I went to the supermarket earlier today to get ingredients for various recipes I’m making in the coming week. I’ve made many of them before, but not recently. And what I learned is that in the interim the ingredients for old recipes are difficult to find. Even if the recipe itself is worth enjoying.
Case in point: My supermarket does not stock quart sized ice cream, which is what I needed for a dessert I’m preparing. You can buy Ben and Jerry’s® pints at almost five dollars a pop (That would be ten dollars for a quart!), or you can get Edy’s quart-and-half for almost seven dollars a pop. Obviously, the latter is more cost effective, but it still begs the question. What happened to the quart?
Then I looked for a small box of animal crackers. If you’re of a certain age, you remember the little box that looked like a circus wagon with a string handle. They were nowhere to be seen. I could have used vanilla wafers as a substitute, but since I need only half a cup the giant sized box of what is now called ‘Nilla Wafers seemed pricey. Another substitute was macaroons, but they were nowhere to be seen either. So I think I’ll settle for some coconut flakes in my freezer that are waiting to help.
What I really learned today is why Michigan is the tenth fattest state in the union, just slightly behind Arkansas. It’s because small sizes and plain foods are disappearing from our shelves. But that’s not the only reason. McDonald s and other fast food entities bear some responsibility, as do large portions in restaurants and the fact that most people don’t understand what a standard serving is.
A disappearing quart of ice cream is only the most recent item to add to our obesity.
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