Jack Monroe #210 Granola provider? Not so much

[Pocahontas]

Last night I had a stress dream involving our very own Jackie (and no, she wasn't chasing me down as a hill dressed as an enormous anchovy).

In the dream, I (for reasons I hope my subconscious never makes clear) was a Jack Monroe impersonator and was invited to audition to play the leading role in the Hollywood adaption of her life story (whether June Whitfield was attached to the project in the dream is, sadly, unclear). When I turned up to audition, the producers were under the impression I was Jack and, rather than come clean, I went along with the misunderstanding and was cast in the role, with the filmmakers trilling it would be the first time someone had played themselves in the movie of their life.

After this, I just remember feeling deeply, deeply troubled that I was eventually going to be outed as an imposter and was psyching myself up to tell the producers the truth. MERCIFULLY, I woke shortly after and didn't actually have to go through the wretched thing.

0/10 - I hope never to have this dream again (and any dream-readers, clairvoyants in this thread, please don't tell me what it means, I really don't want to know what my subconscious self is trying to alert me to).

You’ve got to stop eating cheese and eggs before bed.

 

[Scotty1976]

Watching bumbling Boris's speach at the Tory conference just now . Don't see their favourite little poverty campaigner but I'm absolutely raging that their laughing and joking while today the poorest in society have their money cut.

 

[Lanie]

That basket would need to contain 28 pieces of fruit, just for two people to have two portions of fruit a day for a week. It quite clearly doesn't. Nevermind the 42 portions of vegetables that are missing if you want to feed two people five a day (2 fruit/3 veg) for a week.

I don't know why I do this to myself, but I've just calculated that to arrive at the MINIMUM fruit and veg requirement of 5 a day per person, at Asda you'd spend £7.50 for a week. That would be for apples, bananas, a mango, potatoes, carrots, onions, frozen peas and spinach.
This clearly isn't very varied and also wouldn't yield lots of meals. You'd need a bunch of other stuff to make it tasty an filling and you'd be bored if that's all you had week in week out. All other veg are considerably more expensive, so to get to the required portion size, it would quickly be more than £7.50.

My normal fruit for the week is apples, oranges, grapes, rasberries and bananas at least x2 to make up the entire week for 4 people.

My veg is normally carrots, potatoes, cabbage or spinach and frozen peas and beans.

I think i worked out i spend at least 15 pounds on fruit and veg alone for 7 days and about 20 on meat from the butchers.

 

[Arsov Cooper]

Technically potatoes aren't considered part of the five a day group.

Yes, but that's because the Poors always fry them in oil or lard, so not healthy. Otherwise, potatoes are the same as any other root veg. I always eat my healthy baked potato with lashings of butter. Mmmm. Yum. Oh crap, I mentioned butter. Sorry, didn't mean to.

 

[Rekyavikgirl]

She is the poverty version of 'the only gay in the village'.

'The only povvo in the village'.

 

[Cookiecookie]

Last night I had a stress dream involving our very own Jackie (and no, she wasn't chasing me down a hill dressed as an enormous anchovy).

In the dream, I (for reasons I hope my subconscious never makes clear) was a Jack Monroe impersonator and was invited to audition to play the leading role in the Hollywood adaption of her life story (whether June Whitfield was attached to the project in the dream is, sadly, unclear). When I turned up to audition, the producers were under the impression I was Jack and, rather than come clean, I went along with the misunderstanding and was cast in the role, with the filmmakers trilling it would be the first time someone had played themselves in the movie of their life.

After this, I just remember feeling deeply, deeply troubled that I was eventually going to be outed as an imposter and was psyching myself up to tell the producers the truth. MERCIFULLY, I woke shortly after and didn't actually have to go through the wretched thing.

0/10 - I hope never to have this dream again (and any dream-readers, clairvoyants in this thread, please don't tell me what it means, I really don't want to know what my subconscious self is trying to alert me to).

Did you happen to eat an anchovy snotty egg based meal before bed to trigger something so disturbing? Maybe get a nice chamomile tea in the slow cooker before bed today

 

[Lanie]

When she comes on a show i know that the panel, show or journalist isnt serious about doing any real activism work, because to me if they were they would cover the most recent issues faced by people in the current situation, not a tired old tale from a recession that happened ten years ago.

The only reason they are covering the story is because it is a big issues and it gets them airtime and money and to save money on research and getting the relevant people they call on the tired old hasbeen.

 

[Horse Sauce]

When she comes on a show i know that the panel, show or journalist isnt serious about doing any real activism work, because to me if they were they would cover the most recent issues faced by people in the current situation, not a tired old tale from a recession that happened ten years ago.

The only reason they are covering the story is because it is a big issues and it gets them airtime and money and to save money on research and getting the relevant people they call on the tired old hasbeen.

Plus she's stopped staring up at the lights in wonderment.
Another poor person might not be able to help themselves.

 

[DisgruntledGoat]

The Big Issue have done what Jack did but better*. Imagine a £20 shopping basket that actually yields some meals!!

*although so bleeping depressing that this should be a thing in a rich country in the 21st century.

 

[L3moning]

She is the poverty version of 'the only gay in the village'.

Fairly sure that Jack has actually said things almost to that effect regarding both their sexuality and The Poverty.

 

[Orphan_Black]

The Big Issue have done what Jack did but better*. Imagine a £20 shopping basket that actually yields some meals!!

*although so bleeping depressing that this should be a thing in a rich country in the 21st century.

View attachment 796773

That list really shows up Jack's tit shop.

Yes, but that's because the Poors always fry them in oil or lard, so not healthy. Otherwise, potatoes are the same as any other root veg. I always eat my healthy baked potato with lashings of butter. Mmmm. Yum. Oh crap, I mentioned butter. Sorry, didn't mean to.

Ooooo get you with your butter so gauche, darling! Hahahaahaa

 

[Ispyabudgetbeanblogger]

Technically potatoes aren't considered part of the five a day group.

Yes, you are right. Probably work out similar if you replaced the potatoes with more carrots or a swede. Bon appetit, you poors!

You cannot eat for £10 per person per week. You simply cannot. You MAY get enough calories, but then you wouldn't get enough nutrients.

The most stupid thing is that not even the Tories claimed that you could. The £20 uplift was never meant to feed two people for a week. She's out-torying the tories.

Off topic, sorry, does anyone know how one would go about setting up something like this? I will Google obviously, but this and a community library have been on my mind for some time.

Back on topic, would she have been paid to appear at conference?

Spoiler: Community Library

Talk to your local primary school/sports centre/other public indoor space with good footfall that's frequented by people from all backgrounds. See if they have a space where they let you set up. We've got 'swap' bookshelf now in our primary school in reception. It needs a certain amount of attention, because some people drop books that are only fit for the skip, but generally it works well. Just needs someone to tidy up once a week, remove any ridiculous stuff, put a note in the newsletter asking for donations and reminding people it's there, etc.

 

[People-huv-tae-know]

This just in: a sneak preview of Jack's new book about faux poverty that didn't affect her ten years ago.

 

[Lionel Richtea]

I’m sick of Jack continually piping up with this “look what I can buy for £20” angle. It’s so reductive and depressing and stupid.

Politics isn’t my strong suit but I believe that everybody has a right to a certain standard of living. If someone qualifies for extra money they should have it and it’s nobody else’s affair how it is spent.

£20 could be internet access for children to keep up with homework or for a disabled person to work from home, fuel or fare for someone to get to work or school or just out of the house, heating which not only keeps the house warm but also enables someone to dry their washing in winter , or simply an upgrade from yellow stickers to a nutritious meal that everyone will like.

Oh to hell with you Jack. Im away for a piss and a sandwich.

 

[Hollaaa]

Yes, you are right. Probably work out similar if you replaced the potatoes with more carrots or a swede. Bon appetit, you poors!

You cannot eat for £10 per person per week. You simply cannot. You MAY get enough calories, but then you wouldn't get enough nutrients.

The most stupid thing is that not even the Tories claimed that you could. The £20 uplift was never meant to feed two people for a week. She's out-torying the tories.

Completely agree. As much as I think everyone should have the money they need to eat good quality nutritious food, it's disingenuous to claim that this temporary £20 uplift was solely for the purpose of feeding families and that by withdrawing it they'll end up with nothing. It's only my assumption because I don't have any of the info that went out with its launch, but I would think that the £20 was to offset some of the additional costs (heating/clothing/entertainment) of being at home more of the time than usual, having to homeschool or work from home, keep kids occupied and warm when they couldn't go out and see their friends etc.
Edit: dear heart and NEW FRAU @Lionel Richtea squeaked in before me with the same point. Welcome

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

It’s been said on these threads many times but this also doesn’t consider food deserts or arguably ppl living in urban areas?

I just did a small top up shop at a small Tesco to buy some packed lunch bits for husband and his mate who are doing a long drive and it came to about a tenner (annoyingly you don’t get receipts anymore so can’t give you the #forensic #facts). I’m guessing that their portion size could do a kid’s packed lunch for a week assuming you had butter, tin foil, maybe a bit of cheese or pickle/sauces in from your main shop as that’s what I’ll need to use to supplement what I purchased?

So with the other tenner you’re meant to cover breakfast AND dinners? For two?! Wtf?

 

[Hollaaa]

It’s been said on these threads many times but this also doesn’t consider food deserts or arguably ppl living in urban areas?

I just did a small top up shop at a small Tesco to buy some packed lunch bits for husband and his mate who are doing a long drive and it came to about a tenner (annoyingly you don’t get receipts anymore so can’t give you the #forensic #facts). I’m guessing that their portion size could do a kid’s packed lunch for a week assuming you had butter, tin foil, maybe a bit of cheese or pickle/sauces in from your main shop as that’s what I’ll need to use to supplement what I purchased?

So with the other tenner you’re meant to cover breakfast AND dinners? For two?! Wtf?

I think you're also making the assumption that people of all financial means should be allowed to have a decent lunch both in terms of size and quality, which is something you don't get if you boil the duck out of everything in a pan together and dish it up in a thimble with the world's smallest and dirtiest spoons slung in as some kind of 'visual trademark' instabollocks.

 

[Lanie]

The Big Issue have done what Jack did but better*. Imagine a £20 shopping basket that actually yields some meals!!

*although so bleeping depressing that this should be a thing in a rich country in the 21st century.

View attachment 796773

That looks like a tesco shop too.

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

I think you're also making the assumption that people of all financial means should be allowed to have a decent lunch both in terms of size and quality, which is something you don't get if you boil the duck out of everything in a pan together and dish it up in a thimble with the world's smallest and dirtiest spoons slung in as some kind of 'visual trademark' instabollocks.

Yep! And didn’t list packed lunch contents as to not bore you all to death but no low welfare ham or maize snacks either.

On breakfast - yesterday nipped into the corner shop, £2.99 (assuming he charged me what’s on the pack, they don’t always lol) for 24 weetabix biscs and because I live with a weetabix fiend & artiste with a penchant for milk have no idea how long this lasts a big child but say 2 weeks if they’re having two? So £1.50 + what, £1 in milk? £2.50 breakfasts so now you’ve got £7.50 for SEVEN DINNERS???

ETA - in case I sound like Jack I’m by no means in a food desert, my local big shops are her favs lol, but most normal families need to use these convenience shops to top up because like me they’re not gonna drag a buggy round to look for one box of cereal. She’s hugely privileged she has SO much leisure time.

 

[Lanie]

Her basket is depressing. The shop from the big issue is so much better. I shouldnt be surprised because her cooking is depressing too. Imagine yer mum coming in with some yellow sticker chicken and thinking yes something tasty is happening tonight only to be set up, baby style mulch with all the flavour and texture cooked out of it and it all mixed together so you dont even know what its supposed to be. I can honestly say i wouldnt eat a thing she put in front of me.