A-Maize-ing August

I can’t believe it’s over so soon.  I’m not ready.  I didn’t even get to make a “corned beef” pun.

On second thought, this croissant I’m chewing tastes like Heaven.

I wonder what’s in it.  Probably milk, butter and/or eggs from some very unhappy factory farmed, corn-with-a-side-of-antibiotics-and-growth-hormones-for-dessert fed animals.  And most likely at least one if not half a dozen sweeteners, emulsifiers, and general “why not?” additives.  And all that vagueness is scary in and of itself.  I’m not sure what is in this croissant at all or where those ingredients came from.  Were you ever hired for a job without your employer reading your résumé first?  When was the last time you bought a used car without at least looking at the odometer to see what you were getting yourself into?  But eating, the most basic and urgent of human necessities, that we’re more than happy to leave up to chance.

Did I mention this croissant is delicious?

It’s not the corn that makes it delicious, of course.  I’ve had some truly excellent vegan pastries.  And, as I discovered with my cookie experiments over the last few weeks, it’s entirely possible to find everything you need for baking without those pesky additives, if- and this is a big if- one is willing and able to put in the extra time, effort, thought, and money.  And that’s just not something I can do twelve months a year.  Who can?

Yup.  At least for now, Corn is King, and like it or not, we're all his loyal subjects.

Look how mad he is!  He's gonna have me beheaded if I don't fall back in line!

I've learned a heck of a lot over the past month, though, and I hope I've been able to pass some of that along to you.  I won't be updating the blog as much from here on in (until next July, that is), but I hope you'll check back once in awhile for updates and insights on the sustainable food movement in general.

Happy August!