Return to Dickensian poverty?

[B00]

Following on from the link provided by DrFilth in a previous thread...

http://www.telegraph....tired-and-hungry.html

How is this allowed to happen in this day and age?

There's a paragraph that claims a 6th former (16/17- right?) hasn't eaten for 3 days!

Surely even the poorest family could cobble 40p together to buy a reduced loaf from a supermarket?

[ummmm]

Bednobs....they have no kids. If she wants to skip an extra meal to buy tobacco...her prerogative. Just pointing out it's not just people on benefits that are living in poverty...

And I said say 'near on' poverty....because she smokes.

[rowanwitch]

Funny thing is one thing I taught them was buy flour , sugar, cheap marge, eggs, and budget jam or dried fruit make a big cake... bread pudding or cheap jam tarts... sometimes when times are hard something sweet can help you cope

[B00]

Some of my younger work mates are gobsmacked that I actually make yorkshire puddings. That's how bad some peoples basic cooking skills are. Like Rowan, and I think Naomi too have said, I think this needs addressing at school level- basic cooking, not arty farty things which children seem to bring home from school once you've spent a small fortune on ingredients for!

[Ankou]

"Just pointing out it's not just people on benefits that are living in poverty..."

quite. although we are misbehaving with the mere suggestion.

lets toe the line and say ... they are all alcoholic fag smoking workshy layabouts and their starving children are their problem.

isn't that the crux of it ?

[Ankou]

b00, all i learnt to cook at school was a burnt upside down pineapple cake.

why does it have to be a school responsibility ?

[B00]

Maybe it's some of the problem Ankou, but I'm not naive to think every family who's below the poverty line (which is what exactly?) are like that. Like I said, i think it's a lack of education, and what can and can't be made with cheap raw ingredients.

[naomi24]

Absolutely right B00. People are gobsmacked that I make Yorkshire puddings too. For the price of a few cans of Heinz soup you can buy enough fresh vegetables in Aldi to make a gallon.

[Ankou]

so you either make a gallon of soup that mostly might go to waste, or you have enough leftover vegetables to rot in a cupboard.

wow.

[ummmm]

My son opted to do food tech for GCSE....he's made one meal.

My other son, who can cook, does food tech as part of the curriculum, the last thing he cooked was a pizza. But, we had to cook the sausages and chicken at home first.

[ummmm]

Oh....How many parents can afford to buy chicken and sausages for a poxy pizza? How much pressure does that put on parents on a very strict budget?

[B00]

No Ankou, you freeze it. I currently have dozens of tupperware boxes in my freezer filled with leftovers like soup, curry, stews etc. These are perfect for those days when you think you almost literally have nowt to eat.

[micmak]

Young people don't seem to cook any more. I know a young woman who often says "Why would I buy a fresh chicken when I can buy a cooked one". Years ago Mums taught their children to cook. Now Mums don't know how to cook, hence buying ready meals.

[B00]

Exactly ummmm- why can't they teach them things like shepherds pies? Stews? Soups etc? Surely that'll stand you in better stead for cooking on a budget than a pizza?

[naomi24]

Why would soup go to waste or vegetables rot if your children are hungry - which is what we're talking about?

[Ankou]

b00, the last time i worked on affordable housing, the freezer was about the size of an a4 folder. not enough room for any more than two tupperware boxes and a bag of peas.

[ummmm]

micmak....they do teach them. My son is still at basic level (he's just turned 13) but he can make a few meals. My other son plays dumb...

[cazzz1975]

I agree with that ummm, my daughter was asked to make some polish delicacies that required lots of exotic ingredients that would not be reused, I refused to buy them because they would be wasted.

[daffy654]

Ummmm, my son made a pizza in food tech last year, he had to have 3 types of meat, 3 types of veg, tomato puree, herbs and the ingredients to make the base. It cost me over a tenner to buy that lot. I was tempted to just send him in with a £2 frozen pizza!

[B00]

Then you cook the basics to accommodate how you can store it ankou, stop being bloody awkward, lol- it aint rocket science is it?

[Ankou]

but daffy if he'd had bought all that stuff fresh... he could have fed the 5,000