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| Slices of sweet potato in the dehydrator before the drying process. I got 32 slices from a medium size potato. |
I had one sweet potato in the fridge and followed the directions, thinking Marley would love these as a treat. No, she does not. So I'll be adding sweet potato to my dehydrated veggies I use to make soup.
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| The finished product, sprinkled with garlic powder. |
The sun was shining through the clouds Saturday morning so I took the opportunity to sweep all the leaves and debris from the patio to put on the soil in the garden. It looked so neat and clean. The feeling of pride came over me as I stood back to witness the result of my efforts. An hour later, a strong wind and pouring rain slid in. My patio again needs cleaning. I guess that is the meaning of pride before the fall.
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| This is quite a pile for the small space I have in my yard. |
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| The last of the blackberries trying to ripen before the frost. |
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| The pile of leaves went into the garden to nourish the soil over the winter. |
The store visit was short as I only picked up tomato soup, bananas, and protein bars. I chose the bars that were on sale, but I won't be choosing that flavor again.
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| I like the brand of protein bars, just prefer other flavors. The soup is yummy and holds four servings that are very filling. |
As you know, I have a list of yoo toob videos I watch. This morning I watched a rather crude one that depicted the evils of processed foods. Although I tend to agree with the concept, a video needs to be encouraging to young families and presented in a way that gets them thinking, not feeling inadequate. There are lots of families in this country that can't afford to purchase all the best foods for their families. It would be ideal, but this is real life. These families try to do the best for their children, but can't always buy the best of foods. It's a balancing act, to say the least.
This is a comment made by a mother that I could feel the pain in her heart when she saw the video.
(Comment removed to delete video)
I don't often offer the name of my blog on other sites, but I felt like this mom belongs here with us. I hope she takes me up on my offer. Even more so, I hope the blog helps her.
Stay safe.
Sadly Angie this Mum is right . It does cost more to eat fresh and organic. Some good foods still remain cheap like oats and buying fruit and vegetables that are in season. We are so used to imported fruit and vegetables that now we do not eat seasonally. It is sad when people feel shamed by others.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this mom is right. I could feel her pain in her comment. I don't think she was offended so much as hurt. We all do the best we can for our loved ones and ourselves. Just being aware is a great way to make educated decisions. Empty bellies are not something we want to produce.
DeleteI do not think, the lady in that video is disrespectful or rude. Well, maybe she said her opinion a bit bluntly, but she surely did
ReplyDeletenot want to offend other people. Sometimes it is quite good to speak in very clear words.(Of course she should not name any
brands of food she dislikes, as this is surely illegal) Families (or single persons) who live on a very limited budget need not buy
expensive organic food. But there are so many important hints to feed the family in a healthy way. For example::
Make a weekly meal plan, so no food will be wasted. Buy regional and seasonal vegetables and fruits. Really avoid
convenience foods, DO IT YOURSELF! Buy bulk packs when prices are lower and have a well organized pantry.
And make cooking and baking and all kitchen work an " affair of your heart". Results are always better when the work is
done with love. And keep learning all the time because that can save you a lot of money.
I had no idea that the video would show up in the email readers receive. I just happened to come here through email and saw that. I will remove the comment to hopefully remove the video. All of your points are valid and I'm sure they will be helpful to readers. You have put into perspective the entire picture. Thank you for your comments.
DeleteWow, I went and watched the video, and I felt like she was preaching to me.....total turn-off. When you make people feel inadequate, they usually turn away. I agree with you that parents need to be encouraged, not shamed when it comes to their children. Very judgemental!
ReplyDeleteTeaching is quite the responsibility. One needs to be selective with their words if they want to encourage others. This woman's normal videos are great in this area. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteWell, removing the comment didn't remove the video from the email. Dang it! I'll never do that again. I like the videos about off grid living and - personally - can bypass the videos about products.
ReplyDeleteThose look like sweet potato chips, which are quite expensive if you buy them at the store! And it's wonderful that your blackberry bush has produced well this year. As a young girl in Virginia, I used to go blackberry picking every summer. My mom would make pies, cobbler, and sometimes ice cream with the berries. Yum! I have to say the mom who commented about feeling judged by what she was able to feed her family is in an all-too-common situation in the U.S. in large part because of the significant rise in food costs. In California--where much of the produce is grown--organic fruits & vegetables are often 2X the cost of standard grown. Eggs are $5 a dozen now, and lean meats or seafood range from $4-$12 per pound (if not on sale), with free range, no antibiotics versions at least $1 more per pound. Cheese and dairy have also gone up. Whole grain bread is an average of $3.50 per loaf. Brown rice is pricier than white, quinoa and other grains are 3X the price of white rice and pasta... I could go on. According to government statistics, 1 in 4 children in America lives in a "food insecure" home. Our local library in out tiny town provides free meals to school children during summer months, because some children only have balanced meals through (free) public school programs. It's fine to say parents can save money by cooking from scratch, but unless you've studied grocery store prices and compared the costs of homemade vs. prepackaged frozen it might not ring true. Lasagna, burritos, enchiladas, etc. are FAR more expensive to make from scratch, not to mention time consuming for a working parent. The last census records for the U.S. show that an estimated 70% of families with two parents and small children have both mom and dad working outside of the home... and that doesn't include single parents! I can't speak for the rest of the globe, but I can say in America it's not always financially feasible to follow the organic, free range, sustainable, "clean" food, homemade-from-scratch trend. Some nutrition is better than going hungry. Thanks for understanding, Angie.
ReplyDeleteI heard that the sweet potato chips are an expensive treat in the stores. (S told me she loves them.) Thank you for your well thought out comment. I'm in total agreement of all you have stated. Perhaps someday things will change for the better.
DeleteMay I say, Mrs.Griffith, that you commented the situation in the United States very vividly. And here in Germany it is definetely
ReplyDeletenot much better.. About 25% of the population are living under or nearly under the poverty line. That is a shame for a country. Specially parents, their children and a growing number of retired people are really struggling. Prices for food are definetely not
so high, but the rents, electricity and so on. Buying good dairy products or vegetables at reasonable prices is not the problem.
In many European countries it is similar. As we live near the border to France and often go there to see friends, we know that in France food is much higher prized than in Germany (except Baguette). So French people, living near the border, do great
shopping in Germany. I would do the same. Food prices are also very high in Switzerland and in Danmark. But there are far larger incomes.
My (German) grandmother told me that during the Great Depression in the U.S., a family might have meat in a meal once a week, and said many meals were a thin soup of potatoes and onions or other vegetables that were available with bread. Breakfast was toast or porridge. I think Germany struggled after WWI, too. Much of Europe did. Today's families are not only coping with rising food prices, but are pressured about the kinds of foods they should be feeding their children and how those meals should be prepared. A family member I know will only buy certain kinds of foods because of this. When other family members were visiting over the summer (and bought groceries) the children commented how happy they were because they were eating so much better than they normally do. It is directly related to the organic, free range, hormone and antibiotic free, sustainable food trend (fad) in society. It is a shame when growing children go without a filling meal because their parents want to be "good" parents and won't buy less expensive foods they've decided are unhealthy or unethical. Out of curiosity, is organically grown fruit and vegetables more expensive in Germany than regularly farmed (as it is here), or organic dairy more expensive than regular brands?
ReplyDeleteMaybe that person would join us at Thanksgiving for the Watergate salad I'm making! Marshmallows and boxed pudding!
Delete