Trends in the feeding of America

As I have observed through the years, it seems that trends come and go in table fare both in the home and in the restaurant for the American consumer. During the 30s, 40s, and 50s basic meat, potatoes, and vegetables simply prepared and served lovingly by home cooks and restaurant cooks alike seemed to prevail.

Then the American taste seemed to desire more international and exotic foods.  So for awhile it was Italian (spaghetti, etc.) and then it was Asian; but the American "diner" (or greasy spoon, as some were called) still thrived serving up basic vegetables, meats, and potatoes. Then the American consumer desired and sought Texas steaks of every slice and dice. You had high end restaurants touting the tastiest steak at a price that really broke the bank, and you had your "Western" steak houses  where every family could afford to eat out and have a steak!

When medical science made us painfully aware that we were passing from the scene due to coronary heart disease and other diet-related diseases, health consciousness came into play. So the Mediterranean diet became to rage as folks desired tasty food with olive oil, tomatoes, vegetables, and pasta. To make that work, you had to serve it up in all types of trendy dishes - pasta, rice, veggie, meatless, with meat, with dairy but no meat, etc. It had to have Italian flair or it had to have Asian ethnic authenticity.

But the bottom line is, plain food, simply cooked is always the one that warms the cockles of your heart and satisfies that hunger in your tummy. Bring on the veggies, mashed potatoes, and roast beef or roast chicken. And please, don't forget those homemade rolls. Of course, finish it all off with a slice of American Apple Pie.

Memorial Day Tribute: I'm Proud to be An American

Here in America we celebrate the lives and service of those men and women who have served in the armed services of the United States of America. They have given years and lives, arms and legs, and eyes and hearing. They have sacrificed themselves and their families on the altar of freedom. We have the privilege of living in a free country because throughout the decades there have been men and women who have served under the leadership of this free Nation's government to win and contain the freedoms we hold so dear.

Military from my family: Great-grandfather Perkins (lost a leg), Great-grandfather Houston, Uncle Bill, Uncle L.H., Uncle Herbert (killed WWII), Father-in-law W.L., Cousin Joe, Brother Herb, Husband Jack, Son-in-law Shane.

Food and Frugality

While sipping my morning coffee and catching up on the news, I found a "news" item on frugality.  One thing led to another and one website led to another until I found this image.  Now as a mother of a large family and a having a limited income, the word "Food" certainly invokes frugality in my "heart-of-hearts." So I thought we'd simply look at this a bit.

1. buy it with thought -  This actually means more if you think about it than if you surface skim the words.  Of course, we think when we buy.  But think, do you actually think?  You need to think quality, because if what you purchase is flawed, past date, or low grade you just might not be getting the nutrients from the food you are buying.  Buy the very BEST you have money to buy.  Buy the very freshest you have access to.  
2. cook it with care - Now that you have brought home your treasured "thought-it-through" quality food, do take care to cook it while it is still fresh.  If it sits on the counter or in the 'fridge a week, you're losing nutrients.  If you just slop through the cooking process without "due care," you lose nutrients.  Of course, you might lose flavor, color, texture, and appeal as well.  So cook it with care.
3. serve just enough - A 12" dinner plate might be pretty, but if you fill it with food, you are most likely piling on more than your body needs.  Americans serve more to themselves and their families than they need to eat.  They eat more than they need for good health.  So research how much you and your family needs to be healthy and serve just enough.
4. save what will keep -  We all have wonderful refrigerators.  We just need to realize what a wonder resource of frugality they are.  When you cook that pot of green beans, don't toss the left overs.  Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them.  They will keep.  They won't keep indefinitely, but they will keep.  Don't like leftovers?  Get over it! Life isn't about what you like and don't like, life is about living and surviving.  Some leftovers can be combined - example a vegetable medly.  Some can be put into a casserole. 
5. eat what would spoil - Stay alert to what you have on hand and what would spoil if left uncooked and unserved another day.  Eat what would spoil.  Don't want THAT tonight?  Get over it.  Eat what would spoil.  Don't leave it sitting there to spoil.  Spoilage means wasted money.  or Money down the drain.  Or trashing your hard earned money.
6. home grown is best - We don't all have garden space or the capability to grown our own food.  But home grown is best.  That means buy local when you can especially if you have access to a farmers market or roadside "fruit stand."  If it isn't "shipped in," it probably is "vine ripened" and fresher.  Fresher normally means higher nutrients.

So FOOD for thought was our topic for today.  Or THOUGHTS on FOOD and FRUGALITY.

Man of Sorrows! what a name For the Son of God, who came

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

This is one of my most favorite hymns.  The words so deep and moving to those of us who are redeemed by our Savior's gift of salvation.  The music so fitting that it simply tears my heart when I hear or sing it.

(The following borrowed from http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/a/halwasav.htm)
Words & Music: Phil­ip P. Bliss, in In­ter­na­tion­al Les­sons Month­ly, 1875.
Written…short­ly before his death, this was the last hymn I heard Mr. Bliss sing. It was at a meet­ing in Far­well Hall in Chi­ca­go [Il­li­nois], con­duct­ed by Hen­ry Moore­house. A few weeks be­fore his death Mr. Bliss vis­it­ed the State pri­son at Jack­son, Mi­chi­gan, where, af­ter a ve­ry touch­ing ad­dress on “The Man of Sor­rows,” he sang this hymn with great ef­fect. Ma­ny of the pri­son­ers dat­ed their con­ver­sion from that day.

When Mr. Moo­dy and I were in Par­is, hold­ing meet­ings in the old church which Na­pol­e­on had grant­ed to the Evan­gel­ic­als, I fre­quent­ly sang this hymn as a so­lo, ask­ing the con­gre­ga­tion to join in the sin­gle phrase, “Hal­le­lu­jah, what a Sav­iour,” which they did with splen­did ef­fect. It is said that the word “Hal­le­lu­jah” is the same in all lan­guag­es. It seems as though God had pre­pared it for the great ju­bi­lee of hea­ven, when all his child­ren shall have been ga­thered home to sing “Hal­le­lu­jah to the Lamb!”

Strolling Down Memory Lane - Revisited

I visited these memories back in 2008 in the early days of Chat with Vera, but thought it would be nice to share some of these memories with those of you who are more recent readers.  So let's take a mini stroll down memory lane.  Grab a cup of tea or java and remember with me......

Born just prior to the US entering WWII, I remember lots of things coming about. However, I really don't remember anything about the war. Mom showed me the ration stamps that she still had and shared stories, and Dad showed me a German Luger (sp) gun my uncle brought back. I lost an uncle in the war and 2 other uncles fought in Europe.

Great G'dad, G'dad, and Dad were all shoe repairmen until Dad went into sales in order to put food on the table. The name of their shoe repair shop was The Big Ike.  I remember running all over the neighborhood, playing with other kids, doors unlocked day and night, ice cream cones as a special treat at the corner drug store, five cent cokes in a bottle, five cent ice cream cones. Yes, we had a Bijou movie theater, but it was in the wrong end of town so I couldn't go. I did go to other movies in the "better" end of town. I remember when Technicolor came to the "silver screen." No, I don't remember silent films. That was prior to my time.

We walked to town and back carrying what we bought. Mom walked to and from the grocer and carried a bag groceries in each arm home. Groceries were usually bought for that particular day.  It was a corner grocery store and not a "supermarket."  If we rode the bus, it was five cents. I remember getting the seafood market deliver our fish on Fridays. The boy came on a bicycle and the fish was wrapped in newspaper and tied with a string. It was caught that morning. just off the coast of our city in North Carolina. So good! I remember a local milk company delivering milk to our home - in fact I remember farther back - a local farmer delivered his own cow's milk to our home. Whole milk and it was so good - cream floating on the top.

I remember an old lady coming to our back door fairly regularly and asking Mom if she had any work she could do. Mom would sometimes let her "damp mop" the kitchen for a little pay; but no matter what, she would always make a plate of food for Dot so she could have a decent meal - whether or not there was any work to be done - and give her a quarter (it went a long way then) for whatever. Keep in mind, that quarters were scarce in our home. Dot would show up at the shoe repair shop, too. Dad would make sure her shoes were wearable. We were poor. But Dot was poorer.

I can remember being a teenager when TV came to town. We couldn't afford one at the time and anyway, the reception was very poor. You had to get reception from the station that was 150 miles away. You had to have an antenna on top your home that was big and several feet tall. My brother got married and moved into our upstairs apartment. He and his wife got a TV! Wow! I can remember being invited to some watch some of the programs. There was "snow" on the screen - but not so much we couldn't enjoy it. Later when our town got a station, Dad found the money for a TV! We had arrived!

My wedding pictures were in black and white. Our escape vehicle was a Ford Fairlaine 500 '57. (I think that is how it was referred to.) Of course, it was my brother's. Our vehicle was a '54 Chevy that was bought used. Most of all I remember a childhood of ring-around-the-roses, birthday cakes, chasing each other all over the neighborhood, falling from my bike onto the brick paved street, swinging from a tree-rope in the neighbor's year, riding my bike good distances from home and not having to worry about anything, China-berry (tree berries) pee-shooter fights, Merthiolate on cuts, alcohol poured over scrapes, walks to the parks and swinging from the very high swings and sliding down the big slides, chasing fireflies in front of the house while my parents and grandparents sat rocking on the front porch. I remember happiness.

I remember the ice truck. So some in the neighborhood must have had ice boxes. We had a refrigerator! Mom bought sliced bread. She baked biscuits or corn bread daily. Sometimes she fried cornmeal in patties in the iron skillet.  That was very good.  She did not make yeast bread except for rolls on special occasions. There was Monopoly, and several other board games . The Green Hornet, The Lone Ranger (I remember it coming on TV when we finally got one.), and other radio programs. We sat in my Grand Dad's bedroom around his radio to listen. Of course, we had to have already finished our homework. Sitting on the front porch in the summer after "supper." G'mama visiting from South Carolina and her giving me the "dimes" to go across the street to the corner store to get cups of chocolate ice cream. The "dime" cups were bigger than the "nickle" cups. Major treat!

I remember happiness.

The Amazing Story of a Very Smart Autistic Boy

We've been seeing in recent news items on the internet, the amazing genius that is Jacob Barnett.  The YouTube video below is taken from the Glenn Beck show (and I do hope this is not an infringement on copyright privileges).  I simply want to be sure my readers learn about this story of hope.

Basically, when two years old, Jacob stopped talking.  He had been a babbling toddler that showed amazing promise in many ways.  The gist of what professionals told his parents was that Jacob was autistic and would probably remain in special education classes and probably never speak.  We now know that Jacob has this amazing intellect and mathematical genius.  Watch the video below and be amazed.




More on this amazing store at Glenn Beck's website THE BLAZE,  - CLICK HERE.

The care and keeping of the face

We are given one face that we present to the world every day!  From our first cry at birth to our last breath at death, we have one face.  That face will change as we map our lives day by day.  It is how we experience life and how we react to life that helps determine the road map of our face that shows the journey we took.  Here are some thoughts on saving your face or “the care and keeping of the face.”

Emotions play a major role in shaping us inside and out.  So how we handle the events of life emotionally will be recorded on our faces if we let them.  So de-stress.  Be calm.  Accept what you can change and change it.  Accept that there are some things you can not change and learn to deal with them with as little emotional stress as you can.

The outdoor elements play a role in hardening our skin (it is our protective coating, after all), toughening it up, etc.  So we best protect it against the elements.  That means the sun, the wind, and the cold.  For the sun you use a very good, protective sun screen.  Not only does this help prevent sunburn and that leather-look skin, but it also protects you from the disfiguring that skin cancer causes.  The wind is hard on skin.  Have you ever been wind-burnt?  So slather on a protective layer of cream and try to shield your face from the harshness of wind as much as possible.  Next is the cold.  Surely you’ve seen how folks that live in the harshness of extreme cold wrap up themselves, including their face, against the cold!  The truth is that cold hurts!  Cold freezes and damages skin.  So even if you don’t live where the cold is in the minus zero levels, you still need to heed the cold and protect against it.

What you can do that will make you feel all “girly, girly” and will protect and beautify your face is to make certain that you use something to moisturize it on a regular basis.  Try to apply a cream or lotion to your face in the morning and in the evening.  Always apply the moistening application to a clean face.  The idea is lubrication and protection.  If all you can afford is a very inexpensive product, use it!  If you have deeper pockets, use the product that seems to work best for you.

The key is to “cream your face”!  Protect it.  Present it when you face forward to meet each day as lovely as when you were born.  But if life sends you a few trails on the road map of your face, be thankful for the journey and consider yourself a person of wealth because you have experienced the journey.  The cream will soften the roughness a bit.

Now I can suggest some very good  brands and I am positive that there are many others.  I have not been approached to list them nor am I being paid anything to suggest them. These are simply my own thoughts:  Yves Rocher,  Lancome, & Estee Lauder (you may find them in department stores.)