted butter
1 tsp. of vanilla
nutmeg
Mix all ingredients together, except nutmeg, pour into a 9-in pie crust and lightly sprinkle the nutmeg on top.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15min the turn the over down to 350 and bake for another 45 minutes. Let cool for a couple of hours before cutting.
I've got an idea for an original pie....it involves a sugar cookie crust and nutella. I'm still working on it.
The recipe for the crust that I made said it can also be used to make cobblers, pot pies, etc. I would like to make a homemade pot pie when the weather changes in the Fall. But for now I'm fascinated with pies and more pies. I hope I can finish coming up with an original pie recipe and if I do, you will be the first to know.
Kathy
Oh, I've always tweeked recipes that I use, adding some seasoning the I liked that may not be in the recipe, switched around different meats or veggies in soups or casseroles to better fit my taste. But I'm wondering if I could make up completely original recipes and how do you know that it's completely original and not something you've heard or read about sometime in the past?
I do have a couple of ideas already for a couple of savory dishes. but right now I'm fascinated with pies, pies, pies. Baking, unlike cooking where you can improvise, is an exact science where the measurements of ingredients need to be fairly exact. I made a pie today, a buttermilk pie. It's not my recipe, I saw it on Facebook and thought it looked delicious. But I will say that I made the crust from scratch. It's the first time ever that I've made homemade pie crust (the pastry kind, not the graham cracker kind). I must say that it turned out pretty good, the crust that is. And of course the pie was good too, but I'm waiting on my "pie tester" to give me her review.
It was so easy to make, actually the crust took longer to make than the filling. For the filling all you do is mix together the following ingredients.
1/2 cup buttermilk
1-3/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
3 tbls. of flour
pinch of salt
1 stick of melted butter
1 tsp. of vanilla
nutmeg
Mix all ingredients together, except nutmeg, pour into a 9-in pie crust and lightly sprinkle the nutmeg on top.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15min the turn the over down to 350 and bake for another 45 minutes. Let cool for a couple of hours before cutting.
I've got an idea for an original pie....it involves a sugar cookie crust and nutella. I'm still working on it.
The recipe for the crust that I made said it can also be used to make cobblers, pot pies, etc. I would like to make a homemade pot pie when the weather changes in the Fall. But for now I'm fascinated with pies and more pies. I hope I can finish coming up with an original pie recipe and if I do, you will be the first to know.
Kathy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)