Butter, salt, and sugar...........

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LethaSue
LethaSue Posts: 285 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My mom was such a great cook and the amount of money I would pay to be able to taste some of her good tasting food would be way up there. With that being said, I grew up learning that if you wanted food to taste better, you added butter, salt and sugar. A spoonful of sugar might might make the medicine go down but according to my Mom it would make almost everything better. She always said she learned that from her german roots. I am not sure if it were the Irish roots that made her think that bacon fat added to almost anything would improve the flavor or what, but I do know she saved bacon greese and added it to canned veggies, and many other things she made. If she bought things already prepared she would "doctor them up". I too have become very effecient in adding things to make things taste better. Unfortunally they have always been things like butter, salt, sugar, sour cream, olive oil..........all the fatting things. With the exception of bacon greese, as I am vegetarian and the thought of animal flesh in my food horrifys me. I try to do vegetarian cheese, looking for the enzemes and such.
It has taken me all my years (55) to finally figure out there are things besides fat to add to your food to get them to taste better and in fact help to make them more healthy. This is a new concept for me, but I am learning. Who knew (certainly not me) that throwing a small handful of frozen peaches in a quick bowl of oatmeal insteed of a big blob of butter or some eagle brand condenced milk , would liven up the bland bowl of oats. I have found that adding a handful of frozen berries to a little small container of low fat yougurt would make it taste like a cold bowl of tart, tangy and sweet ice cream. Learning about the good thing:smile::smile: :smile:

Replies

  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I use garlic like a crazy person.
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
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    Sounds just like my mother!!! She is of German/Irish decent. I always figured the saving of the bacon drippings came from her growing up in the depression era! Cooking with butter was a staple for sure. Not so much with sugar though, but I added sugar to many things for a long time.
  • Caitie1986
    Caitie1986 Posts: 72 Member
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    It is OK to eat those things! What matters is moderation and common sense. I cook with real butter, real bacon grease, and raw cane sugar. Still lost almost 30 pounds. You have to consider the amount of what you eat in conjuction with the amount of exercise you do. Also, I recommend every single one of Michael Pollan's books when it comes to smart eating- particularly "In Defense of Food"
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
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    I know! Sometimes it takes most of our adult lives to learn certain things (especially about men).

    For spices, I'm loving many Indian spices. Curry is sooo good. My Indian vegetarian friend makes a yummy potato dish with it. I like it on my chicken and fish. Cinnamon on your cottage cheese is also yummy. NO sugar needed.

    Blueberries in your morning oatmeal is DELISH!
  • LethaSue
    LethaSue Posts: 285 Member
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    Wow cinnamon on cottage cheese. Something I must try. I used to not eat cottage cheese unless it had both salt and black pepper on it. Then I figured out I like it with pineapple. Now I just like it, but cant wait to try it with cinnamon!
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
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    My mom saved bacon drippings too. I never have, though I have been known to fry up a strip or two to be crumbled up and added to vegetables, fat and all. I haven't done that in a long time, but I still cook with butter occasionally. I use almost no sugar, less salt and a lot more olive oil, low sodium chicken broth, red wine vinegar, and parmesan cheese than I once did. I still buy sour cream occasionally but it's no longer a staple in my kitchen. I've found that plain Greek yogurt works well as a substitute.
  • ShrinkinMel
    ShrinkinMel Posts: 982 Member
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    I use garlic like a crazy person.
    ditto.
  • ShrinkinMel
    ShrinkinMel Posts: 982 Member
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    Wow cinnamon on cottage cheese. Something I must try. I used to not eat cottage cheese unless it had both salt and black pepper on it. Then I figured out I like it with pineapple. Now I just like it, but cant wait to try it with cinnamon!

    My grandma and I could go through some pineapple cottage cheese fast. HEHE It was kinda neat spending my teens living in the same house as my grandparents. I got to know them and it was great.

    My grandma was also a sugar, butter and fats person. She does have some German lineage too while my grandpa is from two Swedish parents(not just ancestors they actually came from there) and he was totally meat and potato man. Don't know if that goes with Swedish relations or just the American ways as we became that meat and potato country.

    I use natural local honey on my oatmeal to see if it helps with allergies, especially my itchy ear problems. Otherwise I do like fruit in it but would still add a touch of brown sugar. hehe bad habits die slow.


    Oh and I also have obsession with curry powder and turmeric I've never cared for overly salty foods(as in cooked foods) so I rarely have ever used salt in my cooking. But I have grown to use sea salt in boiling water and some dishes but not all. I use a lot more onion/garlic powders when I don't use fresh.
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
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    It is OK to eat those things! What matters is moderation and common sense. I cook with real butter, real bacon grease, and raw cane sugar. Still lost almost 30 pounds. You have to consider the amount of what you eat in conjuction with the amount of exercise you do. Also, I recommend every single one of Michael Pollan's books when it comes to smart eating- particularly "In Defense of Food"

    Yes, yes and yes! Can't imagine my life without butter!

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