Why do we as Black people like to eat cheap food?

If I tell you what I spent myhis afternoon doing you will really laugh. We must have gone to one of the most deprived areas of London to buy yam flour as hubby says that the boys want Nigerian food for Christmas. Although I recall my boys saying they want pounded yam, my hubby really wants his native food this Christmas. However every time I said that he wanted it and that it was his desire to have Nigerian food he kept on protesting it was the boys! Anyhoo. We found this place as we wanted to go to a town nearest to us that sold the items we required. I will not tell you where I was unless you really insist as I don't want to offend anyone but suffice to say I was in North London. We went to an Asian owned shop in an indoor market which sold African Caribbean food. The fresh food such as the plantain, scotch bonnet peppers and coriander were of the poorest quality we couldn't buy any. Yet I saw other people trying to squeeze and test the peppers willing them to be good enough to buy. As the shop was too small for the pushchair, I stood outside whilst hubby bought the dried goods. Whilst I was outside this woman picked up a bunch of coriander which was so limp I couldn't tell you what you could have used it for. She picked up one bunch and put it down only to pick up an equally rubbishy bunch and shook it from side to side. I was willing her not to buy it and she went into the shop and bought it. It made me so sad. Why do we short change ourselves like this?

When I was younger I used to suffer from stomach cramps. When I was 22 I had enough of the constant bloating and trying to use tea and cake to soothe my stomach ( stupid i know but I really didn't know any better). I stopped drinking fizzy drinks and dipping my chicken pieces in Kentucky style flour. I also stopped buying cheap food. Don't get me wrong I like chicken and chips as much as the next person but I now eat whole rice, I don't use gravy powder and I buy quality fruit and veg. Yes food costs me a lot of money but guess what I don't get cramps and if I don't walk at least mile a day I don't sleep good. Our health is our wealth lets stop short changing ourselves. If we can't afford quality produce consider growing your own, befriend someone with an allotment, grow your own herbs on the window ledge for God's sake and please lets stop short changing ourselves by buying empty shells of salads, tasteless fruits and filling up on carbs to satisfy hunger and not to properly feed our bodies.

I moved to Hertfordshire from South London in October. My eldest (5 1/2) has been in school since November. I'm particularly concerned about this school choice as I didn't get the school nearest to where I live and prior to this move my son has changed school once already.
I think for the first time my very sociable yet boisterous son feels a little out of his depth. He's complained of bullying already which I have acted on. Spoke to teacher and deputy head. They both think that my son has misinterpreted the word, yet he gives me regular reports of certain boys not leaving him alone. Any way the situation is to be monitored next year.
I know for certain that my eldest really feels like the odd one out. On a good note we have made friends with a boy and his mother from the school. The new friend is not in my sons class and we are going to see Madagascar 2 on Christmas eve.

Next bugbear is Christmas. At the beginning of the week I asked my dear husband to let me know what he is doing this week as he insists on us having Christmas together in this new house that isn't totally unpacked. Only to find that he was going to check some items out at an auction and then to return to the auction tomorrow to possibly buy. He has stipulated that no Christmas decorations are to be put up until all the unpacked boxes are cleared. This is more than 2 days work. This is what I want. I want to have a lovely Christmas together with 1 or 2 events thrown in such as a lovely country walk, visiting Church and a visit to Hertford before Christmas so that the boys can make some last minute decorations. As we are going to do the Christmas decorations late I was planning to make this one of the events of the holiday. Well I will be doing this tomorrow. Dear husband says that he will buy the big present for the boys as he knows what boys want. This still hasn't been done and if he thinks I'm going to ToysRus on Christmas eve he's got another thing coming! I will be buying a couple of games and I have already bought some books for the boys.

Picked up a self help book on motherhood from the library. Didn't think I needed it was just curious and wanted to know what it said about me time. Turns out its an excellent book asking the reader " what did you enjoy doing before you had children and what did this activity do for you?". The book is from the "teach yourself" range entitled Motherhood.