Topics for Essay 1

I will admit I am kind of doing this backwards since I have already written my paper.  However, I would like to share with you what some of my main topics were in my paper.  I start out by going back to my childhood and remembering how I was an extremely picky eater.  Although, I haven't out grown my picky eater syndrome I can gladly say that I am much less picky today.  One of my main issues that caused me to be so picky was my texture issue.  Until this day I won't eat a peach or apple unless their is no skin on it.  Yes, I know I sound like a 3 year old but oh well that's just how I am.  You think that's bad?  I used to not even grapes, strawberries, or blueberries just because of the texture.  So basically everything that was healthy for me I didn't eat.

Another area I focus on in my paper is how most of the time I will make a meal that doesn't take me long to prepare instead of spending the time to make a fresh one.  However, I have been making a conscious effort to take the time I need in order to prepare a better meal.  Lastly, I discuss in my paper that people who dumpster dive for food should come to my dumpster because I waste a lot and for no reason.  I have problems eating things when they are past their expiration date and usually just throw the food in the trash. :( I don't know why I am so wasteful because my mom has told me that she has made me a meal using something that was expired and I was just fine.  This paper made me set goals for myself to not be as picky and not be wasteful!    

Dive in!

One of the films I watched was Dive by Jeremy Seifert.  When I first saw this film written on the board in class I wasn't sure what it was about, but after watching the first ten seconds of it I knew when I was diving into.  Dive is about a second chance for food.  Did you know that we throw away 96 billion pounds of food a year?   By trowing away all this food it just adds to our

landfills.  I never knew dumpster diving could be so competitive that it had three rules: 1. The first one to the dumpster has first dibs. 2. Never take more than you need. 3. Leave it cleaner than you found it.  

One man from this film pulled out a dozen eggs that had been thrown away just because one was cracked.  Throwing eleven eggs away just because one is cracked is ridiculous I don't care who you are! This film also focuses on a family who literally almost gets all their food from the dumpster.  The mom is pregnant and having a baby shower and all the meat for the shower is from the dumpster.  She says that all of her friends know that they get all of their food from the dumpster and that they seem to be okay with it.  I don't think I could ever eat a meal that was out of the dumpster, but that is because of the lifestyle that I have been blessed with.  I am fortunate that I don't have to worry about whether I will have something to eat for dinner tonight or the next day.  However, like the films discusses, a large percent of the food throw

n away is still very edible.  854 Million people go hungry in the world, but yet the US throws away 96 billion pounds of food THAT'S MESSED UP!         DON'T WASTE FOOD!  

The American Way Of Eating Part 2

As much as I loved the first 100 pages of The American Way Of Eating by Tracie McMillan I enjoyed the following 100 pages even more.  It was extremely interesting to get the inside scoop on what goes on in Walmart.  Even more interesting was the fact that this Walmart was in the Kalamazoo area!  I also found it cool the this is where Tracie's sister was living at the time as well.  I never realized that their are so many steps and training that is mandatory before you can actually become an employee.  For example, Tracie discusses she has to watch Produce operations in which she learns that :produce is a living commodity rapidly approaching demise, and the produce section is nothing less than an expansive life-supporting system."  (pg 145)  Tracie then watches food safety 1 and food safety 2 which included preparing and handling the food.  The last video she has to watch is food safety and handling.  I am happy to see that stores such as Walmart have their employees do this training.  However, how do we know that the steps in the training video are always followed?

 I'm sure if their was an easier and less time consuming way of preparing or stocking the produce some employees might take the easy way out.
One thing I found very disturbing was how much food waste Walmart has.  We have so many starving people in the world, but yet we waste so much food.  In one of the side notes in this book it states that at another small chain store averaged 800 pounds of food they threw away a day!  That is just mind blowing to me that we can just throw all that food away.  I don't understand why more of this food can't go to local homeless shelters.  To be continued....  

   

Farm Fields, Walmart, and Applebees

When I first picked up The American Way of Eating By Tracie McMillan I wasn't sure that the book would really interest me.  However, once I read through the first chapter I just kept reading and reading.  So far I have gathered that this book is about a college student who leaves her New York style life to become a field worker, supermarket stocker, and worker at Applebee's.  I know that I am way too comfortable with the lifestyle I have now to just get up and leave to try a whole new style of living.  For example, I am way too attached to the following:

• Family 
• Friends
• Cats
• Dog
• Boyfriend 
• Apartment
• Job

I give Tracie major props for what she did because like I said, I couldn't just uproot my life like she did.  Working at Applebee's I could handle just fine especially since I have been serving at a restaurant since I was 14 years old.  I currently am a bartender at Wings Etc. in Portage and Benton Harbor so I know the restaurant life pretty well.  Working in a field however, I don't think I would last very long unless I was driving the farm equipment or something.  

In Tracie's book she talks about how she struggled for a little to find work until she lucked out and began working in a grape field thanks to Pilar.  Pilar lived in the trailer next to her and in exchange for helping her find work; Tracie was to help her learn English.  When Pilar asked what she knew about grape harvesting she was ashamed that she didn't know much.  She had no scissors, leather gloves instead of cotton, and no idea of how to tie a bandanna.  Luckily, Pilar was kind to her and gave her the supplies she needed and taught her what she needed to know.  It is very refreshing to know that their are still people in the world that are willing to help someone out and not just turn them away.  In my opinion we all need to pay it forward as much as we can because you never know when you will be in a situation that you require some help.

         

The Polish Way

I grew up in a small town in Michigan called Coloma.

 My grandma lived right down the street from me not even a mile away.  Her parents were from Poland and they taught her several different Polish recipes that she has perfected.  I have found that to me Polish food is delicious and I have her to thank for all of the wonderful foods that I have eaten and now make for myself.  For example, one of my favorite dinners that she has prepared for my family and I is Polish sausage with potato dumplings and sauerkraut.  It is an on going joke that whenever we go to my grandma's house for dinner that we will most likely be eating something that she made a while ago and froze.  Since she lives alone she saves everything and will freeze it to make later.  Another thing that my grandma did besides bake was to have tea parties with me which is by far one of my fondest memories from my childhood.

My family and I love food, I mean who doesn't, but I will admit we eat too much of it.  One thing I eat too much of is pizza.  I could easily eat pizza for every meal of the day and be just fine with it.  

Favorite foods     

• Manicotti
• Lasagna 
• Pizza
• Chicken 
• Mashed Potatoes
• Chips 
• Frys
• Polish sausage
• Tacos 

Those are just of few of my favorite foods (notice that not one of them is healthy).  However, I have been working on eating healthier and exercising more since last Summer and have noticed some positive results! It has not been very easy to say no to all those yummy foods, but as time has passed each day becomes that much easier and I know I am heading in the right direction.