Friday, July 21, 2006
Lazy America
In DeafDC.com, Chris Kaftan wrote an interesting blog post, Lazy America, about his observation at his recent grocery shopping at Safeway.
He was in disbelief at some of the products sold in a grocery store. Such products are Cheese Crumbles, Ready Bacon, breakfast cereal bars, dinner-in-a-bag's, microwaveable noodles, no-fuss fajita kit, etc.
It is his stance that America has been become lazy. I don't disagree with him. Below is my comment to his post.
***
Yeah, we're guilty with some of the products you mentioned above.
Cheese Crumbles - nah. Ready Bacon - nah, prefer to cook turkey bacon my own way. Easy Cheese - only with Chicken in a Biscuit crackers, which is rare. Those chicken dinners - nah, I like the way I cook the chicken.
Patricia was right on the money when she mentioned corporations. Corporations have found been able to tailor our needs by providing "time-saving" products, even if they aren't nutritious or healthy. As a result, we're getting fatter.
I believe our redundant complaint is that we don't have time. We're now 2+ income households, working more than the standard 8 hour workdays. We get home around 6 or 7pm, probably in a pissy mood because of traffic jams or the stupid Metro. We barely get in 10 seconds to ourselves before your spouse/partner/boy- girlfriend wants your attention. Then your kids want attention. Then, your pets want attention. You're not surprised when they say, "I'm hungry! What are you gonna make?"
You didn't even get a chance to change clothes. You're probably not in the mood to cook but then it is your turn to cook. Dagnabit! You forgot to take something out to thaw, during the day. You go to the pantry and you spot a box that can produce a 3 course meal within 5 minutes in the microwave. You make the meal extra special by topping it with cheese crumbles. You've saved the day! You gobble up your meal within 15 minutes, if you even last that long. You sit on the couch, trying to watch tv to wind down from the day, despite people and animals wanting your attention. 2 hours later, you're in bed because you gotta get up in the morning before the rooster does.
Ok, that's just a scenario but my point is that corporations do recognize our desire for less time in the kitchen and more time to ourselves. As a result, we've lost our appreciation for cooking as well as choosing the right food. Corporations are getting fatter in their pockets. We’re getting fatter in our bodies.
We gotta step back and make appropriate changes in our dietary and cooking habits. My partner and I have made changes. We’re not perfect but we’re conscious of what we make and eat.
For me, I just miss those good ol’ homecooked meals my mom used to make. Of course, nobody makes it as good as our mothers do. So, this challenges me to cook and strife for the near perfection like the way my mom did. Plus, I love recipes. Thanks to my subscription to Southern Living, I’m collecting more recipes. However, there are some stuff in the recipes that I never heard nor seen before. So, my local Safeway becomes a site of a scavenger hunt game.
As for cutting corners, I believe that’s ok to do so occasionally. Once in a while, I’ll make homemade pizza. I don’t have time to make pizza crust from scratch. I’m gonna buy one of those pizza crust from Pillsbury. That’s ok, right?
***
Further thoughts:
- Could it be that these products are made available because the younger generations doesn't know how to cook, except via the microwave?
- Are these products available in other industrialized countries, such as Canada, England, France, Germany, etc.? If so, are they lazy as well?
- It is laziness or is it the evolution of food? We no longer go to butchers for meat or to fishermen for seafood. We no longer churn our own butter. Popcorn are rarely made over stovetops but microwaved. Bread and cakes are less frequently baked in our ovens but bought in stores.
Whoo, food for thoughts, eh?
Ta ta...
P.S. - Tonight is the monthly Deaf GLBT coffee social at Starbucks in Dupont Circle on P & 21st Streets from 7 to 10pm. See you there!
|
He was in disbelief at some of the products sold in a grocery store. Such products are Cheese Crumbles, Ready Bacon, breakfast cereal bars, dinner-in-a-bag's, microwaveable noodles, no-fuss fajita kit, etc.
It is his stance that America has been become lazy. I don't disagree with him. Below is my comment to his post.
***
Yeah, we're guilty with some of the products you mentioned above.
Cheese Crumbles - nah. Ready Bacon - nah, prefer to cook turkey bacon my own way. Easy Cheese - only with Chicken in a Biscuit crackers, which is rare. Those chicken dinners - nah, I like the way I cook the chicken.
Patricia was right on the money when she mentioned corporations. Corporations have found been able to tailor our needs by providing "time-saving" products, even if they aren't nutritious or healthy. As a result, we're getting fatter.
I believe our redundant complaint is that we don't have time. We're now 2+ income households, working more than the standard 8 hour workdays. We get home around 6 or 7pm, probably in a pissy mood because of traffic jams or the stupid Metro. We barely get in 10 seconds to ourselves before your spouse/partner/boy- girlfriend wants your attention. Then your kids want attention. Then, your pets want attention. You're not surprised when they say, "I'm hungry! What are you gonna make?"
You didn't even get a chance to change clothes. You're probably not in the mood to cook but then it is your turn to cook. Dagnabit! You forgot to take something out to thaw, during the day. You go to the pantry and you spot a box that can produce a 3 course meal within 5 minutes in the microwave. You make the meal extra special by topping it with cheese crumbles. You've saved the day! You gobble up your meal within 15 minutes, if you even last that long. You sit on the couch, trying to watch tv to wind down from the day, despite people and animals wanting your attention. 2 hours later, you're in bed because you gotta get up in the morning before the rooster does.
Ok, that's just a scenario but my point is that corporations do recognize our desire for less time in the kitchen and more time to ourselves. As a result, we've lost our appreciation for cooking as well as choosing the right food. Corporations are getting fatter in their pockets. We’re getting fatter in our bodies.
We gotta step back and make appropriate changes in our dietary and cooking habits. My partner and I have made changes. We’re not perfect but we’re conscious of what we make and eat.
For me, I just miss those good ol’ homecooked meals my mom used to make. Of course, nobody makes it as good as our mothers do. So, this challenges me to cook and strife for the near perfection like the way my mom did. Plus, I love recipes. Thanks to my subscription to Southern Living, I’m collecting more recipes. However, there are some stuff in the recipes that I never heard nor seen before. So, my local Safeway becomes a site of a scavenger hunt game.
As for cutting corners, I believe that’s ok to do so occasionally. Once in a while, I’ll make homemade pizza. I don’t have time to make pizza crust from scratch. I’m gonna buy one of those pizza crust from Pillsbury. That’s ok, right?
***
Further thoughts:
- Could it be that these products are made available because the younger generations doesn't know how to cook, except via the microwave?
- Are these products available in other industrialized countries, such as Canada, England, France, Germany, etc.? If so, are they lazy as well?
- It is laziness or is it the evolution of food? We no longer go to butchers for meat or to fishermen for seafood. We no longer churn our own butter. Popcorn are rarely made over stovetops but microwaved. Bread and cakes are less frequently baked in our ovens but bought in stores.
Whoo, food for thoughts, eh?
Ta ta...
P.S. - Tonight is the monthly Deaf GLBT coffee social at Starbucks in Dupont Circle on P & 21st Streets from 7 to 10pm. See you there!
|
