General Chat

Julia, I have many times emailed or phoned the company direct, so that they know there is a problem with that product or the way it is being handled and displayed at the store in question. They need this info to keep on top of things and not have too much wastage which would then put up the prices.
I use a lot of frozen veg like broccoli and such as our local supermarket has changed from being a Somerfield to a more local Budgens, even the manager says they are more like a local convenience store now instead of a supermarket and so many people have stopped shopping there. It means stuff hangs around longer so we buy less there and I go to Sa******ys when I visit my son as he lives near one, or other stores when I pass in the car. I like Lidl's produce as the turnover is fast and it's always good here.
It's too expensive to throw away food these days.

Lizx

My wife has to watch what products she uses, she was quite happy with the "Old" Original Vosene shampoo.
but they went and reformatted into something quite abysmal......

how they have the balls to say that it is "New" and still original, beats me.


having bought some to try,the only real purpose I feel it has for me is to use it to wash my venetian blinds , in the bath

YEARS AGO WE WENT ON OUR FIRST HOLIDAY ABROARD
WE WERE SELF CATERING AND LOOKING FOR FRESH
MEAT AND VEG ,FRUIT
WE WERE DIRECTED TO A GARAGE,THERE A MAN WAS
SERVING MEAT TO THE LOCALS OFF A DIRTY TABLE AND
FLIES EVRYWHERE,,WE HAD TINNED MEAT
FRUIT AND VEG BOUGHT OFF ROADSIDE SELLERS
ROTTON TOMATEOS HAD MOULD ON
TINNED EVERYTHING AFTER THAT

My bro in law staye dwith us once and showered in the morning and I started!!!!!!!! He used lynx deo. It nearly killed me!! He had to go and have another shower and not put it on. Also his clothes smelled of it so they were moved out to the car and shut away. I stillhave trouble when he comes and when he says goodbye and gives my a hug I have to hold my breath. I have got quite good at that. When I do into shops I have to put a hanky over my nose.

It all started years ago when I thought it was because I had eaten spring onions but years later I found it was when I had polished furniture and in the supermarket always had a sneezing fit in the soap isle. My tongue starts to sting with certain smells and this gives me the sign to keep away.

Three weeks ago I bought Lenor lavender and something fabric conditioner instead of my usual Comfort Naturals green. I used it once on some washing for my mum, big mistake it was awful. I gave it away to our cleaner, she was delighted!!!!!! Another £3 something out of the window...................................................

And why do they keep changing the smells of things. I just find something I can use and they discontinue it!!

Lol Maddiecow.... I lost a year, don't forget.... I wonder where I left it? ;¬)) Yes, the worst times are over, thank goodness... and thank you!

Mel, most sweets and chocolate smell/taste the same, even toothpaste... but when I had no sense of smell, I could eat things that I had never been able to look at before, because of the smell, lol... Blue cheese springs to mind... I haven't tried it since it started to come back a couple of months ago.

Jean, I am beginning to think that I might have to learn to live with it as well.... no big deal in some ways, as long as I know.

I have started to label things to know when they are opened.... cos I can't smell when they are off! I mean, I can see, like Julia's mixed salad leaves.... but not smell *off* milk or cream... and if it comes out of the freezer, it means the date on the bottle has no meaning.... but we get around things and manage really well, on the whole.

Lynx is banned from the house, by the way... that is the very worst!!

Love

Daff xxxx

Daff, I had to leave a funeral of a neighbour because I was streaming as if I was bereft! I have always been a bit this way, but worse since chemo in the 80s. washing powders have to be carefully chosen. I can smell when the lady over the road has just lit her fire, I can smell the burning paper. Dont have scented flowers in the house.
I buy frozen veg because that way we eat some without a lot of waste. I have lettuce and tomato every day so that is fresh, but a decent variety of salad bought item by item will be an expensive way to fill the compost bin.

Daff it was years ago lol - this is my third year ;) And used my own compost too for the first time this spring. I am glad to hear you are over the worst times now and am happy to always take some gardening advice from you - its served me well :)

Daff poor you. I am not that bad as I can still smell all the normal things. It just seems to be perfumes that are the worst. If I go to church I have to take mints with me everywhere as I find this helps me a lot with everyday perfumes. And the shops that have those sticks burning nearly kill me and pot pouri.

Just been up the tunnel and picked a nice cabbage for dinner with shoulder of lamb.

Mel, yes... almost anything that has an artificial perfume, I think... I also find some meats have it too... which suggests to me that there are additives in it.

I can't smell normal body odours at all, though, or burning food (I have almost burnt the house down a couple of times) and *sobs* I can't smell bacon sizzling, lolol

Mine is probably from some chemo I had late 2008 and early 2009... it was quite intensive, and did affect my entire digestive tract quite severely at the time. Initially, I had no sense of smell at all, and to be honest, I wish it were still that way, as this is horrendous, even to washing my hands, or drinking from clean cups/glasses... and my bedding stinks if it is newly washed. I have to take anti-nausea pills for a day or two, sometimes, after the bedding is changed.

I am waiting to see an ENT specialist...... lolol I feel like I am 5 again!!

Your garden sounds lovely.

Julia, it really has given me a boost seeing everything growing so well.... I have a Bokashi system, so that gives me lots of plant food from my household organic waste... everything seems to be thriving on it. It even composts meat, fish bones, chicken bones etc.... in two weeks.


Hiya Maddie.... I remember when you were first starting your vegetable garden... seems years ago... doesn't the time go.

~~~~~~~ to Rose.....

Love

Daff xxxxx

I used to do the pannier market at Bideford 12 years ago but with flowers and plants. I live in a victorian walled garden here in Devon and used to have a barrow outside with access produce on sold at a reasonable price to pay for my seed for the next year. Since heart trouble for both me and other half we have'nt done it for the past 2 years but I have to do some for ourselves. We are lucky in that we have a large poly tunnel with raised beds in that I work in for our veg. Lettuce have only been in there about 6 weeks and are now ready for cutting. Also I out broccoli in there last year and hubby said it would'nt grow in there. It did and we have been having it over the last 8 weeks. Pots in there too and just dug up the last ones as I put this years in.

Daff do you have a problem with scent and smells of polish and other products? I do and end up coughing and sneezzing with my eyes streaming with water. I have what they call Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome.

Thanks all for your contibutions to the thread.
Off to eat the evening meal now, and with a new, fresh salad.
An hour with Alan Titchmarsh then Come Dine. Don't know about 9.00-10.00
Many thanks
Julia in Derbyshire

Julia the Pannier Market in Bideford is still there I think.My Aunty (who died last year ) used to go every Tuesday.

Oh Daff, how I envy you with your fresh produce already. Here, in the frozen North, we are so behind you. Potatoes have only been in about a month, but are just beginning to show. Flowers on the strawberries, and cherry tree, but we will be weeks yet before we get anything. And, we are still being forecasted with frosts. The OH and I listen to the weather forecast more than we do the news, once the gardens and allotments have been started up. In fact, I have had a woolie on whilst outside today, even in the greenhouse.
I love the markets that Eddie mentioned, but they are few and far between here, maybe occassionally at a Bank Holiday. I remember the Pannier Market in Bideford, whilst on holiday one year. Lovely. But here, people just do not have the money to spend on these things, and generally go for what they can afford, and if that is at the supermarket, well at least they are getting something.
Rose, my Dad, at 88 yrs and living on his own,is a life long vegetarian, so eats lots of salad. He buys the bags, for the selection within, and when he has had enough, he can buy fresh. Many people living on their own, find this way as convenient. I bought mine because I wanted variety, and just sufficient for one meal.
The other week, I think it may have been the Easter Holiday weekend, there was a little old lady buying from the 'Salad Bar' in T***o. She seemed embarrassed. But I explained to her that this way, she got just enough for herself, with the variety she liked, and it was her money to spend how she liked. It probably was her 'holiday treat';. Anyway she seemed quite happy after I had helped her.
OH very often drops 'produce' off at the home of some of the pensioners that life neaby, when he is coming home from the allotment. After all, we can't eat all of it, and not eveything freezes for the winter.
Julia in Derbyshire

I potter in the garden and grow our veg and lettuce too - but there has been more than one occasion ive picked up a mixed bag of salad for convenience and agree there is less wastage too.

My Rocket is not big enough to pick leaves from yet and neither are my radishes, so I will continue to buy them until mine are ready. Of couse your own or fresh taste better but not all of us can get to a farmers market or such.

I also recommend buying some manners ...or maybe grow some.

There is another thing I feel i should point out... a lot of elderly people living alone, who have neither the garden nor health to grow their own, find bags of salad the least wasteful way to shop...it is all very well saying buy a lettuce and chop it...but that invariably leaves you with a lot of wastage, and also does not give the variety found in the bags, buying a small bag for one is 'just enough'.

And it is not always easy to go and buy fresh, loose product...if you can only go a certain distance and that does not include a market, or greengrocers, you buy what the supermarket has.

Eddie perhaps if you are in the fortunate position of being able to grow your own or have access to farm shops etc,you could ask elderly neighbours if they want to share...either a lift or a lettuce ;) perhaps you already do that :))

I hate the word stupid.

But I do know who on this thread resembles it most closely!

Julia... I live much further south, and yesterday we starten on the Japanese cut and come agains, lolol.... it was sooooo rewarding to be eating my own home grown stuff and delicious too... the early pots will be ready soon, and the tumbling toms, courgettes and cucumber are actually flowering!! All are now out in the open, full time, and hardened off.

I have an A*** across the road from me, and so it isn't too far for me to go on a good day, and on bad days, hubby can pop in and get what we need on his way home from a full days' work.

I could go into town on the bus, but still don't feel comfy and now that my smell is coming back, confined spaces and people's deo and perfumes, fabric conditioner and washing powder smells combine to unfortunate effect, and can't always walk to the bus stop anyway. Then around the market... I am exhausted at the thought, although I would love, once again, to be able to do so whenever I felt like it.

So, Eddie, what about, very cleverly, putting brain into gear before opening mouth?

Daff xxx

Oh, and PS - I can't grow veg in the winter - no greenhouse or conversavtory you know. AND a very small garden so even in summer my crops are limited!

Please don't condemn us as stupid because of time and space limitations.

One day, when I've retired I would love an allotment - and chickens! But, not yet. No way.

Jill

Eddie

I would love to be able to shop in a farmer's market - or even a real greengrocers - but I work full time and the only options available to me in my lunch break or before or after work are two supermarkets ....

Except on Saturdays - but then I'm usually charging around like a headless chicken catching up with everything else.

I think that's why they call these things "convenience foods" ...

Jill

Eddie, with the greatest respect, please read through all I have posted on tnis thread. I have said that we grow everything on an allotment. And, I do mean everything, including soft and hard fruit, salads, vegetables and potatoes.However, these products are only just going in the ground now.
As for all the different kinds of markets, I am more than aware of their existence, only not in the area where I live.
And, as for the salads in bags, these were only bought to get a variety for only two people, for one meal, and I am more than capeable of cutting up a lettuce. What I did not want, was to be left with a pile of unused different salad ingredients. Hence a bag of mixed leaves.
Perhaps the next time you are out shopping, you could buy yourself some good manners, before you call people spupid, then you will not be so gobsmacked
Julia in Derbyshire

Edited to say, just off down the greenhouse again, to tend my melons,butternut squash,aubergines, three varieties of tomatoes, and a plethora of herbs, among other things.

Speaking as a man who does ALL of the family shopping, why on earth would anyone want to buy food from a supermarket? Do you not have real food markets, pannier markets or farmers markets to buy real fresh produce from?
As for buying bags of salad leaves - I'm gobsmacked. Why would you do such a thing? Can you not cut up a fresh lettuce? Do you not realise how stupidly simple things like lettuce, beetroots, tomatoes or spring onions are to grow? You only need a window box, a bag of compost and a packet of seeds!