Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Real Food and Other Realness

I had written a blog post about my dog Maggie and how she realized that the invisible fence is an optional thing while I was trying to drive to work this morning.  She got a TON of exercise and I got a TON of worry and then she got to spend the day in her crate with some chicken poop.  It's why I would call today a worse than average day.  Maybe I'll post it later.

Right now I want to continue the thread about taking care of ourselves with food.  My sister sent me this link to a CNN article about a food challenge - eating real food for a month.  I never identified with the Slow Food movement much, but reading this article makes me see another facet of it that I do identify with:  Traditional Food.  I've been enamored lately, like the last year or so, with the idea of learning the old ways of doing things and preparing things, like fiber, yarn, food, milk, cheese, etc, etc.   Real food, food that has my muscles in it and my energy, feels more substantial and satisfying.  I need less of it to feel full.  Many of you who are gardeners already know this, but I'm just discovering it.  Real things are worth working for and don't often come easily.

It's why I'm beginning to get involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA).  Real people seeking to understand how things were done 500-1000 years ago.  The beer peeps from Sunday are SCA folk.  Maybe I don't need to go back that far.  I'm keeping track of a few Ebay auctions for butter churns like this one.  I bought some cultured butter at the grocery store a few weeks ago and that stuff was a revelation!  Expensive though, and now I know that I can make my own, it's back to the old, traditional ways for me.  Don't bid against me please!  Butter churns were very common - there's 2 or 3 every day on Ebay.

On to other realness - my mother sent me an article about RFD-TV, "the 24-hour cable rural network that suggests that what Americans most desire is to ditch the urban prison, move to a town of 20 and raise meat goats."  The network has shows like Ag Lifestyles, Ag-PHD, and Cattlemen-to-Cattlemen, although I'll never see it.  I don't have cable.  My mother sent the article to me the old-fashioned way, on paper. She's a traditional gal, too.

6 comments:

  1. I third it. and your mom kept my mom in business - she delivered mail on a ruraly route for over 25 years. Work yesterday was a big family stress again and I just wonder - why?? why are we doing this?? DO you have any Amish out your way?? I can't remember...just wondering if you could get a new model at an Amish store if the old ones don't work out. I'll have to send my Dad to his neighbor's shop. We call it RAYMART. Big Amish metal roof/building dealer, with a BIG building !!

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  2. I agree Karen Sue - I woke up in the middle of the night last night thinking the same thing. Why am I doing this (spending so much of my time at a job I don't like in a career I don't like). I think we're all down because it won't stop snowing. When the sun comes out it will be better. Just you wait - I'll have a churn in a few weeks, one way of the other.

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  3. In the meantime, do you have a stand mixer? I would imagine that would work as well as a traditional butter churn.

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  4. I sure am enjoying your posts. Something you may want to try with your dog that worked for mine was I hooked their leash around my waist and had them go with me on my animal rounds at feeding and stall cleaning times. Everytime the dog would lunge or snip I would correct the behavior with a small jerk of the leash and a sharp but commanding no. When we entered the stalls I always told them.....easy. It took about a month but now I have 7 dogs that would never hurt anything we have or bring home.
    Good luck on getting your butter churn! I still need to get one of those but don't worry I won't bid against you! LOL

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  5. I have a food processor but not a stand mixer or blender. I've read that you can make butter in a food processor, but I hate cleaning that thing out!

    Maggie (my dog) was running through the invisible fence barrier and following me down the road. I tightened the collar and worked with her some last night and this morning. (Get in the car, drive 20 feet. Then get out of the car, come back and give her a treat and praise for staying in the yard. Then drive 100 feet and do it again. Then 1/4 mile and do it again.) I think she got the point - I hope. We'll see tonight when I get home. I do think she's telling me I need to give her some more attention.

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