Am I racist? ?? about Chuno

And what about that snow recipes? after all, it DID snow here in 1977!!!

YW. I love the net, I love digging for things. I had to go looking for recipe for that sugar on snow, b/c all I could register in my head my aunts recipe for puppy chow. And what I found is that it really is , sugar-on-snow9via maple syrup). thats a new one on me, but then again I've never been to Vermont. Or any other place that gets a decent amount of snow for that matter. For your original post, I wouldnt think it was racist. I personally wouldnt get offended if someone asked me something about my culture, including what I eat or how to cook it.

We make snow cream here in GA when it snows enough and the snow is clean. just get a large bowl, scrape up clean fluffy snow, add 1 teaspoon vanilla to taste, add white (uh ohh, use whatever color sugar you want but it tastes better with granulated refined sugar - is that PC enough??) to taste ( I use 1/2 cup for a large 3 quart bowl. Stir together, taste, adjust to taste if necessary, eat. Don't beat the daylights out of it, it's get mushy and won't be good, and the sugar never really dissolves but that's ok too... Save remainder in freezer covered as it may not snow again for years!

Sidepasser

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Be yourself - no one can tell you that you're doing it wrong!

Grandmotherbear, you are not a racist. You're a victim of the Politically Correct Mindset which tries to brainwash us into NOT bringing up ANY difference that ANYone may have, not because it's offensive, but because it goes against the push to fit all of us into the same, mindless mode.

I work in what we refer to as The People's Republic of Oak Park (IL). This community has many, many good qualities, but it drives me stark barking mad when people say, "Oh, we don't have any prejudice here, everyone gets treated the same."

Lies on both counts. And some people know it and won't say anything about it, and that's the worst offense of all.

I work with Black kids who get hassled by the police for riding two on a bicycle, the cops going so far as to check the registration number on the bike to make sure the kids didn't steal it. The White kids I work with just get a '"Hey, now, son, you know you're not supposed to do that."

Is that fair? Is that equal?

(And, on another tirade, when did "fairness" and "equality" become synonomous?)

ARGH!!! THESE PEOPLE ARE MAKING ME CRAZY!!!!!

Sorry. Tension breaker. Had to be done.

Grandmotherbear, if anything, I believe you were being respectful and friendly by showing an interest in another person's culture. You're good folk. Don't get caught up worrying that you may someday offend someone. You probably will. We all do. Then, it is up to the person who takes offense to say something to you, and then you apologize, and then you're friends again. Things don't have to be complicated just because we're cleverly disguised as responsible adults...

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Je ne suis pas Alice

http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/

Okay, okay...I'll admit, I thought about brown sugar when I posted this, but never even considered yellow snow...yuck!

By the way, I believe that we are all racist. Everyone is uncomfortable around others who are different than they are. Thankfully, we do not ever have to act on our feelings. What a world this would be if we all acted on feelings rather than on facts.

God, I miss Frank Zappa...

I agree that we are all uncomfortable around those who are different than "our kind". OTOH, that doesn't necessarily make us racist. It could be sexist, age-ist, ethnocentric, fill-in-the-blank.

What counts is, as you say, that we do not ever have to act on our feelings.

Even better, it's very cool to go against those awkward feelings and get to know the people under the skin/culture/age/gender! I have found that if I push myself (and sometimes, it's a REAL HARD push), I can get to know so many wonderful people!

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Je ne suis pas Alice

http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/

I was just reminded of something that happened last year during one of our many faculty feasts (you can NOT lose weight while working in a school!)

For my offering, I prepared a gumbo that impressed even me. I was THAT proud of it. And the African-American women with whom I work thought that one of THEM had made it. And then, I was even MORE proud of it.

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Je ne suis pas Alice

http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/

Why do we have to be labeled? I am unique, one of a kind, and very much an individual. I don't have to be categorized. Labels are a shorthand for more complete descriptions. Skin color is like hair or eye color--simply a description.

My least favorite label is Christian or Religious Right Wing. Tom Wolfe was on TV last night and said much the same. We are religious--period. Has nothing to do with politics.

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Best wishes,

Sandi

"Anger is an acid that does more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to the object on which it is poured." Corrie TenBoom

People need to stop worrying about this PC trash-it makes us more afraid and less open and tolerant, because we don't want to be bothered with being "correct" around others, so, we avoid them-it causes the reverse of what it is supposed to do. I have witnessed this a LOT around me-people avoiding other races because they are afraid of being "incorrect"-not right if you ask me! Unless you were trying to be racist, you weren't racist. Usually it is easy to tell if someone has that intent.

Hello. I have been reading/visiting this site for over two years. This thread has finally moved me to join. [Thank you to all of those who have been contributing over the years---you all are better than the library!]

Our PC society is actually what POINTS OUT the differences. When you think about it, we are all of one race. If you believe in The Creator, we are all of the race of Adam. If you choose to believe in evolution, then you believe you all evolved from the same ooze, which would still be the same family.

And, we all have the same skin color. What varies is the amount of melanin produced in the skin. We are all different shades of tan. Did you know that a burn victim can receive skin grafts from someone of any skin shade? Why focus on color? or eye shape? What if the PC'ers decided to point out differences based on ear lobes? OK you big hanging ear lobed people can celebrate any holiday you want, but you little connected ear lobe people are just prejudiced against us, so we are going to cut out all of your holidays---silly isn't it.

The only reason we really notice the differences we do, is because we have been (sadly) trained to. Yes, we do have differences in culture; but that is cultural, not racial.

Changing topic: sugar on snow. Think maple sugaring time. When the snow starts to melt in the beginning of spring, maple sugaring time begins. You boil the maple syrup down, pour/drizzle it over pans of fresh snow, and eat it off the end of sticks (very gooey). The tradition at maple sugaring parties is to serve it with fresh glazed donuts, and sour pickles (to off-set the sweetness).

Thank you for listening, Mom in New England

Grandmotherbear,

I forgot to add: no, you are not a racist. A racist would have TRIED to be offensive, and then PROUD that he/she offended. You did nothing wrong. I agree with the above post that comparing your actions to fried chicken and blacks was the only racist statement made.

I'm white and I LOVE fried chicken.

I kept hoping someone would ask you for the recipe but...

My fried chicken starts out crisp but ends up soggyand oily. Any suggestions ?

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ChuckinVa


Authentic Appalachian American

I don't think everyone is racist, race oriented maybe, (by that I mean drawn to those we can identify with) I think being prejudice and being racist, are different too.
I think anyone that cares and lives in a way to suport natural systems is
on a very basic and fundamental level, smarter than people who don't.
That is prejudice.

But that has nothing to do with their race or ancestor's.

All the people in my life that have hurt/harmed me where white, but those that have helped and nurtured me have been of many races, so should I hate or distrust white people? No.

Race is not relevant.

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Thumper/in Okla.
Growing a Homestead from the dirt up.

save the grass, eat a cow
C.L.F.
{chlorophill liberation front}

My good Lord! (or does that offend the atheists and religious) Personally I don't care! If I wish to make a good Lasagna and I knew an Italian I would ask ( I would probably ask a larger bodied older Italian woman though if I had a choice, and if you had been to Italy like I have you would understand why)! If I desired to make a good chop suey or stir fry I would ask a chinese man(or woman, mostlikely a man though because their heritage points to the good cooks being men)... to ask a mexican how to make tacos (though true mexican is not spicy contrary to what most americans think...that you would need to ask a Texan!) a Southerner (black or white) how to prepare chitlins, a new englander how to fix lobster, My goodness people should be proud of where they came from enough to teach another how to make a tradition of theirs be it food or craft... not offended when someone 'not of your kind' inquires about it! Thing is if you notice... these things are more regional than race! you can be white (from the south) and know about things like chitlins.... or hispanic of heritage but be born and raised in the upper midwest and not know a darn thing about 'mexican' food! It is no worse than going to your math teacher to inquire about math...most wouldn't go to a history teacher to learn more about biology... sometimes you just know who to ask. What I try to keep in mind is if someone gets offended by a question I ask or a statement I make... it is they who need to check themselves for where they need to make improvements with their insecurities. Look at what Bill Cosby is doing right now... If an older educated man identical to him in all ways but instead of black ..is white.. Oh my the rage and out cry! The truth is just the truth.. either deal with it or make a concerted effort to change it.... in other words put up or shut-up!

Long time ago, part of my interview for a cook position was to present menus and recipes for a racially and culturally diverse bunch of employees. I was glad I had taken the opportunities in my life to ask ALL the good cooks how to make their favorite foods.

I can prepare and serve the best Mexican food because I asked the best Mexican cooks how to do it. I can prepare and serve some pretty darn good Soul Food because I asked the best black cooks how to do it, right down to the sweet potato pie. I can do a few passable Vietnamese dishes because I hung out in the kitchen with a Vietnamese lady. I learned Suma Chicken and Tagine from a Middle Eastern cook. I've even tackled finnan haddie for the Norwegian crowd and would try my hand at lutefisk if anyone asked. (no one has asked ) I finally learned the secrets of the best salmon on cedar stakes from my native Amercian friends. There were no concerns of racism from these cooks, only from PC outsiders looking on. I learned tips and recipes from Cordon Bleu chefs, fat Greek women, tiny Basque Grandmas and Portuguese churchladies.

I have a huge interest in good food and a larger curiosity of cultures other than my own. Noticing the differences is not racism because our similarities far outweigh the differences. I am I prejudiced? Yup, I am. I have nothing culturally in common, nor do I want anything culturally in common with the typical american city dweller.