Home Truth

Anyone else out there feeling that bed is the most inviting place in the universe and that the compulsion to consume all things carbohydrate is unbeatable?

I blame it on our in-built instinct to hibernate, although gadget man’s retort is that we are not animals and that I should get my human head on!

Anyway, maybe hibernation is the reason for the stockpile of organic items that I have returned from Asda with this morning. Or maybe it’s because Asda seems to have reduced many of its organic lines to a surprisingly reasonable price. Or maybe its because for the first time in years, I didn’t have a little one in the trolley moaning to go home, so I had more time to browse and purchase. Whatever way you look at it, organic saturation will help my case with the kids.

Although, the organic re-education did experience a setback at teatime yesterday. Imagine the scene….tired, irritable, hungry kids…..pasta on the boil, bacon grilled and chopped, salad prepared…. Questions flying through the air - “Can I have a biscuit?” “Will you play the guitar for us?” “Come and play with the Lego with me.”…….and I cannot for the life of me get the lid off the Suma organic tomato pasta sauce. I try and try; my son tries and tries….we get a different jar out, this time with a hint of basil….I try and try, my son tries and tries……stress levels rising….Suma? More like Sumo. Are all organic eaters really that strong? Or is it a ploy to draw strong men into the kitchen?

Well, mine was out, so we ended up with Organico tomato sauce with olives, chilli and garlic. I was ready to cry, fearing that the whole tea would be rejected for being too spicy, too weird, too organic and my re-education would be back at the starting line.

It wasn’t. They ate it all. What a relief. Now I will have to have the forethought to get my He-man to open the jar before he goes out in the morning and keep it in the fridge until I need it. Like that will ever happen.

Back to Asda. Just read the Asda magazine whilst enjoying another pre-hibernation feast and am wondering if there is an ethical supermarket competition going on that I know nothing about, because Asda is definitely out to win it….promoting British food and the concept of food miles; responsible toys ( Forest Stewardship Council wood); Respectful free range eggs; the 5-A-DAY campaign; a clearer nutritional traffic light labelling scheme; fairtrade coffee; authentic foods from around the world; environmentally friendly household products….and even ideas on how to recycle the magazine after reading. Whether or not enough customers care that much, I do not know, but raising awareness of the issues and offering ethical choices must surely be a good thing.

So if I’m right about hibernation, I’ll see you in the Spring. Here’s hoping.

Filed under: shopping, cooking, organic on October 2nd, 2007