[forreal]

Went to the supermarket by myself yesterday, and didn't have a list with me, so I was going up and down the aisles trying to nudge my memory of what I was supposed to pick up -- and I got to thinking of my Grandmother, wondering what she would think of the products on the shelves today....

My Grandmother grew up during the Depression.... and she knew how to stretch her food dollars. I would love to visit her -- she always made the most delicious meals, and everything was made from scratch. My parents also lived on a very tight budget and made delicious meals. It's funny that a lot of the meals they made were from "budget" meats that you no longer find..... daisy ham, lamb breasts, lamb shanks, beef tongue. If you were lucky enough to have steak, it was chuck steak and you felt like a king/queen. Many people today would turn their noses up.... but I remember family dinners as a happy time. And Sunday Dinner was always special --- everyone was all dressed up because we dressed up for Church, and dinner was always "Special" and included desert! And sometimes soda (as opposed to milk or kool-aid).

Another thing ... everyone ate the same meal -- if you didn't like what was for supper, you could have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich -- that was the choice you had.

We had three meals a day, desert on Sunday, and no snacks in between meals. Unfortunately, too much fat and too many starches!!

Still -- wonder what Grandma would say about the frozen food section? We have so many choices today.... and so many of us are trying to "shop the perimeter" of the store and get back to the basics (but healthier versions!)

[Misti in Seattle]

Good post. Reminds me of one of Michael Pollan's Food Rules - "Never eat anything your grandmother (great grandmother, depending on your age) would not recognize as food."

[emurph]

My grandparents ate the same way. Lots of fat, butter, meats that were not always lean, whole milk, etc. and no snacks. Dessert was a treat and not eaten every day.

And you know what? None of my grandparents had heart disease or high cholesterol or were overweight.

[bargoo]

My grandmother cooked with lard and lived to be past 90.

[elvislover324]

I think our grandparents were lucky with their food choices. They weren't dealing with all of the substitutes and hormones like we are in our food.

They literally had real meat, real butter/dairy, real sugar, real bread, etc. plus all their vegetables were more likely local grown than imported for the most part.

I wonder if I would have remained thin if I got to eat like them my whole life. Never once had Cheetos and Coke with my grandma but would give anything to have homemade toast with real butter and tea with real milk with her again.

[KindaSortaAthlete]

I often wonder what people who come from places that have little food and lots of famine would think of our mega grocery stores...

[alaskanlaughter]

i love the idea of shopping for only what grandma would recognize as food

a great website to visit is www.vintagerecipes.net....lots of VERY old recipes there

[mandypandy2246]

Love the vintage recipe website!!!