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I've just been catching up today on some newspapers from the past couple of weeks, sitting in the garden in this lovely weather. I never get the time to read them all and so save the best bits for a lazy day. I read two sharply contrasting articles about Christmas .
Firstly an article excitedly anticipating Waitrose Christmas goodies. Surely too hot to be thinking about that but anyway, it seems that we can all look forward to another icky, sell-out Heston Blumenthal creation, the Waitrose Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding. With what is described as a 'nod to the popular British pud', Mr B has created a mix of hot sticky toffee apple sponge pudding, spiced with candied apple and a caramel sauce. Barely a nod to traditional Christmas pudding, I would say.
In the same 'saved' pile, I found a feature on food banks and the all-party Parliamentary enquiry which is now underway and which made me think about Christmas again. Last Christmas, in response to pleas from local Residents' Association neighbours, I remembered to buy pots of baby food whenever I popped to the shops, and so gathered a bag full to donate. Apparently all food banks suffer from an abundance of tinned soup and a shortage of baby food. And people give generously at Christmas. But then, no doubt like others, come the New Year I stopped my collection. According to The Guardian, the use of food banks has exploded across the country in the past four years. And they are not an easy option: one voucher carefully considered by one of several agencies, provides food for 3 days and a person can only have up to three vouchers. They really are a stop-gap rescue.
So I've decided to start buying in baby food again and to give more regularly and I'll look out for the report due later this year. You can buy quite a lot of basics for the same price as one of Heston's Christmas treats.
