Now How Easy Is That?

I'm not lazy when it comes to cooking. My health problems can affect how easily you can prepare meals and help is always gratefully received. But I'm talking in general terms now. There have been many programmes on television and Government projects suggesting that much of the public in the UK live on takeaways and what is often classed as "Junk" food. The term is misleading in many ways because food of high quality but that can be prepared in minutes often gets wrongly classed in the same category.

I suspect is that it depends who makes the food product and how much of what is seen as being harmful ingredients being added which would be for me high levels of salt and/or certain fats. To automatically condemn many foods because they have preservatives added to allow longer shelve life is a little unfair.

The biggest problem is probably a lack of exercise due to the fact that many jobs are stationary where you sit behind a desk for hours and hours and then have to travel great distances to get there.

And even those who think they have a healthy lifestyle are not helping matters, at the local leisure centre in town I see people going in to exercise or supervise the public and they have all the appropriate gear and clothes to suggest being fit and then you see in their hand a takeaway and a bottle of soda for a snack. I think you can get too sanctimonious about what you can and cannot eat. Everything(unless you have a medical condition)in moderation is the best watch word.

The biggest worry is those who claim they cannot cook a simple meal. To use an egg as an example, how many dishes can you make from one simple egg? All you need is to use your eyes and a bit of common sense.

Or if you can afford one decent quality product from a supermarket(and follow the instructions)how difficult is it to add some frozen or prepared fresh vegetables thus getting your recommended portion of fruit and vegetables for vitamin and mineral content and fibre.

As a treat tonight we enjoyed...New Potatoes, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Baby Carrots and Chicken Breast in Madeira Sauce with close cap Mushrooms marinated in Thyme, Roasted Onions. How long did it take from start to finish?

Main part of the meal approx 25 minutes(just put in the oven)The potatoes in a pan of boiling water for approx 20 minutes(and just make certain the water doesn't boil dry)and the same with the vegetables and they only take about 10 minutes. As long as you set the first two items off at the same time and the last approx 10 minutes before they have finished cooking, everything is ready at the same time. But if you get the timing slightly wrong most things will remain hot if placed in a glass dish and covered with a lid so the rest of the meal will catch up.

Unfortunately, many people claim that they are ignorant when it comes to food but with so many programmes on TV making food fun and not necessarily pushing the most complicated dishes there really is little excuse but then again with modern society often having parents out working as soon as their children are old enough to attend some kind of school or nursery, for many families the fun of being with your Mum or Dad in the kitchen and watching or helping them bake a cake or whatever has been lost.

And many families do not have the time or can be bothered to make the effort to show their children some simple dishes. Some children are happy just to come to the table or have the food brought to them, all prepared.

And for whatever reason many schools that used to teach some basic cooking skills to pupils have let their teachers go or change to other subjects and many of the rooms that were used were changed by turning them into ordinary classrooms and removing the equipment.

And when I went to school, cookery lessons were aimed at girl students(not both sexes)as if boys never have to feed themselves.

And how easy was this? I decided that I should use my fruit so it is not wasted. So I followed the meal with a fresh fruit salad of Cherries, Banana, Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries and Grapes and unlike something I have done in the past(putting sugar on the Strawberries and Blueberries)usually because of sometimes some fruit being a little tart...I avoided doing so and found I was able to eat it exactly as it was. And it tasted great.

So that was a healthy meal to me. And where I have added fruit to my Breakfast, I think I can see an alternative dish now where I may start the day with a bowl of fresh fruit. I was asked if I could get through all the fruit I have purchased. I may just do that after all or get pretty close to doing so.