I caught the Alice Waters thing on 60 Minutes last night and Leslie Stahl was going on and on about how she learned all this in France and all I could think is that if she talked that way to a French person they would laugh in her face.

Also? Way easier to "eat local" in California than, say, in Minnesota, New England, or, you know, places with winter.

Although I think she is pretty condescending in how she speaks, I do agree that there are plenty of people that could eat better, it's just not a priority. They'd rather have a new car with a $400 car payment.

So, even though Elsie nearly died, her father isn't going to "spoil" her by allowing her to disobey, or to try to convince him to change his mind about anything.

"I shall never again bid you do violence to your conscience, my daughter, but to all the commands which I _do_ lay upon you I shall still expect and require the same ready and cheerful obedience that I have heretofore. It is my duty to require, and yours to yield it."

See Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy for food porn at its finest. The descriptions of the food that Almanzo eats as a young boy on a successful farm in New York State are mouthwateringly detailed.

I read an interesting commentary years ago that talks about how Almonzo's plenty was so enchanting to Laura having had so little. The variety of food is one of the things the author talked about. Another was that Laura describes the fat drumsticks of a roast goose but the goose described would have had relatively skinny legs.

I read an piece by Laura (I wish I could remember where these things were) where she describes being amused by people going bananas over bread that was basically what she and her family had survived on during the Long Winter when they ground Almonzo's seed wheat in a coffee mill. In the book she even describes the bread favorably as "wholsome and nutty" or something like that... the problem was that they ate it for eight months and broke their hands making it.

Hubby was wondering how much of an organic crop is lost to parasites and such and how it compares to current practices.

all I could think is that if she talked that way to a French person they would laugh in her face

Which "she?"

See Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy for food porn at its finest. The descriptions of the food that Almanzo eats as a young boy on a successful farm in New York State are mouthwateringly detailed.

I have to have donuts when I read that book. It is mouthwatering. I always imagined Laura trying to get Almanzo to tell her about his childhood, and all he could remember was the food. There is also an interview that Rose Wilder Lane did with her father that shows what a man of few words he is-- almost every answer he gave, even to questions that asked for descriptions-- was one or two words.

Hubby was wondering how much of an organic crop is lost to parasites and such and how it compares to current practices.

Done correctly, not that much.

Which "she?"

Oh, Alice Waters.

The whole segment just reminded me of a ridiculous conversation my sister had with a friend about the "simple life" movement. This woman was going on and on about getting back to basics (in that "I have a lot of money" way of course) and my sister just finally said "My sister does that. It's called being poor."

Of course, after reading Gourmet Food Nation, I was pre-disposed to dislike Alice Waters. She does not come off well at all in that book.

Skipping the interesting food convo...which I will go read now to say that I got to see Sparky, her wonderful DH, the prodigal Sass AND the bump at the doggy lama workshop on Saturday. Thanks for coming guys! It's always great to see you.

Hey, Sparky, did you notice that mixed puppy next to you biting her person? My friend, K, with the shih tzus, kept shooting me significant looks, but since the dog's backside was to me, I didn't notice. Lordy, I hope that woman calls me. Having your beloved draw non-consentual blood is so not on.

Battling lack of sleep and a tedius uti today. Blech.

I didn't know regular yogurt had HFCS in it! What the hell, Yoplait. I am trying out this Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt stuff. There is fruit on the bottom. I am trying to mix it up so it looks pink.

There is also an interview that Rose Wilder Lane did with her father that shows what a man of few words he is

I wonder if that's online somewhere? I remember reading a quote from Almanzo where he says (in very few words) how disappointed he was with the way his life turned out--maybe that came from that interview. If you think about it, he really did end up not nearly the successful man he thought he'd be, especially if he based his adult plans on his father's model. No sons surviving past the first few weeks, only the one daughter, his first farm fails in South Dakota and his house burns down, he is permanently crippled by diptheria, the attempt to farm in Florida fails, he and his family have to live with his inlaws while he earns money doing day jobs to save for another farm in Missouri, which takes decades to become successful, only to have his life savings wiped out in the 1929 crash after his daughter talks him into investing it all. It's only his wife's late-in-life literary success that gives them anything to retire on.