Butter question!

[Thor's Hammer]

I was going to say the same, but then realized I have no idea how the costs compare in Butch's area. Here, it's just as you say Ed, though we have pretty cheap electric rates compared to many places.

In engineering terms, think of it like this - Its fairly likely that electricity has been generated by a Natural Gas powerplant. So they burn gas through a highly efficient turbine generator, which means 40 - 45% of the embedded energy comes out as electricity. Then you send that through your distribution system, where its likely to loose another 10 - 15%. Then you use a microwave or electric hob to heat up a pan of water, with all the efficiency losses of the item. Whereas with a gas hob (or even better a log or pellet fired stove) you burn the gas at maximum efficiency to create heat.

Its amazing how much non renewable resources are depleted unnecessarily just to boil water at the touch of a button.

 

[Paul B]

My momma used to drink buttermilk, I sipped a sup of it once by accident, bleaugh.

Had raw milk once too, my grandma got some for me when I visited her in Holland many years ago and made mention of milk and cereal for breakfast. lol I stomached it with a forced smile, couldnt hurt the old gals feelings when she had tried so hard and walked to the farm to get it (in a soup pot no less) for me.

 

[Paul B]

In engineering terms, think of it like this - Its fairly likely that electricity has been generated by a Natural Gas powerplant. So they burn gas through a highly efficient turbine generator, which means 40 - 45% of the embedded energy comes out as electricity. Then you send that through your distribution system, where its likely to loose another 10 - 15%. Then you use a microwave or electric hob to heat up a pan of water, with all the efficiency losses of the item. Whereas with a gas hob (or even better a log or pellet fired stove) you burn the gas at maximum efficiency to create heat.

Its amazing how much non renewable resources are depleted unnecessarily just to boil water at the touch of a button.

Our power here is provided by hydro electric for the most part, we pay 6 cents a kilowatt roughly. we did ditch our microwave a few weeks ago when it went kaput, no plans for replacement either.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Maybe washing dishes by hand is generally inferior to a dishwasher, but turn the subject to pots, and scrubbing by hand rules! That was a job in high school, a place called "Seven Kitchens' that had the food from seven countries. I was the pot specialist. I can scrub the arse out of any pot....burned Mexican beans, bring it! All the hot water mixed with steam and exercise is good for the soul. Sometimes I think that if I retired, going back to scrubbing pots for some side income might be good. Problem is, I need a cuisine where the pots are a challenge to my level of skill. Maybe some of the wives cooking here?

 

[Al Smith]

It even gets my hands clean which is saying something .

 

[Al Smith]

That microwave /gas thing is so trivial in means absolutley nothing in the broad scheme of things .

Our power could come from a number of sources .Canadian hydro,nuke ,Ohio coal burners .

It isn't as cheap as western Canada but still not terrible at somewhere around 8.5 cents per KWH .

What is not cheap is gas either natural or profane .The later is about like gold .They have you by the short hairs and they know it .

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Butter and oil are preserved by the Vitamin E, I believe. I don't think that it needs more preservatives.

Sugar is bad for you.

I drink my coffee with a little honey.

I have tried to get away from sweets. The more you can, the more you can. Amy has developed a bit of a sweet tooth during her pregnancy. We shared a real coconut macaroon with chocolate at a new Jewish delicatessen in Oly for lunch. Interesting. I had a beef knish, which seemed to be sort of a bread/ pastry shell-ish thing wrapped around some ground beef, a little onion, maybe a little cinnamon, and a bit of something sweet. Interesting. Latkes, potato pancakes, too. Not a day to day thing for me, but for trying something new, worthwhile.

 

[NeTree]

REAL sugar is NOT bad for you.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Is it good for you? Where does real sugar come from? Isn't it concentrated plant matter from sugar cane juice. How does it affect your insulin production? Insulin is bad, just ask diabetics that have to put in extra because their body is resistant to it. That overload of insulin is quite problematic. How does sugar affeyot your blood-sugar levels?

I'm not saying its like drinking rat poison, but its not good for you.

I've never heard of a sugar-deficiency health problem.

 

[MasterBlaster]

REAL sugar is NOT bad for you.

Gimme something to read that proves that.

 

[NeTree]

Insulin is bad, just ask diabetics that have to put in extra because their body is resistant to it. That overload of insulin is quite problematic. How does sugar affeyot your blood-sugar levels?

Speaking as a diabetic, I can tell you that real sugar doesn't spike my blood sugar anywhere near as much as corn syrup based sweeteners do. I can also tell you that since I've switched as much as possible to products that use real sugar (both cane and beet) versus things like corn syrup, my insulin usage is about 1/10 what it was prior.

No shit.

Sugar is found naturally in nature; our bodies are accustomed to processing it. We're not accustomed to processing manufactured garbage, which despite what "they" tell you, your body doesn't handle in the same way. Sugar itself isn't a good versus bad thing; all things in proper moderation, and all.

Butch, check it out for yourself. Here's just one:
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/

 

[sotc]

Raw milk is tasty, we used to try to squirt it into each others mouths at my buddies house.

Corn syrup is one of the worst things to ever happen to the food industry.

It may be one of the worst things to happen to food but it stabilized the cost of foods that used alot of sugar so probably helped the industry

 

[NeTree]

Thanks, Willie.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

I believe it is by far not the worst of all choices. Natural/ Real sugar is better than chemical sweeteners, and I'm very inclined to believe corn syrup. I believe that our bodies don't handle crap well.

How is honey compared to sugar? Its natural and unrefined, right. Strained, likely. Supposedly never spoils.

 

[sotc]

You forgot the tasty part

 

[squisher]

What do y'all meen by raw milk?

 

[Burnham]

Un-pastuerized...straight from the cow, microbes and all.

 

[squisher]

I've drank a tanker truck full of the stuff in my life so far. Depending on the cow it tastes just like store bought milk imo, I used to pour it right out of the holding tank where it was stored as cold as milk could be without actually freezing. Delicious.

 

[Paul B]

Willie (and others) try watching Food Inc, its a good start towards understanding where food comes from. Corn syrup = hell on earth. Thanks to the commodity market and the US government.

 

[Brimmstone]

Buttermilk sucks but I tend to have to drink it at least once a month if I get something in that has a galvanized coating that needs welded. It will somehow prevent you from getting sick with galvanic poisoning. Forgot it one time and I was in the hospital 12 hours later on IVs. I keep a couple pints in the fridge at work and at home just in case.

 

[jefflovstrom@sb]

Wow, quite an amazing thread.
Anyway, the best is 'Land 'O' Lakes' salted.
Really.
Sorry, I had to use apostrophes to promote the product which btw is #1.

 

[tophopper]

Butter is butter

 

[MasterBlaster]

Even the unsalted?

 

[Burnham]

Actually, in our house that's the preference. Sodium is worse for us that a little real butter. You can always add a little sea salt at the table, or in the cooking, if you feel the need. Sweet butter has WAY better flavor than salted, imo.

Tillamook is #1, but Land 'o Lakes is no slouch .

No way I'm going to buy whipped butter...pay more, for less butter and more AIR?? Not in this life .

 

[lumberjack]

Dad drinks buttermilk and uses it in corn bread. Raw milk, like processed milk (to a lessor extent), depends on the cow.

They use Smart Balance, I rarely use butter. Sunday I had a couple baked potatoes (unusual for me) that I put ranch and Smart Balance on. That's the only time I recall off hand that I've used butter.