From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

EssexHebridean

what time did you say Greying…?! 🤣

KajiKita

< adds pot of jam to handbag for optional additional extra with Welsh cakes …>

Suffolksue

Me too please I can bring unopened Christmas cheese

I’ve got a ufo defrosting ,it’ll have meat in so will leave it here for tomorrow !

Jellytotts

I’d pop along too but I’ve got a hideous virus. Shove a pot in the freezer for me! 😁

Greying_Pilgrim

Jellytotts - a pot has been popped in the freezer for ya!

We're enjoying the colourful start to the Winter Olympics. Very effective 👍 Miss Mariah is about to start.

We've eaten us tea 😁 It were grand 😁 I took the risk of putting it on trays and we ate on our laps in the front room….. I don't think any tommie sauce slopped anywhere 🤔 But we all had fun twirling and swirling our papardelle 😁 Here's a bowlful for each and everyone of you 😁Sorry there is no parmesan, but I topped with a sliced cherry tomato (and they were lovely).

Sorry for the fuzzy bits, the phone has a 'Food' setting, but it seems to have a tiny loci of focus, but there is sausage in there, aubergine and black olives.

DH is biased, but he did say, as I handed him his tray - "£15 a plate in a restaurant?" - which was very kind of him.

Anyhoo, I enjoyed corralling a load of ingredients and making summat yummy, and relevant.

I didn't spend any money today.

I enjoyed listening to R4 whilst cooking, but also I remembered the BeeBeeCee World Service 'Food Chain' programme and listened to a couple of episodes - adoption and food, and the Indian Caste system and food. A young lady Melissa Guida-Richards, on the adoption programme said something very pertinent - she was talking in the context of cross-cultural adoption, and it was along the lines of "There is never too many people to love, there are never too many cuisines and ingredients to add to your family menus, there is nothing bad about that". And I have to say, that has turned my thinking on its head. I worry very much about 'cultural appropriation' and not being seen to make a 'definitive' version of X curry, or Y risotto, or Z cake. I recognise, my tomatoes may not have benefitted from volcanic soil, or my sultanas 300+ days of sunshine, or my oregano may have been grown in Cleethorpes, rather than Corinth. But I'm curious about many cuisines, and want to make good food, and tasty recipes. And show love to my family.

Greying X

Humdinger1

We're all going to collide in the kitchen door as we hurtle towards the nosebag @Greying_Pilgrim! Truly scrumptious love Humdinger xx

edinburgher

Viscosity and macro policy? Yours is truly the thinking person's food blog money diary @Greying_Pilgrim 🤣

KajiKita

It does annoy me somewhat that people are getting so free and heavy handed with ‘cultural appropriation’ judgements and crossness, when it leads someone like you to worry about trying new ingredients or flavours. Humans have been sharing ideas and ‘culturally appropriating’ from each other for the whole time span of our evolution! We wouldn’t be what we are now (for good or ill) without it … !! (Think of the sharing of technologies from the stone to Bronze Age and then the Bronze Age to the Iron Age …)

There is whole world of difference in adopting someone else’s recipe, art, stories etc etc without acknowledgment or respect - but that is NOT what you are doing. Please just enjoy your food and your awesome, creative, inspiring, family-heart-centred exploration of food and flavours.

<gets off mildly grumpy soap box>

KK

themadvix

Totally agree with KK - enjoying food from around the world is a key part of learning to appreciate each other and get on well withothers from different cultures. LG may not have ever eaten in a restaurant, but I bet they would do pretty well in India or Africa - not unfamiliar with the ingredients and willing to try new things!

Greying_Pilgrim

KajiKita - thank you. You have absolutely seen my food and recipe trying in precisely the light that I'm - well, trying - those foodstuffs and recipes in. Curiosity, learning new techniques, experiencing new flavours, or sometimes (well, actually alot of the time), because that way of doing food prep, or putting those ingredients together is totally yummy.

I don't ever claim authenticity, but all my dishes (if I am following a recipe) are 'in the style of', rather than faithful recreation. Elizabeth Luard wrote a superb book about European Peasant cookery (and yes, people got caught up on the term 'Peasant'), which detailed what went on in the home kitchens, where it was about putting food on the table, and filling bellies. Where you perhaps had to use the least attractive cuts of meat and/or the offal (it was very meat heavy), and the different carbs/vegs used for potages and porridges. It was interesting how 'similar' techniques and recipes were, but what differed was where countries used 'what they had'. In Norway it was dried cod, in Sicily it was pounded sprat.

Anyway, ed in his polite and jokey way has reminded me that this is a MFW diary, so…….

We've another day of rain forecast, so I shall have to wash and then utilise the dehu. It was on for 4 hrs yesterday and fully dried 7 tops. I'm doing the heavy-weight workwear and towels today, and then it'll have to be a day of 'supportive' garments 😉tomorrow, as stocks are dwindling. Thank heavens for the dehu though, and the wherewithal to run it.

Rugger today 😁I assume (possibly wrongly) that Scotland are playing Italy, in Italy? The Princess Royal was at the games opening last night, and I wondered if she was going to the match as President of the Scottish RFU. We have a little bit of Christmas beer left, so won't need to buy any refreshment for the match 😁I haven't thought about what to make for tea, but ought to - as the Eng v Wales match is the 'tea-time' one, and I always miss it, jumping up and down to switch rings on, or check stuff ain't burning. I should order a takeaway, shouldn't I??? 🤣

I have already spent £34 of the CHB for this month, on club fees and new clothing (everyday and future schoolwear). Half-term will see some investment in trainers…. again 🙄

Right, the washing machine is beeping. Best go and sort the laundry out. Ta for popping in, and for your support - and understanding. I value it greatly.

Greying X