What do you eat?

Today was grocery shopping day for me. I began filling my cart with the usual things, potatoes, flour, milk, a few fruits and several veggies, and beef. I did get a few canned items and odds and ends, but not many. Most things I buy have to be cooked, or are an ingredient in cooking, and if not, they come in natural packaging....also known as PEELINGS! I couldn't help myself, as friends had brought up packaged products they see everyone else buying. When someone tells you not to look, THAT is always when you look. So, I looked. Sue me. LOL!

Which brings me to my question. Why? I know my life is simpler, by choice in a lot of ways, by force in some others with our crazy food allergies here. It just makes me wonder though do people not have time to cook anymore? I couldn't get my cart down the isles of prepackaged junk foods, the chip isle was heavily trafficked, as was the soda isle, the candy isle, and the frozen junk isle. I had no problem navigating the fresh foods isle, or the dairy isle, as there was hardly anyone there. So, why? Why have folks began to buy all of the quick easy meals, and not the good stuff? I don't get it at all!

I did glance in a few carts of passers by, one with "the screaming begging child" you know the one, you see that kid every time you go to the store too. She/he is surrounded by sugar rush in a box, and screaming for more. Then there are the carts with TV dinners strewn about the bottom, and maybe a jar of peanut butter. I believe the peanut butter is to ensure proper ammounts of protein are consumed considering all the mystery meat in those plastic covered microwaveable trays they are passing off as food these days. I just don't get it.

Tomatoes from my little slice of earth are magical little red balls of FLAVOR, and not cardboard or water flavor either. Mouthwatering, sweet, juicy, hearty flavor, in my favorite natural packaging called peelings! YUM! If I can't grow my own, I buy and trade for them with neighbors, and with my Amish friends.

My point is simple. Like many things that go out of fashion, quilting, REAL quality carpentry, and a home not just being defined as a dwelling place of people with similar genetic make up, is real food going out of style as well? Not here, for sure. But as a general thing, are we done with picking dinner out of the back yard? Our society has lost so much, it saddens me to see yet another loss, to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We work to live and live to work these days.

My thoughts on others shopping and eating habits today made me more appreciative of the hard work we do here to raise a portion of our own foods, meat included. I was glad to slop the pig, feed the chickens, gather eggs, and feed our rabbits. I was glad to pull stubborn weeds from the veggie garden. I guess sometimes all you need is a renewed perspective. I hope more folks begin to feel the way I do, and at a minimum shop local farmers markets, and butcher shops, rather than buying trucked in plastic flavored meals. It's a good thing! Good food feeds the body and soul!

Just my opinion.