Mad Cook
Master Chef
The local food banks in my area won't accept out-of-date donations, which is quite right. I accept that some people try to play the system but I still don't think it's fair that because people are poor they should be expected to accept things that the rest of us find unacceptable. On the subject of the waste of food perhaps we should be looking to stop the manufacturers pandering to the supermarkets in the matter of sell by/use by/best before dates and the supermarkets for overstocking their shelves with foods with a notional end of life date.I don't know yet Jenny, but I think he will be smart enough to have it where it will do the most good. It certainly will be best served on a bus line. And I hope he gets approval for accepting EBT cards. And if it becomes a big success like I think it will, we may see more of these stores out in Springfield, Chelsea, and other towns in need of such a place.
Marilyn, the woman who runs our local food bank has told me some very funny stories about some of the customers who show up every month. One comes with her grocery list. Wants only certain brands. No house brands. Goes home with half of what she is entitled to for her family. Another checks every item in her bags for "sell by" dates. No expirations dates for her. And then there is the family that has a large number of children. Thinking they wouldn't receive enough food for their whole family, decided to break up the family. The wife used her maiden name and claimed five of the kids. The father used his real name and claimed the other four kids. Both at the same address, but supposedly different apartments. Marilyn got wind of it and got the two of them together and explained how the banks works and how much food each family is entitled to. Had they claimed all of the children together as a family with two parents, they would have received more food. One old man didn't use all the food he was given and at the end of the month returned it. Wanted to know if he could get credit for it.
I am rooting for this venture. It is sorely needed in a lot of communities.
One of our local food banks has started offering basic cooking and meal planning courses to help mothers (and fathers) who want help to plan and produce inexpensive, nutritious food for their families. There is a long waiting list for places.
What used to be called Home Economics (cookery, food hygiene, meal planning, and other domestic skills) hasn't been taught in practical terms in British schools for many years and the powers that be are beginning to wake up to the idea that they made a big mistake in the past.
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