<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Not much convenience in “convenience foods”]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by City Girl http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/ Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:08:48 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/1 I'll share what I just shared on Bitten re: this very same post!  I was just thinking about this the other day. My experience this year, belonging to a CSA for the first time, is that I am remembering some of what I USED to know about cooking, and learning loads more. And I got to thinking just last night, that if I were still preparing food from a box I wouldn’t have to know the first thing about cooking. Then I got afraid for all the kids growing up today who will grow up entirely fed with food from boxes. Instead of real, fresh, cooked-at-home food. Will they even value cooking they way we do? Will they even care to learn about it? If I had grown up entirely fed with food from boxes, and contemplated the idea of cooking from scratch given a major deficite in kitchen literacy, I’d probably think: “Why wouldya do that??”

I’m glad my four-year-old is learning about all the foods we get from the farm in our CSA shares, has even been to visit the farm and see where ‘real’ food comes from, and now has the opportunity to taste what ‘real’ cooking is all about. If you want to read about our journey, I do keep a blog:
http://greenadventuresofacitygirl.blogspot.com/

]]> I'll share what I just shared on Bitten re: this very same post!  I was just thinking about this the other day. My experience this year, belonging to a CSA for the first time, is that I am remembering some of what I USED to know about cooking, and learning loads more. And I got to thinking just last night, that if I were still preparing food from a box I wouldn’t have to know the first thing about cooking. Then I got afraid for all the kids growing up today who will grow up entirely fed with food from boxes. Instead of real, fresh, cooked-at-home food. Will they even value cooking they way we do? Will they even care to learn about it? If I had grown up entirely fed with food from boxes, and contemplated the idea of cooking from scratch given a major deficite in kitchen literacy, I’d probably think: “Why wouldya do that??”

I’m glad my four-year-old is learning about all the foods we get from the farm in our CSA shares, has even been to visit the farm and see where ‘real’ food comes from, and now has the opportunity to taste what ‘real’ cooking is all about. If you want to read about our journey, I do keep a blog:
http://greenadventuresofacitygirl.blogspot.com/

]]> Comment #2 by Orng Crush http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/ Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:00:33 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/2 This might be off topic, but for me nothing beats the feeling of buying at a farmers market or local producer stand and seeing how much they appreciate your business.

]]> This might be off topic, but for me nothing beats the feeling of buying at a farmers market or local producer stand and seeing how much they appreciate your business.

]]> Comment #3 by texasjenny http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/ Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:51:59 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/3 We as a culture are quickly losing the ability to care for ourselves. I strongly feel that schools should require classes in homemaking (cooking, sewing, etc.), gardening, shop/car repair, first aid, basic childcare, and basic plumbing/home repair.

I know kids' days are already full, but it appears that their parents aren't teaching them these basic life skills. Only about a third of Americans have college degrees (and therefore need college-prep classes). But we all have to eat.

]]> We as a culture are quickly losing the ability to care for ourselves. I strongly feel that schools should require classes in homemaking (cooking, sewing, etc.), gardening, shop/car repair, first aid, basic childcare, and basic plumbing/home repair.

I know kids' days are already full, but it appears that their parents aren't teaching them these basic life skills. Only about a third of Americans have college degrees (and therefore need college-prep classes). But we all have to eat.

]]> Comment #4 by splashy http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/ Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:04:38 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/4 About the bags of cleaned, chopped veggies: I use the frozen ones that are fairly big chucks for soups, like the California style veggies. You don't have to chop them, and by just adding some chicken stock or some other kind of stock you can have great soup in about 10 minutes.

I remember when all girls had to take Home Economics in 8th or 9th grade, where they learned how to cook, sew, and do other houshold things. Perhaps they need to bring it back, but for all children. At the time I had already been cooking and sewing for myself, so it was an easy A. My mother was into all her children being self sufficient, probably so she wouldn't have to do it for us. :-)

In my case, I had to learn to cook because of food allergies. It's difficult to get prepared foods that don't have one or more of the things that bother me.

]]> About the bags of cleaned, chopped veggies: I use the frozen ones that are fairly big chucks for soups, like the California style veggies. You don't have to chop them, and by just adding some chicken stock or some other kind of stock you can have great soup in about 10 minutes.

I remember when all girls had to take Home Economics in 8th or 9th grade, where they learned how to cook, sew, and do other houshold things. Perhaps they need to bring it back, but for all children. At the time I had already been cooking and sewing for myself, so it was an easy A. My mother was into all her children being self sufficient, probably so she wouldn't have to do it for us. :-)

In my case, I had to learn to cook because of food allergies. It's difficult to get prepared foods that don't have one or more of the things that bother me.

]]> Comment #5 by Jag4331 http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/ Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:02:13 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/5 Splashy, good point about the Home Ec classes. I took them too, but you might be surprised to hear that at the public middle-school I attended (a decade ago, to give some perspective), Home Ec classes were mandatory for boys and girls. I thoroughly enjoyed those classes and learned many valuable cooking skills (not to mention some sewing skills that may or may not come in handy in the future). Not everyone was equally enthused about the classes, but I think school, especially at the 10-14 year-old age range is an ideal place to teach practical skills that encourage independence, responsibility, healthfulness and awaken an awareness of the world of foods.

 

]]> Splashy, good point about the Home Ec classes. I took them too, but you might be surprised to hear that at the public middle-school I attended (a decade ago, to give some perspective), Home Ec classes were mandatory for boys and girls. I thoroughly enjoyed those classes and learned many valuable cooking skills (not to mention some sewing skills that may or may not come in handy in the future). Not everyone was equally enthused about the classes, but I think school, especially at the 10-14 year-old age range is an ideal place to teach practical skills that encourage independence, responsibility, healthfulness and awaken an awareness of the world of foods.

 

]]> Comment #6 by Username http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/ Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:34:19 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/not-much-convience-in-convenience-foods/6 I totally aggre with Splashy here, You  got a good point.

]]> I totally aggre with Splashy here, You  got a good point.

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