What does your trash say about you?

[dulcinea3]

Another reason that someone who doesn't like broccoli could have some in their trash is that it appears to be very difficult to make frozen dinners or vegetable medleys without broccoli.  So a broccoli-hater might be driven to pick it out and throw it away.  I don't eat frozen meals very often, but I usually have a few on hand for days when I forget to defrost a cut of meat for dinner (living alone, I have to freeze a lot of my food to make it last).  My selection is very limited.  I would say that easily well over 50% have broccoli in them, and I just won't buy those.

I have found that raw broccoli is not as obnoxious as cooked.  I still don't like it, but I have had it from time to time, and dipped in fat-free ranch dressing, it's not too bad.

[Melissa_W Moderator]

That is true.  Broccoli has invaded the frozen foods market (must be a conspiracy).  I generally try not to pick it out if it already comes in something; sometimes I just eat around it

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dulcinea3 wrote:

Another reason that someone who doesn't like broccoli could have some in their trash is that it appears to be very difficult to make frozen dinners or vegetable medleys without broccoli.  So a broccoli-hater might be driven to pick it out and throw it away.  I don't eat frozen meals very often, but I usually have a few on hand for days when I forget to defrost a cut of meat for dinner (living alone, I have to freeze a lot of my food to make it last).  My selection is very limited.  I would say that easily well over 50% have broccoli in them, and I just won't buy those.

I have found that raw broccoli is not as obnoxious as cooked.  I still don't like it, but I have had it from time to time, and dipped in fat-free ranch dressing, it's not too bad.

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[L_Monty]

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dulcinea3 wrote:

Another reason that someone who doesn't like broccoli could have some in their trash is that it appears to be very difficult to make frozen dinners or vegetable medleys without broccoli.  So a broccoli-hater might be driven to pick it out and throw it away.  I don't eat frozen meals very often, but I usually have a few on hand for days when I forget to defrost a cut of meat for dinner (living alone, I have to freeze a lot of my food to make it last).  My selection is very limited.  I would say that easily well over 50% have broccoli in them

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Stop making sense!!!  

Here I had a perfectly good working theory that Melissa was just plain odd, and first she and now you come in and started being all reasonable about it. You're killin' me.

[Paula717]

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pedsphleb wrote:

Thanks!  It sounds yummy.  I do try and "hide" it in things whenever I cook (broccoli in a good marinara sauce is OK).

And I appreciate it that you think I cook (because I'm terrible)   I try hard.

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L_Monty wrote:

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pedsphleb wrote:

Broccoli is good for me so I try and put some in my salad (I actually hate most vegetables, taste like dirt in my opinion) because I should eat good things rather than crap if I'd like to live longer and avoid chronic diseases.  However, I never seem to eat all of it before it spoils so there's always some that goes in the garbage (no matter how small a head I buy).

It does seem perverse, but I don't buy broccoli just to let it get smelly in the trash

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I'm the same way. If it's green, it has a hard time finding it's way onto my plate, LOL. But I have to admit, I love it in the cold salad that my husband makes. It's raw and has nuts and raisons/craisons, with a light dressing. YUM!

[blkeyesuzi]

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L_Monty wrote:

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carmen22 wrote:

Lets see mine would say:3. water bottles are mine!!!

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Those of you with too many water bottles, if you're Americans, should really consider a Brita filter, a faucet-mounted Pur filter, a filter on your fridge or just plain unfiltered tap water and a reusable thermos or a handful of spare plastic bottles that you wash and reuse. The quality and taste of water in Europe is often poorer or significantly less pleasant than in the U.S., which is why they drink so much bottled water. They're not doing it to be chic. However, that's how bottled water was marketed to us. We have remarkably good quality tap water. Drinking bottled water is really a consumer affectation and doesn't afford you any real advantages over tap water and in fact offers several disadvantages.

For example, American tap water is very safe. But even if you're nervous about it, most bottled waters are purified by the same charcoal filters and reverse osmosis that can be obtained by using Brita, Pur or a fridge filter. Additionally, most bottled waters aren't going to have significantly different mineral content from tap, so while they might have fewer bugs that scare you, they don't offer anything else. The downsides, however, are numerous. One, cost up front: bottles cost more than the tap. Two, cost down the road: eventually, what to do with all that plastic will devolve on the taxpayer. Three, cost at the dentist's office: flouridated tap water helps prevent tooth decay. Non-flouridated bottled water doesn't. (And the presence of flouridation in water shouldn't frighten you at all unless you plan on shutting down Burpleson Air Force Base and sending out all your bombers on Wing Attack Plan R to restore Peace on Earth and your own Purity of Essence to protect our precious bodily fluids.)

Anyway, my point is that your health benefits from bottled water over filtered water at home and even over tap water are negligible, while the hits to your pocketbook, the environment and your teeth can all be palpable and immediate. So, in a sense, someone who looks at your garbage could argue that, instead of bottles, they see you throwing away your money, your teeth and your planet.

Message Edited by L_Monty on 03-19-2009 05:08 PM

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I lived in the Middle East for quite a few years and we had to have water trucked into our compound to be used for bathing, etc. In addition, all our drinking/cooking water had to come from bottles/jugs and it had to be delivered weekly.  There was no alternative. That experience taught me to appreciate the ability to  just grab a drink or cook with water straight from the tap. I certainly took that for granted before living in Saudi Arabia.

Once I came back, I swore I never wanted to use bottled water again.  Not only was it the principle of protecting the environment...it was a celebration of the wonderful, safe water available to me with the turn of the tap.  

[L_Monty]

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blkeyesuzi wrote:
I lived in the Middle East for quite a few years and we had to have water trucked into our compound to be used for bathing, etc. In addition, all our drinking/cooking water had to come from bottles/jugs and it had to be delivered weekly.  There was no alternative. That experience taught me to appreciate the ability to  just grab a drink or cook with water straight from the tap. I certainly took that for granted before living in Saudi Arabia.

Once I came back, I swore I never wanted to use bottled water again.  Not only was it the principle of protecting the environment...it was a celebration of the wonderful, safe water available to me with the turn of the tap.  

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Oh, wow. Where did you live and why were you over there, if you don't mind my asking? My grandfather flew for ARAMCO, so my dad and aunt and uncle all basically grew up in Dhahran, and I grew up with Arab dishes for dinner, all sorts of middle eastern furniture and Arabic slang expressions in the house. (Not to mention a lot of Arab uncles to which I was obviously not, for WASPish skin-tone reasons, related.) Even though it's been nearly 50 years since my dad was over there, he still remains contemptuous of overuse of bottled water for reasons similar to yours.

[blkeyesuzi]

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L_Monty wrote:

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blkeyesuzi wrote:
I lived in the Middle East for quite a few years and we had to have water trucked into our compound to be used for bathing, etc. In addition, all our drinking/cooking water had to come from bottles/jugs and it had to be delivered weekly.  There was no alternative. That experience taught me to appreciate the ability to  just grab a drink or cook with water straight from the tap. I certainly took that for granted before living in Saudi Arabia.

Once I came back, I swore I never wanted to use bottled water again.  Not only was it the principle of protecting the environment...it was a celebration of the wonderful, safe water available to me with the turn of the tap.  

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Oh, wow. Where did you live and why were you over there, if you don't mind my asking? My grandfather flew for ARAMCO, so my dad and aunt and uncle all basically grew up in Dhahran, and I grew up with Arab dishes for dinner, all sorts of middle eastern furniture and Arabic slang expressions in the house. (Not to mention a lot of Arab uncles to which I was obviously not, for WASPish skin-tone reasons, related.) Even though it's been nearly 50 years since my dad was over there, he still remains contemptuous of overuse of bottled water for reasons similar to yours.

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I was a teacher for the Saudi Arabian International School.  I knew lots of people who went over there for ARAMCO, however most of them were (as you say) in Dhahran.  I liked visiting Dhahran as well as many of the other cities.  Bahrain was one of my favorites and then Dubai, which is UAE is my all-time favorite spot in the world.  I really fell in love with the Middle East as a child reading  Lawrence of Arabia and moving there was something I had always wanted to do. 

My family and friends still use a lot of Arabic words, etc.  I find that they've become a part of our everyday vocabular and it's difficult to find English words that are as appropriate or expressive in certain instances.  

It was a beautiful experience and I'd do it again.  It wasn't an easy place to be...but I loved it just the same. It was an experience of a lifetime.

[blkeyesuzi]

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L_Monty wrote:

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blkeyesuzi wrote:
I lived in the Middle East for quite a few years and we had to have water trucked into our compound to be used for bathing, etc. In addition, all our drinking/cooking water had to come from bottles/jugs and it had to be delivered weekly.  There was no alternative. That experience taught me to appreciate the ability to  just grab a drink or cook with water straight from the tap. I certainly took that for granted before living in Saudi Arabia.

Once I came back, I swore I never wanted to use bottled water again.  Not only was it the principle of protecting the environment...it was a celebration of the wonderful, safe water available to me with the turn of the tap.  

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Oh, wow. Where did you live and why were you over there, if you don't mind my asking? My grandfather flew for ARAMCO, so my dad and aunt and uncle all basically grew up in Dhahran, and I grew up with Arab dishes for dinner, all sorts of middle eastern furniture and Arabic slang expressions in the house. (Not to mention a lot of Arab uncles to which I was obviously not, for WASPish skin-tone reasons, related.) Even though it's been nearly 50 years since my dad was over there, he still remains contemptuous of overuse of bottled water for reasons similar to yours.

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I was a teacher for the Saudi Arabian International School.  I knew lots of people who went over there for ARAMCO, however most of them were (as you say) in Dhahran.  I liked visiting Dhahran as well as many of the other cities.  Bahrain was one of my favorites and then Dubai, which is UAE is my all-time favorite spot in the world.  I really fell in love with the Middle East as a child reading  Lawrence of Arabia and moving there was something I had always wanted to do. 

My family and friends still use a lot of Arabic words, etc.  I find that they've become a part of our everyday vocabular and it's difficult to find English words that are as appropriate or expressive in certain instances.  

It was a beautiful experience and I'd do it again.  It wasn't an easy place to be...but I loved it just the same. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime.