I think the hard physical work, the fresh produce, the slower pace, the close family relations, fewer chemicals & pollution & other advantages they had probably off-set the extra fat in the diet. Whoever heard of "Sleep Deprivation" back then? Diane in TX ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sunshine49" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 9:53 AM Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Smithfield Ham Biscuits > When I look back at the way we used to eat, it's a wonder anyone > survived. My mother used to make us a chopped up, still-warm slightly > hard boiled egg, drizzled with butter- cholesterol city, but it sure > tasted good! There'd be a jar sitting on the stove for grease from > cooking, bacon fat, that would be reused. Butter, mayonnaise, no one > knew about the risks we were putting ourselves under. Yeah, the > southern idea of cooking vegetables till they were a pretty > unappealing, over-boiled mess, was made more palatable by adding a > chunk of fatback. Or topping with bacon crumbles. Potatoes in many > fried forms, or in potato salad, with mayo. Deviled eggs with mayo. > As for fresh vegetables, in summer we'd have the sliced cucumbers and > onion, with vinegar, and a few ice cubes sitting on top to keep it > cool and crisp. Or the southerner's idea of a salad- torn iceberg > lettuce, pieces of tomato, and chopped onion, and the ever-present > mayo, which left that pink "soup" in the bottom of the salad bowl. > Radishes were eaten by themselves- and cut into 'roses' for company. > Celery was for stuffing with cream cheese at Thanksgiving, or putting > in the turkey dressing. Carrots were usually cooked, with butter and > brown sugar. Nobody thought to add them to the pink lettuceandtomato > salad. > > Nancy > > ------- > I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days. > > --Daniel Boone > > > > On Jan 11, 2007, at 10:08 AM, Bess Haile wrote: > >> You can really fool folks that you made beaten biscuits if you make >> regular >> homemade biscuits (the sort with baking powder and shortening cut >> into the >> dry mix) so long as you use lard instead of vegetable fat or butter >> and you >> roll them out thin. The lard will make the split nicely when you >> make up the >> ham biscuits and of course, your heart attack is sure to come later. >> >> Serious lurker drawn out by the smell of Virginia Ham >> > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html