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Do they EVER cook from scratch? or garden?


samira_catlover

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4 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

And to agree with the comments upthread as well - would be a great home school project for the kids.  Learning about photosynthesis...or how roots work...heck, clearly they would quickly know more than me since I don't even know the stuff you learn from growing stuff.

Although I did have to grow a lima bean in a styrofoam cup as a kid - but apparently learned nothing.

Seriously though - my mom did the garden thing and she loved it ..even helping as a kid was a nightmare for me so I have no interest but my husband grows tomatoes in a couple of buckets of soil on the patio and he gets some every year.  

It's very Green Acres around our place come tomato planting season and I do my best Eva Gabor but it never stops him.

 

The extent of my gardening as a kid was the bean in a wet napkin and having to help out picking in my parents' garden.  My folks planted strawberries and those things really multiply, I dreaded having to go out in the evenings to pick those darn things. Strawberries took over our lives, I am telling you.  My mom canned like crazy but even she ended up having the strawberries pulled out because she was so over it.   She kept on with tomatoes and peppers though.

And yet that "strawberry experience" didn't stop me when the community garden plot fell into my lap.  Now I am already planning what to put in the garden this year and I have already started some seeds, namely herbs that take a long time to get started.  Green Acres we are there!

Back to the Duggars, planting something would be a good homeschool project even if it was just throwing some seeds in a pot..

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God forbid the Duggars have to put any effort to improve their soil to put in a garden. :roll:  It might take some time.  Or they could skip that and put in some raised beds, or garden in hay bales, or use any number of techniques that gardeners with poor land use.  And who's said their garden would have to produce all the veg they need?  Even a small amount helps.  I balcony garden and get a share of my sister and aunt's gardens in exchange for helping maintain them.  We don't get all are veg from them, but what we do get vastly improves the quality of our diets for pennies on the proverbial zucchini.  All of us have regular, full time jobs.

But I'll run with the premise that the Duggars can't or won't garden.  They have ALWAYS had money to feed those kids better.  Even before TLC.  Jim Bob used 100,000 dollars of his own money to run for public office.  All while his family lived in squalor and were subsisting on rice and Cream of Yak soup.  They don't live in the middle of nowhere.  They are within easy distance of an Aldi's, a Sam's Club, and a Costco.  Five pound bags of frozen vegetables and fruits, 25 lb sacks of potatoes, cases of apples and oranges, plus family packs of good quality meat are available to them.

If fundies are going to insist on having the size family more appropriate to 19th century farm life, then the least they can do is feed that family well.  Gardening and budgeting is even more crucial for them than a family of four.  Don't advertise that your daughters and wives are homemakers when their "cooking" is open, dump, and mix.  No, that is not homemaking.

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I mean, their food waste could probably generate a fairly massive compost heap, easily solving any fertility problems with the soil. 

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13 minutes ago, nokidsmom said:

The extent of my gardening as a kid was the bean in a wet napkin and having to help out picking in my parents' garden.  My folks planted strawberries and those things really multiply, I dreaded having to go out in the evenings to pick those darn things. Strawberries took over our lives, I am telling you.  My mom canned like crazy but even she ended up having the strawberries pulled out because she was so over it.   She kept on with tomatoes and peppers though.

And yet that "strawberry experience" didn't stop me when the community garden plot fell into my lap.  Now I am already planning what to put in the garden this year and I have already started some seeds, namely herbs that take a long time to get started.  Green Acres we are there!

Back to the Duggars, planting something would be a good homeschool project even if it was just throwing some seeds in a pot..

I'm pretty sure they did do this with the younger kids. Wasn't it another boys v girls thing? I'm not sure how it ended or what came of it but I definitely remember Michelle's control freak was on overload and her bug eyes were fierce. 

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I'd have to fall on the side of "gardening is not too hard for the Duggars" - and for whomever posted upthread about colleges and research, the land-grant system of universities and extension in the US has a robust structure for helping families of any size successfully raise home crops.  The Duggars don't even need to be the experts - they can call them in.  (Another story line for TLC)

Among the other (multitudes of) benefits of gardening, it engenders a recognition and appreciation for other living things.  It helps people recognize the interconnectedness of our systems.

Even if you believe God has given dominion over the creatures of land, sea, and air, proper husbandry has long been a respectable career for even the most God-fearing cultures.

ETA:  *grin*  And I just feel the need to trot out:  Speaking as a Degreed Agricultural Educator, that is.

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16 minutes ago, AreteJo said:

If fundies are going to insist on having the size family more appropriate to 19th century farm life, then the least they can do is feed that family well.  Gardening and budgeting is even more crucial for them than a family of four.  Don't advertise that your daughters and wives are homemakers when their "cooking" is open, dump, and mix.  No, that is not homemaking.

Before the Joshgate and Joshley Madison scandals, this was one of the things I found the most :562479351e8d1_wtf(2): about the Duggars. Like, you raise a bunch of girls with the intent to be traditional housewives, but then don't teach them basic home economics? Good homemaking takes actual skills and planning... that's why when most girls grew up to be housewives, schools had home economics classes! 

They could eat so much healthier and cheaper simply by making their own versions of these boxed/canned meals from scratch. Cooking for such a large family also means they could do everything in bulk, making it even less expensive. But it'd require more effort, and after eating processed junk for so many years it'd require readjusting their palates. 

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2 minutes ago, December said:

Good homemaking takes actual skills and planning... that's why when most girls grew up to be housewives, schools had home economics classes! 

But I think the SOTDRT omitted those lessons, like so, so, so many others. :(

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I bought the Joy of Cooking when I was 19. Still have it. I always thought that if you can read, you can cook. Doesn't have to be gourmet. Don't use JoC much any more, as we're mostly vegan, but it can be handy.

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1 hour ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

And to agree with the comments upthread as well - would be a great home school project for the kids.  Learning about photosynthesis...or how roots work...heck, clearly they would quickly know more than me since I don't even know the stuff you learn from growing stuff.

Although I did have to grow a lima bean in a styrofoam cup as a kid - but apparently learned nothing.

Seriously though - my mom did the garden thing and she loved it ..even helping as a kid was a nightmare for me so I have no interest but my husband grows tomatoes in a couple of buckets of soil on the patio and he gets some every year.  

It's very Green Acres around our place come tomato planting season and I do my best Eva Gabor but it never stops him.

 

LOL!  This is science.  The Duggars don't do science.  

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2 minutes ago, Hera said:

The bold is probably why if I lived there, I probably wouldn't bother.  No way I could "keep sweet" with dear old dad pretending that broccoli is going to kill him.

LOL!  This is science.  The Duggars don't do science.  

More science for ol' JB...I looooove broccoli and never understood how anyone could hate it until i learned that it's one of those things that tastes radically different depending on your genetics.  So to some people broccoli is bitter the way cilantro tastes exactly like soap to me and I can't believe anyone considers it a food.

http://www.livescience.com/39578-why-some-hate-broccoli.html

We could science up the whole project from dirt to table!

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40 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

More science for ol' JB...I looooove broccoli and never understood how anyone could hate it until i learned that it's one of those things that tastes radically different depending on your genetics.  So to some people broccoli is bitter the way cilantro tastes exactly like soap to me and I can't believe anyone considers it a food.

http://www.livescience.com/39578-why-some-hate-broccoli.html

We could science up the whole project from dirt to table!

Never heard about the fact broccoli can differ in taste so greatly. I've heard about cilantro. I LOOOOOVEEEE cilantro and every time someone told me they hated it I thought they were crazy until the study about it tasting like soap came out. 

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I love Cilantro and know about how the taste buds of individual people affecting the tastes of different foods. I, OTOH, cannot stand Parsley, and Parsley and Cilantro are from the same family- go figure.

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We had a couple of foster kids who'd been starved. I served brussels sprouts one night, and the older one liked them, the younger one didn't. Our 2 year old grandson watched this, and ate only brussels sprouts that night. Nine years later, we still can't get him to try them.

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I cannot imagine what composting would look like if the Duggars did it.  I think it would possibly take a 1/2 an acre to contain it.  

I compost for our family of four and we fill three 32 gallon garbage cans a year with fruit/vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells, bread that went stale, you get the point.  Into that mix is about another can of grass clippings, leaves and such to balance the compost.  I also have a pile going of yard waste in the corner of my yard.   And I have a lot less land than them.

But this is another thing that would take effort from all of them to accomplish, so it will never happen.

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9 hours ago, Mela99 said:

This still infuriates me. They have all that land ... and a huge commercial kitchen. They could train their kids as pastry chefs or caterers, they have all the tools... Work for other fundie weddings? 

What training do you need for hot dogs and root beer floats? 

1 hour ago, busdrivingmom said:

I cannot imagine what composting would look like if the Duggars did it.  I think it would possibly take a 1/2 an acre to contain it.  

I compost for our family of four and we fill three 32 gallon garbage cans a year with fruit/vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells, bread that went stale, you get the point.  Into that mix is about another can of grass clippings, leaves and such to balance the compost.  I also have a pile going of yard waste in the corner of my yard.   And I have a lot less land than them.

But this is another thing that would take effort from all of them to accomplish, so it will never happen.

a couple pigs and and hen house full of chickens could take care of the bulk of it.  Think of all the fresh eggs and pork (eventually) they could get, from their own trash. 

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7 minutes ago, allthegoodnamesrgone said:

Think of all the fresh eggs and pork (eventually) they could get, from their own trash. 

And they could sell the pork, since they don't eat it.

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Just now, choralcrusader8613 said:

And they could sell the pork, since they don't eat it.

Oh yeah, I forgot.  I can't even, no bacon? But they eat hot dogs, my friend always says they are made from noses and asses of multiple animals. I hardly see them buy kosher hot dogs. 

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Just now, allthegoodnamesrgone said:

Oh yeah, I forgot.  I can't even, no bacon? But they eat hot dogs, my friend always says they are made from noses and asses of multiple animals. I hardly see them buy kosher hot dogs.

They eat turkey bacon, and I think they do get beef hot dogs.

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On 1/24/2016 at 2:19 PM, withaj said:

In short: no. They do make bread from scratch but nothing else as far as I can tell.

They were once shown making homemade laundry detergent, doesn't really count because nonfood.

4 minutes ago, choralcrusader8613 said:

They eat turkey bacon, and I think they do get beef hot dogs.

Turkey bacon is a treat, and they only get a slice or two.

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3 minutes ago, SilverBeach said:

They were once shown making homemade laundry detergent, doesn't really count because nonfood.

Turkey bacon is a treat, and they only get a slice or two.

Turkey bacon is NOT a treat it is a crime.  YUCK!

I don't understand the lack of any skills other than being an incubator. What do they do all day? They have to go stark raving mad with boredom, they don't work, or go to school, they don't read, they don't watch TV, they don't listen to music, they don't really go out and do much.  They have endless hours everyday to just around and look at air. 

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2 hours ago, HRM1216 said:

I've heard about cilantro. I LOOOOOVEEEE cilantro and every time someone told me they hated it I thought they were crazy until the study about it tasting like soap came out. 

Cilantro is on my short list of foods I shall not eat, soapy tasting to me. Broccoli I like, and I saw a recipe for roasted brussel sprouts I want to try. Brussel sprouts were to strong tasting the way my mom made them, haven't eaten them for years, but  want to try again.

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3 minutes ago, SilverBeach said:

Cilantro is on my short list of foods I shall not eat, soapy tasting to me. Broccoli I like, and I saw a recipe for roasted brussel sprouts I want to try. Brussel sprouts were to strong tasting the way my mom made them, haven't eaten them for years, but  want to try again.

What my dad does with brussel sprouts is roast them with olive oil and pancetta. It's so good that I'll eat them cold.

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6 hours ago, church_of_dog said:

Good points all.  If it was me in charge of that household, I would have 3 or 4 people each of whom is tasked with making ONE dish for 20 -- probably an entree, a veggie, and a salad.  Maybe a starch.  Yes it would be crowded and hectic but 1) they have two kitchens, and 2) this is more or less what they signed up for by having such a large family!

And 3) before long this wouldn't be so stressful as people would discover various favorites, or shortcuts (ie cooking in advance or for a few days at a time, for the foods that are conducive to that).  Or find some "one-pot meals" that have the veggie and the starch included.

But, y'know, that's just how I would do it.  They obviously have other priorities.  It just makes me sad because there are so many good opportunities to show a large family "figuring things out" and they just don't do any of the things I would find admirable.

Exactly! Putting a few of the older kids on dinner duty would have been a much better use of resources than handing off yet another buddy to them. Really, all they need is 6 crowd-pleasing dinner recipes (soups, stews, wholesome casseroles) and have a pizza night once per week, and maybe expand into a bi-weekly rotation at some point. Breakfast can be kept simple enough with dry cereal, milk, and fruit. Lunch could be make-your-own-dang-sandwich-and-eat-something-green. I get that feeding an army every single day is a thankless drag, but too fucking bad; cafeteria workers manage to serve a decent meal a hell of a lot more kids in a day. But I guess that's the thing about the Duggars: dinner is an afterthought of just dumping whatever you can into a casserole, with enough Velveeta to glue it all together.

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3 minutes ago, allthegoodnamesrgone said:

Turkey bacon is NOT a treat it is a crime.  YUCK!

I don't understand the lack of any skills other than being an incubator. What do they do all day? They have to go stark raving mad with boredom, they don't work, or go to school, they don't read, they don't watch TV, they don't listen to music, they don't really go out and do much.  They have endless hours everyday to just around and look at air. 

During the episode I saw way back when, Mechelle called the turkey bacon one of the kids was cooking a treat. It wasn't mealtime, he was cooking it for a snack, and had to be prodded to share with the others. FWIW if I eat bacon it is turkey bacon, but I sure don't consider it a treat myself.

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