Dessert Not Optional

October 14th is National Dessert Day, which is as good a reason as any to whip up something sweet and extravagant to enjoy after dinner tonight.  As if we need an excuse!  It also reminds me of just how different things used to be ... back in the day.

When I was growing up, dessert was a given, it was part of the meal.  We never ended the evening's repast without a little touch of something sweet to finish up the dinner hour.

It didn't have to be anything big and fancy, in fact most of the time, it definitely wasn't.  Most nights it would be just a piece of fresh fruit, a cookie, or a wedge of cheese, cottage cheese or cream cheese topped with jelly.  Sometimes it would simply be a cup of after-dinner coffee or tea, enjoyed with a spoonful of honey, to wrap up the meal.

Some sweets were even considered beneficial in aiding digestion, such as an after-dinner sweet wine like port or sherry, anisette or a cream liqueur, or the immensely popular "Digestives" cookies which happen to be the best-selling biscuit in the UK.

In an age where people are always trying to cut back ... cut back on calories, cut back on sugar, cut back on carbohydrates ... well, to be blunt, it sometimes feels like people are just cutting back on life!  It is easy to forget that we used to live quite differently only a few short decades ago.

It must be hard for some folks to imagine, and maybe others just don't even really remember, but it was a different way of life back then.

When I think back to my childhood, there were certain mealtime rituals.  In my own home, if we didn't have a loaf of bread on the table, it would be my job to make a stack of toast which would sit next to my Dad's place at the table.  He liked having bread with his dinner.  These days, many of us wouldn't dream of having bread with our meals ... all those extra carbs!  Unless we're indulging in the occasional complimentary bread basket at a restaurant (and feeling guilty about it later), or enjoying someone's homemade dinner rolls at a special Holiday meal, many of us forgo bread entirely.

Bread is an extra, it's optional.  It's usually not a necessary component of the dinner plate, unless you're having a sandwich or an opulent spaghetti night complete with garlic bread.  But back in "the good old days," dinner rolls or other kinds of bread were absolutely de rigueur on the dinner table.

Many of my friends grew up having a glass of milk with their meals, as well.  And most of the time it would be whole milk, too, as low-fat and even the skim variety weren't particularly popular or even heard of back then.  However, since we were still very much living in the post-World War II space age days of tang and spam, it could require whipping up a batch of frothy instant powdered milk in a big glass pitcher, instead.  That milk powder had a particular flavor that was always recognizable, and it was also amusingly foamy ... at least to us kids!

Other families would make a pitcher of sweetened iced tea to go with their meal.  It was a must on the table.  But I wonder how many people still do that today?  These days, we have water with our meals (it's part of our gallon of water a day, after all).  Once again, unless we're at a restaurant where we have a choice of beverages available, water is the way to go.

Besides bread, milk and iced tea, dessert was also a necessary component of the meal.  It might only have been jell-o (there's always room for jell-o), or pudding, or a small bowl of ice cream, but dinner was just not complete without dessert.

I think that's the reason why so many people reach for something sweet in the evening just before bedtime.  It's not unusual to crave that dessert we didn't get after dinner before going to bed.  I think there is still an innate craving for something sweet to end the day.

In fact, the theory behind the whole art of cooking is about balancing the 5 flavors: sweet, bitter, salty, sour and umami.  If one of them is missing from our meal, it could possibly explain these after-dinner cravings.

So, on National Dessert Day, I think it's a good idea to pay homage to the time-honored tradition of dessert.  You can make something yourself, or pick something up at a bakery on the way home from work.  You may decide to eat out and order something from the dessert menu, instead of ignoring it like you usually do (admit it).  It's a good day to enjoy something decadent that you wouldn't ordinarily have, free from guilt.

We certainly do live in different times now than we did in the past, for better or for worse.  On the one hand, it certainly makes sense to cut back on sweets and carbohydrates, as we know more about nutrition and healthy living.  On the other hand, we are denying one of the 5 flavors we crave as humans, or trying to fool it with fake sweeteners.

Our predecessors seemed to know that the key to living life well lay in moderation, and that all options were always open. We seem to have lost that today in a world where we're cutting back on everything and leave some food groups off the table completely: no sugar, no carbs, no gluten, no fats, no fried foods, no meat or animal products, no processed foods, and certainly no desserts.

Is that truly the best way to live?

On National Dessert Day, I hope you will think about adding a touch of sweetness and joy back into your life!  Bon appétit!!

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Enjoy previous seasonal blog posts:

Spine-Chilling Reads Some good, scary books to curl up with on fright-night!	Tea Superstitions Double, double, toil and trouble ... Fire burn, and cauldron bubble ...
Happy Halloween  Making the holiday fun.	Halloween Traditions From pumpkin carving to hot apple cider, family traditions make holidays memorable!
Recipes for the Season Update your repertoire with some new recipes for Fall!	Bucket List for Fall Taking advantage of everything fall has to offer!
Back to the Farm Fall is the time to head to the farm to pick pumpkins, visit the animals, go on a hayride, and sip hot cocoa by a bonfire.	October Planning Time to make lists ... menus, recipes, family reunions, Christmas cards, Christmas gifts, parties, special events, carving time on the calendar.
Fall Has Arrived And we've got apples!	Brandied Fruit  Time to put up your Brandied Fruit to marinate and mellow in time for the Holidays.
15 Minutes of Fame Just a mention is thrilling, but being included in this company is the real claim to fame!	Apple-Pickin' Time! With so many apple varieties to choose from, what kind of apple is best for baking?
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Abundancia! Counting our blessings ... may they always be plentiful and abundant.	Taking Care of Holiday Guests Breakfast burritos can make you a winning host!
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My Boy A tribute to Max.	Bless the Beasts Spreading goodwill upon the creatures we share this earth with ...
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