O.K. So the picture doesn't do it any justice, but you get the idea. Our last night in the room we ordered room service - had to! The dining area was just too nice to ignore. Yes, it was buffalo wings with celery and Ranch dressing and a couple of apples for dessert, but hey! It felt elegant. Everything nowadays seems to be moving in the direction of "feeling elegant".
Automobiles are so comfortable and the sound-systems so good, that, traveling long-distances is still commonplace despite the almost $4.00/ gallon gasoline! Kids would rather play video games on a gorgeous day than hang around outdoors. Vitamin D deficiency has actually become a problem in our country! (The sun is the best source of it, you know...) And most communication is done through e-mails and texting. ("Hello out there!" See what I mean...) And as for our food... (You knew I was getting to that, didn't you?). Between hydroponics, waxy glazes, and a myriad of pesticides and fungicides, produce in most markets is picture-perfect. The taste often leaves something to be desired, but hey! Who cares when it is so pretty?
Because of the growth of fish farms (which are the water-cousins of most cattle and chicken operations), salmon is always available and relatively cheap. Never mind that, like most conventional cattle and chickem farms, the environment bears little resemblance to what a salmon should be living in. Not to mention the consequences of overcrowding...
And have you noticed that nothing "conventional and/or processed" seems to "spoil" anymore? I have a loaf of bread sitting on my counter that I bought before school ended and it is still soft and mold-free. I plan to keep it there all summer long and see if it will ever go bad! I guess Wonder Bread had that same endearing quality, but it wasn't real bread and we knew it! My never-dying loaf of bread is a high-priced, whole grain variety.
Yup. The times they are a-changin'. But let's hope that, as they do, we are still able to recognize what is right or wrong, smart or foolish, and good for us or harmful. The growth of the Organics industry is encouraging, as is the increasing prevalence of CSA's and Farmer's Markets. I really can't complain about the increase in creature comforts - in amazing new "family" hotels, or cars you could practically live in. But I hope we don't forget the simple things - the great outdoors, home-grown food, and a call or a touch from a friend...
Well, it's been a while - thus the rather long and contemplative post. Summers are way too busy around my house - a good thing, I guess. Until next time, happy and healthy eating, playing, and living!
Yes, today's grocery store bread has so many preservatives in it that no self respecting weevil would think of going near it.
ReplyDeleteI, on the other hand, have reached a point in life where I need all the preservatives I can get! : )
My Pepperidge Farm whole grain bread is always moldy within a week. With only 2 of us here, we can't eat it fast enough. So every Saturday I buy a loaf and on Friday I throw away what we didn't use and is turning green. It happens so quickly, that I have to wonder how many spores I consumed on Thursday when it still looked and smelled okay.
Re: the vitamin D problem - you only need about 15 minutes without sunscreen to get the UV B rays you need to make it. But people are so worried now about skin cancer, that they have gone overboard and become afraid to step out of the house without SPF 50 on! I wear a good sunscreen on my face every day, but ignore the "warnings" on the bottles and don't put it on my body until after I have been outside for a little while.
(And one more thing: I bet you'd enjoy those buffalo wings more if you replaced the Ranch with bleu cheese)
That is so funny about your Pepperidge Farm bread! Mine is also Pepperidge Farm! I guess I got the "bonus preservative" loaf.
ReplyDeleteSo true about the 15 minutes sunshine and the whole sunscreen issue. Like you, I always put it on my face (it's in my make-up), but do exactly what you do before slathering the rest of my body with it.
As for the Bleu Cheese, yum! Sounds delicious!! My youngest son has turned me on to the pleasures of "wings" this summer - one of the few meats I still enjoy. It's a bonding thing...