More over the "live to eat" side of the line. Celebrating DH's birthday the other day, I took a substantial afternoon tea to my in-laws' home for us all to share before DH and I and his siblings went off to do something else.
My MIL commented that (she has never really enjoyed cooking, though a competent plain cook) she dislikes cooking so much now that she does the minimum needed, doesn't think about cooking, doesn't try anything new and dislikes the current TV obsession with cooking shows because it's a topic she never wants to think about.
I thought that was really sad and hope I never come to that point.

I dislike the entire either/or thing going on here.

Really, does everyone make organic lamb chops - or the equivalent- for every single meal?

Do you eat everything you want at every meal and never ever think about weight or health ( or even, gasp, economy)?

Do you never go to fast food restaurants?- I know you do from past posts.

Do you have a life outside of food - hey, that's ok if you don't!

Nope, I don't make organic lamb chops, I don't care for lamb although the health insurance company is now telling me it's a very healthy meat. I don't drink wine either, in spite of my doctor's assertion that ONE glass per night is good for my heart. I just can't learn to like the stuff, so I don't drink it.

Of course I think about health and weight, I don't eat a pound and a half of dark chocolate, I eat an ounce.

I eat a chili cheese dog at A&W at least twice a year, with a frosty mug of on-tap root beer.

And I do have a life outside of food, although since I'm a small farmer quite a lot of my entire life is consumed by the planting/growing of food, the harvesting of food, the marketing of food and the preparation and consumption of food.

Still, what I eat and the quality of it matters to me. I produce a good quality product although it's not perfect because without chemicals the fruits and vegetables are beautifully imperfect.

When I was a single mother with two children to feed and a full time job plus a second job on the side, I ate to live. I dreaded going home after one job to slap some tuna casserole on the table and pack up the girls to go to my part time night job keeping books. They did homework while I worked and then we all went home, fell into bed and started again the next day. Ashley still eats Cream of Mushroom soup right out of the can.

Now that I don't have to do that any more, I live to eat. I enjoy the planning, the growing, the preservation, the preparation as much as I do the consumption. That's why I've been on this Cooking Forum for a decade or so.

I don't think it is either/or, I think we are all a bit of both depending on what our life circumstances are at this point.

Annie

I think that, for me, live to eat means that food is one of my biggest joys in life, something that I am always thinking about. It doesn't mean I always get to eat what I want, or always be cooking when I want to. But I do remember a time in my life when I only ate food to survive, and that was a miserable existence.

I would have to say that I eat to live rather than live to eat. I consider eating a chore that has to be done every day, but since it has to be done, I try to make it as pleasurable as possible, but it still does not come anywhere close to the pleasure I would get from surfing or snorkeling or something else that I consider fun.

Right now I am eating my granola/yogurt/blueberries because I have to have something in my stomach to take my antibiotic pill and vitamins. I do like what I am eating, but I feel no passion about it. I think about cooking a lot because I try to have meals that I will not find boring. Since I have to eat, I want to eat the best that I can, but I am not passionate about eating. I'm more passionate about cooking than eating, I think

I have to say that I find it really annoying when I see TV chefs sample what they have just made and then have their eyes roll back in their head. That does not happen to me when eating, no matter how much I like what I am eating.

There are foods and food combinations that I detest, and I have to be wary to avoid these. I've had my share of eating experiences that were not pleasant at all, but on an average, eating is more pleasant than not - it's just not a raison d'etre for me.

I do not go to fast food restaurants - I go home at lunch and make whatever I want, sometimes from leftovers or from something I have made specifically for a lunch. I very seldom go to restaurants at all, and I think that someone who lives to eat would go to restaurants more than I do, especially considering the choices that I have. I am trying to be economical by not going to restaurants, but that thought goes out the window when I am shopping at a market.

Lars

Lars, I so appreciate your post and could have written most of it.

Bumblebeez, why do you sound angry or defensive?

Living to Eat has nothing to do with cooking organic lamb chops or not thinking about weight or health. It has nothing to do with whether you eat fast food or how much money you have.

It has to do with whether eating is something you enjoy or whether you just eat because you have to if you want to live. You don't even have to love cooking to enjoy eating.

Thankfully I not only love cooking but I also enjoy the planning and the shopping for ingredients and I enjoy all kinds of different foods. And yes even fast food. Occasionally I want a fast food burger or fish and chips or some other take out. Hell I even enjoy a smear of the dreaded cheese whiz on toast.

But the point is, I care about what I am because of flavour and regardless of what it is, it has to be something I want and enjoy the taste of. I just don't eat because I'm hungry. I want whatever I eat to be something I actually want to eat.

There is no right or wrong answer. The question wasn't meant to get you or anyone else upset.

~Ann

And I'm sorry if I offended you Bumblebeez, I have a terrible habit of doing that. There's nothing wrong with Lean Cuisines, I just thought it was a funny meme.

I had to give this one a lot of thought actually!

For sure I have to like what I eat or I simply would not eat it but I can't say I live to eat either. Most of our meals are simple meals that go together quickly.I only cook what appeals to me.

I love to cook and love to entertain but for the most part the eating is secondary for me. As a matter of fact I have a bit of a reputation for not eating what I cook. Oft times I am so done with what I've cooked that it has lost it's appeal by the time dinner rolls around.

I'm another live to eat, with a bit of eat to live. I break mine up by meals - Breakfast is 'live to eat' - a gawdawful whole wheat english muffin from TJs (don't ask) - but I am treated well with the killer lattes from DH, grin. Lunch is usually leftovers or TJs prepackaged salads/meals - but dinners, six nights a week, are delicious, live to eat, from scratch. We do eat out quite a bit, because we have access to all sorts of wonderful non-chain options. Our current fav is Drago Centro in downtown LA. I could live there!

Would that I could buy organic lamb chops!!
When I had someone to cook for, we ate like a 5 star restaurant every evening. Breakfast was not like you see Ann cook for Moe, but most often a piece of toast from last night's home made loaf.

The only fast food would be the 3 or so times a year when I drive to Chicago and stop at the Oasis so I don't have to leave my dog in the car for long.....oh yes and the State Fair...but the fast food I choose to eat there is lamb burgers near the sheep barn or a pork chop provided by the pork producers, hot off the grill and eaten in a napkin....or icecream from the Dairy Association booth.

I never have eaten prepared frozen entrees, and I can spot a bakery cake or cookies a mile away....eww!

Pretty well I live to eat....if there is a time when I NEED to eat and have no time to prepare, I grab a piece of cheese or a hard boiled egg and a couple of raw carrots.
Weight, health are always considerations, and so is economy....it actually costs a lot less to eat well than to eat junk.

Now I do both - live to eat because like Ann, even if I am hungry I can't just eat anything. I will wait until I can eat something tasty.

Eat to live because I am mindful of what I put in my body and I try to eat nutrient-dense food. So I will eat my colorful veggies, sulfurous veggies, cruciferous veggies, colorful berries, high-quality meats and fish, in season fruits, etc.

I think "live to eat" can be extended to how I try to live my life in general - live life to the fullest.

I'm very similar to Lars.

I enjoy preparing the meal considerably more than eating. I'm known for preparing holiday meals & then not eating. I'm sick of looking at the food by the time it hits the table. Cooking isn't even in my Top 10 list of fun things to do. Baking would make the list but not a top spot.

Now, with Sjogren's, eating has become a nuisance & a hazard. So, based on that, guess I'm in the "Eat to Live" category. But, I do want whatever I eat to taste good & be reasonably healthy. Every meal doesn't have to be 100% health conscious but averaged out over the week I try hard to keep the scales tipped in favor of good nutrition.

Yes, I sometimes eat Lean Cuisine especially when I'm alone because I just don't care & I have to eat something. One Lean Cuisine, by itself, is more than enough for me. Happens, maybe, six times a year.

We don't eat fast food unless desperate & it's usually DH that gets that desperate - usually when we're on a road trip of some type. The last fast food I ate was a Wendy's and it grossed me out. Wasn't even Wendy's fault. We were eating in our car. Summer & had the windows down. A sparrow flew in my window & landed RIGHT ON MY BURGER & started pecking. DH started laughing too hard to help. I shooed him away but he just moved to the dashboard with a piece of my burger in his beak. Did I ever mention that I'm scared of birds?

We eat out at local restaurants several times/month. Like tonight, I'm unsure WFD - DH is mowing, edging, weeding, tying up the tomatoes, & sanding our double glider getting it ready to paint. I'm thinking he's not going to feel like cooking by the time he comes inside, showers, & does his piano practice. Around here, all of those activities have priority over cooking. Yep, we Eat to Live.

I've gotten many meal ideas here on the forum that I've been able to incorporate into our food storage program. But, because we do eat from that food storage program our cooking is a bit different. I would HATE grocery shopping every day - or even every week. Like the thread talking about freezing milk - hard for me to relate to. We don't drink a glass of milk. We use milk in cooking. So, 99% of the milk we use is organic powdered. My milk doesn't go bad & is always there when I want/need it (a year's worth).

With rare exception, our meals are planned around that storage program as opposed to a craving or whim. Tuesday was an exception. DH went fishing off Montauk so we had summer flounder (fluke) for dinner on a bed of fresh, homemade salsa made with our garden ingredients.

/tricia

I'd classify myself as an Overacheiving Eat-to-Live-er. Although I enjoy cooking and eating tremendously, there are many activities I like even more. The past two weeks, I haven't been living to eat; I've been living to help sort and price 70,000 used books for our library's annual book sale. My only thought of food is to remember to eat some to have the energy to do a task I love.

Since we've retired, it seems as if there are so many fun things to do besides eating.

I am an ingredient-driven cook. First I find some good ingredients and then I decide how best to showcase them. It's complicated because DH lost 95% of his sense of smell (and therefore most of his sense of taste) as a result of an illness about a dozen years ago. So I try to make a complementary mix of colors and textures on the plate to keep up his interest in what for most people would be an eat-to-live situation.

WOW !!!!! talk about opening a can of worms....OMG!!!!!
I was going to avoid this one like the plague, but a
couple of posts piqued my interest.
First of all, I have to disagree with Dcarch. The number
one instict of ALL creatures on this earth is SURVIVAL.
Next comes procreation, in that order. After all, if you
can't survive, you won't be able to procreat.
I mulled the original question for quite a while, and
it seems to me, that everyone has danced around the real
answer. The real answer is: "It depends on how hungry
you are".
For example: yesterday's dinner might have been yucky,
so it got put into the fridge. If you had nothing to eat
in the next three days, then those leftovers would be
the most delicious food you have ever tasted.
None of us would eat if we didn't HAVE to, I know I
wouldn't. Think of how rich we would all be if we
didn't have to buy food. So, as long as we HAVE to
eat, why not make it as tastey as we can.

There's no "real answer" - everyone has given answers based on their interpretation of the question, which itself invited interpretation, inspiration and nuance.

I'm an "live to eat" person. I'm with those who don't want to eat anything unless it really tastes good -- to me. I want to enjoy what I eat and not consider it a chore. As a result, if I buy a product or fix a recipe and discover I don't care for it, I toss it. I don't want to waste time or more money trying to gussy it up into something I can manage to get down my gullet.

I agree with Ann that the idea of live to eat doesn't have anything to do with organic foods, sustainable foods, health issues, fast food, etc. It has to do with enjoyment of what you're eating. There are times when I must eat to live -- times when I'm pooped beyond belief and must come up with something to eat before I faint. But even then, I usually munch on something I normally enjoy: scoops of unsalted natural peanut butter, chunks of cheese, toasted almonds, etc.

In the last seven years, since my husband's been on a medically required salt restricted diet, I've fixed my share of duds. Some old time favorites simply do not make a good transition to no-salt-added cuisine. So I create new favorites. For my husband, it's an eat-to-live approach for cooking but a live-to-eat approach for making sure the cooked food is flavorful and interesting. If it isn't, then he will not eat-to-live the boring stuff set before him. He'll somehow manage to get super salty foods to satisfy his cravings and risk his health.

DH and I live to eat. Since we live in the San Francisco Bay Area, there's a whole lot of eating going on around the region, every waking minute!

I enjoy cooking but not particularly as a duty; e.g., routine lunch/dinner every single day. We're not price-sensitive so what I buy is what we like - meaning, a specific brand or food we enjoy. DH loves blueberries, for example, so I buy 2 or 3 baskets every week for him; it's his afternoon snack or dessert.

Since I don't enjoy shopping, I keep it down to 2-3x/wk, at specific stores that carry what I require. My MIL lives with us but she doesn't eat much, so I have to keep an eye on her overall nutrition.

I keep most of my cooking in the high-fiber, low salt, low carb profile due to dietary concerns. Not always; we don't believe in being extreme about anything.

We go out 2-4x/week. Always at least one dinner, and we'll alternate a late breakfast with an early lunch, since we eat twice a day. I'd rather eat than cook, for the most part. DH indulges me in this hobby; his preference is to eat my home cooking.

I like to eat out - I'd do it twice as often if I could - because there are many dishes that I will not make not make at home. I could do them - I've been cooking for fifty years and have always been a foodie - but I don't want to. It's easier to go out when I want foie gras or sweetbreads or even lobster. No mess, no shopping, no fuss, no prep, AND NO DISHES TO WASH AFTERWARDS, lol.

As we're retired, we travel around the area on midweek, multi-day trips, usually 5 or 6x a year. During those trips we pick interesting restaurants to try. Our favorite cuisine is French, but locally we have our favorites: Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Chinese Contemporary (Chinese food going bistro instead of the greasy spoon dives), Japanese, Afghani/Himalayan, Moroccan, etc.

Fast food? Occasionally, not often. One of the worst things I can say when I write up my reviews on the restaurants we've been to (I like to keep a full record of where we've eaten and what we had), is "McDonald's makes a better breakfast and McCafe coffee than XXXX did!"

Definitely a Live to Eat person who is putting into practice using healthy and nutritious ingredients in everything I make. There was a time when I did eat anything I wanted, but fortunately my life has come back into balance overall and I am much more careful about not overindulging in things that should be enjoyed in moderation.

I do like my food to be colorful and attractive but like Donna.In.Sask said:

"I particularly appreciate looking at Ann T's suppers because they are so appetizing....you actually want to EAT the food, not just stare at it. "

Alexa

Quick question: 'If you eat to live, what happens when
you are served something that is To Die For ???

"I have to disagree with Dcarch. -----The number one instinct of ALL creatures on this earth is SURVIVAL. Next comes procreation,"

No, you are not disagreeing with me. I am talking about priorities, not which instinct is stronger. Procreation is the evolution processes each species struggles to make itself less appetizing to the others, and cleverer than the others. But that is off topic.

I brought that up to lead into my own reasoning that eating to live is a very important consideration for humans, if you don't do it sensibly; you become lunch to other species.

I know of no one who does not eat to live and live to eat.

There is no choice to the first imperative "eat to live", while the second is optional and I do believe that every single one of us tries to do the best we can.

How much you can engage in the practice of "live to eat" is basically governed by these three factors:

1. Health conditions
2. Life style and time constrains.
3. Wealth

If you are in good shape with #1, #2 and especially #3, you can perhaps engage in the following with some regularity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyoKUaagRqM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qofsdSMuGbg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvo6cnIpWM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSoU4mFjMPM

dcarch

LOL Poddy!

I think it is just an amusing turn of phrase, not meant to be taken literally. I have had lots of meals that were "TDF" in my opinion.... but I'm glad I'm still here to talk about them.

Alexa

>>Quick question: 'If you eat to live, what happens when
you are served something that is To Die For ??? >>

You order a second plate of it...LOL!

OMG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Caliloo, do I know you?
How did you know my nickname????
And thank you for educating me on that term.
Now I can go back and try all those recipies
that were labeled: "To Die For".
YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

Dcarch, my opologies you are accepting? I guess I
misinterpreted your term 'priorities' and the term
'instincts'. I know that priorities are choices
that we make on our own, and 'instincts' are,
what they call in the computer world "firmware".
Sorry bout that.

Whew, I've finally had time and energy to read through this thread. I love it. Of course we all eat to live - if we didn't, we'd die of starvation. It happens in famines.

That aside, I tend to lean towards the live to eat mentality. One time my brother was visiting, and I fixed a big breakfast for us all. He protested that I went to so much trouble, but Jerry pointed out to him that it's my hobby. He's right. Cooking and eating is a hobby of mine.

I completely understand how people can not feel like eating once they've fixed a big meal. I have felt that way at times. I've also felt like digging in, too. When John fixed such a wonderful dinner for us when we visited Portland, he demonstrated how much he loves to cook, the whole process, but no, he didn't eat nearly as much as the rest of us did. Jerry and I had a wonderful "foodie" week in Portland, eating and tasting so much that we don't normally get to eat or taste, both restaurant and home made. It was so much fun. It was certainly a live to eat week, but also a live to visit with family I love and miss, and live to visit places I've never seen.

Yes, I live to eat, but that's not the only hobby I have, and I don't think it has to be for those of us that live to eat. I don't have a big income, and I don't have money to burn. I buy my clothes at the thrift store, when the ones I have are literally falling apart, and I don't eat out normally, rarely, yes, but not often. I don't buy books or movies - I get them from the library. What I'm saying is that I have made food one of the only things I'm willing to spend money on. (pets, gardening and our place in Oklahoma the other money pits.)

I have a friend that's definitely eat to live. She's said as much. She actually does not enjoy food at all. She only eats because she has to to stay alive. I cannot fathom that. On the other hand, I just finished reading Judith Jones' memoir, My Life In Food. She was definitely a live to eat person. She loves to cook and loves to eat, and is willing to try anything. (Jones is the woman that edited Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and numerous other cook books and non cook books.)

I'm lucky in that I happen to like what's healthy, for the most part, although I do love cheese. So, I eat what I want, most of the time. However, there are times that I just eat what's on hand, because of time constraints. I don't let it bother me. I know I'll have a good bite to eat soon enough.

Sally

lbpod, no apology required. But I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Your post did bring up some very relevant topics which fascinate me. The survival instinct in "eating to survive (live)".

I often feel that our ability to "live to eat" is counter survival. We are miserable because we know how to modify food. Physiological maladies caused by improper food intake is rampant. We have completely destroyed our instinct to eat food that is healthy to our bodies, the instinct that is in all animals.

I don't remember many cooking shows which do not demonstration recipes with 2 sticks of butter, half cups of cream, sugar, salt, -------------.

dcarch

"I don't remember many cooking shows which do not demonstration recipes with 2 sticks of butter, half cups of cream, sugar, salt, -------------. "

Not sure what cooking shows you watch but I find your statement untrue. Do you watch any cooking shows? Paula Dean maybe?

Nancy

"We are miserable because we know how to modify food."

I've got to absorb that for a but. But I do wonder how your buddy Nathan Myhrvold would respond to that.

"We are miserable because we know how to modify food."

I also find this quote interesting coming from you since I have never seen anyone modify food quite like you do.....

Alexa

Nancy, I mostly watch Jacques Pippin and Julia, Lydia and a couple of other lesser known ones. Just yesterday Jacques and Juila were making three things, I am not sure exactly what because I normally have my TV on when I am working and not paying much attention. One was a salmon mix inside a loaf of bread. There was a stick of butter on the bottom and than another stick of butter on top, and the salmon was some kind of mix with half mayonnaise. The other was some kind of French sandwich, more butter, I mean a lot of butter, and the third one was a desert with basically all cream and sugar.

FOAS, as a scientist, I think Nathan Myhrvold will agree that we humans have lost our natural ability to do the best for our bodies in our eating habits, as evidences are mounting everywhere. Sounds like you disagree.

Alexa, I am just as culpable as many in the pursue of gastronomic gratification. I am, guilty of enjoying food that has been "deliciously" prepared, and many foods of so called "acquired taste".
I moderate my "crime against nature" by distinguishing the two kinds of food modification:

1. Modifying food by pairing food based on natural taste, geometry, texture and color, simple seasoning, and natural ingredients.

2. Modifying food using overwhelming seasoning and spices, complicated recipes, unnatural ingredients, ingredients known to have adverse health effects, etc.

I try to compensate by preparing food mostly based on the #1 approach. Realizing also that judicious arrangement of ingredients on a plate actually can enhance the appear of food without altering the nature of food, (extreme example would be in the making of sushi,) I do make sure that a reasonable attempt is applied in making food attractive, every single dish.

So far so good.

dcarch

I didn't state one way or another. I just posed the question, wondering what someone who likes to modify food would think of your statement.

Of course "modifying food" in and of itself is a subjective term. Some would think that warming bones, spinning them in a centrifuge and spraying with chemicals is natural. Others would not.

Just remembered, you can find videos on youtube about this.

Monkeys in Japan have learned that they can take potatoes to the sea side and dig in the water to make them taste better.

dcarch

Dcarch,

I'm confused. Your two kinds of modification - couple of questions.

1.) Regarding #1, how does "geometry" contribute to taste and/or health of food?

2.) Regarding #2, would you consider a Mexican mole sauce to use "overwhelming seasoning & spices" and be a "complicated" recipe?

Personally, I don't consider mole to be complicated - tedious, yes, but not complicated. There are a considerable number of seasonings, spices, nuts, etc. but all are natural foods. What about it would make it less healthy?

Your two examples seem overly simplistic, to me. Your #2 example would seem to include everything from mole to cream of chicken soup.

/t

Forget food, I've found a new reason for living- it's called DRAMA.

No big speeches about Mother Nature here ... This question just isn't that complicated. I live to eat. Period.

Regarding the Julia and Jacques segment you remember watching. the PBS site has a searchable data base and I find nothing even remotely resembling what you are describing.

Could you possibly find it on the site linked?

Also macaques dipping the sweet potatoes in the sea is considered an example of primate learning rather than "a recipe". Many many species modify their food in some manner, from the otters who float on their back and smash a clam on a rock to the apes who peel the banana, the raccoons who dip their food in the water and the grackles who do a similar thing.
You are assuming the monkeys are "salting" their food when there is no indication of that. The original experiment indicated that they discovered an easy way to wash the sand from their food. The fact that macaques like the salt on their potatoes is pure conjecture.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jacques and Julia

Posted by unorthodoxepicure (My Page) on
Sun, Aug 5, 12 at 20:06

No big speeches about Mother Nature here ... This question just isn't that complicated. I live to eat. Period.

Thank you Adam. You are exactly right. It really wasn't a complicated question.

~Ann

I think I tried too hard in the beginning to be simple to make my thoughts clear. Let me see if I can clarify what I am trying to say and how it is related to the topic of this thread:

Animals are known to have some abilities to eat different food to alleviate some physical maladies (eat to live). By our advance ability to modify our foods (live to eat), we may have lost this ability in us. While not all great delicious recipes are bad for our health, not having the instinctual ability to distinguish good or bad food intake perhaps could be the reason that has resulted a great deal of food related problems in us. Just my uneducated guess.

Tricia, Regarding #1, by geometry, I mean the shapes and colors of foods, whether it's obvious or hidden, by taking advantage of them (plating, food design) it can make food more appealing. No, plating has nothing to do with health, I have not said it has.

Regarding #2, Mexican mole is a very complicated recipe, but seemingly a very healthy recipe. Complicated or simple recipes, a great recipe's purpose is to convince you to eat the food whether it's good for you or not. We have many great recipes which are good for your health and many are very bad.

LindaC, "You are assuming the monkeys are "salting" their food when there is no indication of that. ----- The fact that macaques like the salt on their potatoes is pure conjecture."

Not according to me. See video link below.

Sorry I am not going to find the Jacques/Julia video because as I said I was not paying that much attention while the video was playing in the background. Unless you really don't think that Jacques and Julia use a lot of cream, butter, sugar, fat, -------. Unless you don't think that today we are facing food related health crisis.
--------------------------------------------

Tricia, here is an example of a dish that I made with an attempt to take advantage of food's natural geometry and color.

I had some celery of below par quality that I need to use up. Basically to make the fiber less chewy, I sliced the celery at a sharp angle to make the fibers shorter. Celery is not one of the most nutritious vegetables, so I cook it in a pan which I just finished cooking some beets.

Dcarch

Here is a link that might be useful: Monkey Sea Monkey Do

I'm not keeping up up with this- lost me around monkeys, but thanks DC for taking the attention off of me! Sorry, I couldn't resist. I think your creations are breathtaking and so creative.

Thanks BBz.

I find it funny that those monkeys deliberately enhance the flavor of potatoes by putting more salt on them then their bodies call for. Live to eat!

I also find it funny that they use "Modernist" scientific method to separate sand from the grains in the same video.

dcarch

My head is spinning. Way to much information at one time. Simply, I live to eat...I did go through a period of time where I would eat just to survive. That wasn't much fun! Now, I'm just mindful of what I put in my mouth.

Live to eat, but wish I was eat to live.

Personally, I think Wizardmn hit the nail on the head.
'Two sticks of butter'.....Dcarch HAD to be watching
Paula Dean. Mystery solved, ahem.........

Or Barefoot Contessa, or Pioneer Woman, or any of the many cupcake shows they have playing all the time now...

Yes, I think they both are just as bad as Paula, only classier.

Cupcake Shows. . . I LOVE that term, and had never
heard it before, but it fits so perfectly,
although I had heard about a show called something
like: "Cupcake Wars", or something like that.
Contestants try to outdo each other, making the
best cupcakes.
I don't care much for Barefoot Contessa, or Pioneer
Woman, but Paula just sends shivers up my spine.
I don't know what it is about her. I love her hair
and her eyes. She is just so 'secksy', (to 'this
old man'). But she makes me want to puke with her CONSTANT "ya'lls". I mean 'every other word'!!!!
Does anyone think that maybe she is told to do that?
Anywhooo, if I had a portrait of Paula Dean, it would
be up on my bedroom wall, (pant, pant).
Forgive me for getting off topic.
And now . . . back to our regularly scheduled
programming.

Not just yet... I had a dream about Paula Dean once. She was just raging at her staff. I'll never look at her the same after seeing her that way. And the cupcake shows, along with constant replays of Diners, Drive-Ins and Drives, are what made me give up on Food Network. But anyways...

elery is from Tennessee and says that accent is faked. I'm sure it's part of her on-screeen "persona". The thing that drives me nuts about Paula Deen, though, is the way she's always licking her male guests, drives me crazy.

I'll bet lbpod loves it though. (grin)

Right now I'm baking a vanilla bundt cake for Elery's granddaughter's birthday, it has 6 eggs and a cup and a half of butter. I've got honey wheat bread in the oven, it's only 64F today!! Hurrah! Home grown chicken marinating in homemade yogurt with garlic/onion/lemon/ garam masala.

Definitely a live to eat day!

Annie

Things really changed over the years and the proverbial pendulum swung back and forth more than once.

As a kid, live to eat.
Got on my own and cook for myself, eat to live.
Got sick of McBurger and aluminum slotted freezer to oven trays, started cooking and learning to cook better stuff, then progressed more and more to live to eat.
Job required living out of fleabag motels and away from home for weeks at a time - eat to live.
Quit the job and had to live more frugally, live to eat.
Physical issues... eat to live with occasion bits of live to eat.

I still enjoy good food, even eating out and try to get something enjoyable. I guess these days I appreciate decent to good food more than I have in the past.