"In our land of plenty, there is plenty for everyone..."
When I was growing up, when my kids were growing up, the same question was asked everyday about 4pm - "What's for supper?" It is always a fun question to ask and usually a fun question to answer. Beef, chicken, pork, fish or other - it is fun to try new ways to cook each of them. It is part of the variety of life we all cherish.
However, it was not too many years ago that question dared not be asked. Lets turn back the clock 200 years to 1813. 200 years is a big chunk of time in our country's history, but it is a blink of an eye for how long mankind has walked the planet.
In 1813, people lived a very Spartan existence. Meal preparation was who in the family was going to pick something (when in season), shoot something, or fish for something. Sometimes there was something to eat which had been stored in the house or the barn. Often however, similar to wild animals, people would forage for their food. Finding something safe and adequate to eat consumed most of every day for a family. To not find something to eat, meant the family went to bed hungry. If you strung enough of those days together, family members would weaken or starve to death.
Storing food was a big problem. The icebox, the predecessor to the refrigerator, was not invented until about 1850. Even after it was introduced in 1850, many still did not own one. The canning of food was a very new science. In 1812, Thomas Kensett established the first canning facility in the United States. However, for most who did not have access to this rudimentary form of food storage, proper canning over a wood fireplace was just about impossible.
There were no supermarkets to go to, there were no cars to get to and from town, there was no USDA to inspect food you might be able to buy from a merchant. In short, most people were on their own. Many were like their ancestors - hunters and gatherers. In fact, the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunter-Gatherers states: "Hunting and gathering was humanity's first and most successful adaptation, occupying at least 90 percent of human history. Until 12,000 years ago, all humans lived this way."
The next time that golden hour of 4pm comes around and you wonder what is for supper, think about our great-great grandparents. They were not concerned about sodium content, calories, or getting 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. They were concerned about keeping the family alive. A few years ago a pastor friend of ours told us the purpose of saying grace was not only to thank the Lord for the food, but to also ask for protection from the food. In 1813, food could nourish you, make you sick, or even kill you.
This is something to think about in 2015. As good as we have it, and we have it very good, what would happen if due to a man made or natural disaster, we could not obtain food. What would we do if we could not get food or potable water for weeks or months. Could we survive? Would our government take care of us? Do we have the skills to be hunters and gatherers again? When you look at your pantry before going to the store this weekend, think about that. How long could you last if the store was no longer an option for food.
In the meantime, enjoy the steak. It is after all, what is for supper.
In 1813, people lived a very Spartan existence. Meal preparation was who in the family was going to pick something (when in season), shoot something, or fish for something. Sometimes there was something to eat which had been stored in the house or the barn. Often however, similar to wild animals, people would forage for their food. Finding something safe and adequate to eat consumed most of every day for a family. To not find something to eat, meant the family went to bed hungry. If you strung enough of those days together, family members would weaken or starve to death.
Storing food was a big problem. The icebox, the predecessor to the refrigerator, was not invented until about 1850. Even after it was introduced in 1850, many still did not own one. The canning of food was a very new science. In 1812, Thomas Kensett established the first canning facility in the United States. However, for most who did not have access to this rudimentary form of food storage, proper canning over a wood fireplace was just about impossible.
There were no supermarkets to go to, there were no cars to get to and from town, there was no USDA to inspect food you might be able to buy from a merchant. In short, most people were on their own. Many were like their ancestors - hunters and gatherers. In fact, the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunter-Gatherers states: "Hunting and gathering was humanity's first and most successful adaptation, occupying at least 90 percent of human history. Until 12,000 years ago, all humans lived this way."
The next time that golden hour of 4pm comes around and you wonder what is for supper, think about our great-great grandparents. They were not concerned about sodium content, calories, or getting 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. They were concerned about keeping the family alive. A few years ago a pastor friend of ours told us the purpose of saying grace was not only to thank the Lord for the food, but to also ask for protection from the food. In 1813, food could nourish you, make you sick, or even kill you.
This is something to think about in 2015. As good as we have it, and we have it very good, what would happen if due to a man made or natural disaster, we could not obtain food. What would we do if we could not get food or potable water for weeks or months. Could we survive? Would our government take care of us? Do we have the skills to be hunters and gatherers again? When you look at your pantry before going to the store this weekend, think about that. How long could you last if the store was no longer an option for food.
In the meantime, enjoy the steak. It is after all, what is for supper.
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