My education

I spent the vast majority of my teenage summers camping in France with my family. I learned a lot those summers and it had a huge impact on certain aspects of my attitude to life. Aside from netting me an honour in French,  I picked up a lot of my attitude to food from eating and drinking there with French families.

As they say, everything in moderation, even moderation. I had my first drink there, wine bien sûr, enjoyed at the table with my parents and our friends, as I hope one day to do with my almost teenage son (only 7 months to go argh!)

I also like to cook from scratch every day and try to avoid the frozen food option at the end of a long day by just not keeping it in the house. I also try to prepare the main meal before lunch when I am not so tired and sometimes get a few minutes during nap times.

Another thing I try not to stock is shop bought sweets and biscuits, as much for my own sake as anyone else’s, I used to be 6 stone heavier than I am now and I know its a slippery slope. I do make treats and I don’t mind giving the children chocolate – so long as its an ingredient in something I have prepared myself and of good quality, 70 or 80% cocoa. We had our four year old’s birthday party at the weekend and I’m sure some of the mums attending thought I must live on the stuff!

Sound like I know it all? Well don’t worry, I don’t. I have fussy kids and rejected vegetables and a mother looking over my shoulder telling me to give in and give them the chicken nuggets. Am I right to stick it out or am I just stubborn? I don’t know, I know they don’t starve and sometimes I get my way and the casserole gets eaten, even if it is the second time its been put on the table, I think its worth the wait.