This is an oldie that I'm reposting just for fun! 🙂
Remember the article I posted last week about the family members going at it over the butter vs. margarine debate? I almost had my own knock-down drag-out the other day!
I’m kidding of course. We both remained very nice, but it got a little uncomfortable and I was glad. Sometimes that motivates people to dig in and find the truth. That’s what prompted my own food conversion. I pray that’s what happens with this situation, at least someday…
So here’s the story…
A couple weeks ago Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist, emailed and said she would soon be here visiting, bringing her son to a camp in the area. She thought it would be fun to get together for dinner or coffee or something and so did I! She was going to be here overnight so we asked her to stay with us before her flight back home to Florida the next morning. I’m so glad she said yes. It was really fun meeting and getting to know her and I know we’ll always be friends. 🙂
After her son had been at camp almost a week, he called her and was upset. He said he felt tired all the time. Sarah was concerned that he was eating too many carbs and not getting enough healthy fats, and asked if I could take him some raw milk. I was happy to, and the next day I also brought him pastured eggs and some bacon grease from pastured pigs to fry them in.
Sarah had called ahead so they knew I was coming and when I walked up here’s how it went:
Camp director: “I’m not sure if I can serve this to him legally. I’ll have to check with the inspector. You know, there could be something harmful in this, and we don’t want to be shut down.”
Me: “I totally understand that you need to be careful, but could you serve it with parent permission?”
CD: “I don’t know, I’ll have to call the inspector and find out.” (Good news, later they got the okay from the inspector with written parent permission. Isn’t there just something so wrong about that, though? That they need special permission to give him something humans have consumed for thousands of years! Obviously, it’s not the camp’s fault, but just a sad state of affairs in general…)
Me: “I brought these eggs, too, and some bacon grease from pastured pigs to fry them in.”
CD: (She literally shuddered.) “Oh we don’t serve fat here.”
Me: “ANY fat?”
CD: “No.”
Me: “Oh, that’s terrible, no wonder he’s not feeling well! The kids NEED these healthy fats.”
She was definitely uncomfortable and went to put the milk and eggs in the fridge while I was still holding the bacon grease and talking to her daughter.
Me: “What do you fry eggs in and stuff?”
Daughter: “Oh, maybe a little bit of olive oil.”
Me: “Eggs in olive oil? Butter or bacon grease would be better, do you have butter here?”
The camp director walked back up and said, “No.”
Me: “No butter… in the whole camp?!”
CD: “No, kids these days are getting fatter, saturated fats like butter and this (pointing to bacon grease) is why.”
Me: “Noooo! Not healthy fats like these, the fake fats are the problem!” (Among other things, but I didn’t go there.)
CD: (I could literally feel the wall going up.) “I don’t have time to debate this, I’ve only got 30 minutes before I have to ……”
Me: “OK, but could you please cook his eggs in this bacon grease?”
CD: “Yes, we will.”
Me: “OK, thank you!”
We left smiling at each other and it was all good, but I hope I made her think.
Mostly she probably just thought I was a wack-job. Best case scenario would be if she was online doing some searching within the hour…but I’m doubtful.
I got back into the van with the kids and told them that the camp director and I just had a bit of a disagreement and Kal said, “Mom, it probably didn’t help that you had on your ‘Legalize Raw Milk' t-shirt.”
Oops, I didn’t even realize what I was wearing!
When I called to tell Sarah she gasped, “NO BUTTER IN THE WHOLE CAMP?!” I could tell she'd probably have a post coming soon on this, too. But mostly she was worried about her son. I know she couldn’t wait to get him home and filled back up with plenty of real food.
I went back to the camp two more times, once to drop off more milk, and the last time to pick up my milk bottles as camp was wrapping up–and both times I could tell she wasn’t real comfortable having me there again.
Be sure to go check out Sarah’s post, where she tells you what to think about when sending your child to summer camp.
On a shallow side note…
Do you want to see the picture that prompted my latest hair cut? Are you sure? Because it’s scary. Here’s me with Sarah before we went out for a walk the day she visited–the “before” shot you could call it (and Sarah’s got such cute, naturally curly hair!):
Now here’s the “after” shot right before Kent & I went to a wedding recently–still not my fave photo ever, but better than the “before” at least:
Have you ever gotten into it with anyone over butter vs. margarine, or any real food issue? 🙂
- Here's another one: I probably shouldn’t have told the Chef that he’s using ‘crap’ oils in his fryers…
- Not convinced? Read all about healthy fats or at least read about the Biggest Myth in Medical History
Paula Traylor says
Wendy Murphy….” I bring my own REAL BUTTER “….haha
Wendy Murphy says
I do …lol
Mavis Megler says
You got this one right! Since giving up all processed foods & sugar, I have lost 25 lbs in the last 4 weeks. I’m feeling better than I have in the last 5 years.
Pamela Rush says
I found your blog through reading Sarah’s post about her son. I have kids away at camp, so naturally I was curious. And…it just so happens that my girl has come down with a cold. I hate it that I’m not there to make all those things that I know would help her body to fight it!! Anyways…I have had a fight over butter. With my mother-in-law. Yikes! She was going to make biscuits to go with our dinner, and when I asked her to use real butter she actually refused to help me make them. A good (mouthy) friend was over at the time, so I didn’t need to say much, but boy were things intense in the kitchen for a while. Plus side, I’ve noticed that when we visit there is always real butter in her fridge:)
Thanks for the story…next year I will be more prepared!
Jeanmarie says
I loved rereading this… just fyi, both links to Sarah’s post are bad though. 🙁
KitchenKop says
They’re both fixed now (they were links from before Sarah moved her blog off Blogger), thanks so much for telling me, Jeanmarie!
Kel
S. says
When you guys eat butter (or if you started eating butter from the transition from margarine), did you kind of freak out when you thought to yourself “each tbsp has 11g of fat and I had like 2 or 3! or “gee I had 14 or 20g of saturated fat with this, gee, that’s the full day’s guideline” or something? I’m still kind of struggling with this. (each tbsp of butter has about 7g saturated fat)
I’m at a stalemate – I lost nearly 5 pounds since starting butter and increasing the fat content in my milk (dad is upset that I chose whole and is trying to make me go back to 2%) but I can’t lose any beyond it. There are some things that I have a hard time letting go that are doing this – I’m sure.
KitchenKop says
Here’s a good post for you to check out:
https://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/02/your-words-letting-go-of-the-low-fat-mentality-responses-from-nina-planck-sally-fallon-more.html
Hope that helps, but yes, we have all had that feeling, but the more you learn the more you’ll realize that some fats are stored right away and some are burned right away!
Kelly
Jeanmarie says
My mom and I almost got into a fight when she asked me to buy her some nonfat yogurt and it was sooo hard for me to do that. I sneaked butter into her food to make up for it! (This happened when she visited last year.)
Alex says
I just got an email about butter vs. margarine. And it contained all the NASTY facts about margarine. My favorite fact is that it is only one molecule away from plastic (EWWWWW!) And that if you leave it sitting out on a hot day no bugs or animals will even go *NEAR* it (not even flies). My in-laws eat it so I had my husband forward that one over, they love the stuff. He has gotten into quite a bit of disputes over raw milk and butter and food in general with them. He cares so much but they just won’t (and don’t want to) get it. So instead of preaching we just don’t say anything about what we’re eating unless they ask, which is hard when it comes to the health of someone you love :-/
Susan says
My sister eats the fake butter. One day I told her that she was putting her daughter’s reproductive health at risk with that stuff. She is eating butter now. She also bought some coconut oil but hasn’t mustered the nerve to try it yet. However when my other sister heard of it, she said ‘oh coconut oil is ok if you want to have a heart attack’. I told her that that particular research was done on coconut oil that was hydrogenated and that natural coconut oil was one of the healthiest fats you can get. I think I am doing something right because I have been told my food (for family potlucks) is tasting much better than my sister who thinks CO will cause heart attacks.
Kerri says
Too funny! My husband got into a milk “confrontation” at the store today. We do not have raw milk available so have to do our best with organic whole milk (not UHT). He is not the activist for real food I am, but understands the basics and has happily made the transition. He stopped to get a gallon on the way home today and a lady approached him convinced she was saving him from an unhappy wife at home and challenging him on his selection. He quite happily explained to her that the fat in whole milk was necessary to more fully utilize the vitamins and minerals in other food. Good for him! She just clammed up and walked away….maybe she too will look into the health benefits of whole milk…
Heather says
I just found you through Fight Back Fridays, and I’m so glad!! Looking forward to learning much more from you! I’m a beginner in the real food lifestyle, but have been making an effort to learn more.
Heather says
I tangle with my MIL all. the. time. Even though I let a lot of things go. We see them often, and were staying with them for a few months, so I can’t just let it all slide when it comes to feeding the kids. I’ve been mostly sticking to my guns on HFCS, MSG, and real butter & saving the rest for later. And aspartame, which is one of the things that started me on the journey to real food–it gives me big time migraines, so, when MIL was going to give one of my kids some diet soda, my gut reaction was NOT diplomatic. It was “NO!” I think it’s starting to work, though. She came to visit the other day, and brought McDonald’s (yeah, bad, of course). BUT she did check to see if the juice in the Happy Meals had HFCS, and she was talking about how she’d been noticing foods suddenly advertising that they were HFCS free. I let the kids eat their Happy Meals (they actually don’t like them very much–they ate the fries and some of the burgers and apple juice, but neither one of them would touch the buns.) Gotta start somewhere!
christine says
I’ll start with “Nice haircut!” 🙂
The other day, we returned home from being away for a couple of weeks, and – the horror – we were completely out of butter! Unheard of in this home. My 5 and nearly three year old were stumped as to what we could make for breakfast that didn’t require butter. When I was making a shopping list the next day, my 5 year old reminded me not to forget the butter!! Love it!
And this morning my 5 year old was singing the praises of bacon fat added to the butter to fry the pancakes in. The blueberries and bacon fat were the “secret ingredients” that made them so yummy.
While visiting at my out-of-town sister-in-law’s the other day, I bought some Haagen Dazs for a treat for the kids (there’s no other store-bought ice cream in our store freezers that have only real ingredients). She has a 7 and 5 year old. Later, I was told oh my, they stopped buying full fat HG years ago, and that a serving accounted for the daily limit of “sat fats”. Of course, the freezer was full of fake food ice cream novelties etc. It’s sad… these are highly educated, otherwise smart people.
I’m another who misses out on opportunities to get into verbal fights over real food. I also am very careful around these particular family members; our relationship is rather tenuous, and my husband is there on a weekly basis on a new business venture with his brother. I didn’t want to make waves over the ice cream. At least they otherwise eat real whole foods, and do use butter and olive oil. No margarine or veg oils.
Christine in Waterloo, Ontario
KitchenKop says
Christine, that is curious isn’t it, that such highly educated people are continuing to fall for the low-fat line, but yet when most doctors are still saying the same things, it makes sense I guess…
Rebecca in Michigan says
This has nothing to do with butter. We had a family birthday party yesterday and I was chatting with someone and my daughter came over with a diet pop. I told her she wasn’t aloud to have that pop. The person I was talking to said, “why not.” I explained to her about aspartame being in diet pop and that I was not going to expose my daughter to that. She came back and said, “there is so little aspartame in that can it won’t hurt her.” I turn right back and said, “you are right, but if she drinks it here and there then is is exposed to it more and that is a problem. She didn’t talk to me after that.
Michelle (Health Food Lover) says
Kelly,
I love how you stand up for what you believe in!
I’m sure you will have inspired the camp director to start change in their life (or at least they’ll do some research themselves).
Butter really is better (margarine is just so gross haha)!
Keep at it!
Thanks for linking up to Wholesome Whole Foods!
KitchenKop says
If you guys haven’t checked out the whole story from Sarah’s perspective, you’ll have to do that (https://thehealthyhomeeconomist.blogspot.com/2010/07/summer-camp-survival-guide.html) and wait ’til you read what her son said when he got home, you’ll love it!
Lorna says
Hey,
We switched to butter about ten or so years ago and haven’t looked back. Love butter on everything. People do give us a funny looks when we talk about butter as if we are strange to eat real butter.
I read that children can digest veggies better with butter so am telling all the young mothers at church to use butter to get them to eat their veggies. I hope they don’t think “vaseline” is butter. I best make that clarification.
Anyhow I have to find the time to render some lard. I have three large bags of fat in my freezer now. Pasture raised pork fat from our hogs. I like to do it outside with a roaster oven. Another activity that can cause others to view us as strange.
Perhaps they think we are too poor to buy store lard?
Oh well .
Always good to have a new haircut, I think.
KitchenKop says
Hi Lorna,
Yes, you’re right! Healthy fats DO help us to digest everything better! 🙂
Kelly
JenE says
LOL! Kelly, I love your spunk!! : )
Hugs!
Melodie says
Very cool. I haven’t had the chance to discuss this with anyone not in the know yet, but I’m sure at some point I will.
Kat says
Lol you crack me up. I want to someday get the chance to meet you in real life. So nice that you could help out in this situation. Kelly the Kop for real.
On my last place ride I asked for the GF meal (honestly I wasn’t going to eat it but wanted to see what they could do) and was served margarine. Get this, the REGULAR meal was serving pure butter! I was surprised they even gave out real butter anymore. Also disgusted they would give margarine, with lactose and milk solids in it, to people with digestive issues. Anyways, the only thing I ate was the real butter from my bf’s meal. It was pretty tasty.
KitchenKop says
Kat, me too! Are you going to the Weston Price conference in November by any chance???
Kat says
I actually hadn’t thought about it yet. Maybe I will! I definitely want to go to one.
WordVixen says
I’m starting to comment waaay too often, but I really wanted to add one more. 🙂 I remember when I was a teenager watching my grandmother brown her ground beef in a big chunk of butter (at least a quarter stick if not half), and being horrified! My family had already switched mostly back to butter (I think), but it was still a “in moderation” thing in our house. Now I look back on it and realize that grandma was right! Just last night I browned some bison and didn’t put any coconut oil or butter in because the bison had just enough fat that it “didn’t need it”. Oy. I’m still working on the stinking thinking!
Upside, my friend at work came over to my office and bragged to me about having a huge pastured egg omelet fried in butter with a big glass of organic whole milk and I think some cheese for breakfast. I was so proud! And he was so happy because he feels GOOD today, and NOT hungry, and it was over 90 degrees and he works outside! Yay real food! Now I’m trying to get him to eat veggies. 😀
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Not too much at all, no where close. 🙂
Neat about your friend, tell him we’re all happy for him!!!
Stephanie says
I have never gotten into a human food fight, but I have had many, many conversations about species-appropriate diets for dogs! LOL I have been researching human diets for the past year or so, and a diet of animal fats, grass-fed meats, organically grown veggies, and no grains makes a lot of sense to me as a biologist, who has studied human and other species evolution extensively. I grew up in a house of “sheeple” who followed whatever the latest media stories told them to do. We cooked with margarine and shortening and did just about everything the wrong way. That was what my mother had taught me, and it took watching both of my parents die at a young age of cancer to get me to start questioning dietary choices as a possible way to prevent such an untimely end for myself.
Now I cook with butter, coconut oil, and naturally raised pork lard, and not only does our food taste better, but I feel healthier and am more fit than I’ve ever been! Now I cringe when someone suggests the use of margarine. I can’t even stand to taste it anymore. And I have replaced olive oil with coconut oil for cooking at high temps. My husband, who doesn’t even like coconut, really likes the taste of fish pan seared in coconut oil with blackening spices.
I don’t concern myself too much with what other people think. If they think I’m crazy for my unconventional choices, then let them think I’m crazy. All that matters to me is that I’m doing what I think is best for me and my family.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
“Sheeple”, I loooove that!
Leslie in Indiana says
I have totally had a butter debate. This is one of my biggest pet peaves. My mother insists on using margarine “because it spreads on toast better.” Ahhhh! Drives me crazy. Several years ago, we actually got into a debate about it at Christmas. I just about lost it when she brought to the table a Costco sized tub of margarine. I whined, “why can’t you just buy REAL butter?” She answered with something about her doctor and cholesterol, blah, blah, blah. I just shook my head in disgust and said I couldn’t believe that she valued the advice of her doctor over the advice of her daughter who loved her. But I’m the crazy one in my family, because I insist upon using real cream in my coffee, instead of whatever that fake creamer stuff is.
Karen says
Leslie, Good to hear your complaint. My mum is the same way. I figure she’s had 50 years of the “cholesterol” scare and I remember only 6 years ago, I turned a corner and was told “eat butter and meat” and I was attempting to be a raw vegan. 80 pounds over weight, I was overfed and undernourished.
It wasn’t until I switched to Sally Fallon’s way of life did I get healthy but it took all I had to cancel my “advanced” workshop w/ McDougall MD, a low fat diet dogma guru. Thank God I did it otherwise, I’d still be trying and blaming myself for my failures.
I gently prodded my mother to eat a homemade biscuit w/ a little butter. She added it to the biscuit, then more an more. It made her so happy, I almost cried at her self-depravation.
I have her for 2 months and at 88 years old, I will take it upon myself to add full fat creme to her food, sauteed eggs in butter and send her home w/ sauerkraut and homemade kim chee…all in Merida Yucatan. It rocks w/ an organic market on Saturdays.
Anyway, it was good to know I’m not alone. Let’s continue to be as BRAVE as Kelly, who seldom bats and eye, and carries [the message] on every day!!! Yahoo.
Hugs,
Karen
Annette says
This is so funny! Well, sad and funny. I usually get into it over “real cream”. Well, gently. Think maybe they can show Food Matters for camp movie night??
LOL!
BTW, you look adorable with your hair either way….but that IS a nice haircut!!!
Karen says
Oh Kelly!! I bet you short-circuited this camp counselor’s brain!! If what they were doing [eating fake food, fake fat, fake exericse] was so “trimming,” then why the consistent obesity? It doesn’t work. I’ve been there and I know it doesn’t work.
I watched Biography last night about John Candy. *Sigh* so sad. He didn’t have to die at 43 years old. He was obese and went to the Pritikin Center. No fat. Of course he lost weight, but he didn’t keep it off.
You are such a great advocate. I’m inspired everytime I read your posts.
Today, in your honor, I am going to wear my “Butter was Framed” t-shirt!!
Hugs….Bravo to you. What a lucky kid [and Mom] to have such an advocate!
Ps. love the haircut!
Joy,
Karen in Kalifornia
Rebecca in Michigan says
Keep up with the real food fight. Thank you for sharing.
My parents were here visiting from FL last week and I made sure I made our dinners. Mom did make a rice side dish because my dad hates eating brown rice plain with butter and salt like the kids. So she made a cheesy broccoli rice dish. We found a recipe online that I was willing to let our family eat, but they went to the store and purchased the cheese (if that is what you want to call it) and other items for our dish. It turned out okay and it was only one dish.
Kyrie says
What is so interesting to me is how many people believe that “if something tastes good, it must be bad for you.” When I say things like, fry it up in bacon fat or eat those veg with butter (instead of steaming them), I always get responses like the one above. Lots of, if only I could without giving myself a royal heart attack! Sad.
Michael says
Egads! When I go into nicer restaurants I usually take my own butter and olive oil. I wouldn’t put myself, let alone my children, in a situation where only bad food was available on a daily basis. Let this be a lesson for all of us. 🙂
Meagan says
What a scary story! And what a cute couple 🙂
Barbara Grant says
We visited my in-laws recently. Had fresh green beans from the garden. On the table was a tub of I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter. I could believe it wasn’t butter. I tasted it. GROSS!!! I passed.
Barbara E. says
I have a better name for the above mentioned substance in the yellow tub…I call it “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Vaseline!”
Elizabeth @ The Nourished Life says
LOL Holy cow, Barbara, that is funny! 😀
lisa says
Recently on the TV show Big Bang Theory: Sheldon was having some toast and he looks down at the tub & says something like, “Actually I can believe you’re not butter” – you’d have to know the show to really get it- but wow was I cracking up! Woo hoo for butter!
Heather H. says
I too, have stubborn in-laws. They take the kids through the drive thru at McDonalds or Taco bell after school EVERYDAY! I have begged and pleaded, and am really worried that the kids will form some kind of addiction to all that poison. Whats a mom to do? They are only in their care for 2.5 hours every day after school, but no matter how many healthy after school snacks i prepare ahead and leave out….still the dang fast food. Making me crazy. I’m actually looking forward to the time when they can just be old enough to walk home and let themselves in…
KitchenKop says
Wow, just reading your comment made my heart skip a few beats…..normally I say that preserving good family relationships are more important than letting a little bit of junk through now and then, but *every day* – wow, that would be very difficult for me to let go. I’m assuming you’ve tried sitting down for a heart to heart??? Possibly try showing them the movie, “Food, Inc.”?? If they still don’t honor your requests, I think I’d have to find other day care arrangements. Our school has a good after school program that I’d consider if I didn’t work at home. Maybe just bringing up that possibility would help Grandma & Grandpa to “get it”…?
Anyone else have ideas??
Ann Marie @ CHEESESLAVE says
I agree — preserving good family relationships is more important than a little junk here and there.
However there is no way I would ever let my child be fed fast food every day. If I were you, I’d find another form of child care.
Paula Jager says
I am a friend of Sarah’s and learned of your blog several months back and have enjoyed reading your posts. I have no children but loved both posts on the camp this morning. Knowing Sarah I could visualize the whole scenario and her warranted concern. I have a fitness studio in Tampa and regularly and adamantly enforce the importance of consuming lots of butter, raw cream and freshly rendered lard. They lose weight and feel better. And yes I have been invloved in several “food issue” debates over the years. Fortunately since my blood sugar is stable none of them have come to blows. Thanks for the great posts and recipes.
Soli @ I Believe in Butter says
I had a lighter version of it on the way to the airport leaving Florida at the start of June. My brother-in-law (ok, my best friend’s husband, but we are sisters in all but biology) made a comment in the car about how he’s worried about his cholesterol so he didn’t want to eat too much butter. Best friend and I both said “NO! Butter is GOOD for you.”
Mind you he did happily consume fat free sour cream while I was there. Yuck.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist says
Hey Kel, LOVE the hair! So very cute and suits your face perfectly. You and Kent make such an adorable couple!
Linda says
I think it is very difficult in our country for people to understand what is healthy and what isn’t. Too much conflicting info, everyone still saying saturated fat is very bad. It took me a long time after reading NT to come around to it. My family has a history of heart disease so I couldn’t believe she wrote that book for me. I put it away and forgot about it for awhile. Something made me pull it out again and reread it. Then I started applying some of it. It took awhile for me to become a convert so I know how difficult it is to convince other people. I still haven’t convinced my brother, the one who had quadruple bypass surgery. I am trying to help my neighbors get on the real food diet now. I know they are interested, but it’s very confusing for her to figure out what to buy and what to cook. Looks like I should take your eclass Kelly, to help her. And to finish this, I think your haircut looks great.
KitchenKop says
Hey all, I just added the link above to Sarah’s post on her son going to camp. 🙂
Elizabeth @ The Nourished Life says
Great post, Kelly! You know, when I’ve talked to people about real butter, they usually pull a tub of Country Crock out of the fridge and say, “You mean this?” I try not to shudder and then I explain what real butter is. You’d be surprised how many people are confused! And more confusing for the average person is a lot of vegetable oils come in sticks like your typical butter now, so if you don’t know better they really seem like the same thing! Ugh.
KitchenKop says
I’ve found that same thing! Recently I told someone that I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter is terrible for you and their jaw dropped and then they got that look of “this girl is nuts” on their face.
Things like this are why I’m excited to do my Rookie class soon.
FoodRenegade says
I’ve been in a number of restaurants and asked for butter, only to be brought margarine. When I stop the waiter and say, “Wait. Do you have any real butter?”, they say “But that IS butter.” At which point, I usually say “No, it’s margarine. I was hoping for butter.” It’s never turned into a fight, but I’m always amazed at how many people (particularly younger ones) *really* seem to think that margarine IS butter!
Ann Marie @ CHEESESLAVE says
One time I was at a hotel and asked for eggs cooked in butter. The guy said OK, and then I asked, “Is it REAL butter?” The guy said, “Yes.” Then he paused for a second and said, “Well it’s a mix of butter and oil.” I guess a lot of restaurants use pre-made mixes like this.
It’s incredible if you think about it because just 100 years ago people would have thrown a fit if someone served them fake butter.
Elizabeth @ The Nourished Life says
My husband had to eat at a restaurant this morning and I told him to ask for butter–real butter–just to shake them up a little bit. 😉
I agree, Ann Marie, it’s like a nutritional twilight zone. Fake food is normal. Real food is weird.
April says
We stayed in a hotel recently that had “eggs cooked in real butter” on the menu under low carb options. I asked the waiter to make sure that it was really cooked in real butter. He said that they didn’t have butter. I showed him the menu, and he was surprised. Other staff came to talk to me and look at the menu and said, “Then we will make sure we get some real butter for you.” The eggs were out in 10 minutes, so I’m assuming they did not go buy any butter just for me. If a menu says “butter,” I know by now that it is probably not butter, but since this menu specified “real butter,” I was hopeful that we could avoid veg oil.
WordVixen says
A friend of mine at work decided that he wanted to start eating healthier, and I pointed him in the direction of coconut oil (he’s ordered it, but it hasn’t arrived yet). Later we started discussing other healthy foods, such as raw milk, grass fed beef and so on. Since the coconut oil hadn’t arrived yet, he asked me what else he could use to cook with, and I said butter- real butter. His response? “Country Crock?” (Don’t worry- he went out to the store and bought organic butter and milk and loves it. Now I’m working on helping him to find grass fed, which isn’t as easy.)
My husband also refers to Country Crock as his “butter”. And pitched a fit when he found out the new high heat/short time pasteurized milk that I bought him is whole milk. He’s convinced that I’m trying to kill him. Oy. Upside- it seems that they’re not lying about their pasteurization retaining many of the enzymes since I’ve had no gastric distress while drinking their milk, though I still prefer my raw milk.
Amanda B. says
Yes! Just last week I had a debate with my father-in-law about why I don’t want my child to have processed foods (he had just shoved a corndog in my son’s mouth, against my objections – imagine fuming out the ears and sheer panic on my part). I am not verbally quick either and I threw out statistics – bad call – all I would have needed to say is “I will let you judge me if you can say that you are a good steward of the body the good Lord gave you (he smokes and eats terribly).” Well, I imagine this is only one of the MANY arguments I will be getting into about real food vs. processed.
KitchenKop says
Amanda, eww, a corn dog would’ve grossed me out, too. Sometimes with grandparents, though, I have just let things go since we’re not there much anyway.
Your comment reminded me of something I should mention. Sometimes it really is just wasting your breath and I’ve learned that keeping my mouth closed is the best option with certain people and in certain situations. If they aren’t ready to hear it, nothing I say will matter too much, and I’ll just look like a weirdo. (More than I already do!)
Not that the lady I mentioned in this post was necessarily ready to hear it (not at all!), but with all those kids in her care, I wanted to get the ball rolling…hopefully I did that a little!
Amanda B. says
Thanks Kelly! I actually let the discussion pass many times, but then when he fed my child after I asked him not to, well that just got me started 🙂 I don’t force-feed anyone my real food beliefs (lol), but still expect them to respect my wishes regarding the way I rear my child. Thanks for all you do!! Love the hair, by the way.
Jessie says
I don’t think I’ve ever gotten into a real food fight (ha!), with the exception of some strongly worded statements to my husband’s passive-aggressive grandmother about why milk from healthy cows doesn’t need to be pasteurized. I pray I’ll never have an immediate family member in the hospital for any length of time. I’m sure I’d get into it someone there at some point over the food!
WordVixen says
Sadly, no. I’ve had some discussions, but never gotten into it with someone. I don’t think very quickly verbally (I’m naturally a writer), and I have so many interests that I tend to do enough research to feel comfortable in my decision and then allow myself to forget all the facts so that I have room for my next interest. Doesn’t make for good debate fodder… Not to mention that my parents switched back to real butter when I was a teen.
You all look great, but I will admit to a bit of envy for Sarah’s hair. I loathe perms (I looked like a blond orphan Annie as a child thanks to a hair stylist Grandma), but I do love naturally curly hair.
Sustainable Eats says
You both look great! And I love the new haircut. What I love the most is that you fat-eating ladies are both so slender and fit. Take that no fat camp!