We are what we eat

I admit that oddities catch my eye. And I classify this as somewhere in the “food history” realm.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen a recipe that calls for lard, solid or semisolid rendered fat of a hog. I’ve seen it used in some ethnic foods I’m familiar with. But this “ideal shortening” certainly doesn’t seem to be front and center in a typical grocery store.

People used to eat more saturated fats. Now we eat processed foods and consume sugar in all forms, in foods where you wouldn’t expect sweeteners. It’s hard to control what we eat unless we make food “from scratch.”

Do you have time to make what you eat?

5 thoughts on “We are what we eat”

  2. I remember Rex Lard , in a red box…always was in the refrigerator of relatives. They made GREAT piecrusts..this was the secret ingredient. I personally try to make items from scratch if possible…I have the time being retired. I love to make Scones (simple and easy) and other bakery items. It’s a lot cheaper and better than buying something loaded up with ??? Even as a teenager I never used Lard…but did use CRISCO way back then. Do folks still buy Crisco?

  3. im making more and more from scratch! upon moving here, i started to eat less (back home in holland i used to eat a LOT of candy, especially in the office, with colleagues), but i started to gain weight and feeling much more unhealthy. there is a huge difference between foods here and back home!! (here you can forget cheese and find it back 3 weeks later, still fine, back home it would be bad after 3 days… just a small example).
    here theres soo much salt, sugar, and other preservatives and food coloring and what-not in the food. i hope this will not happen in the netherlands!! yes, its convenient you can keep your stuff long, but its not healthy!!
    but the only option i see here is indeed to make it yourself. luckily i currently have some more time after work and i very much enjoy devoting this time to making food from scratch. not only is it healthier, it also tastes so much better! and for example making your own bread is simply amazing; its the best bread i ever ate! in fact, we nowadays really only just buy fruit, vegetables, milk eggs butter etc, and nothing else!!!

    i am scared of shortening, hahahahaha! i would never use it (although i just discovered its in the peanut butter tim eats), as usually you can just swap it for butter…

    btw; i made the rice pudding last night. i liked the ingredients but i was disappointed by the consistency, it was very liquid, no matter what i tried (i strictly followed the recipe). the taste was good though. next time i try another recipe thats more solid, but with the lemon zest (such a great idea), raisins, nutmeg, cinnamon additions from this one!

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