How do you know? There is so much information out there, you don't know what to believe. There is probably always a little truth and a little fantasy in everything. Sometimes you have to go with your gut feeling and maybe use a little common sense thinking. It is good to remember that because I think or say something you still need to decide what is best for you. There are things in the past that seem out of date today but maybe they are still real. I call it B.C.: before chemicals and convenience.
Before chlorine there were other methods of sanitation and cleaning. Peroxide not only cleansed the germs from minor scrapes, it was added to the laundry to whiten whites and disinfect or could be used as a mouthwash. Try it, you will like that bubbly feeling as it works to remove all that bacteria in your mouth.
Every table had cruets of vinegar and oil to use on vegetables, salads and meats. There is something about vinaigrette dressing that seems clean and refreshing. So many things have reduced value because it is cleaned up — processed. Why are we obsessed with making something pretty when it is better to leave it alone?
Remember Mother of Vinegar? It was there for a purpose. (Still available at a price, it still has different characteristics than the old style vinegar.)
Fruits and vegetables can be safely washed to remove chemicals in a 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water solution instead of the pricey kinds you can buy.
Spraying a room with vinegar as a deodorant won't give you those sweet smells, but the scant vinegar smell soon disappears and it will make the air clean. It can also be used to clean surfaces. It works well to clean windows and mirrors and is cheaper than commercial cleaners. You don't have to use the expensive vinegar, distilled or white is a household staple.
Lemon juice or peroxide will brighten and remove stains in the laundry. They did a great job, long before chlorine came on the market.
In my grandmother’s day, she used a broom, hoe and lots of hand labor, but there were benefits — no chemicals to pollute the atmosphere, she got her exercise, time to think and there was a calm, serene feeling as she moved that hoe and often silent meditation time.
Low-calorie, sugar-free, fat-free can be deceiving. There is a theory that often these items have been enhanced with other not-so-nutritious and often not-as-healthy substitutes. Being creative helps. Taking the time or using a chart to discover correct seasonings supplies flavor saving for salt-free meals. Substituting what you do have works. No onion, use onion flakes. No celery, use two carrots instead of one. Get the point? Natural is naturally better. For some reason your body seems to know the difference. Sugar-free sounds good but many sugar-free foods have chemical sweeteners that are harmful to our health. The only sugar substitute I know of that is not full of chemicals is Stevia, because if comes directly from a plant. There are other sweeteners that seem to be more popular, but they contain sucrose. Stevia can be used "one-for-one" with sugar for baking purposes.
When our family used to visit my dad’s brother’s home in South St. Paul we knew the amounts of food would not be as generous as we often felt we had to have. George's wife, Marcie, was a smart cookie! She cooked by reality of how much was needed and not by "overload." Meat was sliced thin and cake (made from scratch) was too. How many times do we go by the amount of servings it suggests on the label packaging?
History books tell us how ancient ancestors would often lay down to eat because they felt their stomach would hold more and fat was significant of wealth. We laughed about it as school kids. How stupid it was, yet we often do the same thing. Portion sizes are often a waste of money and fat on the butt. Paying attention to portion sizes saves money and is a healthier way of living. Much as we might love them - "all-you-can-eat" – is not a good advertisement.
Television shows that show food being misused, thrown, or excessive amounts being exploited, really go against my feelings about food. Advertising and adults often influence poor food choices for children. I vote for the kids who seem to know better without that influence. Tell them why and they seem to remember why some things are taboo or should only be eaten sparingly.
Sale or no sale, never buy more than you can prepare and eat before spoilage. What spoils and you end up throwing away is not a savings. Be creative before spoilage takes over. Wilted items can be juiced, souped, or baked into breads. Banana bread is a good example.
Buy fresh produce that doesn't spend too much time in transit or in a warehouse. A busy market place is a good indication of freshest products. Farmers markets abound in freshness. Reading labels for nutritional value isn't enough. We must look for the expiration date.
Be cautious of what you have in your kitchen. It is easy to get caught up in extras when you forget what you have at home in the kitchen cupboard.
They are telling us we should get rid of plastic coverings. Paper bags, no bags or mesh sacks are better. Think garbage disposable or temporary use as opposed to storage.
Plastic containers are popular but not as safe as glass. This is especially so when heating items. I don't use a microwave a great deal, and my grandmother wouldn’t have one in the house. The convenience is there, but there are those who would argue as to what microwaving does to food. I guess it is O.K. to microwave water.
Choices are yours to make. You know your body because you live with it 24 hours a day. What is good for one may not be good for another. You make the choice!
Birthdays and anniversaries:
• Thursday, June 13th: Steve & Rhonda Christensen, Fran & Fred Kennedy, Marilyn & Gary Ulland, Keith & Kristin Hamberg, Kaden Jon Homuth, Cory Donald Haberman, Brent Reese, Ray Otteson, Tira Vangen, Corey Haberman, Tristan Richards, and Gary Jepson
• Friday, June 14th: Camille Marjean Dunlap, Summer Stieglbauer, Herb Moon, Kelly Wacek, David Broskoff, James Deml, Obert Osmundson Jr., Richard Peterson, Mitchell Kubat and Michael & Stacy Keith
• Saturday, June 15th: Donny & Mavis Bartsch, Dale & Nadine Strenge, Dale & Marlene Peterson, DeWayne Hagen, James Bremer, Dale Anderson, Jennifer Robertson, Kathy Jensen, Kim Nelson, Logan Vietze, Ken Sable, and Ovanna Haried
• Sunday, June 16th: Andren Richard Aaseth, Aven Leo Aaseth, Emily Otto, Bethany Otto Mikesell, Doug Smith, Lorraine Wallace, Vonda Humburg, Kenny Evenson, Kari Ingvaldson, Heather (Crabtree) & Keith Krenke, Rochelle (Butler) & Brent Chapman, Tracy & Paul Marcus, Richard & Becky Axmann, Kim (Anderson) & Rich Schneider and Dale & Marlene Peterson
• Monday, June 17th: Kimberly & Mike Luhring, Jim & Jeanne Worrell, Tiffany (Moon) & Josh Krueger, Natalie Jean Aaseth, Jim Hohansee, Eric Tobiason, Joshua Churchill, Aaron Casterton, Matthew Xavier, Tim Butler, and Anna Kay Hardyman.
• Tuesday, June 18th: Keturah Katherine Mae Gassmann, Brett Hagen, Dennis O'Neil, Dave Lieberg, Marie Dobberstein, Marvin Enzenauer, Bonnie Nelson, Krysti Cameron, Margo & Milton Wayne,
Wayne & Diane Jensen, Greg & Linda Pavek, Brad & Tammy Thompson, Kathy (Barnett) & Chad Peterson, Amy & Brady Jensen, (2011)
• Wednesday, June 19th: John Jerome Olson, Josephine Ann Olson, Julie (Vanden Heuvel) & Dale Horihan, Ellen (Johnson) & Mark Johnson, Al & Carol Schultz, Julie & Chad Cornelius, Guy & Tracy Cromwell, Fred & DeLoyce Schmidt, Melissa & Scott Anderson, Tammy & Jeff Busho, Rich & Susan Hanson, Cesar & Heather Rosas, Ashlie Pence, Johnathan David Schewe, Mary Ann Stone, Jean Pelzl, Theresa Kasper, Monty Spurr, Erica Van Kampen, Tracy Cromwell, Erica McClaskey, and LaVerne Calverly
Wishing you a very special day blooming with warm and happy memories!
