My vacation was fantastic, thanks for asking, and thanks for being patient while I was away. While there I met a few people that told me, unsolicited, they were reading and sharing my blog. Completely unexpected awesomeness! THANK YOU!

Today we are a “disposable society”. Everything we buy from food to clothes to household items comes to us in disposable packaging. There are some dining establishments where everything is disposable – and not just fast food joints either. This was NOT always the case.

In the far past people brought their own containers to their local general store and bought their dry goods in bulk, weighed out by a helpful counterman. People had their own ceramic crockery at home for the storage of butter and cheese which they mostly made themselves. As shipping procedures became more widespread, items were packaged for shipping in durable wooden crates, tins, glass canisters and reusable burlap sacks. At this point, still common, even in the age of shipping, were home-style stores where you could get sauerkraut, pickles, charcuterie items, cheeses and baked goods made on premises. Of course the bakery aspects are not lost on us now, but few places make their own goods any longer, mores the pity, but that is changing. At the advent of cheap packaging and shipping (rail), products were able to be dispersed far and wide and national brand recognition ensued. But still in the midst of this there was a reusable component to the packaging. Think tins of Saltines and Oreos, wooden crates of Schlitz and Pepsi Cola, wooden barrels of pickles, all bound for your local grocer. When a customer purchased a food item, they were also purchasing a reusable container that they could use for flour, sugar, rice, etc. and thrifty housewives did so, even using small tins from tea for their “pin money”.

Once shipping, media and brand recognition entered into the picture, we came to the age of “Mad Men” (Moment of Truth – I am “Joan’s” older sister who is WAY more fun). Oftentimes what is ON the package is more important than what is IN the package. And those “Mad Men” quickly became aware of who to target and how to market to those people. I would venture to say that the majority of the price of any product on the shelves these days (with the noted exception of generic or store branded items) can be attributed to advertising costs. TV and mag ads are worded to make you think you NEED these products to fit in, feel cool, or be better in some way and if you DON’T buy them that you are a bad parent, horrible person or lax member of society. We all know this to be true (think McDonald’s Happy Meal, Viagra, and ProActiv to name a few).

So why am I talking about this? Well…last week on my way to the SEMA auto show and stuck in traffic in a less than fabulous part of town, friend Lynn and I were driving past a yard sale and she asked, half kidding, if I wanted to stop and look. We were halted, in stop-and-go traffic, so I looked out the window and lo and behold there was a HUGE crock. An old pickle crock, without the knobbed lid, sitting in the grass. I literally jumped out of the car,while it was stopped to be sure, into traffic, which was also stopped, and went and bought it. Just like that. Check out the size! The Diet Pepsi can is there for size comparison.

It hit me that I have always liked to have tins, boxes, cans, crocks and reusable bags. I began my own “green” bag trend at the grocery store in 1988. I collected tins of all shapes and sizes. And I love old soda, beer and wine crates. I don’t just let them sit around collecting dust most of the time either. I actually use mine for storage. What’s incredibly fun for me is to remember the circumstances when I found said container. I used to have more than 100 collectible tins, I have since divested myself of the majority of that collection and I now only have a few. I kept the ones that meant the most to me – like the brown plaid one from my great grandmother’s house that she always kept butterscotch candies in.

The downside is that most companies only put out a reusable container during the Holidays and then of course because it is “limited edition” they charge a premium for them. I do think the vintage ones are kitschy and more interesting and definitely more fun to have.

So what am I going to do with my new crock? Probably use it as a beer bucket or a sangria receptacle for parties. Because it is Marshall ceramic stoneware (TX) it naturally holds heat and cold so I think it will work out beautifully for those tasks.

Enjoy this week’s pics:

This former beer bottle is now my olive oil dispenser. I just shoved a wine bottle spout in it for a seal and pouring convenience.

Some of the collection that remains. Yes, those are honest to goodness old beer cans, the kind you had to open with a “church key”. Rest assured they are empty!

Once upon a time this contained a German Christmas Stollen (cake) – now it houses cardboard bar coasters from Germany and England.

This week’s Food Memories include a luxurious vacation at the Loew’s Portofino hotel in Orlando, eating breakfast with Fred & George Weasley, being allowed to order for the entire table at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop, singing Happy Birthday to Sister Janece with Joey Fatone and friends while we drank beer in the piazza and Brazilian BBQ for Sister Janece’s birthday dinner with Mom, Dave & John.

Until next week, go out and make your own Food Memories!