to be shocked that Jack Monroe

[samandi]

was on £27,000 a year just back in 2011?

This is a woman I associate with desperate poverty and yet in the space of one and a half years ? she managed to go from having a prosperous job at a pretty young age to struggling to feed her son?

At the age of 22 she had about a £20,000 net income, which is more than many people can dream about. £27,000 is way more than I've ever earned in my life and I'm over ten years older than her.

Am I being unreasonable to think this detracts a bit from her message? Or am I just living in a different world.

And LRD doesn't have a freezer, which counts for a lot in terms of batching.

Good god, where to start..?! Hello, I'm Jack Monroe. I can't possibly know anything about living in a freezing, damp flat with no food in the cupboards and a growing toddler to feed and clothe because I only did it for a year and a half, rather than a lifetime. I wouldn't wish it on anyone for a week and a half, mind you. It's a freezing, miserable, shit existence that is well documented because I had to write it down or I would have gone mad. I had to get it out of my system, off my chest, and writing has always been a natural thing to me. I didn't really expect anyone to read it, and I certainly didn't predict the turn of events that happened afterwards.

Secondly, I'm really sorry that when I had a job, I bought some herb plants for my window ledge, and that when I lost that job, I still bloody had them. Nothing dishonest about that, and god knows I've blogged enough about how to keep them alive, dry them out, et cetera. I factor in the cost of 'fresh' herbs to my Guardian recipes as I know not everyone has a bloody window box, but at the time I was writing about how I was living not how people should live.

Lastly, lesbians have wombs and periods and fallopian tubes and everything. Reproduction isn't beyond me, clearly. I've never elaborated on my personal life all over newspapers and public message boards because I would like to protect the people that I care about from the abuse and scrutiny that I get on a daily basis - if you read between the lines you'll see I had a relationship with a man that produced a child. That relationship clearly didn't work out, but I had a good job with (what I thought was) good arrangements for parents judging by the lip service they paid to flexible working arrangements in all of their policy books etc. At the age of 22 and having lost a child previously, I decided - with my sons father - to keep our baby. That decision ultimately lost me my job, as I applied for all those flexible working policies and didn't get them.

Ironically, my 'great salary' proved to be the sticking point with benefit agencies and housing benefit was 11 weeks late, and frequently suspended and delayed. My tax credits were suspended for months while they 'recalculated' due to my 'drop in income more than £10k a year.' And it all went really horribly wrong.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If I'd known then what I know now, I might have gone off sick for months on end while I found another job. I might have successfully topped myself instead of the half-arsed attempt with the beta blockers and sleeping pills (I resigned from my job in hospital following an overdose, but the media gloss over that bit). Who knows what I would have done differently? I don't claim to be anything, and I'm not an expert in anything except my own experiences, but don't try to invalidate them by saying I wasn't poor 'enough' for long 'enough' or that it's all pretend because I made some rose water out of some free effing roses I was given.

Thankyou everyone who has weighed in with facts so far - I tried so hard to keep out of this thread but I'm furious that 'Mumsnet' would question why I didn't have a fvcking abortion FFS!

However, if people are listening to her, and it's easier with an individual face rather than stats, then they'll realise that IDS and his belief that it's easy to live on benefits (for 6 weeks while he lived in the house of his soon to be wife who is the daughter of a baronet of something) is talking a load of old bollocks, and dangerous bollocks at that, then maybe, just maybe, we might get this government and their divisive ideas out.

Sorry you felt the need to write that, Jack. As I said earlier, more power to your elbow.

Ok ... I'm terribly sorry for not knowing your personal circumstances before I observed they didn't seem practical, and I'm really apologetic for not knowing you were a lesbian.

Do those things make you cook differently? Honestly, I would have felt like a massive bigot if I'd assumed you being a lesbian were relevant, so I'm really sorry, but it just never occurred to me to google that. Should I have done?

No one - least of all me - thinks it is dishonest you kept things from when you were well off. God knows that is what we all do! But I don't see that costed in you recipes?

I'm really sorry you're upset. I can see you feel rotten. Can we please blame the Tories? But ... well, sorry, but I think my critcisms are honest and truthful. Aren't they? And we need to know this stuff. It matters.

Still don't think I could cook that cheaply though!

Hello Jack.

I've been poor. It is quite frightening. I am not poor now, though as another poster said - it is never far away, but I can honestly say that I am permanently haunted by the fear of being that vulnerable again.

Hope things are going well for you and your little one.

mura - oh, god, yes! IDS is an idiot.

But what we need is an acknowledgement that many of us don't get taught to cook in a middle class way, and that many people are busy working long shifts, and it's not laziness makes people buy read meals or junk food. I think if that were understood, we could move foreward.

agirlcalledjack Unfortunately, there seems to be a virtual army of people who think that, "Because I've never experienced this it must never happen."

No imagination, no empathy, no idea.

I think I've mentioned the herbs and spices again and again on my blog - I mostly use chilli, cumin and paprika, and herb-wise parsley or mint will do most things. I don't write that on every single recipe because I didn't realise I needed to - maybe I should include it - but as I said before, I didn't start my blog as a guide to how people should live their lives, it was simply a diary of mine. There isn't a one size fits all solution to any aspect of poverty. I sit in infuriating meetings these days trying to explain to MPs/journalists/anyone that some people only have a two ring hob and no oven and no freezer because they just don't get it. But at the same time I get inundated with emails from struggling families who tell me they can eat well on very low budgets because they cook bean burgers and other recipes from my blog. It seems to work for some people, at least, and I'm really glad that some good could come out of my frankly bloody horrible months. I wasn't playing at being poor as one poster suggested, I had no idea that I would end up as a journo/food writer. There are 40million live blogs on the Internet right now and a handful of 'successful' bloggers, it wasn't a guaranteed escape plan. It wasn't a plan at all.

I suggest some people read the post on my blog entitled: "The rain is just as wet, even if you went to a grammar school. It soaks you to your skin, and your three year old too."

(By the way, my reply was to several comments on here LRD, not just yours.)

LRD - totally right there. I only did 'fun' cooking with my mum, cakes and the like, got scared of cooking, and it's only in the last 5 years (I'm 36) that I've been confident enough to experiment. And the internet has helped with that, to be fair, those sites where you put in 'i have x, y and z, what to make'.

My friends think I am a good cook, I think I am a panicking idiot.

But I at least have the confidence to consult the internet. Now. I can totally see where a ready meal is the sane answer becuase you know it will work.

Home ec at school needs to be better. I gather now it's all science, less cooking (correct me if I'm wrong), confidence breeds confidence.

And there are more accurate words for IDS than idiot.But I am exercising decorum.

I'm older than you lot. I refused to learn to cook at school because domestic science was compulsory. It was compulsory partly because we were expected to be good little housewives, but mainly because the school embodied notions about girls of my class going into service.

Lovely.

But ... I have to say I didn't find it at all difficult to cook when I had to.

I find the ready meals thing fascinating. They really weren't much on the radar when I was younger (and skint). It never crossed my mind that I would spend money on ready made food. I had little money, ergo I had to put time into the cooking (because that is what ready meals save).

It is absolutely clear that the situation is very different now. When I go shopping in a supermarket there are sometimes more ready meals than fresh items. It is very strange.

JAck, you're right, but I think the confidence thing I mentioned above might scare people off some off the recipes. It shouldn't , but it might. You are saying 'cook' not 'heat up'. Which is the right thing, but scary to novices, as i was.
They do look tasty, though!

And I didn't get taught to cook in a middle class way. My parents certainly didn't teach me. I did basic cooking at school, and when I moved out of my parents home I taught myself from a few cookbooks (BBC Good Food ones if I remember right) and trial and error. I don't think pasta and curry are that middle class.

Ok, I am sorry.

I have a great respect for jack. I will say again I think she is inspiring. God knows I couldn't have coped with what she has.

All I am saying is that I wish her recipes were more transparent and realistic. They are great, don't get me wrong. But it would be lovely if they were already adapted for people who didn't have much money. That is all. I do appreciate the way they are costed and they fact they use cheap ingredients. I'm not knocking that.

I wish Jack all the best.

Cross post.

jack, I read that your post was a response to more than mine, but I didn't want to be rude by ignoring your posts, so I erred on that side!

Having spent a lot of time with a single boiling ring, of course, it's exciting to have more than that - you know many people actually only have a microwave? That is actually quite common. Any good ideas for that? I find soups work well.

I do accept what you are doing is very important, but my suggestions are just that: suggestions. Please don't let them put you off, and don't let me get you down. I am just so angry with the government that leaves families in this situation.

I try. There's an odd crossover between what I've been commissioned to do for work contracts with newspapers, and what I used to rustle up from a £1 veg bag with 10p stock cubes and a few cans of beans. But the overall premise is this is what I did not this is a perfect solution.

LRD, thanks for your good wishes. I read stuff like this to learn still what the challenges are; I know my own experiences but I try to learn from others as well. I like constructive criticism and healthy debate.

Yes, me too. And I think the guardian stuff is really making some people who have no idea (hands up...) think.

However. Jack, quick question, I want to grow herbs, how much light do they need? as windowsills are out due to BAD cat behabiour. I've already had to move my brain in a jar (liberated from work, a sheep, don't ask) onto the top of the wardrobe where I can't really admire it due to BAD cat action, it's in a corridor with no light - I guess they can't grow there? I'd like basil and coriander really...

Fair enough, jack. I'm sorry I got so het up.

I honestly do respect what you do, despite my irritations.

Actually maybe top of the kitchen cupboards would work, I can just use a chair to get them down.

Anywya, I htink we're all in agreement that the current system isn't working, IDS is a zealot, and wrong, and wish you the best. You're inspiring, and your boy has a great mum.

Amen to that, murasaki.

O.K. I know this is not the place - but why the brain? Is it to eat, Murasaki? A friend fed herself and her baby on brains (they are cheap and nutritious) but I didn't thin offal was so available in these post-BSE times.

Is it decoration?

That sure beats my taxidermy into a knocked hat.

No, TheCat - when they were 'reimagining' some office space, it was floating around the techinicians workshop (I work in a psychology department) and it's sliced in formaldehyde in an oblong box. I thought it was oddly beautiful, so took it home.

I'm still waiting for senior techinician to give up dibs on the half a pigeon in formaldehyde, I bet he doesn't even like it, he's just being petty....

Basil tends to grow naturally in nice warm sunny climes, so better to keep it warm in a light room than on a chilly window ledge anyway.
Not affordable for everyone but supermarkets have the living pots for around 80p, I split them and repot into two empty tin cans, so you get two plants that have a bit more room for roots and to spread out. Basil is quite thirsty, do keep it moist but not saturated. My reasoning with buying them already grown is that if they can survive in a supermarket with fluorescent strip lighting then they'll survive anywhere... Re basil as well, don't cut the stems, but 'pinch' the leaves off - it will grow tall and be quite productive.

Coriander is a bugger to grow. It's not so thirsty, but it needs splitting when you buy it (if you buy it as a plant) because it tends to get knotted up in itself and the weaker stems die quickly. Again, tin cans make good new homes, I pop an empty kidney bean can with holes stabbed in the bottom, into an empty potato can (much bigger) with no holes to catch water drainage. I blogged about it in some detail last week. Again just give it light and warmth and trim it regularly and it should be fine. Hope this helps!

Hence my having to put it in a safe place - i don't want it knocked off the bookcase where it lived, formaldehyde all over the floor, sheeps brains, and two rigid cats

taking it home on the tube was amusing, mind!