It's a legitimate question. The answer is:
Updated October 2022
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| Blue skies in early March 2016 |
If there is a prism from which 67goingon50's choices are made, it is personal experience, personal taste, personal concept of good health and graceful aging, personal ideas of what is tasty, enjoyable and appropriately priced. The Blog, after all, is based on the premise that the Blogger has a reasonable idea of how to achieve good health and graceful aging, without sacrificing taste or imagination and without spending a fortune. (See Testimonials)
Recommendations, thus, are made on the basis of 30+ years shopping and eating, when the Blogger was earning a good salary and at times when she most definitely was not.
For example, Marks & Spencer has always been a favourite. It is now first stop; the local branch is easy to get to and though the branch is not big, provides a good range of products. (More below on M&S).
Waitrose was always regularly visited for fish and certain better-quality products like organic flour at the right price.
Not long after moving into a new area, the Blogger discovered an excellent local butcher; some of the recipes' meat comes from there. Iceland was great for fish but moved out of the area.
Location is also a factor: Tesco & Budgens are visited regularly but for small emergency purchases.
The question that naturally follows is: Does anyone pay you to recommend their products?
In the 14 months since the blog started, the Blogger has turned down offers of paid roles with one or two respected, high-recognition outlets because of worries about compromising the Blog's integrity. It takes a long time to build up trust and a second to lose it. If the Blog is unhappy with a product or service, it's important to be able to say so, nicely. Conversely, if it finds something terrific or sees a good bargain, the Blog wants its (and Twitter's) followers to know, so that they can enjoy it,too.
FOLLOW ON QUESTIONS
The Blog purports to focus on good health and well being and yet seriously recommends supermarket chickens
The Blog recommended ways of making the most of supermarket chickens.
67goingon50 prefers to encourage as many people as possible to eat well for good health, whatever their budget.
It does focus on good health but not at exhorbitant prices. Very few people can afford organic, free-range, corn-fed or imported French chickens, which are all the rage in London right now. Millions depend on supermarket chicken as a source of protein and the UK has high standards of food safety (which doesn't mean things don't occasionally slip through). And as long as supermarket chicken isn't eaten every day, it does provide decent protein.
Costco is well known and popular in North America but the closest is miles from home and, from all accounts, demands a car.
M&S products feature often in your blog
I divide my shopping into 3 categories: basic, for groceries and cleaning products; special, for better quality products unavailable elsewhere that are not overly expensive; and luxury, ie worth the price because the quality is dependable. M&S, which is at the end of a daily bus route, once fell into the luxury category but is now first choice, providing an excellent range of quality budget products. (Most of the supermarkets do, now.)
A once-a-week Indulgence day often involves M&S -- it's quite innovative. But I don't love everything it sells. The Blogger can be unfaithful, too; at Christmas, I enjoy a few small luxuries from Fortnum & Mason & Selfridges after having a good gander at their beautiful windows.
The blog often posts recipes adapted from chefs like Ina Garten and the late Robert Carrier
Ina Garten and Robert Carrier are great, great cooks but they were of the time that valued rich sauces, loads of butter and expensive ingredients. I love their classic styles and the way they combine ingredients. If I can make their recipes accessible to our health and budget conscious times, I'm ecstatic.
Chiefs often joke that no recipe is new; all recipes are stolen. It is true that classic recipes are often repeated with many variations. Someone else's recipe - whether ingredients or method - can inspire the development of an unbeatable dish. And a few food lovers really are impressive in the way they work with food. The Blog always takes care to acknowledge input from elsewhere.
The Blog often offers vegetarian and vegan options for many recipes. How do you cover such a range?
I was vegetarian for several periods of my life but could not stay vegetarian for long. I discovered that my body is unable to convert vegetarian vitamin B12 into the form essential to the body. I still love vegetarian food.
The vegan option was developed for a friend who complained that he couldn't find healthy, tasty vegan food that didn't involve expensive ingredients.
The Triple Duty and Double Duty Dishes (DDD) are designed for the increasing number of meals that have to please both carnivores and vegetarians. At the same table! The blog also tries to cater to the gluten and carb phobic.
You seem completely enamoured of Chinese food. What about Thai or Korean?
Chinese dishes are so healthy, quick and budget-conscious, the Blog would be remiss in not promoting them. And, though many products are available in supermarkets, Chinatowns offer great variety and quality. We're very lucky in the UK to have such choice and the Blog reckons shoppers are grateful to know where Chinese supermarkets are in London and what to find in them.
67 is not producing more recipes from other Far Eastern cuisines and dipped a toe or two into global foods.
Do you do a weekly shop or small purchases as and when?
Usually both. I do a weekly shop, partly because the blog's recipes are mostly pre-planned but items are bought during the week as well. It's nice once or twice a week to head home thinking 'What shall I have for supper tonight?' and acting on impulses.
DISCLAIMER: The author accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any information not sourced to a second party is the copyright of the blogger.
Morrisons was a favourite for years but since it was taken over, has been was replaced by M&S and Sainsburys. Sainsbury's near Camden Town tube is slightly out of the way but its meat was usually good and their policy of matching Aldi prices is a great draw. It also has lots of floor space, filled with a good selection of kettles, toasters, water filtering jugs, pots and pans, plates and home essentials like candles and some stationary.
Location is also a factor: Tesco & Budgens are visited regularly but for small emergency purchases.
The question that naturally follows is: Does anyone pay you to recommend their products?
In the 14 months since the blog started, the Blogger has turned down offers of paid roles with one or two respected, high-recognition outlets because of worries about compromising the Blog's integrity. It takes a long time to build up trust and a second to lose it. If the Blog is unhappy with a product or service, it's important to be able to say so, nicely. Conversely, if it finds something terrific or sees a good bargain, the Blog wants its (and Twitter's) followers to know, so that they can enjoy it,too.
FOLLOW ON QUESTIONS
The Blog purports to focus on good health and well being and yet seriously recommends supermarket chickens
The Blog recommended ways of making the most of supermarket chickens.
Obviously, it's easy to prepare really good healthy food using lots of expensively sourced and fashionable ingredients. Plenty of blogs and chefs out there do just that and that's fine. Food, after all, is a business, too.
67goingon50 prefers to encourage as many people as possible to eat well for good health, whatever their budget.
It does focus on good health but not at exhorbitant prices. Very few people can afford organic, free-range, corn-fed or imported French chickens, which are all the rage in London right now. Millions depend on supermarket chicken as a source of protein and the UK has high standards of food safety (which doesn't mean things don't occasionally slip through). And as long as supermarket chicken isn't eaten every day, it does provide decent protein.
But guess what? M&S has recently (2022) started selling own brand Higher Welfare chickens with good flavour and texture. The small £3 chicken is no more (but wasn't expected to last much longer anyway with the Cost of Living crisis)...a full bird costs £6'ish. But there are excellent bargains in Higher Welfare whole legs, drumsticks and thighs - 500gm/17oz at around £1.30.
I gather you work for a political party and many of your Twitter followers are Conservatives. Does this influence your recommendations?
No. I was a supporter of Labour for many years. I now support the Conservatives as a sometime volunteer.
No. I was a supporter of Labour for many years. I now support the Conservatives as a sometime volunteer.
The Lunch Club that I set up and voluntarily cooked and developed recipes for was a National Lottery Funded project in one of the most deprived areas of London.
How important to you is physical closeness of outlets?
Pretty important when it comes to grocery shopping as the Blogger is dependent on public transport. But, like most people, the Blogger makes special trips for products at the right price. And the Blog enjoys investigating new products, which is how it discovered the wonderful shops, Tiger (now under a new name) & Hema for kitchen equipment.
You never mention Lidl or Aldi. Why?
How important to you is physical closeness of outlets?
Pretty important when it comes to grocery shopping as the Blogger is dependent on public transport. But, like most people, the Blogger makes special trips for products at the right price. And the Blog enjoys investigating new products, which is how it discovered the wonderful shops, Tiger (now under a new name) & Hema for kitchen equipment.
You never mention Lidl or Aldi. Why?
67goingon50 feels a great loyalty to British supermarkets and products, partly due to a belief that Britain should be self-sufficient in food production and not overly dependent on imports. British food meets high standards.
Lidl was recommended by some of the Lunch Club members but unfortunately, I seem to be allergic to European preservatives. As for their fresh food, it looks good and apparently is good but I'm attached to my usual outlets for meat and veg.
Lidl was recommended by some of the Lunch Club members but unfortunately, I seem to be allergic to European preservatives. As for their fresh food, it looks good and apparently is good but I'm attached to my usual outlets for meat and veg.
There is a small Aldi not too far away and on recommendations, a list of products to try has been made and will be tested.
Costco is well known and popular in North America but the closest is miles from home and, from all accounts, demands a car.
M&S products feature often in your blog
I divide my shopping into 3 categories: basic, for groceries and cleaning products; special, for better quality products unavailable elsewhere that are not overly expensive; and luxury, ie worth the price because the quality is dependable. M&S, which is at the end of a daily bus route, once fell into the luxury category but is now first choice, providing an excellent range of quality budget products. (Most of the supermarkets do, now.)
A once-a-week Indulgence day often involves M&S -- it's quite innovative. But I don't love everything it sells. The Blogger can be unfaithful, too; at Christmas, I enjoy a few small luxuries from Fortnum & Mason & Selfridges after having a good gander at their beautiful windows.
The blog often posts recipes adapted from chefs like Ina Garten and the late Robert Carrier
Ina Garten and Robert Carrier are great, great cooks but they were of the time that valued rich sauces, loads of butter and expensive ingredients. I love their classic styles and the way they combine ingredients. If I can make their recipes accessible to our health and budget conscious times, I'm ecstatic.
Chiefs often joke that no recipe is new; all recipes are stolen. It is true that classic recipes are often repeated with many variations. Someone else's recipe - whether ingredients or method - can inspire the development of an unbeatable dish. And a few food lovers really are impressive in the way they work with food. The Blog always takes care to acknowledge input from elsewhere.
The Blog often offers vegetarian and vegan options for many recipes. How do you cover such a range?
I was vegetarian for several periods of my life but could not stay vegetarian for long. I discovered that my body is unable to convert vegetarian vitamin B12 into the form essential to the body. I still love vegetarian food.
The vegan option was developed for a friend who complained that he couldn't find healthy, tasty vegan food that didn't involve expensive ingredients.
The Triple Duty and Double Duty Dishes (DDD) are designed for the increasing number of meals that have to please both carnivores and vegetarians. At the same table! The blog also tries to cater to the gluten and carb phobic.
You seem completely enamoured of Chinese food. What about Thai or Korean?
Chinese dishes are so healthy, quick and budget-conscious, the Blog would be remiss in not promoting them. And, though many products are available in supermarkets, Chinatowns offer great variety and quality. We're very lucky in the UK to have such choice and the Blog reckons shoppers are grateful to know where Chinese supermarkets are in London and what to find in them.
67 is not producing more recipes from other Far Eastern cuisines and dipped a toe or two into global foods.
Do you do a weekly shop or small purchases as and when?
Usually both. I do a weekly shop, partly because the blog's recipes are mostly pre-planned but items are bought during the week as well. It's nice once or twice a week to head home thinking 'What shall I have for supper tonight?' and acting on impulses.
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DISCLAIMER: The author accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any information not sourced to a second party is the copyright of the blogger.
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