Cook AT HOME, for God's sake!!

pounds_and_pensive

I thought of this thread earlier while watching a mate hurry her kids through eating their home-made veggie soup so that she could get on and make a start with brewing up some blackberry wine. Old Style? She thinks of herself as 'New Age'

dolly_day_dream

pounds_and_pensive wrote:

I thought of this thread earlier while watching a mate hurry her kids through eating their home-made veggie soup so that she could get on and make a start with brewing up some blackberry wine. Old Style? She thinks of herself as 'New Age'

That's it exactly! I have often been described as an 'earth mother' and old hippy - maybe my regular visits to Glasto have got something to do with that though;)

As for Round About a Pound a Week I initially read it as part of my studies and then re-read it to try and get a perspective of my mother's upbringing. She was born in 1920 8th in what was eventually a family of 13:eek: My grandmother had to use 'The Knowledge' cos my grandfather was an alcoholic and it was the only way they kept body and soul together. Funnily enough my mother rebelled against all of that and would buy all sorts of rubbish - but to be fair we have never been publicly humiliated for being poverty stricken as she was by teachers.

Those who are a little ashamed of being frugal might like to know that I learn't the initial bits from when I was working as a mother's help in a very posh household and discovered that NOTHING was ever thrown away regarding food. What wasn't eaten one day was reheated the next. I learnt about soup making, bread making etc. This and remembering dear old gran set my life plan out.

I love this site cos for years I though that I was in my own peculiar wilderness. From here I have discovered others of a like mind and discovered new tips and wrinkles and when you have been OS for over 30 years you tend to think that there is nothing new you can learn:o

Sarahsaver

Yes why do people see it as a sign of poverty nowadays to cook everything from scratch, like if you could afford it you would buy ready meals every day -NOT!
Wealth should be measured in other ways too.

thriftlady_2

Trow wrote:

thriftlady - before you get too excited - I rather suspect inflation might mean the title is a little misleading nowadays...

:rotfl: Yes, I do realise that. I'm just interested in social history and if it was cheap and good in 1913 chances are it probably still is;)

dolly_day_dream

For social history it is fantastic cos it is about real people, and about people who very rarely had their lives shown. Some of it is heartbreaking and it certainly made me appreciate just what my mother had lived through. Sorry though no recipes it just states that the woman who manages her budget makes her own bread and doesn't resort to the pie shop for dinner that sort of thing.

Sarahsaver

If you go to Snibston Discovery park in Leicestershire there is a section on Mining, and it describes the daily routine of a miner's wife. How wonderful they have acknowledged the 'hidden' history of women, and how humbling too. Getting up at the crack of dawn, or earlier, to stoke up the fire and make the bread.

[Deleted User]

The advantage of cooking from scratch is you know what goes in it and how hygienically it has been prepared.

I never use microwave meals and as I'm on a bit of a health kick these days my only occasional treat in REAL chip shop chips with salt and vinegar!

I used to enjoy eating out - before I decided to really concentrate on paying off my mortgage - but now - I hate the thought of eating out.

I have had so many poor value and/or quality meals in the past - or meals ruined by the behaviour of other people, adults and/or children - that the best meals these days are those cooked at home.

There are times (like today) when I didn't feel like cooking - but when I think of saving £20 upwards by making the effort it puts it into perspective.

Sarahsaver

We are having home made 'chinese' tonight. Yuk sung, special fried rice and pork curry. Saving LOADS of money by doing it this way;)

SusanCarter

calleyw wrote:

Anyone remember the sudan dye incident from the last year or so.

I was lucky as I was on of the smug people who had not bought any of the items that where on the list.

As I buy very little ready meals. I will admit to buy the odd jar of pasta sauce and tins of beans.

I count on one hand the number of times I have bought a meat pie. I do buy the odd sausage rolls for husband.

And I do admit to buying the odd packet of Jaffa cakes and bars of chocolate.

I seem to remember that it got into ready meals via worcestor sauce. If the particular worcestor sauce had gone into bottles which were sold to the public then it would have gone into home cooking. I certainly use worcestor sauce a lot in stews, hotpots etc. Having said that, perhaps the majority of worcestor sauce goes into ready meals and if it was in bottles that people had bought, most of it wouldn't have been used as they would last longer in people's homes than in factories. I might be wrong but although I agree that there are lots of arguments against ready meals I feel that the one about the sudan dye is flawed as it could just as easily have gone the other way.

thriftlady_2

Sudan was in a Worcester sauce, but it wasn't in Lea and Perrins, which I imagine is what most non-vegetarians use.