This morning I had a bit of a wake up call. Nearly two weeks ago I had put a loaf of bread in my refrigerator and then promptly forgot about it. I found it this morning. When I took it out and looked at it, I was amazed to see there wasn't even one spot of mold on it and the slices were still soft. That scared me just a little bit. When I looked at the ingredients on the bag, most of them had names I can't pronounce.
The list of ingredients was lengthy. The bread recipe I use contains seven. And I can pronounce all of them. Granted, at my age I probably could use all the preservatives I can get, but this list on the bag was a bit much.
Thing is...I had become lazy and had stopped making my own bread. I don't even have the excuse of physical limitations because it takes very little effort to dump ingredients into a bread machine. And even without the machine I believe I could still turn out a respectable loaf of bread.
So it is back to the basics for me. Jennifer over at 'Prep School Daily' - listed in my side bar - has a recipe for a Soup and Sauce Mix that I am planning to try in order to use in place of condensed cream soups and basic sauces and she has several recipes for it's use. Considering the price of a can of 'cream of' soups now, it makes sense to find cheaper and more healthy alternatives.
Grandma managed to feed a family of nine children without the use of convenience foods. I expect I can manage a meal for one without them.
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ReplyDelete(Sorry, had to delete the first comment as it had a typo.)
ReplyDeleteWow! Thank you, Vicki! I think you'll be happy with the SOS Mix. It's convenient, and I always have everything on hand for it. But most importantly, I know what's in it--food! Not chemicals. And no cans for the trash.
Magic Mix is another good sauce mix, but as it's made with butter or coconut oil, it's got more calories. It's good for when you want a richer sauce, like for puddings. I made an excellent banana cream pie with it. And I like it much better for cream of tomato soup--my crackers don't get immediately soggy like they do in the SOS Mix.
It really is so easy to make these sauces from scratch. And it's great because it's all food storage.
Have a great day!
Thanks Jennifer...I may have to try both, but am more leaning toward the SOS Mix as it needs no refrigeration. I have to say that I am impressed with the wealth of information on your site. I have spent a considerable amount of time there, taking notes. Very well done!
DeleteIt's not even "convenience foods" anymore, Vicki. You buy "fresh" foods at the market. Where did it come from? What was it grown in? What was it sprayed with? It is REALLY HARD to stay away from those "long names."
ReplyDeleteTell me; when you were younger, how many people did you hear of who developed pancreatic cancer? Seems like you hear of a new "celebrity" contracting it every month now! I personally know FIVE people who have died from it, and two were my brother and dad! Growing up I knew NO ONE who contracted it. 'Makes you wonder just what's "in the water..."
You're on the right track, Vicki... If you can't PROnounce it, DEnounce it!
Peteforester~ Pancreatic cancer is one of the results for anyone that was exposed to Agent Orange in VietNam. My Dad and Brother-in-Law both had it. Red
DeletePete...I know the only way to get away from nasty stuff on my food is to grow my own, but sadly, that doesn't work real well in an apartment setting. :) But I can limit some of it by baking my own bread and cooking from scratch more than I have been.
DeleteI can't say as I knew anyone at all with pancreatic cancer, or any other cancer, for that matter. Not until recent years. But then, I knew of only one person in my high school class of around 300 who was suspected of using drugs. Lots of things have changed since I was young and not necessarily for the better.
And from what I've read, you can pass it on to your kids. Scary.
DeleteVicki~ My Husband makes the bread in this household. He has a better touch for it. Turns out well every time and makes wonderful toast too. Red
ReplyDeleteRed...There is little to compare to a loaf of bread fresh from the oven. Even though I use a bread machine to mix and knead the dough, I always bake it in the oven. It just isn't the same when baked in a machine. :)
DeleteAnd if you have a husband who will bake bread, I strongly suggest hanging onto that man!!
He is a keeper. We've been married for over 40 years. I knew as soon as I saw him that he would be my husband and the father of our children. Red
DeleteCongrats to you both. I just love hearing stories like yours, especially in out present world of disposable everything including relationships.
DeleteAmen Vicki... especially relationships
DeleteHey, Matt...Good to hear from you. I think I liked it better when things were made to last - including relationships.
DeleteVicki, I definitely think you are onto something. Those difficult to pronounce words concern me as well. I would rather stick with simple, basic ingredients. Along with that same idea, I spent my afternoon canning 12 pints of chicken. It sure makes for great soup and other hot dishes...no salt or other preservatives. I should bake some bread this week too.
ReplyDeleteI hope your sewing project is progressing nicely. I am looking forward to seeing the outcome. Take care, CW
CW...I was really surprised that a loaf of bread could sit in the fridge that long and still look like it had been purchased yesterday. I just don't think that whatever they add to the bread that would keep it that long can be very good for me. I just got lazy about baking bread, which is rather silly. I am retired. I have all the time in the world to bake bread. :)
DeleteThe window quilts are coming along - slowly but surely! I will post a picture when I have enough finished so you can see what they look like. Take care.
My hand bread makes good paper weights. Or hockey pucks, haha.
ReplyDeleteI might should dig my bread machine out again.
OK, LindaG...That's funny. I really hate to admit it, being an advocate of scratch cooking and all, but my bread machine produces a loaf of bread that is much better than when I hand knead the dough. I bake bread in the oven and not the machine, and I think that helps.
Delete