What are you thinking about doing for the research project? What topics do you find interesting? What rhetorical angles? Do you see yourself using any of the essays we've recently read as models for your project?
Here's a link to a website I found for the show "Three Sheets" I mentioned in class about the guy who travels around the world to get drunk the way people do in that particular country.
The article “Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII-Victory Gardens” was about the World War II era when gardening became part of American’s lives. During this time period, government encouraged citizens to become more self sufficient. Planting “victory gardens” were important because it saved as much food as possible for the American troops overseas. The author Char Miller, of George Mason University, wrote this article focusing on American culture of the time. He discussed mostly how victory gardens fit into our culture perfectly. First, he discussed the rich American history behind gardening. In the pioneer days, our ability to live off the land was important. Miller explains that gardening is part of the reason America was able to be a free country in the first place. Appreciation of American freedom was important to remember during a time of war. Gardening also became important to Americans because of the way it was advertised as something patriotic. It was definitely vital for Americans to stay optimistic and proud of their country during tough wartimes. Government and magazines sent out the message that living off your own land, and giving the rest to the troops and the starving, was our patriotic duty. Nutrition and health also became part of American culture, and something that was thought about a lot. American wanted quality foods, which could provide plenty of vitamins to keep their over-worked bodies going. Gardening produced plenty of nutritional fruits and vegetables. It also provided the gardener with some extra exercise. Another thing which became common in times of war is fear. When the world is at war things can get scary. The weight of things on American’s minds could sadden or depress someone easily. For those people, gardening offered an escape. Jessie Morris, of Better Homes and Gardens wrote, “If my heart is sad, or my mind in turmoil… I can go into my garden and find faith, tranquility, comfort, and physical exercise, all of which give me a feeling of well-being” (Morris 402). This writer believes that simply being in her garden could lift her spirits. This could be important for many more Americans, feeling the strains of war. It is also said that the colors of flowers and nature could brighten ones day or tranquilize one’s mind. Another piece of American culture in wartimes is money. Most families could feel the pull of the war tighten up on their money supply. An article in House & Garden claimed that a 40 by 40 foot garden could supply a household with $79.80 worth of food (Morris 404). This could drastically cut down on a family’s food cost. Krissy Clark, of Weekend America, wrote about the book How to Cook a Wolf. This book, wrote in 1942 by MFK Fisher, is also about the strain of WWII on Americans. The “wolf” here though is not actually a wolf. It is a figurative character that is meant to stand for tough economic times. Fisher believes that even in these times however, one must enjoy what they eat. Her book contained a collection of recipes which could be made for relatively no cost at all. Clark describes the experience of making one of Fisher’s recipes with an old friend of the deceased author. They landed upon the recipe Gaspacho Soup and headed to the grocery store. They spend a little over $12 on the meal, and determined that it could have easily served 6 people. Clark was happy with the cost and her meal. She too believes that one can eat good, even in hard times. The point Clark misses however, is victory gardens. As mentioned in the comments section by Barbara Haubrich from Pennsylvania. Using all vegetables from their own gardens, this would cost Americans next to nothing. In regards to the research paper coming up, I want to find articles about genetically altered foods, versus organics. I am hoping to especially focus on the cultural aspects between them.
One piece of chicken instead of two, sharing a plate of pasta, and eliminating snacks, this can be referred to food rationing and it happened only in the great depression. Right? Today the U.S. is experiencing some déjà vu when it comes to economic recession. While we are not close to a depression yet, the economy is falling and people are eating out less and cutting down on their grocery lists. One person who knew how to make a lot out of nothing was MFK Fisher. Krissy Clark, writes about the book “How to Cook a Wolf” by MFK Fisher. Written in 1942, Fisher explains how to make a hearty meal out of scraps and collected foods. Her book was inspiring to those during WWII who had to ration food and support a family on little sustenance. Today, although things aren’t so bad that people make cake out of tomato soup, people have come to know some of the same hardships that Fisher dealt with. Clark explains that through Fisher’s book, essays and recipes alike show the survival techniques people succumb to in times of need. It just goes to show that people cannot be so lavish and crave luxury when times are rough. We have become somewhat selfish and greedy with materials and with food. People always want the nicest cuts of meat and the freshest vegetables. Sometimes, we must sacrifice our twenty-dollar restaurant meals to a home-cooked Gaspacho for fewer than thirteen dollars. People have been resorting to food stamps and coupons to make a meal. Much like seventy years ago, we are all looking for ways to make the dollar go further and the stomachs’ fuller. Similar to Clark’s article, Char Miller wrote, “In the Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII—Victory Gardens.” In this short essay by Miller, he emphasizes the standard of victory gardens. These gardens aided in efficient production of food. The government distributed plans and pamphlets on the planting of these gardens. A sense of self-sufficiency was promoted as many families began their own mini farms. Everyone was planting to supply their source of food. Today, farming and home gardens aren’t too common but, as the economy continues to go underground, it may become more popular. Victory gardens are a cheap and easy way to put matters into your own hands, and this is something that may become a necessity for some. Let’s hope that things don’t get this bad that we have to ration and plant home gardens for food. Still, you never know. With the help of Miller and Clark, we are now exposed to some very good ideas about conserving food.
It was nice to talk about a different aspect associating with American culture and in one of the articles, our culture with food. Beginning with the article “Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII- Victory Gardens” the idea of “victory gardens” was brought up. I have never heard of this idea of patriotism, but was interested as I continued to read. These were used to basically display American patriotism during the war by having Americans becoming more self sustainable in rationing and saving as much of the food as they could for the soldiers during this hard time. The author, Char Miller, validated his points on the idea of Victory Gardens being a form of patriotism since the idea of gardening has dated so far back in our history in the way we obtained a majority of our food. This began our country on the track of being an independent, self sustained country that we initially became and still are in particular aspects to this day. Gardening just gave off the independent vibe, along with helping the soldiers during a difficult time. This also results in healthier food, with no preservatives added, and the satisfaction of knowing where your food is coming from. These overall factors support the idea of gardening being helpful to the individual in the nutrition aspect, patriotically, and give the opportunity for fresh air and exercise. As in any time of war, the nation as a whole can hit its low points, and any form of escape, especially one that actually helps the nation as a whole, would be a very good one. During this time period, gardening served for those purposes. “How to Cook a Wolf” by Krissy Clark also brought up the idea of affordable food in rough times. She begins with mentioning the statistic of the average American spending roughly seven dollars a day on food, and with the seven percent increase for any nutritious diet, it could very hard to keep the healthful eating habits we once had. This book tried to make eating during rough times an enjoyable experience no matter what kind of budget you could be on. The author, MFK Fischer even states “I early on thought, as long as we have to eat to live, we may as well have fun doing it. There should be some enjoyment of food, as we do with making love, or keeping warm. It’s one of the three basic needs of our lives.” This quote supported the main purpose of her book. It gave many ideas, even making your own toothpaste. All these recipes are affordable, and still can be very enjoyable. For the research topic, I was looking at the idea for American diet trends. There are so many fads, which can change day to day. It’s part of our culture to try to look our best, and some people really take that to the extreme, by trying diets that any sane person could know doesn’t work. I want to discuss different diet fads, and how and who they affect in our society.
It is no surprise that America is in a recession. With no end in sight, the recession may continue to worsen. Food prices have on commodities and other foods have already increased. While some may think this is the end of the world, others must realize that it has been worse before. Krissy Clark, author of the article “How to Cook a Wolf” points out that, in July 2008, the average American was spending seven dollars a day on food. With the recession, however, Americans are eating out less and using coupons more. Clark’s article describes an author from the 1940s, MFK Fisher, who wrote during World War II. In the midst of the war, food rationing programs were emerging and strict limits were put on basic foods. Fisher wrote the book How to Cook a Wolf in 1942 to remind Americans that even through there were strict limits on food, the pleasure found within food was still there. I believe that Clark is trying to show her audience, the American people who listen to Weekend America, that the pleasure can still be found in food. Food is one of the three basic needs in our lives, along with “making love and keeping warm”. Fisher’s book contained recipes for relatively cheap meals, such as “Tomato Can Soup” and “War Cake”, many recipes that we wouldn’t think of touching today. The recipes were mixed in with stories and advice on how to achieve the maximum pleasure from food.
Char Miller’s essay “In the Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice During WWII – Victory Gardens” also delves into the scarcity of food in economic hardtimes presented in World War II. Victory gardens allowed for self-sufficiency and freedom in a time of food rationing and strict nutritional limits. Gardening has always been an important part of American culture. Gardening was one way to be able to find pleasure in food. It was also seen as a patriotic duty and a way to serve the homeland. Victory gardens were a place for individuals to escape. When sad or depressing news was heard, individuals could escape to their tomatoes and carrots and focus their minds elsewhere. Gardening is also a relatively cheap way of attaining food. Growing up, my mother had her own garden in our backyard. While we could afford to buy vegetables at the store, my mother used her garden as her happy place. Some days, she would be out there for hours, tinkering with the plants and giving them as much love as they needed. For some reason, the vegetables always tasted better coming from her garden. Maybe it was the freshness of that first bite or the vision of helping my mother, but the pleasure my mother got from the vegetables was amazing. In tough economic times, finding pleasure wherever possible is necessary. Food, as shown in these two articles, is a good place to start.
The first article I read was title “In the sweat of our brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII- Victory Gardens”. This article was very easy to read and made a lot of great points when discussing the effectiveness of gardening in time of war. The nation advises everyone to grow what they called “War Gardens”, which later changed to Victory Gardens. The basic idea was to save the economies resources by growing your own food. People were encouraged that this was their civil duty. Char Miller explains the ways the media influenced this idea, in particular Home and Gardens Magazine “household magazine such as House and Gardens and Better Homes and Gardens encouraged the farming of victory gardens and distributed much information on their successful growth and planting. This promotion was very successful”. I like the idea of the victory gardens; it was a great way to encourage America in a time of despair, allowing everyone to feel like they could help the nation.
The next article read had the same theme, saving in time of need. “How to cook a wolf” was basically an analysis of a book written by MFK Fisher titled, “How To Cook a Wolf”. In this article Krissy Clark discusses with positive feedback the effect that this book had on her. Clark explains that the term wolf is just a metaphor for turmoil, knocking at your door. The book is basically a cookbook that explains how to use what you have to cook food, while saving money and enjoying the food.
I enjoyed the two readings for this week. They both discussed what was relevant today, in our struggling economy. I work at Red Lobsters were I see first hand the effects of the economy and dinning out. People have come out significantly less than they did this time last year, which affects my income greatly. I have recently began to cut coupons, a great way to save a few extra dollars, and making a big pot of beef stew one night in order to save time and money for the other nights to come.
It’s interesting to think that the US is coming to be very similar to the way it was in the 1940s with everyone trying to save as much money as possible, although I don’t think it’s quite as bad as it was in the past, and let’s hope it doesn’t get that way. I like that Krissy Clark brought up the book “How to Cook a Wolf” because it gives Americans the knowledge that living and eating off of very little money is possible. This sort of interests me as to what else is in that book. The essay about victory gardens focuses on the need for people to plant their own food for consumption because of the recession. This makes a ton of sense, and it isn’t too extremely difficult to do. My parents still have a garden at home and the vegetables we get from it taste a million times better than any vegetables bought from the store!
The first reading for this week, “How to Cook a Wolf” by Krissy Clark was basically her analysis of the book “How to Cook a Wolf” written by MFK Fisher in 1942. This book is really relevant to our current situation with the economy being bad and all. In those times, food had to be rationed very carefully, to make sure people didn’t have to spend all they had to eat, as money was tight then as well with the war going on. At first I thought this might have been about actually eating wolf, which I had never heard of before, but the reference to a wolf is just a metaphor for how hard life becomes when food is hard to come by, for whatever reason. I though it was interesting how Clark noted that Fisher stressed ways we can still enjoy our food throughout the money crisis. People are so worried about how they are going to eat that they never seem to try to find the positives that we can still make out of the situation. It is still possible to enjoy eating, people just need to cut out all of the sweets and luxury foods, and candy, and stick to the essentials. This will also help out with the health of the country, which currently boasts one of the fattest populations in the world.
I work at a bakery, and recently I have noticed that there are many more people complaining about the price of the food that we sell. We have even had to cut hours and are no longer hiring any more employees due to the economy. Being a bakery, the food we sell is more of a luxury than anything, like a dessert that is not really necessary, so I don’t really think donuts are what I would be complaining about.
The second article, “In the Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice During WWII- Victory Gardens” was also related to the past wars of our country. This theme sets these two articles apart from the others we have read, as they were all pretty recent, pertaining to current day issues. This one makes it interesting how similar times are now to the way it was 60 years ago. I think it is interesting for Americans to be encouraged to garden during wartime. Not only will this ease their minds a little and give them something to do other than sit at home and worry about the war, but it allows people to grow their own food so as to save money. Also, home grown food is probably better to eat anyway. There was even a national committee formed for these gardens. These gardens gave people an excuse to go outside and move around a little, as opposed to just sitting inside all day. This is a good way to keep people a little healthier. It would be interesting to see what would happen if an idea like this was implemented now, with the economy being as bad as it is, and with America being as unhealthy as it is. This could keep people away from all the snack food, to an extent, and get them up and about.
I felt like the article “Weekend America” discussed a problem that many people are having, which is cutting back on food. How to Cook a Wolf is a great concept for Americans in today economy. I think that people should know how to prepare a filling male when dollars are down. Back in World War II when this book was first published, Americans were strictly limited on how much they could but thing like sugar, butter, meat, and coffee. This is important information to know because the economy is bad, but it’s not like that. I have never been in a situation, other than lack of money, where someone told me I could only buy a certain amount of food. This would explain why the Victory Gardens were so popular during the World Wars because it provided a way for people to feed themselves, while the economy was terrible. And being able to provide for your own needs showed patriotism because it gave more to the soldiers who were at war. I think this is a good idea, I wouldn’t mind having a small garden in my future home because of the good tasting food it would provide. My mother’s side of the family is from West Virginia and farming was a part of their daily lives. This was not a new concept or idea for them, they always farmed. Something else that I thought was interesting about the Author of the book during 1942 was her interest and pleasure she got form cooking. I think this is rather rare during in my generation. I know that my mother hated to cook, but she would anyway. The American markets sale so many products that make cooking faster, easier, and less troublesome. For example, during those times store bought white bread came out and fisher didn’t approve, In 1942, Fisher was also horrified with the state of bread in America. Store-bought "enriched white-bread" was the trend.” She would have rather take the time to make her own bread and serve it to her family. She truly enjoyed sharing her cooking with others. Overall, I think it would be interesting to see how many people would be interested in growing a farm in today’s generation me culture. I think that farming would be hard work, especially in today’s fast paced economy, but I think it would be a good experience and give appreciation to the food we consume. There are people who do have small farms in their backs yards and rooftops, but it would be interesting to see the age range for the people who are growing these farms. I think that Americans could save a good amount of money growing some of their own vegetables and cooking more, rather than eating out every night.
The first article, based on a book by MFK Fisher, “How to Cook a Wolf” reminds me of some old family recipes that I keep stashed in a closet for the most part. I have found myself in some needy situations and I have retrieved them on rare occasions. This article is about saving money but still enjoying food. This article tries to propose an answer to some questions that are arising in our economy now. It has a twist of humor to some really scary uncertainties. This article finds a way to comfort the situations that we are finding at our door. The next article that I read was “Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII- Victory Gardens”. This was a very interesting story about victory gardens during the 1940’s. The government promotion of people growing their own need of vegetables so that the army could get the food that was being farmed commercially. The U.S. made a public stand on the food conservation movement. It encouraged contests and “How to” guides for the entire country to come together to save money. Seems like they need to do that now. The first article was written very recently, which is very adapting to our needs now. The second article was written in 2003 and seems to be a good prediction of the times to come. However, this article was written in The Journal of American Culture. This is a good history of what people have done in the past to satisfy a need. It’s hard not to feel some sort of comfort living in the United States and feeling like we are the wealthiest country in the world. We are now starting to drown in that falsified image. Times are tough. They might get worse before they get better. These articles show ways that we can survive more cheaply, but how to feel some true accomplishment and enjoyment while doing it.
I found both of the articles for today’s home work very interesting. Krissy Clark article “how to cook a wolf” was very easy to read. It was an editorial that basically gave specific directions on how to eat cheap. The writer used many quotes from MFK Fisher book “How to Cook a Wolf”. The fact that Fisher book was written in 1942 tells me that Clark actually went out to seek information on this food deficient. It seems to me Clark did a lot of research. The fact that this article was basically gives specific directions on how to cook and eat for cheap shows the writers concern with the economy. I also like the fact I could read along with the recording. That was very cool. Seeing that “In the Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic practice During WWII - Victory Gardens” was fifteen pages long!!!!!!!! Clark’s article was also very informing. Fisher who originally wrote the book “How to Cook a Wolf” purpose was to give recipes of good foods t hat are inexpensive. Clark’s purpose was also to show people that they can be more frugal and still eat well. Also because Weekend America was funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Minnesota Public Radio tells me there intended audience was most likely listeners. Their intended audience was for anyone who listens to their station. Also anyone who enjoy live conversation and anyone who’s concerned with what is happening in America each weekend. I like this article because it caters to everyone even blind people with live recordings of the articles. In Char Miller “In t he Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII-Victory Gardens” was somewhat hard to read because of its long length. I was distracted many times while reading this Essay. I also didn’t like all the different subtitles. I think Miller wanted wrote this informative piece to tell about citizenship in American domestic in Victory Gardens. He writes about how Victory Gardens impacted the government, Freedom, State and the Body, Order, Efficient Planning, Control over Nature- Reestablishment of Order and Feelings. That is why Miller has so many subtitles with in his essay. He does this to specifically break down what Victory Gardens did during America’s time of struggle. I must say Miller educated me on many different effects of Victory Gardens. Going back to what Miller entitled this piece ““In t he Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII-Victory Gardens” shows his tone. His tones tell me that he is serious, not only serious but he takes his job serious. Because Char Miller is a Professor and his job is to give people who lack subject knowledge. That is exactly what Mr. Miller does in this essay.
I found “In the Sweat of Our Brow” to be both entertaining and informational. It is entertaining due to some of the victory propaganda peppered throughout and informational because it brings data together over a span of 20 years, all in a 15 page paper. It was hilarious when the author wrote about how beneficial Victory Gardens were because of the health benefits. Not only was it a workout but it delivered fresh air to the lungs. They made gardening out to be the new sport of the era…can you imagine a “Who can till the soil fastest?” competition? What about a Miracle-Grow sponsored Olympic event, the Plow-run. More propaganda can be found in advertisements of the Vigoro Victory Garden Fertilizer. Talk about someone exploiting people to make money during a dark time in American history. The tag line is “You know that Uncle Sam is counting on you, and millions of other patriotic Americans to grow just as much as you possibly can.” It is ridiculous. To actually make a product called Victory Garden Fertilizer seems criminal and unnecessary. People of that age were worried about their soldiers and volunteers and trying to do everything in their power to help out, and to dump a product on them like this is just too much. Imagine how guilty you would feel walking down an aisle of a store and see this product staring at you in the face, and you didn’t have a victory garden. I would feel bad at least, maybe it’s just me. The other article, about the book “How to Cook a Wolf” is another time warp. This cookbook, to people my age, seems outrageous and downright nasty. But in context with that era, it makes perfect sense why someone would write such a cookbook. Actually, our economic peril we are facing right now is the perfect time to bring back such books. Making something like “Tomato Soup Cake” might be necessary for some people to make ends meet, and it could considerably keep the production of waste down. As Americans, stereotypically, we use and we use and we overuse. But we don’t use it all. Instead of eating the whole load of bread, we throw away the ends. Instead of boxing up food for leftovers at home, we just throw it out. And it isn’t just with food. We throw away plastic bags instead of using them for trash bags in the future, and we almost always don’t recycle them. Maybe “How to Cook a Wolf” is something we need to look into to.
Krissy Clark's "How to Cook A Wolf" article was probably my favorite article out of the two because I think it applies to our nation as a whole moreso than victory gardens. Clark's analysis of the book, along with her application of it towards today's economy, makes for a very fun and interesting read. But it presents some questions in readers' minds.. maybe just mine, but I'm really wondering how bad this depression is going to get? Will we eventually need this book to survive on? I could be taking this too seriously, but we're supposedly nearing a year of recession aka now a depression.. and if it's supposed to be worse than the one in 1929, what kind of book will we need to live by then? I can't imagine our new President allowing it to happen, but maybe the damage is already done? So many questions, so little answers. Our country may be in a war, but take a look at what little national pride we hold today compared to the pride our citizens had back in any other war, most notably the World Wars. To be honest the only pride I see now is those hopeful cries of "Buy made in the USA" just to save our country. One wise person mentioned to me that those signs might have an eventual effect on people, but how much do you want to bet they were created with markers and poster board created in China? The victory gardens were quite a unifying endeavor, one that should be applauded. The generation of today needs to come up with an applauding effort too..primarily to survive. Maybe a good idea would be a new strategy for food rationing if the future looks as dim as they're predicting.
For as long as I’ve been alive there has always been an argument about what types of food should a mother feed their baby? And what kind of milk should a mother feed their baby? Just the other day while talking to my pregnant friend I asked her what kind of milk was she going to feed her baby. She looked at me like I was cursing at her and said “girl you know I’m going breast feed, I read in a book it’s healthier to breast feed your baby because the nutrients in breast milk make your baby smarter”. So I began to think why do people think breast milk is healthier for their baby and why do people think breast milk makes their baby smarter and Why do people think baby formula is better for the baby? In my paper I will show how the media uses rhetoric to influence mother’s decisions on the type of milk they choose for their baby. Also I will use nutrient books for babies such as Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. I will focus on how the media uses certain actress to entice mothers. Also how authors uses certain word choices to sway readers(mothers) into feeding their children what that particular author deem as being the best food or milk or at least what they think is the best food or milk. In paper three I will include specific strategies baby companies use, and of course I will primarily focus on the audience. You know the people who are targeted by these books, the people reading these books and the people who are affected by these commercials. I will try not to make it like a research paper, stating only facts about baby formula, breast milk, and baby food but instead I will show how writers and the media talk/write about formula, breast milk, and baby food. This topic is very interesting to me because I was breast feed as a baby so I want to know what made my mom breast feed verses giving me milk like my other three brothers. While doing research on my topic I read that the 80’s was the “health food” years, so maybe my mom thought she was being healthier or maybe she figured it was cheaper to fill the bottles up with breast milk vs. Similac. I don’t know why my mom decided to breast feed me but I’m sure she was influenced by something or someone just like the trillions of mothers in the world today. In my paper I thought it would be cool and interested to look at how baby milk is marked all over the world. I would love to see how different countries like Japanese or Cambodian baby milk commercials compare to American commercials. I wouldn’t mind exploring different countries to see if there is a common ground in the rhetoric that is being used in persuading audiences that a particular formula is best for babies. I really have a lot of different ideas and haven’t settled on one but I’m sure I will use at least three of the ones stated in this microtheme. I want this paper to be fun yet still educational for the reader(s).
Here's a link to a website I found for the show "Three Sheets" I mentioned in class about the guy who travels around the world to get drunk the way people do in that particular country.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mojohd.com/mojoseries/threesheets/
The article “Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII-Victory Gardens” was about the World War II era when gardening became part of American’s lives. During this time period, government encouraged citizens to become more self sufficient. Planting “victory gardens” were important because it saved as much food as possible for the American troops overseas. The author Char Miller, of George Mason University, wrote this article focusing on American culture of the time. He discussed mostly how victory gardens fit into our culture perfectly.
ReplyDeleteFirst, he discussed the rich American history behind gardening. In the pioneer days, our ability to live off the land was important. Miller explains that gardening is part of the reason America was able to be a free country in the first place. Appreciation of American freedom was important to remember during a time of war.
Gardening also became important to Americans because of the way it was advertised as something patriotic. It was definitely vital for Americans to stay optimistic and proud of their country during tough wartimes. Government and magazines sent out the message that living off your own land, and giving the rest to the troops and the starving, was our patriotic duty.
Nutrition and health also became part of American culture, and something that was thought about a lot. American wanted quality foods, which could provide plenty of vitamins to keep their over-worked bodies going. Gardening produced plenty of nutritional fruits and vegetables. It also provided the gardener with some extra exercise.
Another thing which became common in times of war is fear. When the world is at war things can get scary. The weight of things on American’s minds could sadden or depress someone easily. For those people, gardening offered an escape. Jessie Morris, of Better Homes and Gardens wrote, “If my heart is sad, or my mind in turmoil… I can go into my garden and find faith, tranquility, comfort, and physical exercise, all of which give me a feeling of well-being” (Morris 402). This writer believes that simply being in her garden could lift her spirits. This could be important for many more Americans, feeling the strains of war. It is also said that the colors of flowers and nature could brighten ones day or tranquilize one’s mind.
Another piece of American culture in wartimes is money. Most families could feel the pull of the war tighten up on their money supply. An article in House & Garden claimed that a 40 by 40 foot garden could supply a household with $79.80 worth of food (Morris 404). This could drastically cut down on a family’s food cost.
Krissy Clark, of Weekend America, wrote about the book How to Cook a Wolf. This book, wrote in 1942 by MFK Fisher, is also about the strain of WWII on Americans. The “wolf” here though is not actually a wolf. It is a figurative character that is meant to stand for tough economic times. Fisher believes that even in these times however, one must enjoy what they eat. Her book contained a collection of recipes which could be made for relatively no cost at all. Clark describes the experience of making one of Fisher’s recipes with an old friend of the deceased author. They landed upon the recipe Gaspacho Soup and headed to the grocery store. They spend a little over $12 on the meal, and determined that it could have easily served 6 people. Clark was happy with the cost and her meal. She too believes that one can eat good, even in hard times. The point Clark misses however, is victory gardens. As mentioned in the comments section by Barbara Haubrich from Pennsylvania. Using all vegetables from their own gardens, this would cost Americans next to nothing.
In regards to the research paper coming up, I want to find articles about genetically altered foods, versus organics. I am hoping to especially focus on the cultural aspects between them.
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ReplyDeleteOne piece of chicken instead of two, sharing a plate of pasta, and eliminating snacks, this can be referred to food rationing and it happened only in the great depression. Right? Today the U.S. is experiencing some déjà vu when it comes to economic recession. While we are not close to a depression yet, the economy is falling and people are eating out less and cutting down on their grocery lists. One person who knew how to make a lot out of nothing was MFK Fisher. Krissy Clark, writes about the book “How to Cook a Wolf” by MFK Fisher. Written in 1942, Fisher explains how to make a hearty meal out of scraps and collected foods. Her book was inspiring to those during WWII who had to ration food and support a family on little sustenance. Today, although things aren’t so bad that people make cake out of tomato soup, people have come to know some of the same hardships that Fisher dealt with. Clark explains that through Fisher’s book, essays and recipes alike show the survival techniques people succumb to in times of need. It just goes to show that people cannot be so lavish and crave luxury when times are rough. We have become somewhat selfish and greedy with materials and with food. People always want the nicest cuts of meat and the freshest vegetables. Sometimes, we must sacrifice our twenty-dollar restaurant meals to a home-cooked Gaspacho for fewer than thirteen dollars. People have been resorting to food stamps and coupons to make a meal. Much like seventy years ago, we are all looking for ways to make the dollar go further and the stomachs’ fuller.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to Clark’s article, Char Miller wrote, “In the Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII—Victory Gardens.” In this short essay by Miller, he emphasizes the standard of victory gardens. These gardens aided in efficient production of food. The government distributed plans and pamphlets on the planting of these gardens. A sense of self-sufficiency was promoted as many families began their own mini farms. Everyone was planting to supply their source of food. Today, farming and home gardens aren’t too common but, as the economy continues to go underground, it may become more popular. Victory gardens are a cheap and easy way to put matters into your own hands, and this is something that may become a necessity for some. Let’s hope that things don’t get this bad that we have to ration and plant home gardens for food. Still, you never know. With the help of Miller and Clark, we are now exposed to some very good ideas about conserving food.
It was nice to talk about a different aspect associating with American culture and in one of the articles, our culture with food. Beginning with the article “Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII- Victory Gardens” the idea of “victory gardens” was brought up. I have never heard of this idea of patriotism, but was interested as I continued to read. These were used to basically display American patriotism during the war by having Americans becoming more self sustainable in rationing and saving as much of the food as they could for the soldiers during this hard time. The author, Char Miller, validated his points on the idea of Victory Gardens being a form of patriotism since the idea of gardening has dated so far back in our history in the way we obtained a majority of our food. This began our country on the track of being an independent, self sustained country that we initially became and still are in particular aspects to this day. Gardening just gave off the independent vibe, along with helping the soldiers during a difficult time. This also results in healthier food, with no preservatives added, and the satisfaction of knowing where your food is coming from. These overall factors support the idea of gardening being helpful to the individual in the nutrition aspect, patriotically, and give the opportunity for fresh air and exercise. As in any time of war, the nation as a whole can hit its low points, and any form of escape, especially one that actually helps the nation as a whole, would be a very good one. During this time period, gardening served for those purposes.
ReplyDelete“How to Cook a Wolf” by Krissy Clark also brought up the idea of affordable food in rough times. She begins with mentioning the statistic of the average American spending roughly seven dollars a day on food, and with the seven percent increase for any nutritious diet, it could very hard to keep the healthful eating habits we once had. This book tried to make eating during rough times an enjoyable experience no matter what kind of budget you could be on. The author, MFK Fischer even states “I early on thought, as long as we have to eat to live, we may as well have fun doing it. There should be some enjoyment of food, as we do with making love, or keeping warm. It’s one of the three basic needs of our lives.” This quote supported the main purpose of her book. It gave many ideas, even making your own toothpaste. All these recipes are affordable, and still can be very enjoyable.
For the research topic, I was looking at the idea for American diet trends. There are so many fads, which can change day to day. It’s part of our culture to try to look our best, and some people really take that to the extreme, by trying diets that any sane person could know doesn’t work. I want to discuss different diet fads, and how and who they affect in our society.
It is no surprise that America is in a recession. With no end in sight, the recession may continue to worsen. Food prices have on commodities and other foods have already increased. While some may think this is the end of the world, others must realize that it has been worse before. Krissy Clark, author of the article “How to Cook a Wolf” points out that, in July 2008, the average American was spending seven dollars a day on food. With the recession, however, Americans are eating out less and using coupons more. Clark’s article describes an author from the 1940s, MFK Fisher, who wrote during World War II. In the midst of the war, food rationing programs were emerging and strict limits were put on basic foods. Fisher wrote the book How to Cook a Wolf in 1942 to remind Americans that even through there were strict limits on food, the pleasure found within food was still there. I believe that Clark is trying to show her audience, the American people who listen to Weekend America, that the pleasure can still be found in food. Food is one of the three basic needs in our lives, along with “making love and keeping warm”. Fisher’s book contained recipes for relatively cheap meals, such as “Tomato Can Soup” and “War Cake”, many recipes that we wouldn’t think of touching today. The recipes were mixed in with stories and advice on how to achieve the maximum pleasure from food.
ReplyDeleteChar Miller’s essay “In the Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice During WWII – Victory Gardens” also delves into the scarcity of food in economic hardtimes presented in World War II. Victory gardens allowed for self-sufficiency and freedom in a time of food rationing and strict nutritional limits. Gardening has always been an important part of American culture. Gardening was one way to be able to find pleasure in food. It was also seen as a patriotic duty and a way to serve the homeland. Victory gardens were a place for individuals to escape. When sad or depressing news was heard, individuals could escape to their tomatoes and carrots and focus their minds elsewhere. Gardening is also a relatively cheap way of attaining food. Growing up, my mother had her own garden in our backyard. While we could afford to buy vegetables at the store, my mother used her garden as her happy place. Some days, she would be out there for hours, tinkering with the plants and giving them as much love as they needed. For some reason, the vegetables always tasted better coming from her garden. Maybe it was the freshness of that first bite or the vision of helping my mother, but the pleasure my mother got from the vegetables was amazing. In tough economic times, finding pleasure wherever possible is necessary. Food, as shown in these two articles, is a good place to start.
The first article I read was title “In the sweat of our brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII- Victory Gardens”. This article was very easy to read and made a lot of great points when discussing the effectiveness of gardening in time of war. The nation advises everyone to grow what they called “War Gardens”, which later changed to Victory Gardens. The basic idea was to save the economies resources by growing your own food. People were encouraged that this was their civil duty. Char Miller explains the ways the media influenced this idea, in particular Home and Gardens Magazine “household magazine such as House and Gardens and Better Homes and Gardens encouraged the farming of victory gardens and distributed much information on their successful growth and planting. This promotion was very successful”. I like the idea of the victory gardens; it was a great way to encourage America in a time of despair, allowing everyone to feel like they could help the nation.
ReplyDeleteThe next article read had the same theme, saving in time of need. “How to cook a wolf” was basically an analysis of a book written by MFK Fisher titled, “How To Cook a Wolf”. In this article Krissy Clark discusses with positive feedback the effect that this book had on her. Clark explains that the term wolf is just a metaphor for turmoil, knocking at your door. The book is basically a cookbook that explains how to use what you have to cook food, while saving money and enjoying the food.
I enjoyed the two readings for this week. They both discussed what was relevant today, in our struggling economy. I work at Red Lobsters were I see first hand the effects of the economy and dinning out. People have come out significantly less than they did this time last year, which affects my income greatly. I have recently began to cut coupons, a great way to save a few extra dollars, and making a big pot of beef stew one night in order to save time and money for the other nights to come.
It’s interesting to think that the US is coming to be very similar to the way it was in the 1940s with everyone trying to save as much money as possible, although I don’t think it’s quite as bad as it was in the past, and let’s hope it doesn’t get that way. I like that Krissy Clark brought up the book “How to Cook a Wolf” because it gives Americans the knowledge that living and eating off of very little money is possible. This sort of interests me as to what else is in that book.
ReplyDeleteThe essay about victory gardens focuses on the need for people to plant their own food for consumption because of the recession. This makes a ton of sense, and it isn’t too extremely difficult to do. My parents still have a garden at home and the vegetables we get from it taste a million times better than any vegetables bought from the store!
The first reading for this week, “How to Cook a Wolf” by Krissy Clark was basically her analysis of the book “How to Cook a Wolf” written by MFK Fisher in 1942. This book is really relevant to our current situation with the economy being bad and all. In those times, food had to be rationed very carefully, to make sure people didn’t have to spend all they had to eat, as money was tight then as well with the war going on. At first I thought this might have been about actually eating wolf, which I had never heard of before, but the reference to a wolf is just a metaphor for how hard life becomes when food is hard to come by, for whatever reason. I though it was interesting how Clark noted that Fisher stressed ways we can still enjoy our food throughout the money crisis. People are so worried about how they are going to eat that they never seem to try to find the positives that we can still make out of the situation. It is still possible to enjoy eating, people just need to cut out all of the sweets and luxury foods, and candy, and stick to the essentials. This will also help out with the health of the country, which currently boasts one of the fattest populations in the world.
ReplyDeleteI work at a bakery, and recently I have noticed that there are many more people complaining about the price of the food that we sell. We have even had to cut hours and are no longer hiring any more employees due to the economy. Being a bakery, the food we sell is more of a luxury than anything, like a dessert that is not really necessary, so I don’t really think donuts are what I would be complaining about.
The second article, “In the Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice During WWII- Victory Gardens” was also related to the past wars of our country. This theme sets these two articles apart from the others we have read, as they were all pretty recent, pertaining to current day issues. This one makes it interesting how similar times are now to the way it was 60 years ago. I think it is interesting for Americans to be encouraged to garden during wartime. Not only will this ease their minds a little and give them something to do other than sit at home and worry about the war, but it allows people to grow their own food so as to save money. Also, home grown food is probably better to eat anyway. There was even a national committee formed for these gardens. These gardens gave people an excuse to go outside and move around a little, as opposed to just sitting inside all day. This is a good way to keep people a little healthier. It would be interesting to see what would happen if an idea like this was implemented now, with the economy being as bad as it is, and with America being as unhealthy as it is. This could keep people away from all the snack food, to an extent, and get them up and about.
I felt like the article “Weekend America” discussed a problem that many people are having, which is cutting back on food. How to Cook a Wolf is a great concept for Americans in today economy. I think that people should know how to prepare a filling male when dollars are down. Back in World War II when this book was first published, Americans were strictly limited on how much they could but thing like sugar, butter, meat, and coffee. This is important information to know because the economy is bad, but it’s not like that. I have never been in a situation, other than lack of money, where someone told me I could only buy a certain amount of food. This would explain why the Victory Gardens were so popular during the World Wars because it provided a way for people to feed themselves, while the economy was terrible. And being able to provide for your own needs showed patriotism because it gave more to the soldiers who were at war. I think this is a good idea, I wouldn’t mind having a small garden in my future home because of the good tasting food it would provide. My mother’s side of the family is from West Virginia and farming was a part of their daily lives. This was not a new concept or idea for them, they always farmed.
ReplyDeleteSomething else that I thought was interesting about the Author of the book during 1942 was her interest and pleasure she got form cooking. I think this is rather rare during in my generation. I know that my mother hated to cook, but she would anyway. The American markets sale so many products that make cooking faster, easier, and less troublesome. For example, during those times store bought white bread came out and fisher didn’t approve, In 1942, Fisher was also horrified with the state of bread in America. Store-bought "enriched white-bread" was the trend.” She would have rather take the time to make her own bread and serve it to her family. She truly enjoyed sharing her cooking with others.
Overall, I think it would be interesting to see how many people would be interested in growing a farm in today’s generation me culture. I think that farming would be hard work, especially in today’s fast paced economy, but I think it would be a good experience and give appreciation to the food we consume. There are people who do have small farms in their backs yards and rooftops, but it would be interesting to see the age range for the people who are growing these farms. I think that Americans could save a good amount of money growing some of their own vegetables and cooking more, rather than eating out every night.
The first article, based on a book by MFK Fisher, “How to Cook a Wolf” reminds me of some old family recipes that I keep stashed in a closet for the most part. I have found myself in some needy situations and I have retrieved them on rare occasions. This article is about saving money but still enjoying food. This article tries to propose an answer to some questions that are arising in our economy now. It has a twist of humor to some really scary uncertainties. This article finds a way to comfort the situations that we are finding at our door.
ReplyDeleteThe next article that I read was “Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII- Victory Gardens”. This was a very interesting story about victory gardens during the 1940’s. The government promotion of people growing their own need of vegetables so that the army could get the food that was being farmed commercially. The U.S. made a public stand on the food conservation movement. It encouraged contests and “How to” guides for the entire country to come together to save money. Seems like they need to do that now.
The first article was written very recently, which is very adapting to our needs now. The second article was written in 2003 and seems to be a good prediction of the times to come. However, this article was written in The Journal of American Culture. This is a good history of what people have done in the past to satisfy a need.
It’s hard not to feel some sort of comfort living in the United States and feeling like we are the wealthiest country in the world. We are now starting to drown in that falsified image. Times are tough. They might get worse before they get better. These articles show ways that we can survive more cheaply, but how to feel some true accomplishment and enjoyment while doing it.
I found both of the articles for today’s home work very interesting. Krissy Clark article “how to cook a wolf” was very easy to read. It was an editorial that basically gave specific directions on how to eat cheap. The writer used many quotes from MFK Fisher book “How to Cook a Wolf”. The fact that Fisher book was written in 1942 tells me that Clark actually went out to seek information on this food deficient. It seems to me Clark did a lot of research. The fact that this article was basically gives specific directions on how to cook and eat for cheap shows the writers concern with the economy. I also like the fact I could read along with the recording. That was very cool. Seeing that “In the Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic practice During WWII - Victory Gardens” was fifteen pages long!!!!!!!! Clark’s article was also very informing. Fisher who originally wrote the book “How to Cook a Wolf” purpose was to give recipes of good foods t hat are inexpensive. Clark’s purpose was also to show people that they can be more frugal and still eat well. Also because Weekend America was funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Minnesota Public Radio tells me there intended audience was most likely listeners. Their intended audience was for anyone who listens to their station. Also anyone who enjoy live conversation and anyone who’s concerned with what is happening in America each weekend. I like this article because it caters to everyone even blind people with live recordings of the articles.
ReplyDeleteIn Char Miller “In t he Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII-Victory Gardens” was somewhat hard to read because of its long length. I was distracted many times while reading this Essay. I also didn’t like all the different subtitles. I think Miller wanted wrote this informative piece to tell about citizenship in American domestic in Victory Gardens. He writes about how Victory Gardens impacted the government, Freedom, State and the Body, Order, Efficient Planning, Control over Nature- Reestablishment of Order and Feelings. That is why Miller has so many subtitles with in his essay. He does this to specifically break down what Victory Gardens did during America’s time of struggle. I must say Miller educated me on many different effects of Victory Gardens. Going back to what Miller entitled this piece ““In t he Sweat of Our Brow: Citizenship in American Domestic Practice during WWII-Victory Gardens” shows his tone. His tones tell me that he is serious, not only serious but he takes his job serious. Because Char Miller is a Professor and his job is to give people who lack subject knowledge. That is exactly what Mr. Miller does in this essay.
I found “In the Sweat of Our Brow” to be both entertaining and informational. It is entertaining due to some of the victory propaganda peppered throughout and informational because it brings data together over a span of 20 years, all in a 15 page paper. It was hilarious when the author wrote about how beneficial Victory Gardens were because of the health benefits. Not only was it a workout but it delivered fresh air to the lungs. They made gardening out to be the new sport of the era…can you imagine a “Who can till the soil fastest?” competition? What about a Miracle-Grow sponsored Olympic event, the Plow-run. More propaganda can be found in advertisements of the Vigoro Victory Garden Fertilizer. Talk about someone exploiting people to make money during a dark time in American history. The tag line is “You know that Uncle Sam is counting on you, and millions of other patriotic Americans to grow just as much as you possibly can.” It is ridiculous. To actually make a product called Victory Garden Fertilizer seems criminal and unnecessary. People of that age were worried about their soldiers and volunteers and trying to do everything in their power to help out, and to dump a product on them like this is just too much. Imagine how guilty you would feel walking down an aisle of a store and see this product staring at you in the face, and you didn’t have a victory garden. I would feel bad at least, maybe it’s just me.
ReplyDeleteThe other article, about the book “How to Cook a Wolf” is another time warp. This cookbook, to people my age, seems outrageous and downright nasty. But in context with that era, it makes perfect sense why someone would write such a cookbook. Actually, our economic peril we are facing right now is the perfect time to bring back such books. Making something like “Tomato Soup Cake” might be necessary for some people to make ends meet, and it could considerably keep the production of waste down. As Americans, stereotypically, we use and we use and we overuse. But we don’t use it all. Instead of eating the whole load of bread, we throw away the ends. Instead of boxing up food for leftovers at home, we just throw it out. And it isn’t just with food. We throw away plastic bags instead of using them for trash bags in the future, and we almost always don’t recycle them. Maybe “How to Cook a Wolf” is something we need to look into to.
Krissy Clark's "How to Cook A Wolf" article was probably my favorite article out of the two because I think it applies to our nation as a whole moreso than victory gardens. Clark's analysis of the book, along with her application of it towards today's economy, makes for a very fun and interesting read. But it presents some questions in readers' minds.. maybe just mine, but I'm really wondering how bad this depression is going to get? Will we eventually need this book to survive on? I could be taking this too seriously, but we're supposedly nearing a year of recession aka now a depression.. and if it's supposed to be worse than the one in 1929, what kind of book will we need to live by then? I can't imagine our new President allowing it to happen, but maybe the damage is already done? So many questions, so little answers.
ReplyDeleteOur country may be in a war, but take a look at what little national pride we hold today compared to the pride our citizens had back in any other war, most notably the World Wars. To be honest the only pride I see now is those hopeful cries of "Buy made in the USA" just to save our country. One wise person mentioned to me that those signs might have an eventual effect on people, but how much do you want to bet they were created with markers and poster board created in China? The victory gardens were quite a unifying endeavor, one that should be applauded.
The generation of today needs to come up with an applauding effort too..primarily to survive. Maybe a good idea would be a new strategy for food rationing if the future looks as dim as they're predicting.
For as long as I’ve been alive there has always been an argument about what types of food should a mother feed their baby? And what kind of milk should a mother feed their baby? Just the other day while talking to my pregnant friend I asked her what kind of milk was she going to feed her baby. She looked at me like I was cursing at her and said “girl you know I’m going breast feed, I read in a book it’s healthier to breast feed your baby because the nutrients in breast milk make your baby smarter”. So I began to think why do people think breast milk is healthier for their baby and why do people think breast milk makes their baby smarter and Why do people think baby formula is better for the baby? In my paper I will show how the media uses rhetoric to influence mother’s decisions on the type of milk they choose for their baby. Also I will use nutrient books for babies such as Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron.
ReplyDeleteI will focus on how the media uses certain actress to entice mothers. Also how authors uses certain word choices to sway readers(mothers) into feeding their children what that particular author deem as being the best food or milk or at least what they think is the best food or milk. In paper three I will include specific strategies baby companies use, and of course I will primarily focus on the audience. You know the people who are targeted by these books, the people reading these books and the people who are affected by these commercials. I will try not to make it like a research paper, stating only facts about baby formula, breast milk, and baby food but instead I will show how writers and the media talk/write about formula, breast milk, and baby food.
This topic is very interesting to me because I was breast feed as a baby so I want to know what made my mom breast feed verses giving me milk like my other three brothers. While doing research on my topic I read that the 80’s was the “health food” years, so maybe my mom thought she was being healthier or maybe she figured it was cheaper to fill the bottles up with breast milk vs. Similac. I don’t know why my mom decided to breast feed me but I’m sure she was influenced by something or someone just like the trillions of mothers in the world today. In my paper I thought it would be cool and interested to look at how baby milk is marked all over the world. I would love to see how different countries like Japanese or Cambodian baby milk commercials compare to American commercials. I wouldn’t mind exploring different countries to see if there is a common ground in the rhetoric that is being used in persuading audiences that a particular formula is best for babies. I really have a lot of different ideas and haven’t settled on one but I’m sure I will use at least three of the ones stated in this microtheme. I want this paper to be fun yet still educational for the reader(s).
I don't know if this will be of help to anyone.. but it was on Google news today..
ReplyDeletehttp://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/story?id=6960102&page=1