Single ingredient items can be very confusing. You think when you buy a bag of flour, or a container of cream, you are buying something that is well, wheat or milk. It's important to always read the labels of everything you buy.
True story:
I was so proud of myself last Thanksgiving. After reading the label on a can of whipped cream, I set out to make my very own whipped cream and it came out delicious!! I boasted to my friends and co-workers, how easy it was to whip together cream, sugar & vanilla. Three ingredients! All who tried it loved it! Later in the week that followed, I was incredibly surprised to read what was in the cream; I thought it was only milk! I was so surprised when I accidentally read the side of the cream carton...my assumption? Cream was made from an early part in the milk making process, when there was still a lot of fat in it. What is in the ingredient list, you may be thinking to yourself?
Here ya go:
I am breaking my rule: I had NO idea what mono and digylcerides, polysorbate 80 or carrageenan are. So am I eating clean? Not by the real "clean" standards.
Here is the side of the canned whipped cream:
I'm doing a bit better -
in this case. But not in every case. But I can tell you I went and looked up what those were, and decided as often as I make whipped cream, and with how well we do with all of our other meals, that on the holidays a little but won't hurt. So you now know, and can decide what is best for your family...
According to Wikipedia:
Mono and diglycerides:
Mono- and diglycerides are common food additives used to blend
together certain ingredients, such as oil and water, which would not
otherwise blend well. It is important to note that the values given in
the nutritional labels for total fat, saturated fat, and
trans fat do not include those present in mono- and diglycerides.
The commercial source may be either animal (cow- or hog-derived) or
vegetable, derived primarily from partially hydrogenated soy bean and
canola oil.
[citation needed] They may also be synthetically produced. They are often found in bakery products, beverages,
ice cream,
peanut butter,
chewing gum,
shortening, whipped toppings,
margarine, confections, and candies.
Polysorbate 80:
Polysorbate 80 is used as an emulsifier in foods, particularly in ice
cream. Here, polysorbate is added to up to 0.5% (v/v) concentration and
makes the ice cream smoother and easier to handle, as well as increasing
its resistance to melting.
[4] Adding this substance prevents
milk proteins from completely coating the
fat
droplets. This allows them to join together in chains and nets, which
hold air in the mixture, and provide a firmer texture that holds its
shape as the ice cream melts.
Carrageenan:
Carrageenans or
carrageenins (
/ˌkærəˈɡiːnənz/ KARR-ə-GHEE-nənz) are a family of linear sulfated
polysaccharides that are extracted from red
seaweeds.
There are several varieties of carrageen used in cooking and baking.
Kappa-carrageenan is used mostly in breading and batter due to its
gelling nature. Lambda carrageenan is a non-gelling variety that assists
in binding, retaining moisture, and in contributing to viscosity in
sweet doughs. Iota carrageenan is used primarily in fruit applications
and requires calcium ions to develop a heat-reversible and flexible gel.
[1] Gelatinous extracts of the
Chondrus crispus (Irish Moss) seaweed have been used as food additives for hundreds of years.
[2] Carrageenan is a
vegetarian and
vegan alternative to
gelatin.
Apparently there is seaweed in my cream. :) I will continue to make my own cream; the three ingredients in mine are better than the ingredients in the canned stuff. I am curious to see if the frozen stuff has the same ingredients. I will try to remember my camera next time I go to the grocery to snap a pic.
Happy eating! Kathy
edit: here's a pic from the frozen whipped cream
Step 2: in a medium saucepan on stove, combine white sugar, 1/4 c water, corn syrup & salt. Over medium heat, stir until dissolved. Stop stirring and heat the mixture until it boils; maintain slow boil until mixture reaches 240 deg on candy thermometer. Looks like this when done:
4 egg whites 
The recipe says to brush the cookie sheet with oil & lightly flour, I used parchment paper and it worked good. When the cookies were done, I could slide them off the baking stone and let cool on the paper. They come off the paper so easily when cool! I tried to use a scoop to put the dough on the paper, but it kept getting stuck, so I just used a tablespoon and my clean finger. Easy!!
Here is a side panel with the ingredients:
My favorite find at the moment: 
My version of my mom's 1950-something apple pie recipe: 
Once they are all sliced, toss the apples with the dry ingredients. 
Slowly pour them into crust-lined pie pan, stopping to pat them down, adjusting to fill in large gaps. The apples will settle as they bake; but if there is too much gaping, you will end up with a space between your apples and top crust.
Prepare top crust. I used three small cookie cutters to cut out leaves; sometimes I just carve an apple out of the center. Whatever you like!! Make sure to put small air vents around large crust areas; helps crust mold to top of pie. 
Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, depending on size of pie. Beautiful!! 
edit: here's a pic from the frozen whipped cream
