Elite 11+ shopping and chat thread

TrulyMadly wrote: »

I've had a brilliant day today.

I've had this idea chasing around in my head for years.

One of the downfalls of giving food parcels is that it doesn't really solve a lot of the underlying problems. It's a sort of stopgap measure...like a sticking plaster.
One of the underlying problems is lack of knowledge/ experience/ not being able to shop and cook on a budget.

Imagine picking up a food parcel and attached to it, is a volunteer with a carrier bag of ingredients who would go back to your house with you and show you how to cook a very basic family meal. Imagine the kids coming home to a tasty casserole. :T:T
So ....you start with a very basic repertoire of 4/5 meals, costed out at between £2 and £3 per meal for 4 for example.
There's lots of things to be ironed out....health and safety:o and risk assessments:o, lack of cooking equipment ....some families are without even the most basic cookery stuff:o

Anyway I did a pitch for some funding today and it went really well. I feel really hopeful that this sort of intervention could make a huge difference to people...improving their health and lifestyle.

There's an army of women out there who are savvy shoppers and brilliant cooks. If we could match them with the young families who are struggling it would be a dream come true:)

What do you think?:)

Hi Tm
Your idea is great and I hope you get the funding, I have been doing this for years for friends and family and in practice it is not always that easy, a willing student is a joy but one who is distracted or not interested is an utter nightmare and in my experience it is the distracted and not interested ones that need the help the most
A friend (who is a good cook herself, long story mother and daughter falling out) asked me if I could help teach her daughter how to cook basic meals for her family last year. The first hurdle was time. I gave myself an hour or two a week, the reality it took 4 to 8 hours a week, then no basic equipment ( her mum and I helped putting together some equipment ) or store cupboard (again we both helped putting a bit of a store cupboard ) obviously these can be built up over time, then we had to deal with the distractions, children pack off to the grandmothers, tv and phones switched off , then you have to deal with all the excuses in the book, I can’t cook, I don’t want to cook, I don’t have time, the children will not eat it etc etc
Food shopping a half hour trip turned into a two hour battle of wills, exhausting
Then you finally get to prepare some food, knife skills zero so plenty of plasters and kitchen roll for the tears, once a meal is made then it is getting the family to eat it, you think it would be the children but nope it was the husband that I had to convince to try new foods we had cooked
It was a very long year, it should never have taken that long but we persevered and everything has turned out great, her mother and I are so proud of her, we started with pre-cut frozen veg and shop bought sauces and now she can prepare fresh veg and make her own sauces, as her confidence grew so did her skills and now she can cook healthy meals for her family, the key was building her confidence, now she is teaching her husband so that they can share the cooking
Would I do it again, yes , would I go and cook in a complete stranger kitchen then that would be a huge no, my only concern would be my own safety

Afternoon,

I've had a HD this morning for sharpies. All subbed so I rejected them. However, the man said it was only letting him reject 6. He took them away anyway....maybe I should've kept 4? But then I've had a refund processed email and it's only for 18.00 which is 3 of the 10 subs. Should I be worried or would it right itself in the end?
Never do HD, wish I'd clicked and collected now!!

Thanks

Asda Waitrose
1x Jacob's Salt & Black Pepper Flatbreads (150g) £1.51 £1.00
1x ASDA 8 Rocket Lollies (8x58ml) £1.00 £1.00
1x ASDA Grower's Selection Mixed Peppers (3pk) £1.00 £1.00
0.15x ASDA Grower's Selection Loose Red Onion (order by number of onions or select kg) (per kg) £0.12 £0.12
1x MAOAM Giant Strawberry Stripes (1pk) £0.10 N/A
1x Haribo Starmix (1pk) £0.10 N/A
1x ASDA Frozen for Freshness Garden Peas (1kg) £1.30 £1.37
1x ASDA SmartPrice Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice (400g) £0.29 N/A
1x ASDA Smartprice 15 Yorkshire Puddings (230g) £0.48 N/A
1x Asda Cheese & Ham Mini Pizzas (356g) £2.00 N/A
10x Gillette Venus Embrace 5 Blade Razor & Shower Holder (each) £50.00 £10.00

cjj wrote: »

Hi everyone, missing loads at moment so sorry if I've missed anything important. Was it E's bday the other day if so happy belated birthday E.

LEJC how are you my lovely ?

Congrats to your DD tiny

MKS can't be long until DS appointment, hope everything goes well.

TM your idea is brilliant.

Oh & one more thing, hello bubbs

Hugs to all that need/want one. Liverpool tomorrow for a couple of days xx

Hi cjj,

Hope that you are ok.
Had the appt/removal etc but all not good.:mad: Have to wait a few more weeks. bubbs has been an absolute :A letting me spout off to her in pms.