William @ Plum Cookin'
Put a frog in hot water
He’ll immediately jump out of harm’s way and if he’s smart he’ll be looking for the kitchen door!
Place the same frog in a pot of cool water and raise the temperature slowly, he’ll sit there until it’s far too late and it’s the frog in your home for dinner.
I know you’ve probably heard the story before, but did you realize that the frog is you? Haven’t you felt the temperature slowly rising below your feet?
If not, perhaps it’s time to swallow the red pill, see beyond the matrix, realize the only person who can reach up and turn off the burner is you.
Food Incorporated Is Everywhere
Obviously they’re in the fast food industry, but food incorporated has spent a a hundred years finding ways to put fast food in your kitchen and learning how to better separate you from your hard earned paycheck.
Don’t take our word for it, the USDA says that as of June of 2020 a family of 4 with two pre-teenage children and a moderate food budget could expect to pay $1,114 per month on groceries. It may just be me, but $1,114 per month sounds about the same as an average part-time income.
The solution for your home may be a bit hard to grasp, but accepting that doing a little more now is going to save time and money in the long run, is the first step.
Once you’ve pulled back the curtain and see the great and powerful Oz for what he truly is, you may find yourself clicking your heels and heading for home.
You should at least come to realize your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents were probably a lot wiser than you imagined.
At least when it came to the kitchen, they attempted to be as independent and frugal as possible rather than depend on a giant grocery store or local market.
Amazingly, the more we peel back the onion, the more independent they seem to have been.
But I’m so busy
Someone reading this is thinking, my schedule is so crazy, I can’t keep up now, and you want me to run my kitchen the way Grandma did? There’s no time!
To that end, we’re all busy.
As for how grandma did things, there’s enough modern-day kitchen tools and gadgets to make George Jetson a little jealous let lone grandma.
The problem for most of us is that we’re a few generations away from how grandma did things, and no one has ever shown us how to use those modern tools to do anything more than cook pre-made food.
Walk before you run
If you’re ever going to get off the corporate kitchen diet plan, you’ve got to start somewhere.
Pick something simple for your first item, but pick something. Once you’ve found a recipe you like, collect your ingredients, and make a small batch.
Don’t be discouraged if it wasn’t perfect. Whether, fit for a king, or better suited for dog food, you made it.
Practice makes all the difference, and once you’ve done this a few times, you’ll start to wonder why you were paying for pre-made.
A Great Place To Start
Did you say buttermilk
I know a lot of people wouldn’t dream of drinking buttermilk!
The same people, however, love eating pancakes, biscuits, specialty bread, donuts, low-fat smoothies, and more.
Not only is buttermilk a great probiotic, but it can also be found in many varieties of the foods you eat. Buttermilk naturally balances that slightly acidic tart yet sweet flavor. A match made in heaven.
Did you realize there’s a powdered version of buttermilk as well?
Not surprisingly, it’s a bit on the pricy side when purchased alone. Yet, it’s commonly added right into that box of pre-made baking mix you buy. Just add water!
It’s Time For A Change
If you’re ever going to make any of these items in your home, you’re going to need buttermilk.
Go to the store to buy some, and you’ll quickly discover buttermilk costs far more than regular milk. Seriously, you’d think it must come from special cows?
Growing up, I remember seeing my mother make buttermilk. When I asked why she didn’t just buy the stuff, she’d simply say “if you watch your pennies, your dollars will take care of themselves.”
I don’t guess I fully understood that statement until I grew up and started buying groceries for myself.
When I decided to make fresh homemade buttermilk for the first time, I discovered not only did it cost about a fourth of the price of store-bought, it tastes better, and its unbelievably easy to make at home.
Conclusion
Your grandparents had greater control over their diet, health, and wealth because they controlled what came out of their kitchen in almost every way.
The day you stop allowing big business to control the ingredients found in the food you eat will be the day you begin to take back control of your kitchen.
