Fran's Blog

I’ve just come back from a week spent in a yurt with my family in Cornwall. For those (like us)  used to camping in a tent, yurts come under the handy blend word “Glamping.” Those used to holidaying where there is a hot running water and a flushable loo, may not find a single whiff of glamour about it.

Speaking of whiffs, despite weeing onto straw and using wood shavings to cover the other, I loved every minute of it. The yurts were in an Eco farm (more on that next time) and I hardly dare publish the details in case it gets too popular, thereby losing its charm.

I had my doubts before we went. Who wouldn’t about spending  a week with husband and two teenagers and a 11 year old in what is essentially a single room? Not to mention the six hour drive. However, having pitched tents in the Highlands of Scotland in the pouring rain and the pitch black in Somerset, we felt up to the challenge, especially as we knew that the most effort we’d have to make when we got there was to pump up one bed and open a beer.

A series of circumstances beyond our control meant we arrived at 2.00am. The first thing we noticed was the sound of crickets, almost eerily deafening. Having found our way to the yurt using torches, the next thing we noticed was the stars.  City dwellers need hardly be reminded of what we miss in the sky every night. Lying on a bench at three am on the first night, I saw two shooting stars in two minutes. Despite a stressful week and a very long journey, I immediately felt relaxed. In the daylight, we could fully appreciate our surroundings. In good weather, the outdoors becomes another, enormous room.

Fans of camping will understand the satisfaction one gets from its simplicity. Simple menial chores that I would put off at home are essential to keep the family fed and the yurt clean, but somehow they were not stressful there. Blessed with mostly good weather,we had lazy days at the beach, an afternoon crabbing and browsing at charming Mevagissey and one scary but exhilarating afternoon at the clifftop, (possibly) Arthurian castle of Tintagel. Even the last day, filled with torrential rain, became a chance to chill in the yurt, reading two books and venturing out only to pick up a takeaway and have a last half of delicious Cornish ale.

There is no doubt that a holiday in a yurt is not for everyone, but my family and that of my sister – the only other people staying in the neighbouring yurt across a small stream, had a wonderful, peaceful time away from the stresses of everyday living. So riffing of the run of yurt-related puns we came up with, title included, I can only suggest that Everybody yurts!

Nutritionists upping the recommended daily intake of fruit and veg to 7 a day, when many families feel they can already neither afford manage nor afford 5, is hardly helpful. But when the November 2013 survey reemerged this week that showed that fresh veg and salad make up the largest percentage of food thrown away by families every week (a shocking 19%), the numbers just don’t add up. There must be a way to eat well not wealthy, although it may mean a  lifestyle (or retail) change.
I, like many other shoppers for the family, have already decamped to Aldi from Tesco, saving at least £30.00 per week. The fruit and veg is a fraction of the cost and their five 69p deals per week could be one of the 7 a day solutions. Another option is local fruit and veg markets. Where I live, there is a number of fruit and veg markets that have a staggering array of cheap fruit and veg and are, frankly, just more fun to shop in.
Armed with some cheap(er) veg and a free range Aldi chicken (£4.99), I have today  cut the legs, breasts and wings off  (a skill I am still struggling to master, I admit) and boiled the carcass in a pot with bit of garlic, a veg stock cube, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and leek. As there is enough chicken left for at least one meal for my family of five, I reckon that the whole cost of the stew comes in at under a fiver and it is healthy and delicious. Liquidise it and you may even be able to con the veg refusers to give it a go. Even discounting those starchy potatoes, that’s 3 of the 7 a day tackled at lunchtime. You could also add celery and swede, but they’re not everyone’s cup of tea in my house. Just one word of warning – when you remove the carcass, make sure you remove any small bones!
I realise that not everyone feels they have the time to do this all the time (we’re all on school holidays) – and that there are still another 4 fruit or veg to find today. However, if each of us eat an apple and a banana – or substitutes one of these glass of fresh juice, that leaves just two for teatime. It’s worth a try anyway, even if we level off at the previously acceptable 5 a day. Apart from anything, it is not dissimilar to how most people shopped and ate in the days before ubiquitous supermarkets. In fact, with their ready meals, largely pointless BOGOF deals and bagged salads, they’ve a lot to answer for. During my occasional, inevitable “pop” into Tesco, I have already started to see the Aldi effect. Certain things are getting cheaper – and they make sure we know. It’s not enough though, even if “every little (allegedly) helps.” The big supermarkets should do more to help us eat well not wealthy, or watch us all go back to shopping and cooking the way people used to. If only…..
In the meantime, as it’s the school hols, I may treat myself to a Bloody Mary this evening. What with a stick of celery and glass of tomato juice, I reckon I’ll have had my 7 a day today