Global warming or not global warming...its too bloomin cold!

Stories about how cold the weather is, seem to be all over news websites and programmes this week, and when someone mentions the dreaded words Global Warming, you know there is going to be a row.

Comments on a story on thisiscornwall demonstrates my point well. I have to say, being something of a greenie myself I certainly believe in global warming, while I have to admit, I am definitely no expert on the subject.

I see the sceptic's point, it is talked about an awful lot, and it seems that we can't do anything without being accused of causing global warming. Many see it as the Government's excuse to tax people more. Now I may be naive, and I am aware that the Government are quite capable of keeping a few truths from public knowledge, but I have to say - there is A LOT of evidence for the global warming debate (and against I'm sure).

I also have to ask, those people that are complaining that the Government are using it as an excuse to tax people more...are they the ones with massive 4litre engine hugemungous truck/lorry cars!? I only ask, as if we all had small cars, then we wouldn't be taxed more would we?

I appreciate that it's up to the individual what car they drive etc etc, but really, 70 mph is the maximum speed limit, and my 1.2 Clio hits that quite comfortably. (And yes I do know that this isn't the MOST eco-friendly of cars...)

So my advice? Stop of spending hours debating whether global warming is as serious as it is made out to be, or even true at all, (because you know, we probably wont be here to see the full effects of it anyhooo), why not just make a little change to help reduce the emissions that you produce? It wouldn't exactly pain anyone to do that. (Oh, and get some gloves maybe!).

What is your carbon foot print?

What I give up this year is...

Happy new year! I'm not one for resolutions, mainly because I am a rebellious type, and if I tell myself I have to do something, then I end up rebelling against myself and not doing it! But seeings as I made the effort last year and ditched the supermarkets, I decided that I would try to give up something this year.

As much as I would like to lose 5lbs I know I have no will power, so aiming to lose weight just wont work as a resolution for me. So this year, along the same 'eco-road' as I have been travelling down for a while now, I figured I could make my own bread.

Why? Well it's all about going back to basics I suppose. I had only tried to make bread once before, in year 7 at secondary school, where they give you a 45 minute lesson in which to make bread - its no wonder it ended up bloomin' horrid is it!

I found a restaurant in St Keverne, The Greenhouse, which teaches bread making classes in week and went along to learn the basics. After a couple of hours and a couple of loaves later, I felt I understood the theory.

Now with any recipe I find, it doesn't work! You always seem to need to tweak it slightly and thankfully I had some (SEVEN) recipe books for Christmas so I could try a fair few out and tweak as I wished! And finally, lo and behold, after my third loaf I got it!

The smell of freshly baked bread is unbeatable, and when it comes out of the oven, the feeling is too, unbeatable.

I know I have probably said it before about home cooking, but really, the feeling you get when something that you have made - with apprehension - turns out great, is amazing!

So there we have it. This year, I give up mass produced bread! No Hovis or Warbutons for me any more. Just good old home-made stuff!

Care to join me in my resolution? Go on, just make the one loaf, dare you!

I feel cheated, I tell you.

It appears as if I may be the only person who didn't know there was a larger markup on Organic goods than normal goods. (So I would really appreciate it if you could tell me you didn't know that either!)

Now I'm not entirely stupid, honest. I know Organic is more expensive than 'regular' produce but I genuinely thought that it was because it cost more to grow, I didn't realise people were charging more for it for the hell of it.

I am outraged at this current find, if people put the same amount of mark-up on organic goods as they did on non-organic goods then the price difference between the two would be hardly anything. And considering the main argument for not going organic is the sheer price of the produce, then you would think that someone might have a brain cell and change it!

I only realised this when I was shopping in a certain shop (I shant say which but I can assure you it is not a supermarket) and I saw the organic bread flour that I use to bake with at home, picked it up to find that it was a whole £1.21 more than what I pay in my local shop AND it was a smaller bag! How very dare they, I thought! Is it any wonder that people don't go to these places that sell only organic and fair trade produce when they aren't being treated with honesty and fairness themselves.

So after this little epiphany, and some scraping around, I discovered that a certain company (again I shant say which but I will say their ethical ways are questionable) have recently changed to supplying organic goods too. NOT because of the ethical side of it, and NOT because that is what they believe in, no no, but because they can make more money out of it and indeed, it said so in black and white, well, in so many words. Nothing but disgusting.

After going on and on about shopping in local shops and buying fair trade and organic where you can, I feel cheated by certain shops and companies.

However, I refuse to let it blight my case. I will say, stick to you local smaller shops - the ones with more of a conscience.

It is no wonder so many people are so against the rise of Organic produce is it?

When did it become normal...

I have been watching the Channel 4 show 'Jamie's Ministry of Food' and I ask myself at the end of each episode 'When did it become normal not to cook?', and I never reach an answer, ANYONE?

I was far from bought up on good home cooked pies and stews, but as one of seven children, we did all sit down round a (suitably massive) dinner table and eat dinner - even if it was potato waffles and fish fingers. It is probably for this reason that I find it strange that people don't cook anymore - or more to the point, some cant.

My love for home cooked and healthy food has come as I have gotten older, and I realised at 19 I couldn't live on vodka, scampi fries and bacon and cheese sandwiches anymore! But I struggle to see where dinner became something you don't make your self anymore. Even if it's not homemade quiche or spag bol, the dinner table seems to be dying a death. TV dinners, quick and easy takeaways, CONVENIENCE has battered away at the traditions of home cooking. Such a shame considering its almost always cheaper to make it yourself!

It got lost a long while ago, according to my nan, who used to bake chocolate cakes and buns as the 'treats' she had in her cupboard - she now has biscuits and cakes bought from the supermarket instead. She said as the grandchildren grew up she baked less, and now buys these things for ease. Which is a shame as she used to make the most amazing cheese swirly thingys.

My worry is the tradition of eating home cooked food around the dinner table is going to be a thing of the past, when some of my fondest memories as a child are of around the dinner table (and no not just because I was a pig!).

So I pose the question 'When did it become normal not to cook?' someone must know?

I give you all my money and then you put a bird cage on my head?

The Turner Prize is well know for catching people's eyes, interest and most of the time down right confusion. And this year has proved no exception. I know you're probably thinking - 'what is she talking about the turner prize...I thought this was about shopping and supermarkets' - well,I shall explain. Watching the news yesterday morning I saw the Turner Prize entries, and one caught my eye this year - and not just because of it's bizarreness (although it is pretty bizarre). It's called I give you all my money . <----Have a look!

Now I have never really understood art like this, I think we would all agree it takes a certain amount of creativity to see past the mannequin sat on the toilet with horse shoes hanging off her, not to mention the one behind her who has her head stuck in a bird cage...

However, looking a little more closely at this piece I draw my own conclusions. I think the fact that there are two supermarket checkouts in the piece gives a reflection on the supermarkets hold over people's lives nowadays. And the fact that it is titled I give you all my money, reflects how much the consumer now spends in these stores.

I think it's safe to say that different people will get different conclusions from this piece, but I thought it was interesting - and relevant, although some may disagree.

What I think is certain from this piece is that it has a hidden message, and within that message the supermarket lies. Whether it is intended to be a positive or negative message, it shows that more and more people are thinking about the way we shop now, and that to me is kind of positive.

Illogical?

It appears that my recent 'I hate to say I told you so but...I TOLD YOU SO!' blog has caused a bit of a stir with some. This became apparent on reading a comment on my last blog from a lady named Jane Smith.


Now, where to start. (If you would like to read the comment it is at the bottom of my last post, you might need to, to make sense of what is to come!)

I believe that the word 'lazy' has hit a chord with some and so maybe I should explain my reasoning. I did say that it was laziness that made people want to shop in a convenience store, and I stand by that. Isn't it the want for easy shopping, the want for less trips to the shop all generated initially by someones laziness? I don't think someone who enjoyed going to five different shops to do their weekly shop would have invented the supermarket. Some could say it's ease, I say it's lazy.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not excluding myself from that at all. I think society as a whole is getting lazier - hence why more things are being made more 'convenient'. I have to say, I was concerned that I may be the only person that views it in this way, but upon asking several people, it became clear that many people agreed - not everyone I hasten to add before I get accused of getting on that good ol' 'high horse' again.

I would also like to point out that yes, I work in the town centre so I am able to pop out in my lunch hour or on a Friday afternoon to pick up a loaf of bread. But I certainly don't find it easy. Most of the time in fact I go shopping on a Saturday morning. Granted, I enjoy the time I spend chatting to the local shop keepers and buying my goods, and I do understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea.

As for petrol increases and having to drive into the town, that is understandable but there is a town centre bus service - again not ideal but just one of those things to overcome. It has recently been reported that 40 per cent of Helstonians now shop in Falmouth or Truro for their food goods, I think a trip to town and 40p in the car park would be cheaper than either of those journeys.

In my mind, we can always find reasons NOT to do something. Yes, it may be inconvenient to go shopping on a Saturday morning but lots of things are inconvenient - like washing, and ironing, and hoovering, but we still do those things.

I'm not saying for one minute everyone should 'traipse' around local stores and I certainly don't look down at people that don't. It's not for everyone I suppose, if you view this way of life is 'illogical' as it has been labelled by Ms Smith, then don't live by it. Quite simple really.

I hate to say I told you so but...I TOLD YOU SO!

Yes indeed I did. I told you it was nicer to have local and fresh produce, I told you I liked going to the butchers and that many people would if they tried it, I told you I liked the bakers for my bread and lots of people would like that too if they gave it a go. Low and behold I was right.

Now I don't like to rub people's noses in it, but it was reported today that Morrison's profits have risen by a whopping amount when every one else seems to be struggling in the credit crunch. And why? Well you only have to look at their recent spate of TV ads to realise that. Indeed they have a real butcher in store, and a real baker, they make and prepare most of their sandwiches in store and they follow their veg from field to supermarket.

So people dooooo want the butcher, bakers and the candle stick makers. But what I don't understand is all this has been in your street for years. Why not go there? Well, I'll tell you - laziness, pure unapoligetic laziness. That's all. There are no excuses for it. The ability to shop under one roof is convenient, and the towns will never be able to compete with that.

While I think that Morrison's are moving in the right direction and are helping people shop better, I can't help but think it's a damn shame that people don't use their local independents. They WILL be gone one day you know, use 'em or lose 'em...

...Blimey I hate that phrase, I sound like my Nan!