By Mandy Feder
Carrots, they”re not just good for the eyes, but also for the memory.
Allow me to explain.
When I was attending the Lavender Festival at Ceago Vinegarden, I was treated to a little cup of fresh, organic vegetables.
The flavors were amazing, especially the carrots. Until that time I had forgotten what carrots used to taste like, when I was younger — when the carrots were really orange, not whitish-orange.
It reminded me of a conversation I had with my daughter Nicole a few months back.
She was visiting her friend, Tara, who has a large organic garden.
“Mama, the carrots were so sweet. They didn”t even taste like carrots,” Nicole said.
When I left Ceago, I reflected on what Nicole said.
I had forgotten what real fruits and vegetables tasted like. Now my memory is refreshed and my taste buds revived.
Occasionally I get a really good tomato or nectarine from a coworker or a farmers market.
When I was a child I ate tomatoes like apples, sometimes with a little salt or balsamic vinegar.
I loved them. But in the last 20 years or so my desire to buy them at the grocery store has waned. Most of the time the skin looks thick and the color faded. Actually they don”t look real. They taste equally as bland as they look.
I guess the food lasts longer on the shelves these days and that is the rationale.
But who really wants it?
Some time back, Nicole began researching. She wanted to make everything from scratch. Her boyfriend Kevin got in on the action and discovered he really liked baking bread. Now I can”t think of any bread that compares.
Nicole learned to make laundry soap, toothpaste, lotions, dryer sheets and facial masks.
She sought out websites such as cutoutandkeep.net and pinterest.com, among many others.
She has taught me how to make bookshelves, outdoor chairs and home remedies using basic ingredients.
She has nurtured many aloe vera plants and found that a soothing sunburn remedy can easily be made by filling an ice cube tray with the aloe juice and freezing it, providing cooling relief for the fair-skinned in the summertime.
Also, a cool treat in the heat came in the form of a Christmas present from my favorite uncle. Uncle Mark sent the girls an ice cream maker along with a Ben & Jerry”s recipe book. No preservatives, all fresh ingredients and wonderful “Cherries Garcia.”
L.L. Bean has an ice cream maker that is completely portable and requires no electricity. This is on my wish list. It”s a ball that you fill with the ingredients for ice cream, kick it or toss it around and when you”re done playing, you have dessert. Sweet.
I would say that my household is getting back to basics, but that”s not exactly accurate. I haven”t known a time in my life when I lived this simply. It”s kind of awesome to make all of our stuff and know just where it came from.
Nicole says she enjoys making everything she can from scratch because it gives her a feeling of accomplishment and pride. It also fosters her creativity.
I”m trying to follow her lead. She”s raised me pretty well like that.
Mandy Feder is the Record-Bee managing editor. She can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or 263-5636 ext. 32.
