I used to LOVE Banquet TV dinners, especially the ones with Salisbury Steak and mashed potatoes. As a single person, they were my go to when I felt like having a hearty meal but didn't want to cook. I especially loved them because they were so cheap.
But of course, after studying nutrition all those years, I started to compulsively read ingredient lists. As a result, I haven’t had a Banquet TV dinner in 20 years.
I’m going to take a risk here and tell you why I’m mentioning this.
I had a dream a couple of weeks ago about a Banquet HUNGRY-MAN dinner. (That’s right, I’m a bit nuts)! =)
Anyway, In the dream, there was a mom struggling with behavior issues in her son, and a doctor had written a note asking if by any chance her son’s behavior issues that day started after eating lunch.
His lunch was a Banquet Hungry-Man dinner.
I remember thinking, “Wow! What a good doctor!” I remember the mom was worried about too many calories. However, in the dream, I was remembering and explaining to her about all of the stuff they put in those Banquet dinners, and how much better for you homemade cooking is.
She was a person who liked cooking but didn’t have a lot of time. Sound like anyone you know?
When I woke up that morning, I knew I needed to invest some time and energy into looking at what exactly the current Banquet dinners contain.
My husband went to the store for me—he’s such a great guy—and looked for the Hungry-man version, they didn’t have it, so we settled for the regular Banquet dinner.
When he brought it home, the first thing I noticed was that the label was WAY smaller than it was 20 years ago—though that could just be my aging eyes! LOL
I wish I could say I was totally shocked by what was on the label, but of course I wasn’t. My husband took a picture of the ingredients, so I could read them, I kid you not!
First, the mashed potatoes had three lines of ingredients, including Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), BHT, and a bunch of other yucky stuff; the Salisbury steak patty, over two lines with MSG also as an ingredient; the apple dessert contained some choice ingredients as well. If you want to see what's in the dinner, here is the link to Banquet. (Though, keep in mind that the company spends an unusual amount of time “explaining away” the bizarre ingredients).
Since the ingredients are truly horrendous, and since the main reason we eat TV dinners is because they’re quick and easy, my husband and I put our heads together to create a delicious alternative. Ron and Nathan prepared the Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and corn last Thursday.
And last night, Ron finally prepared the Apple Cinnamon Dessert.
This meal shouldn't be too difficult, and most of the ingredients will be freezable and reheatable, just like a ”real” TV dinner. 🙂 Also, if you are concerned about calorie content, don't forget that you can reduce serving size.
In the meantime, here are some older posts I have written related to diet and our kiddos (even though some of them focus on ADHD or Autism, they really do apply to all of us, because artificial additives aren't good for ANYONE, and we all need a healthy, balanced diet).
As teachers and homeschool moms, we strive to provide our students with inspiring role models in all disciplines of study. One area that both educators and students often overlook is Food Science and Technology – an area enriched by the contributions of many black pioneers in the past.
In Honor of Black History Month
From inventors and innovators to activists, scientists and entrepreneurs, black pioneers have shaped food science in a multitude of ways. For example, they advanced public health initiatives through technology and inspired cooks with their creativity. To honor their indispensable impact, let us turn now to discover some of the amazing black minds who revolutionized this field!
George Washington Carver
Carver was a major contributor to the field of food science and technology. He is best known for his work with peanuts, but he also made significant contributions to the fields of soybeans, sweet potatoes, and other crops. Carver developed new methods for processing and utilizing these crops, which helped to improve the diets of many Americans.
Leah Chase
Was an amazing woman and an important figure in food science and technology. She is best known for her work as a chef and restaurateur in New Orleans, where she helped to develop Creole cuisine. Chase's restaurant, Dooky Chase's, was a popular gathering place for both locals and tourists, and she was known for her use of fresh, local ingredients.
George Crum
Best known for inventing the potato chip, Crum was working as a chef in a Saratoga Springs resort when he was asked to make a dish that would be suitable for a customer with sensitive teeth. In order to meet this request, Crum sliced the potatoes very thin and fried them. The result was an instant success, and the potato chip has been a popular snack food ever since. (It is suggested that it was his sister who made the discovery).
Lloyd Augustus Hall
Another important black pioneer in food science and technology, Hall is best known for his work in the area of food preservation. Hall developed many new methods for preserving food, which helped to keep foods safe from spoilage and contamination. He also developed new packaging methods that helped to extend the shelf life of foods.
James Hemings
James is best known for his work as a chef at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello estate. In fact, he was responsible for preparing many of the meals served at Jefferson's home, and he is credited with introducing many new foods to Jefferson's table, including ice cream and macaroni and cheese.
Joseph Lee
Lee was an innovative figure who contributed greatly to food science and technology. He is best known for his work in developing the first bread-making machine. Lee's machine allowed bread to be made much more quickly and easily than it could be made by hand, which helped to revolutionize the baking industry.
Edna Lewis
is another significant figure in food history. She is best known for her work as a chef and author. Lewis wrote several cookbooks that featured recipes using fresh, local ingredients. She was also known for her advocacy of using seasonal produce in cooking.
Marie Maynard Daly
is another important pioneer in food science and technology. She is best known for her work in developing new methods of analyzing nutrients in foods. Daly's work helped to improve the understanding of how diet affects health, and she also developed new methods of fortifying foods with vitamins and minerals.
Norbert Rillieux
Rillieux is best known for his work in developing the multiple-effect evaporator, which revolutionized the sugar industry. Rillieux's evaporator allowed sugar to be produced much more efficiently than it had been previously. This helped to make sugar more affordable for consumers.
Alfred L. Cralle
is also a significant figure in food science and technology history. He is best known for inventing the ice cream scoop. Cralle's invention made it possible to portion out ice cream much more easily than it could be done by hand. This helped to make ice cream a popular dessert item.
Malinda Russell
Malinda wrote and published the cookbook A Domestic Recipe Book: Containing Five Hundred Useful Recipes For All Kinds Of Plain And Rich Cake (1866). This cookbook was one of the first cookbooks written by an African American author, and it contained many innovative recipes that were ahead of their time.
Frederick McKinley Jones
Frederick influenced food science & technology in a significant way. He invented mechanical refrigeration units used specifically for transporting perishable goods such as fruit & dairy products over long distances. This greatly increased both quantity & quality control measures throughout American markets & supermarkets where these items were sold.
Want to know more? Want a project that you and your students are sure to LOVE?
If aliens were to have a cool pirate map of our solar system, Planet Earth would have a note next to it that read “HERE BE DRAGONS”. All around the world, every continent, culture, and tribe have dragon stories!
Thanks to popular books and movies, many of us have seen the “western” dragons that stole fair maidens, hoarded treasure, and toasted knights like a marshmallow. However, across history, they weren’t the most popular dragons. They were exceedingly rare.
The “eastern” dragons – often called Drakes – are the template that you see most dragons around the world fit best. They are the most likely to exist. At least, that’s my opinion. Where did I get that idea? Simply put, from the Bible.
Job chapter 41 speaks of a fearless creature that was untouchable in an almost supernatural way. God said, “nothing on earth is like it”! The Bible is the inerrant Word of God and that every word in it was put there because it was true, and God wanted us to know about it. I think no less about Leviathan in Job chapter 41. I recommend you read the entire chapter. Like, right now.
Let me give you a brief synopsis of what Eastern dragons look like and their habits. I’m pulling directly from Oriental lore since they are seen as “the experts”. There is a lot to wade through in Eastern mythology, so I’m going to keep it short and put a few Bible verses (for the sake of length and reading time) right beneath it from Job 41. That way, we can compare myth to God's spoken truth. I’ll give some brief commentary and let you be the judge!
From the Orient
The Han dynasty scholar Wang Fu recorded Chinese myths that long dragons had nine anatomical resemblances:
“The people paint the dragon's shape with a horse's head and a snake's tail. Further, there are expressions as ‘three joints' and ‘nine resemblances' (of the dragon), to wit: from head to shoulder, from shoulder to breast, from breast to tail. These are the joints; as to the nine resemblances, they are the following: his antlers resemble those of a stag, his head that of a camel, his eyes those of a demon, his neck that of a snake, his belly that of a clam (shen, 蜃), his scales those of a carp, his claws those of an eagle, his soles those of a tiger, his ears those of a cow. Upon his head he has a thing like a broad eminence (a big lump), called [chimu] (尺木). If a dragon has no [chimu], he cannot ascend to the sky.”
Chinese dragons do not typically breathe fire.
Those who do were said to be sent from the heavens to earth as punishment. Chinese dragons were said to reside at the bottom of lakes or oceans, and in the foggy skies. They could cause flooding and tsunamis. It can fly among the clouds or hide in water (according to the Guanzi). It can form clouds, and can change color as an ability to blend in with their surroundings, as an effective form of camouflage, or glow in the dark (according to theShuowen Jiezi)
And now that we have that bit of information on board, let’s go look at Job 41 again (assuming you already read the entire chapter before this).
Were Dragons Ever Real? From the Bible
I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,its strength, and its graceful form.(Eastern dragons are always depicted to be graceful as snakes and tigers)
Who can strip off its outer coat?Who can penetrate its double coat of armor?(Carp scales?)
Who dares open the doors of its mouth, ringed about with fearsome teeth? Its back has rows of shields tightly sealed together;each is so close to the nextthat no air can pass between.They are joined fast to one another;they cling together and cannot be parted. (CARP SCALES, ANYONE?)
Its snorting throws out flashes of light;its eyes are like the rays of dawn. (Worldwide, demon eyes are often depicted as glowing, right?)
Flames stream from its mouth, sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours from its nostrilsas from a boiling pot over burning reeds.Its breath sets coals ablaze,and flames dart from its mouth.(If Eastern dragons only breathe fire as punishment from heaven, then this may speak to who they serve)
Strength resides in its neck;dismay goes before it.The folds of its flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable. (Sound like a snake, anyone? I get dismayed when I see a snake raise itself up and flare its neck when threatening to strike!)
Its undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.(Clam shell belly, anyone?)
It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldronand stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.It leaves a glistening wake behind it; one would think the deep had white hair. (Aha! So, it’s a water monster and leaves a glowing wake behind it as it swims!)
A Quick Breakdown
Okay, let’s break the Eastern dragon down into an easy-to-read list:
Antlers of a deer (which some say they used for hearing!)
Head of a camel (or a horse)
Eyes of a demon (or some say a rabbit)
Neck of a snake
Belly of a clam (some say it can also be furry like a rabbit)
Scales of a carp
Claws of an eagle
Paws of a tiger
Ears of an ox
Has a bulge or crystal in its forehead (for flying)
Dwells in deep water, but sometimes comes to land
Can cause floods or tsunamis
Glows in the dark
In comparison, let’s break Leviathan down in Job, too:
It’s graceful and strong
Double coat of armor that is airtight
A hide that cannot be pierced
Lots of teeth
Glowing eyes
Strength resides in its neck
Its chest is rock hard, and its belly is like jagged pot shards
Leviathan breathes fire and has hot breath
It can stir up the sea and make the deep water churn
It leaves a glowing wake behind it in the water
No mention of legs or feet, really
People freak out when they see it
They sound remarkably similar, don’t they? Not identical, but similar enough to make you raise an eyebrow. But let’s not stop there with comparisons! Let’s compare Leviathan and the Eastern Dragon to North American “serpents”.
From North America
The Huron Native Americans originally lived in southern Ontario, Canada before moving south to Michigan and Ohio, and then being relocated to Kansas and Oklahoma. They told tales of a beast called Angont. It was described as a poisonous reptile – sometimes snake-like, and sometimes with four legs – who dwelled in desolate places such as caves, forests, and lakes. Near human settlements, the Angont could cause several problems to local inhabitants. It was associated with death, disease, and misfortune. Due to Angont's fantastic abilities, medicine men sought this reptile out, hoping to gain magical medicine from it, but rarely did anything good come from those searches.
The Horned Serpent is a quite common story among the Southeastern Native American tribes of North America. Some tribes saw it in a benevolent light, and others saw it as evil. It was often associated with storms, thunder, lightning, disease, and rainbows. Most tribes described it as having no legs, though a few stories describe some of the creatures with legs.
To the Muscogee people, the Horned Serpent is a type of underwater serpent covered with iridescent, crystalline scales and a single, large crystal in its forehead. Both the scales and crystals are prized for their powers of divination. The horns were used in medicine. It was said to live in the water and have horns like the stag. It was also said to be benevolent to humans.
Among the Cherokee people, a Horned Serpent is called an Uktena. An anthropologist named James Mooney lived with the Cherokee for several years, and he described the creature like this:
“Those who know say the Uktena is a great snake, as large around as a tree trunk, with horns on its head, and a bright blazing crest like a diamond on its forehead, and scales glowing like sparks of fire. It has rings or spots of color along its entire length and cannot be wounded except by shooting in the seventh spot from the head, because under this spot are its heart and its life. The blazing diamond is called Ulun'suti—”Transparent”—and he who can win it may become the greatest wonder worker of the tribe.
But it is worth a man's life to attempt it, for whoever is seen by the Uktena is so dazed by the bright light that he runs toward the snake instead of trying to escape. As if this were not enough, the breath of the Uktena is so pestilential that no living creature can survive should they inhale the tiniest bit of the foul air expelled by the Uktena. Even to see the Uktena asleep is death, not to the hunter himself, but to his family.”
Were Dragons Ever Real?
The Zuni and Hopi natives told stories about Kolowissi and Palulukon that were often seen as divine spirits, or deity-like, such was their power and intelligence. They were described as enormous, with gleaming scales, and horns, and they lived in deep water. They were often associated with floods and other natural disasters. The stories of Kolowissi sound remarkably like some of the old shape-shifting dragon stories in the Orient.
Near Forked Mountain in Oregon, the Native Americans feared a creature that they called Amhuluk. They said he had once lived in the Atfalati plains, but eventually moved to the lake. Some said it was because the lake was more comfortable for him, others said it was because the waters were enchanted, but most agreed that he moved there because he loved to drown things.
It was his passion
Not a genuinely nice passion to have but you do you, boo. He was described as long bodied and spotted, with long spotted horns on his head, and four hairless legs. Stories also told of him having assorted items tied to his body so they could be carried around, and that he liked to keep several spotted dogs. (Dog people be like “YAY!”)
Conclusion
There are hundreds of stories and creatures in North America that I could tell you about – most from Native Americans, but many even from colonists and pioneers that reported sightings well into the 1900’s! However, I think it best to let you conduct your own research from here. You are welcome to message me if you’d like more information to delve into!
I have noticed in my own research of Leviathan type dragons that the tribes and people who feared and dreaded these creatures were often the first to attempt to kill or exploit the creature and take its power for their own uses. Those who respected it and treated it well often saw it as benevolent and were protected by it. Even God told Job “If you lay a hand on it,you will remember the struggle and never do it again!”
Were Dragons Ever Real?
Is Leviathan and/or the Eastern Dragon a real creature? Well, with no way to physically prove it, I’ll say it is a matter of opinion.
I, for one, find it very coincidental that dragons throughout world history have been described similarly to a creature that God Himself described to a group of men thousands of years ago. Considering 65% of our planet remains undiscovered and unexplored, it wouldn’t be hard for a water lover like Leviathan to hide from us! So, I personally think Leviathan exists, or did at one time.
About Kathryn White
Keeper of dragons, published author, and lover of coffee, Kathryn is native to Oklahoma, eldest of six kids, and was raised on a farm. As a master storyteller and writing coach, Kathryn helps authors by teaching them how to break past novice writing and turn their books into the best sellers they can be. Kathryn enjoys traveling across the United States with her beloved husband, Steven, or walking their dog and toddler around the block. Whatever she's doing, she pours the inspiration gained from her travels – short or long – into the books and stories she writes.
Be sure to catch Kathryn online and follow her antics on social media!
Grab My Book on Amazon by clicking on the book below.
I only promote products I use and love. Clicking on some of the images on this page will take you to a page of a company I am an affiliate with. If you purchase anything, I will get a small commission.
