I’m missing rationing. When I say that, what I mean is the simplicity of it, the frugalness, the lack of choice, the basic process of just “making do” with what I’ve got. Our world of excess consumption doesn’t sit well with me…

I look at the amount of plastics I put out for recycling every week, it is obscene. I look at the amount of ultra-processed foods that have crept into my life…. again, OBSCENE. Every month that is passing I simply want to cast off many aspects of our modern way of consuming, and not just food.

I don’t know about you but as I approach my 60th birthday in January, everything in side me is screaming to “get off the roundabout” and get back to basics, a simple, slow and happy life where one has time to forage, ponder, bake, read and write. I remember 25 years ago very much being part of the “back to the land” and “self-sufficiency” movement and miss many aspects of that life even though quite honestly we never managed even half way to self-sufficiency. What it did give me though was an appreciation of nature, of simplicity, of what is important in life and how resilient and capable we are as humans devoid of convenience….

While I can’t just jack it all in to live a slow life (rent is also OBSCENE here in Swindon – I don’t own my own house) at least I can at least try to make a move in the right direction so over the coming weeks I’ll be moving back to living on rationing Monday to Friday with weekends to enjoy those healthy favourites of mine like Avocados and Bananas. A compromise I know but life is all about balance. I love many aspects of modern living (I love tech and YouTube!) but I know what actually is important and what we try to need to preserve too.

Monday to Friday it will be back to rationing, sourcing most of my vegetables locally. In fact I have already started with my first visit to “Purton House Organics”, just a few miles from my house and have worked out a budget to making locally grown (mostly), organic vegetables, a main part of my diet.

Here is a photo of my first “medium box” from them. I still love Riverford of course but I am trying hard to incorporate as much locally grown food as possible.

This week I’ll start to plan my “Ration Book Recipes” again, and of course continue with my cookery book project which is one of my lifetime goals to achieve in 2026 in my 60th year on this planet.

Much love, C xxxxx