Have You Had to Look for Your Backbone Lately?

I know it's an incredibly strange title to a post but I was thinking about that very thing this week.  I had a situation at work where I found myself repeating over and over that I needed to 'find my backbone'!  The reality is that our mental backbone needs plenty of reminders to stay strong in the form of self confident thought and behavior that our physical backbone receives from nutrition and healthy living.

Bones have always been associated with strength and have been included in recipes since the beginning of time.  Many people continue to use marrow bones in soup recipes while others (myself included) will buy them as a treat for a canine friend.  Currently, a common form of adding bone marrow is to make a split pea or ham soup by adding the ham bone to the broth as it is cooking and then removing it.  

If you're looking for a more detailed description of the benefits of bone marrow check out this link!  Of course, there are restaurants that specialize in 'nose to tail' cooking that have been serving bone marrow delicacies for a very long time.  Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain is very fond of a restaurant in Europe called St. John that serves up every bit of offal you can imagine!  I found several recipes using bone marrow from the Cooks.com website if you need inspiration.  Most of the recipes in my collection are rustic stew recipes that only call for cooking the meat with the bone while these are specifically geared to connoisseurs of the actual marrow.  Many believe that it is incredibly healthful to consume bone marrow.  

While I won't be eating any bone marrow or gelatin products (no red meat of any kind), I find it interesting to learn how history has changed our perception of foods.  In our recent past, bone marrow and offal were almost always consumed.  Waste was not looked upon in a favorable manner.  Now these items are considered delicacies or a pricey option for the 'foodie' but not standard fare for a family.

And what about my question about the location of my 'mental backbone'?  Not to worry.  I found it and it's strong.  Really strong.