The Duggars and Their World: Fashion, Food, Finance, Schoolin’ and Child Rearin'

[galax-arena]

So...has anyone ever tried tater tot casserole? 

 

Most of the Duggar recipes we hear about make me want to vomit - what's up with the family's boner for Velveeta? - but I do have to thank them for introducing me to cucumbers with salt and vinegar. They're like salt and vinegar potato chips, but with less guilt involved. 

[bigskygirl]

salt and vinegar cucumbers?  I might have to try those. I use to eat cucumber slices in a bowl with vinegar, a touch of water, and onions. Yum, yum. Yes, I have tried tator tot casserole, but my husband makes it better and healthier.

Edited May 19, 2014 by bigskygirl

[Lillybee]

The Pioneer Woman has a recipe that is very much like Anna's chickenetti including using cream of crap soup.

[Ivy26]

Yeah, I'm not the healthiest of eaters, but their dependence on canned soup, aversion to vegetables, and over processed sugar and crap makes me gag.  My ex feeds my kids processed crap, and they look at fresh veggies funny.  I'd love for this whole family to get cholesterol and metabolic blood tests done.  Bet all of their sodium levels are through the roof

[floridamom]

bigskygirl, you must be Italian. I, too, have enjoyed the "cucumber salad" that you describe. It's an old family favorite from the "old country".. and good for you, too.The Duggars should try revamping their whole menu....but Michelle might have to pitch in and actually cook, or wash a pot. No way that will happen.

[galax-arena]

Yeah, I'm not the healthiest of eaters, but their dependence on canned soup, aversion to vegetables, and over processed sugar and crap makes me gag.  My ex feeds my kids processed crap, and they look at fresh veggies funny.  I'd love for this whole family to get cholesterol and metabolic blood tests done.  Bet all of their sodium levels are through the roof

Heh, I eat a lot of unhealthy processed salty crap - a life without salt is a life not worth living lol - but for some reason, my cholesterol levels have always been terrific. Go figure. Then again, unlike the Duggars, I enjoy healthy foods as well. Something like salmon can be both tasty and nutritious! Tater tot casserole on the other hand just sounds nasty, but I still want to try it out of morbid curiosity. 

[MrMattyMatt]

We used to be served TT Cassrole for school lunch back in the 80's (catholic shcool in Wisconsin)  I have made it from time to time as it brings back memories.  I can totally understand how unappealing it must sound to those not familiar with it.

 

It's not so much the food they eat but the constant use of disposable tablewear that irks me, especially when they have a huge dishwasher.

[bigskygirl]

bigskygirl, you must be Italian. I, too, have enjoyed the "cucumber salad" that you describe. It's an old family favorite from the "old country".. and good for you, too.The Duggars should try revamping their whole menu....but Michelle might have to pitch in and actually cook, or wash a pot. No way that will happen.

Nope, I am not Italian.  My parents made it a lot when I was growing up for lunch or dinner. I love cucumbers in salads and sandwiches. I try to get my husband to eat cucumbers, but he does not like them too much.

[Absolom]

Cucumber salad is also a good southern favorite.  :)

[MunichNark]

What are tater tots exactly? I've heard about that recipe, but we don't have stuff like that here I think.

 

Boiled cucumber is lovely too;-) Serve with rice and dill

[Absolom]

Tator tots are called potato puffs in at least one other country.  They are small cylinders of finely chopped potato that have been cooked and frozen. 

 

It's a brand name by Ore-Ida.  Google can bring up many pictures.

[MunichNark]

Ah ta, Looks a bit like croquettes. Do you have croquettes in the US?

 

Greasy, fatty, unhealthy though......

[Absolom]

We do have croquettes here.  They're similar but not identical.  I don't think there is any bread crumbing done with Tator Tots.  It's more like a puff shaped hash brown. 

[graefin]

Tator tots are more like what they call "roesti" in German-speaking countries (in cylinder shape).

[mbutterfly]

I'm not a food snob, I'm really not. But I was just reading some variations of ttc and found one frequently adds both catsup and velveeta cheese to the cream of mushroom soup and now I'm feeling a little ill. 

[Ljohnson1987]

Tator Tot Casserole, Banana cake. That chocolate ice cream sandwich thing they made in one of the early specials. That's good.  No wonder Boob and Smuggar were so unhealthy. I'm sure some of the other family members are too. I also hate how the J'Slaves and Anna feel guilty about what Boob and Smuggar do when it comes to eating. They have their own minds. They make their own choices. 

[TravisNelson76]

Kill me now, but I actually learned something from a Duggar last week.  I had never seen that whole "put oil in a measuring cup before the honey" thing.  So I gained new knowledge.  From Jinger Duggar.  Si-i-i-i-i-i-igh.

[barbedwire]

And what about the great JimBoob invention?  Tuna and bbq sauce.  Yuck!

[MrMattyMatt]

And what about the great JimBoob invention?  Tuna and bbq sauce.  Yuck!

This almost seems like an "arban legend" type of thing to me.  I had a boss once that acted like a domestic dufus and he aways told a story about the time he served BBQ sauced Tuna.  Possibly it's a coincedece...

[all4mom]

I've actually been meaning to try the BBQ tuna; esp. with albacore (quite "meaty" and not as fishy as regular light tuna), I would think it'd be quite tasty...  And it's certainly cheap, quick, easy, and low-fat!  As I've said, I greatly admired their thrifty creativity in the early days...

[NJRach]

Last week I saw Joy churning out neat, picture perfect mini loaves of whole wheat bread. Then I saw the recipe posted on the Duggar Family fan website. It just didn't look like it would work. It used yeast and only rose for 25 minutes. Then it had a lot of oil and honey - I thought that much liquid would make it soggy. Then I noticed it used ground wheat. When I make whole wheat bread, it uses half white and half whole wheat.

 

So I seriously doubt those perfect little mini loaves were from that recipe. I wonder if they bought the bread from a bakery, put it in the oven and took out the 'home-baked' bread as soon as the cameras were rolling.

 

If I had some spare time I'd try that recipe just for the heck of it.

[DangerousMinds]

Cucumber salad is also a good southern favorite.  :)

I make a Thai cucumber salad that is essentially the same recipe, but uses rice vinegar and ginger.

[Ripley68]

A place to ask questions that cover the whole family, family rules, kid behavior, filming...basically anything not person or episode specific.

I wonder if the cameramen and sound guys fight the urge to jump in and stop the kids from doing something potentially dangerous when they see it.  There have been many times I've winced at something the kids have been doing around the house.

[Ljohnson1987]

Lick chocolate off of dirty counters? Let their kids run around like animals. The Duggars aren't great at disciplining their kids.  J'Chelle hasn't done it in years, and it's not Boob's jurisdiction.  Yeah, that was said in an episode when he was "Babysitting" Jordyn, Jenny and Josie.  When they're your own kids, it's called parenting. 

[Ripley68]

Do they let the kids watch the news?  How do they tell the kids about current events?

[aunt jen]

Do they let the kids watch the news?  How do they tell the kids about current events?

 

Like this, I imagine:

 

"Kids, there was a big tornado over in Joplin, let's take our servants' hearts over there and help out even though it was probably a judgment from God about the gays marrying or Sunday beer or mama's new "season of life."

 

Also, if I drank, I would totally drink every time Michelle mentions her "season of life" and take a double-shot every time she talks about how she welcomes it over a shot of her doing something that shows she totally doesn't welcome it at all.

Edited May 27, 2014 by aunt jen

[merylinkid]

 

Yeah, that was said in an episode when he was "Babysitting" Jordyn, Jenny and Josie.

Oh it frosts my hide something fierce when dads refer to watching their own kids as "babysitting."   You do not babysit your own kids.   You parent them as LJohnson said.  Pretty sure even Jeebus would agree on that one.

[wanderwoman]

They really let them....

 

1. ...sleep together?  A 24 year old sharing a bedroom with a four year old is unfair to both siblings.  2.... wear flip-flops on hikes?  

3.... spend 12 hours on a bus, missing school, on to go to a book signing where they spend 2 hours signing books?  Way to put the kids first, Duggars.

4.... yell Nike when walking around in public?

5.... commit acts of vandalism on cars every time there's a wedding?

6..... where jeans to run a marathon, unless it's a taped scene for a movie and then shorts are godly?

[Wordsworth]

I remember reading an interview when someone on "Survivor" fell into the fire.  The question was asked if a cameraman would stop filming and go help someone like that.  The answer was, "If they did, I would fire them".

 

These reality-type shows, for all the scripting and editing that are done, are surprisingly okay with watching disaster happen.  

 

 

[Lillybee]

As for finding about current events, one fundie family (the Maxwells)  that doesn't listen to the radio or read newspapers says that if something big happens, they will overhear conversations at the supermarket.

[Bella]

As for finding about current events, one fundie family (the Maxwells)  that doesn't listen to the radio or read newspapers says that if something big happens, they will overhear conversations at the supermarket.

Oh, that's not good! My father, who was a major league goofball, would make stuff up if he thought someone was eavesdropping on a conversation. The stories made for some interesting speeches at his wake and funeral. My favorite was about the "leprosy epidemic." I hope the Maxwells don't run into anyone like him, though maybe they ought to.

[LazyToaster]

That is so funny, although, I'm wondering if that is much different from listening to talk radio?

[Fostersmom]

As for finding about current events, one fundie family (the Maxwells)  that doesn't listen to the radio or read newspapers says that if something big happens, they will overhear conversations at the supermarket.

 

Damn, those Maxwells are even more messed up than I thought. Even the Amish seek out news. I was a manager in an Ames store (think smaller scale Walmart) on 9/11 in an Amish community. Our media department, as pathetic as it was, was crammed full with Amish customers standing around trying to watch these tiny little portable rabbit ear TVs we sold that could actually get reception in the middle of the store. We also had a better TV in our break room and we were letting them watch the news with us back there too. 

 

I find it hard to believe the Duggars are as sheltered as they used to be. When they first started, with their hideous homemade dress and khakis and polos as far as the eye could see, yeah I believed it then, but now? Nope, not buying it. They may claim to not watch TV or spend time on the internet, but everything about the kids screams media isn't a stranger anymore. Those kids are probably streaming all sorts of shows on their iPhones and we've seen they aren't strangers to Twitter or Instagram. Didn't we see a TV in Josh and Anna's house in Arkansas? And either Ben or Derrick had favorite TV shows listed somewhere. 

[Marigold]

I know we heard one of the girls use the word "bromance".

 

The Duggars are also politically active.  They are very aware of what is going on out there.

Maybe they aren't watching Maury but they are most definitely using social media. 

[BitterApple]

Tater Tot Cassie can actually be a yummy comfort food as long as you doctor up the recipe. I add a bag of frozen mixed veggies to layer on top of the ground beef, followed by the tater tots and the condensed milk mixture. It's like a lazy man's Shepard's Pie.

Jinger's trick with the honey was neat, although when I add honey to a recipe I usually just eyeball it.

[Almost 3000]

The Duggars are also politically active.  They are very aware of what is going on out there.

Maybe they aren't watching Maury but they are most definitely using social media.

 

I've always thought the Duggars were more politically active than recruiting or witnessing for Christ. They just soft sell this part on the show. Their deal seems to be lifestyle choices which at the top of their list is creating a voting army for their agenda. Having babies and stopping anyone else's choice to birth control in any form is paramount and they back like minded candidates with their time and money. The big problem with this is they want to take away hard won rights we currently enjoy. I find them to be very militant in this regard.

[VioletNevermind]

I often wonder if the Duggars' rules re: hair length, clothing, and courting will relax, if not disappear altogether, as the Howlers age.  Josie is already four-years-old.  By the time she's old enough to start thinking about courting (by Duggar standards), her parents will be in their early 60's.  By the time Josie is 10, her oldest sisters/moms will be married off and no longer able to fulfill their roles as their incredibly self-centered mom's indentured servants.  I can't imagine that Michelle and Jim Bob will even have the energy to continue to mandate every little thing about the younger kids' lives and appearances at that point.  

 

(By the way, it's so good to see all of your familiar names here after being a faithful TWoP lurker for 10+ years!  Why did I never create an account?!) 

Edited June 4, 2014 by SuzyLee

[NikSac]

As for finding about current events, one fundie family (the Maxwells)  that doesn't listen to the radio or read newspapers says that if something big happens, they will overhear conversations at the supermarket.O

 

Oh my... I sometimes joke about getting my 'news updates' from the grocery store tabloids. It never occurred to me that some people might actually be getting their only news this way. Not to mention, how freaky would it be to get news about your own family this way?

[alt0233]

I was rewatching one of the specials the other day, and the older girls were talking about a "game" they play when they're young. Basically the idea is that the parents tell them to do something, like run to the living room and touch the coffee table, and they're supposed to do or a quickly as possible without asking any questions.

The purpose of the game is to teach obedience and to always do what you are told without questioning and that totally freaked me out. I can get how that'd make life with a little kid easier, but easier is not necessarily better, and the long-lasting effects of being someone who is unquestioning and always obeys is troublesome.

I haven't seen it mentioned since and I wonder if that's because they stopped doing it, or because they realized how it looks from the outside and decided not to mention it again.

[smittykins]

Yeah, they also mention that in their first book.  As well as obeying instantly, the kids are also supposed to say, "Yes sir/ma'am, I'll be glad to."  Yeesh.

[ramble]

Ick, just ick. Unquestioning obedience teaches one not to question & I think that's a dangerous thing. I want my kids to question things. What if a friend says doing drugs is fine or driving while texting is safe? Question! I'm also not going to be right 100% of the time so don't take my word as golden either. The idea that the girls go from one headship under their dad to another under their husband & have been taught unquestioning obedience seems scary to me. It sounds like a set up for one of them to be in an abusive relationship & believe there's no way out. I'll fully admit my kids aren't as obedient as I'd like them to be but I'll take that any day over blind following.

Edited June 4, 2014 by ramble

[GinnyLee]

I noticed JoyAnna using the word 'obey' in one of those Q&A sections about how she was going to get the younger ones to sing in the dinner theater. I thought it creepy for a 16 year old to be using the word so naturally like there was nothing wrong with it.

TO respond to the current events comment: I don't think this family is as naïve and isolated as some may think. Jim Bob once ran for Congress or Senate or something for the state of Arkansas. He lost, but he ran.  I don't remember what representative post he ran for but he's politically inclined so I doubt these girls are that ignorant. I've also noticed the fact that all the older girls seem to have better cell phones then I do and computers. So I'm guessing they do know what's going on around them, but they're on such a short lease that they won't be able to fully explore the other side of the fence until they move out or worse, get married to someone JimBob picks out for them.

[gunderda]

Tater tot casserole is amazing! I haven't had it for years though but I've been craving it (and not from watching the Duggar's eat it). 

I do remember when I was younger my mom would put veggies in it and I got so mad but I think that would be really good now. 

[Lillybee]

On their family web page, the Duggars used to have a link to Michael Pearl's book, To Train Up a Child. The instant obedience game comes from there. This book is simply horrible. He recommends switching children as young as 4 months. I think that the Duggars followed this book years ago. I don't know if they still do.

[gunderda]

The girls are obviously on pinterest and I don't believe there is any way to restrict content on there.  I get random stuff showing up all the time on my pinterest page. 

[Almost 3000]

On their family web page, the Duggars used to have a link to Michael Pearl's book, To Train Up a Child. The instant obedience game comes from there. This book is simply horrible. He recommends switching children as young as 4 months. I think that the Duggars followed this book years ago. I don't know if they still do.

The book is controversial because several kids have died by parents saying they followed the Pearl's techniques. There has been media about it and a push to get Amazon to ban the book. Michael Pearl suggests the use of plumbing pipe, wooden spoons and other available items to "train" your children. Its much more than immediate responses, its child abuse.

[Sew Sumi]

Mullet still uses that verbiage ("train" a child) all the time. They may not use the Pearls' more extreme methods any longer because cameras, they still ascribe to the idea that children aren't to be raised, they're to be trained like circus animals.

[FairyDusted]

The creepiest of all things Dugger to me is this whole sweet unquestioning obedience. My child had a mind of her own. May have frustrated me at times but damn if she isn't a well rounded woman today.  

[maraleia]

I think that Joy Anna might be the first girl to escape the sojourn to Journey to the Heart camp. I say this because we haven't heard of anyone getting sent away except for Josiah and Alert is a totally different experience than Journey.

I really hope that with the Gothard scandal they've stopped most of the ATI crap. They have already evolved with so many things so why not get away from the rest of it and be more like Cathy and Derick.

[Sew Sumi]

Sadly, Joy did go to a Journey last fall. Jana was a group leader, so she was properly chaperoned.

 

However, she did get one on one time with Gothard, who was hopefully smart enough to leave his cash cows, the Duggar girls, alone.