Organic

  My daughter in law asked my wife to make some pies for a fundraiser she is hosting. She just doesn't have the time to do that herself. My wife is always willing to help out. In fact we both miss the days when we were making things for the grandkids when they were in school. The cakes, cupcakes and assorted baked goods. Those years have long since passed. We still occasionally will bake an apple cake, made from a closely guarded family recipe, and some box chocolate cakes that my grandson enjoys. But, in general there is little baking going on around here.

  So, we got down the cookbook my wife has used for at least 38 years now, that was the date of publication. The Pillsbury Family Cookbook that I'm certain is in millions of homes across America. A couple family recipes are handwritten inside the back cover. The apple cake recipe isn't there though, so don't think you can get it there! That recipe is on a 3x5 index card hidden in a safe location, not even those thieves from the Louvre could get to that. We need the recipe for making pie crust. It is always wise to double check that, even when you feel you know it. The ingredients are basic enough but still, you should check.

  I was looking at what was required and got to thinking about that. As I mentioned that book was published in 1987, which doesn't seem to be that long ago to me, I thought it would have been earlier than that. It did occur to me that the ingredients themselves have changed over the years. The names haven't changed just the manner in which they are produced. There is a big difference in that and you have to be careful when selecting them. Pie crust calls for a stick of butter. It isn't margarine! Yes you can use it for baking but the point is, it isn't butter, it is most likely vegetable oil. If you want that pie crust to taste like mom used to make, you need 100% real, honest to goodness butter. Yeah, and grease those pans with lard! 

  I'm not a baker or a cook. I am however, old. I watched my grandmother and my mother cook and bake. I've helped my wife do the same. As a general rule of thumb I've always tried to use the same products that my grandmother and mother did. I smile today as those products are called "natural" or "organic" and cost just a bit more. They cost more simply because fewer people are buying them, the truth is they are actually cheaper to produce. It is all these new and improved products, chemically engineered, that cost more to produce. Yes, it does cost a lot of money to make a vegetable taste somewhat like a hamburger. Chemicals aren't cheap!

  I do find it amusing that all these natural products are now being promoted as the healthy and environmental choices. They always were, it wasn't until manufacturers developed "alternatives" that could be produced in large quantities that resembled the real product that health issues became a problem. I do believe were all better off when what we ate depended somewhat upon the season. That is to say, the fruits and vegetables anyway. That was also dependent upon just where in the country you lived. Growing up on long island my diet was centered around seafood because that was available year round. I've never lived in Montana but I suspect that wasn't the case there, moose maybe? 

 Yeah, I've been around long enough to see the wheel turn. The old has become new again. We are going back to what we once had, even when we weren't aware of how environmentally responsible and health conscious we were. Butter made with real milk and cream. By law, it must contain at least 80% butterfat to be called real butter. Some folks are grinding their own coffee beans once again, quite expensive for one reason only, only a few are doing that. We are being told they are "specialty" beans. Some states are now allowing the sale of cows milk that hasn't been processed. It's risky business I'm told to drink that raw milk. I even saw a thing were it is somehow cruel to milk those cows! I have never personally owned or milked a cow but understand that it is quite uncomfortable for them if they aren't milked, twice a day. 

  I wonder how much longer home baked good will be allowed at these fundraising events. I admit I am somewhat surprised that there hasn't been some restrictions placed on that by now. I don't think you can send home made cookies, cakes and candies to the school anymore. There is a big concern about peanuts these days. I wonder how that came to be, why did so many suddenly developed such a reaction to peanuts? What did those peanuts do? Do you have any hesitation in eating homemade products when you were weren't the one that made it, or know the person that did? I don't hesitate at all, but I am cautious sometimes when I know who made it. Sometimes I wouldn't eat it if you paid me. 

  If you want to make good food you need to use good ingredients. Real butter, lard, flour that you have to sift yourself, and real apples, not stuff out of a can. The best ingredients are those provided by nature, not by the factory down the street. Hey it's organic! Yeah, that's a revelation alright, organic. Now we are making real progress. 

                                                                                          

   when it says butter, they mean real butter. Don't be confused by, "I can't believe it's not butter" It isn't.