£10 a week food shop' girl. - Jack Monroe

Spendless

From the link in the 1st post

Back in 2011 Jack had a £27,000-a-year job she loved in a fire service call centre, a nice flat and a regular organic veg box. But after the birth of her son nearly three years ago, she was unable to negotiate flexible working or a jobshare for the changing pattern of her shift work. Her parents, who live a few miles away, helped out initially, but with the commute it proved unsustainable.
“It’s not what I had a child for, to give him 16-hour days foisted on other people.”

My interpretation of that, is the shifts she had to do, she couldn't find childcare for, so had to rely on parents but the commuting to the job plus travelling to pick child up, maybe sleeping if she had a night shift meaning she had to leave child at her parents longer meant it was unsustainable in the long run? Formal childcare for un-office-y type hours can be difficult to find. I have been stuck in the same position re childcare for several years. We don't starve as I have a working husband. It would be different if he wasn't there.

Hermia

I shall definitely try some of her recipes as they sound lovely. I don't have a blender though so hope that won't be an issue.

paulineb wrote: »

Also, if people dont have internet which a lot of people in poverty wont have, her recipes wont be accessible to people who might benefit from them (and thats not her fault).

I often think that about Freecycle/Freegle in that I don't think the dirt poor people use it for the reasons you mention. I have seen so many items that would be such a blessing for a truly poor family (e.g. a bag of unopened toiletries I posted on Freegle) not get any takers on my local group.

paulineb wrote: »

But it makes me a bit uncomfortable that someone has gained celeb status for being poor and writing recipes that will help other poor people. Mainly because thats a sad reflection of the times we are currently living in.

I think some people just get lucky. Whenever I see some news story about a blogger who suddenly gets famous I have often known other bloggers who have done the same thing for longer. Often it's just whether your image fits the bill. I read a lot of craft blogs and have noticed that it's the young and pretty or young and kooky-looking bloggers who get picked up by the media. If you write an amazing craft blog, but look like a middle-aged frump don't expect fame and fortune to come knocking!

Craftyblue

I too have been reading Jack's blog for a while now and find it really inspiring. She's an intelligent and opinionated woman. She may have come to the public's attention in an unusual way, but I do believe she would have been a success, regardless of her financial situation. She writes about issues that affect her and the society she lives in and she does so passionately and articulately.

She's the same age as me and I only wish more people in their mid-twenties cared about politics and their society the way she does. She's clearly not a fame-seeker and I think she should be applauded for her determination to change her life and those of the people around her.

Also, I noticed someone mentioned that many people in a similar situation to Jack's wouldn't have access to the internet to read her recipes, I believe Jack didn't have internet access for a while and went to the library where you can use it for free. They also give out Jack's recipes at food banks around the country.

Honeythief

paulineb wrote: »

Also, if people dont have internet which a lot of people in poverty wont have, her recipes wont be accessible to people who might benefit from them (and thats not her fault).

Does your local library not have free internet access? Ours does - free wifi too, which means it's very popular with travellers as well as locals. Public libraries are great.

Cocobay71

I think the government should employ her to provide food budgetting advise to people on benefits. Saw an interview on our local news recently of someone who was complaining of the reduction in benefits and her food shop bill was £130 a week for her and two small kids?

Craftyblue

Good idea Cocobay1, maybe a petition is in order?

Also, £130?!? :eek: Some people are mad, in my opinion.

Craftyblue

Sorry, I missed out the 7, Cocobay71.

joedenise

Have just cooked one of her recipes - Gigantes Plaki. It's a tomato & butterbean sauce. It's not particularly exciting but it's cheap.

We're going to be out most of tomorrow so thought I'd get something cooked which I can just reheat tomorrow evening and cook some rice so we wouldn't end up getting a takeaway which we just can't afford this month.

Have also made cornish pasties to take with us to have for lunch.

Denise

[Deleted User]

she is also very polite I emailed her about one of her recipes to see if its ok to freeze and she replied next day which I found helpful and usful and I think she will go far in what ever life she chooses to have .Good luck to her and I can't wait for her book to come out next spring

Out,_Vile_Jelly

PasturesNew wrote: »

I love veggies, but they really stink when boiled/simmered or done in the microwave.

I'm a vegetarian so most of my meals are veg-based, but I hardly ever boil them (and if so, they only need a couple of minutes). I lightly stirfry them (again, just for a few minutes; they will be hot but still flavoursome and crunchy, people really do overcook veg in this country) and then add curry/chilli/Thai/pasta/Chinese sauce.

I live in a small one bed flat with a clothes drier in the kitchen when it's raining (ie most of the time) and have never noticed a problem with clothes picking up a cooked veg smell. Cigarette smoke and BO are the odours that seem to really permeate fabric.