United Bates of America {merged}

[Miggy]

I'm just in wonder of how these people are so thin and I'm struggling with my weight. If I ate that kind of crap (assuming I could keep it down) I'd gain a ton of weight. Its not even the fat content but the starch. Potatoes and canned soup with fillers and fake cheese.

The quantity of food available is very, very limited? If you only eat a tiny amount of food you aren't going to gain weight, no matter how crap your diet is.

[luckystone]

Their recipes look so gross and unhealthy!

I liked the first video because they seemed nicer, but then the older daughter (with very poor enunciation) starts talking about wanting to kill animals for her birthday?! Wtf

[acheronbeach]

From the recipes... I give you SOTDRT teaching at its finest:

Lemonade Pie (Gail McNutt)

1 Can Frozen lemonade concentrate

1 Can sweetened condensed milk

1 Whip Cream (12oz.)

2 Graham cracker pie crusts

Now, I'm not the greatest at grammar or spelling, but the example I quoted is terrible.

She doesn't understand what a proper noun is, and capitalizes randomly. Moreover, what is "1 Whip Cream"? I assume she means whipped cream, and just doesn't understand the difference between adjectives, nouns and verbs.

[Spider Burps]

From the recipes... I give you SOTDRT teaching at its finest:

Now, I'm not the greatest at grammar or spelling, but the example I quoted is terrible.

She doesn't understand what a proper noun is, and capitalizes randomly. Moreover, what is "1 Whip Cream"? I assume she means whipped cream, and just doesn't understand the difference between adjectives, nouns and verbs.

You think that's bad? In the South I routinely saw "whip cream" and "can vegetables" on the aisle marker signs (the ones printed by corporate, not written by some random employee). Every damned time I would wonder, "Can vegetables WHAT?"

[slickcat79]

I think the Bateses do most of their shopping at Walmart. I remember one point on the blog when someone asked Kelly why they didn't shop at costco or one of the other price clubs, and she mentioned that Walmart was much closer. I'm pretty sure that's where Lawson was shopping on their primetime special too. Granted, Walmart is far from the farmers market, but it looked like a huge, newly remodeled store with a full grocery department and tons of selection. Certainly they would be able to find fresh food at a reasonable price and be able to use food stamps.

I'm wondering how the Bates recipes would stack up against the Jeubs' Love in the Kitchen I think there would be a lot of overlap there...IIRC Wendy makes "poor man's pizza" using ketchup as well. TLC should get the two families together for their own version of Worst Cooks in America and see who could make the most greasy, fattening, preservative-laden meal. The winner gets an evaluation from the American Heart Association and a cooking makeover from Jamie Oliver.

[xReems]

I remember they posted a recipe called "Poor Man's Steak and Potatoes". All it was is fried bologna, topped off with mashed potatoes, sprinkled with cheese, and then baked for 15 minutes or so. If that doesn't give you a heart attack, I don't know what would.

I still think the Jeubs take the cake, especially with their use of meat out of a tube. yummy...

[acheronbeach]

You think that's bad? In the South I routinely saw "whip cream" and "can vegetables" on the aisle marker signs (the ones printed by corporate, not written by some random employee). Every damned time I would wonder, "Can vegetables WHAT?"

I think I would go crazy and start sharpie-ing everything in sight. I feel bad for the Bates kids... their third-rate education will keep many jobs permanently out of their league.

[donks]

I hate to disagree, but 100 years ago they would have had plenty of meat. The menfolk coud have hunted, trapped and fished.

The wimminfolk would have had to clean and store the game.

A lot of it wouldn't have been deer. Guaranteed they would have eaten things like possum, wild hogs, racoon, squirrels, rabbits, turtles and frogs. Anything they could snag!

You also have to consider, 100 years ago they wouldn't have half as many kids still alive... And isn't she on meds to have all these kids anyway? They'd only have 4-5 kids living I bet.

[snickerz]

I'm just in wonder of how these people are so thin

Judging by Zach & Michaella (& Josh), I'd say their bad diet will likely catch up with them in adulthood. You can't shovel in an endless stream of garbage without it eventually taking a toll on your body.

[bananacat]

I hate to disagree, but 100 years ago they would have had plenty of meat. The menfolk coud have hunted, trapped and fished.

The wimminfolk would have had to clean and store the game.

A lot of it wouldn't have been deer. Guaranteed they would have eaten things like possum, wild hogs, racoon, squirrels, rabbits, turtles and frogs. Anything they could snag!

You also have to consider, 100 years ago they wouldn't have half as many kids still alive... And isn't she on meds to have all these kids anyway? They'd only have 4-5 kids living I bet.

It really depends on the location, but no, meat was not a staple for most farmers throughout history. Cows were for plowing or giving milk. Chickens and ducks were for giving eggs. They were only killed off on special occasions. Pigs were used for meat, but they were expensive so you didn't kill one every month to get more meat. And men didn't have time to hunt during planting and harvest time. The reason that holidays revolve around a meat dish is because it was a luxury until fairly recently. Most agricultural societies had a grain as a staple, or sometimes a tuber or other starchy plant food.

[emmiedahl]

Their older daughter looks like the diet is catching up with her. I am not fat-shaming, my weight fluctuates wildly so I have been her size and it is not that big. But she looks very old--not just the weight but the way she carries it, her skin, etc. She looks like an overworked 30-something fundie wife with 6 kids, not a young girl in the prime of her life.

[FaeT]

So I'm totally not contributing to this thread, but bananacat: you can mash potatoes with the skin on. The texture is a little different from peeled mash, but you get the nutritional benefits skin (and it means you get to skip peeling. Yay!)

Yup. I was going to mention this, too. I've never liked potato skins but I love mashed potatoes. Whenever we would eat out, I never got mashed potatoes bc it always had the skin on. It's just easier and faster that way.

[emmiedahl]

Most of their recipes would take more time than throwing a chicken in the oven, or grilling some chicken breasts, or making crockpot chili. That Poor Man's Steak bullshit would cost more than steak and potatoes if you consider the tiny serving size. I think they just like bad food. It happens. Or, like I said before, they are living on donations and need to figure out how to make dinner from a can of chicken or a package of bologna.

[FaeT]

I hate to disagree, but 100 years ago they would have had plenty of meat. The menfolk coud have hunted, trapped and fished.

The wimminfolk would have had to clean and store the game.

A lot of it wouldn't have been deer. Guaranteed they would have eaten things like possum, wild hogs, racoon, squirrels, rabbits, turtles and frogs. Anything they could snag!

You also have to consider, 100 years ago they wouldn't have half as many kids still alive... And isn't she on meds to have all these kids anyway? They'd only have 4-5 kids living I bet.

Yup. This never ceases to amaze me. They don't believe in getting help to conceive but dammit they're going to take drugs (i.e. injections several times a week) to stay pregnant. It's not like we're talking about keeping labour from happening at 25 weeks. She starts the injects as soon as she knows she pregnant. That means she can't even make it through the first trimester ..

I'm guessing, 100 years ago, both Kelly and J'chelle would have died long before they reached this many children.

[donks]

I'm not talking about raising animals to slaughter, we're talking hunting and trapping. Fishing.

You know, "mens work" lol

They're near Knoxville, right? Lots of game in those woods. 100 years ago they probably would have grown a garden (womens work to tend once the plowing is done) utilized a root cellar to store the vegetables and fruits.

did some trading at the general store closest to them for coffee, tea, sugar and salt. Furs and hides were traded for staples, as well as the egg trade.

Doesn't take long to run a trot line in the creek or a jug line in a pond (catfish or turtles) frog gigging is done at night. Possums and raccoons are noctunal, meaning night hunting with the family dog.

One of the younger boys could do the fishing, an older one or Gil the hunting (bullets cost money, so the best shot would probably do most of the squirrel or deer hunting. Ducks quail, doves, geese and turkeys, too.

No doubt people then ate a lot of beans and cornbread or biscuits and lard gravy to get by, but it was supplemented with meat that they got any way they could.

Sure they only had ham once in a while (at holidays). That was because they raised a pig every year so they could have it. It would have used too much of their resources to winter a pig, so it was slaughtered in the fall, just in time for the big holidays.

My Grandmother grew up in backwoods Kentucky, and told us about life back then. The climate and wildlife are very similar...

[donks]

Not 'plenty' of meat like huge globs of meat every day, but 'plenty' as in some squirrel gravy tonight to go with the beans and biscuits and tomorrow we'll have squirrel dumplings with the leftover beans and make a pone of cornbread.

Sorry for any confusion there...

I do make 'dirty' mashed potatoes. I wash the potatoes well, then peel them quick and dirty, leaving over half the peel on. Cube 'em up and prepare as normal. They're good, and it takes a fraction of the time. Try it!

[donks]

Lol if you really want to get right down to brass tacks, chances are Gil or at least 1 of the boys would have been cooking a little moonshine. A great way to supplement the income!

One or more could have had a 'legit" job to boot. Maybe working at a sawmill, as a lumberjack (right up their alley) or with the railroad.

[moreorlessnu]

And if they shop at Aldi, like the duggars, they may not really have a decent variety of fresh fruits and veggies and meats from which to choose. And that's all assuming Aldi's even takes food stamps.

Aldi's - Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products. Their produce can, at times, be very good quality and price. Haven't tried their meats. Their butter is usually around $2/pound (ranging from $1.79 to $2.29/pound) and their eggs are usually .69 a dozen, but I've seen Aldi's eggs priced as low as .39 a dozen. When you open the carton of Aldi's eggs, there's a bible verse on the inside.

Aldi's doesn't accept coupons, but does accept cash, checks and food stamps. No credit cards.

We have a new Aldi's near us. It's clean, well stocked, and the employees are efficient and friendly.

[Deleted07]

yeah our Aldi has a good selection of fruit and veg, at pretty darn good prices too might I say.

Their meat is good quality and good value too I find :-)

*Hoping I don't sound Fundie with my love of Aldi* hahaha

[Kitchen Princess]

Ditto on the canned chicken. Never knew that existed until reading this. Very disgusting.

My parents did this all the time growing up. Throw some italian dressing in a bag with the chicken and let it sit for the day. Simple. Also, crock pots are incredibly simple as well. Just toss it all together in the morning and there's zero effort in making dinner. Zero.

You can, but I was thinking along the lines of not being able to use them at produce stands or at the local farmers market. And if they shop at Aldi, like the duggars, they may not really have a decent variety of fresh fruits and veggies and meats from which to choose. And that's all assuming Aldi's even takes food stamps. We have a few places like that around here and they do not accept food stamps or coupons. I remember the duggars mentioning that they don't use coupons bc the store they go to doesn't take them. If they don't take coupons they may not accept food stamps. Also, the stores around here, don't have fresh fruits or meats. At all. They have some veggies, but the selection isn't all that great and you pretty much need to eat it within a day or two.

ETA: By "stores around here" I mean the second hand grocery stores. They're all mennonite run, which is kind of cool, and they have a variety of the oddest things, but fruits and a meat stand are not among them. And now that I think about it, one of them does have a deli stand with cheeses. But the others don't have that. Their freezers aren't even up to code with temperature (My dad runs a grocery store. The first thing he mentioned when I took him was the freezer temp) so getting frozen meat is a bit of a risk. But it's all cheap and their non perishables are decent.

Um, call the health department on that shit. They're going to make someone sick.

[bananacat]

Aldi definitely has frozen and canned fruits and vegetables, neither of which appear in any Bates recipes. The closest they get to a vegetable is the beans and probable tomato paste in the bean & hot dog sandwiches. Honestly, why can't they dump a bag of frozen carrots into their chicken noodle soup? They don't need access to fresh produce to improve their diet drastically. My family was poor when I was a kid and we always had vegetables with every meal, even if it was just canned corn or green beans. Maybe it wasn't the most optimally healthy, but at least it was something. All of the Bateses must be chronically constipated.

[divadivine]

The Bates have how much land? Why don't they plant a garden and grow fruits and veggies? Plant a few apple, peach and cherry trees. Put in some blackberry bushes, etc. They could freeze or can what you can't eat. Heck, they could even sell it at a roadside stand. We drive to Florida every other year- there are tons of little produce stands along the road. Lots of great produce. Kelly could make it an entire month or more of science lessons for "school". I know, it's not rocket science, but at least they could learn how plants grow and how to care for a garden. They are wasting so many good opportunities. Stupid fundies.

[Witsec7]

Our local Mennonite store is up to code, no biggie there for me.

I'd mentioned up thread that when cooking for a large family an electric turkey roaster can take the place of several crock pots. Layer of breasts, layer of carrots, onions and spud, layer of thigh, repeat vege and top with drumsticks. Throw in a bottle of dressing and whalla. The nice thing about the roasters is they have exact temp. settings, not just high low. Hell when it's almost done you can add gloodles. For folks like the Bates and ZZ and even the Duggars, these are perfect. I really don't understand why large families don't use them.

When I had one I used it for jam, ketchup and bbq sauce. I used two for super bowl parties, one for hot pineapple wings and one for the chilli.

[FaeT]

Aldi's - Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products. Their produce can, at times, be very good quality and price. Haven't tried their meats. Their butter is usually around $2/pound (ranging from $1.79 to $2.29/pound) and their eggs are usually .69 a dozen, but I've seen Aldi's eggs priced as low as .39 a dozen. When you open the carton of Aldi's eggs, there's a bible verse on the inside.

Aldi's doesn't accept coupons, but does accept cash, checks and food stamps. No credit cards.

We have a new Aldi's near us. It's clean, well stocked, and the employees are efficient and friendly.

They accept debit cards, too. I remember seeing an episode where Anna (and the older duggar girls) were shopping for food to have a big family dinner at Anna and Josh's house. I saw her use a card. But since food stamps are like debit cards now, they would use the same machine.

ETA: I've seen them shop there and buy cases of canned stuff. But I've never seen them walk by a produce section or a meat stand.

[B5SnowDog]

yeah our Aldi has a good selection of fruit and veg, at pretty darn good prices too might I say.

Their meat is good quality and good value too I find :-)

*Hoping I don't sound Fundie with my love of Aldi* hahaha

I can get a 4lb bag of oranges for $1.29 at Aldi and they often have kiwi on sale 6 for $1.