Not examples of Ms Deen's recipes - just a load of high-fat foods, courtesy of the National Cancer Institute
Thursday, 19 January 2012
YOU are what's wrong!
I am so tired of the constant whining by people about how all the ills of their lives are the fault of someone or something else. This morning on MFP, I came across a post by someone, blaming the US celebrity cook, Paula Deen, for making Americans fat and giving the nation diabetes! I should warn you now that there's a very scary Photoshopped image of Ms Deen on the home page!
Monday, 16 January 2012
Curvy Women/Real Women....Oh, Please!
So this year's hotly-debated topic on MFP is shaping up to be 'curvy'. Have we finally moved beyond all the HCG, ToM, muscle/fat weight, and starvation mode arguments, and replaced them with intense debates about curvy and real women? Already I am sick of seeing 'curvy' topics showing up on my home page (and I am sick of seeing it spelled 'curvey')! Who cares? If people want validation for their outward appearance, perhaps they should be looking within - it really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, surely?
What saddens me the most is that instead of sticking together and being supportive, women now seem to be taking a stance against each other. And the irony is that despite their claims to the contrary, if they had the bodies of 'not real women', I very much doubt they'd be looking at pictures of overweight women, wishing they looked like them.
What saddens me the most is that instead of sticking together and being supportive, women now seem to be taking a stance against each other. And the irony is that despite their claims to the contrary, if they had the bodies of 'not real women', I very much doubt they'd be looking at pictures of overweight women, wishing they looked like them.
Original image credits unknown
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Because we all love a cat in a box.....
It's true - the internet is full of images and videos of cats in boxes. Forget porn, comedy moggies are the true reason the internet was invented!
Anyway, please bear with me...I'll get to the cat-in-a-box in a minute....
I'm 3lbs down since Jan 1st, which means that since October (when I got sick), I have gained 6lbs. Porca puttana!
I'm not sure that's entirely accurate however because my scales have been rather temperamental for the past few months (even with a new battery) - I have to bash them a bit to make them work...which is probably not good for them! I think they are still under guarantee, so I shall see if the manufacturer will make good on it. Plus (and this may be TMI, for which I apologise profusely), I'm having 'digestive issues' right now, so perhaps that's a contributing factor too. It might be time to up my daily dose of aloe vera, and eat more live yoghurt...I'm feeling very bloaty and whale-like right now.
Anyway, please bear with me...I'll get to the cat-in-a-box in a minute....
I'm 3lbs down since Jan 1st, which means that since October (when I got sick), I have gained 6lbs. Porca puttana!
I'm not sure that's entirely accurate however because my scales have been rather temperamental for the past few months (even with a new battery) - I have to bash them a bit to make them work...which is probably not good for them! I think they are still under guarantee, so I shall see if the manufacturer will make good on it. Plus (and this may be TMI, for which I apologise profusely), I'm having 'digestive issues' right now, so perhaps that's a contributing factor too. It might be time to up my daily dose of aloe vera, and eat more live yoghurt...I'm feeling very bloaty and whale-like right now.
Monday, 9 January 2012
Recipe/Ricetta - Cauldron Curry
Yes, I really do cook curry in a cauldron! It's very good for outdoor gatherings such as the Summer Solstice party we had at the permaculture farm my friends and I worked on a couple of years ago...
And yes, that's an earth oven too - we have made some fantastic pizza in there!
And yes, that's an earth oven too - we have made some fantastic pizza in there!
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Introverts....and the lies people tell about us!
Via my lovely chum Kirsty's blog, The Leopard Anchor, I came across Carl King's blog post about the myths of introversion...and nodded in agreement with everything he wrote. And smiled. A lot!
Here are his 10 myths - but do go and read the rest of his blog post, especially if like me, you are one of the 25% of the population who is introverted/introspective...which frankly, is a very good thing in my opinion. I wouldn't want to be any other way. And neither would amato mio, who is also one of the few! As are the majority (if not all) of my friends.
Here are his 10 myths - but do go and read the rest of his blog post, especially if like me, you are one of the 25% of the population who is introverted/introspective...which frankly, is a very good thing in my opinion. I wouldn't want to be any other way. And neither would amato mio, who is also one of the few! As are the majority (if not all) of my friends.
Recipe/Ricetta - Melanzane al Forno con Pecorino (Parmigiana)
This rich, tomato-ey, cheesy oven-baked food just may be my most favourite dish in the entire world, and I suppose it's considered by my friends and family to be my signature dish. It's not remotely Venexiano however; both Campania and Sicilia claim it for their own....but since Campania was formerly part of il Regno di Sicilia, this is not surprising. For me, this is the ultimate comfort food!
It is popularly known as Parmigiana Melanzane, which most non-Italians erroneously believe comes from the use of the hard cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano. However, the name actually reflects the arrangement of the melanzana; since each slice slightly overlaps the previous, it resembles the slats on a wooden shutter. In dialetto siciliano, 'parmiciana' means 'wooden shutter slats', while 'palmigiana' is the shutter itself. Parmigiana is merely a corruption of these words, and nothing to do with the cheese. In addition, Parmigiano-Reggiano comes from the northern Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna & Lombardia, so it's highly unlikely that it would form part of a southern culinary tradition!
Who says cookery is not educational?!
It is popularly known as Parmigiana Melanzane, which most non-Italians erroneously believe comes from the use of the hard cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano. However, the name actually reflects the arrangement of the melanzana; since each slice slightly overlaps the previous, it resembles the slats on a wooden shutter. In dialetto siciliano, 'parmiciana' means 'wooden shutter slats', while 'palmigiana' is the shutter itself. Parmigiana is merely a corruption of these words, and nothing to do with the cheese. In addition, Parmigiano-Reggiano comes from the northern Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna & Lombardia, so it's highly unlikely that it would form part of a southern culinary tradition!
Who says cookery is not educational?!
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Crafty Photo Scavenger Hunt: December 2011
In a departure from the usual food and fitness talk, I am taking part in the Crafty Photo Scavenger Hunt, which this month is hosted by the lovely Emma over at The Gift Shed (do take a look at her amazing work while you're there!). Admittedly, I should have blogged this at the end of December, not the beginning of January; despite putting a reminder on my calendar for the 30th, I still completely forgot! Fortunately Emma sent me a reminder, saying I had until the end of this week! Phew! Thanks, Hedgie!
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
New Year - Old Routine!
Back on track today: I gained a couple of pounds between December 19th and today but since I currently have The Attack of the 50ft Hormones, it could be that, and not nomming and quaffing, which is responsible....although I doubt it! Hard to tell when I haven't actually weighed myself for two weeks.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Recipe/Ricetta - Shopska Salata
Шопска салата: This delicious Bulgarian salad is a new discovery for me; it's similar to a Greek salad but in my opinion, is so much better. Apparently it is named for the Shopi people in the villages to the west of Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, and was popularised (some say, invented in 1960) by the state-run tourist organisation, Balkantourist. If this is true, I'd hazard a guess that it's actually an updated traditional recipe... I cannot imagine that something like this has only been around for 50 years!
If you are unable to source any sirene (сирене...which simply translates as cheese, although I am told it's specifically white cheese), follow the advice of my lovely Bulgarian friend, Velin Bachev (do check out his work - he is a brilliant sculptor and musician!), who confirms that feta would be an acceptable substitute. He also says it's okay to crumble the feta/sirene instead of grating it... have you ever tried to grate feta? Just don't - it's not pretty! Make sure you rinse and dry the cheese really well (with kitchen roll), which makes it easier to crumble. If using feta, don't salt the salad because there's enough salt in the cheese. Unless unlike me, you are fond of overly salty food! I probably didn't use as much sirene as some of the Bulgarians do... but they probably don't need to watch what they eat like I do!
Young man in shopp dress from Tran, Bulgaria. 1921 (sourced from Wikimedia Commons)
If you are unable to source any sirene (сирене...which simply translates as cheese, although I am told it's specifically white cheese), follow the advice of my lovely Bulgarian friend, Velin Bachev (do check out his work - he is a brilliant sculptor and musician!), who confirms that feta would be an acceptable substitute. He also says it's okay to crumble the feta/sirene instead of grating it... have you ever tried to grate feta? Just don't - it's not pretty! Make sure you rinse and dry the cheese really well (with kitchen roll), which makes it easier to crumble. If using feta, don't salt the salad because there's enough salt in the cheese. Unless unlike me, you are fond of overly salty food! I probably didn't use as much sirene as some of the Bulgarians do... but they probably don't need to watch what they eat like I do!
Friday, 18 November 2011
Catharsis
Today I am making a stand!
I've had enough of being in a funk (partially induced by illness, admittedly) and it's time to do something about it. There are things I desperately want to change, which are out of my control at the moment, so I'm doing the next best thing - changing the things I *can* change.
First up.....my wardrobe! Not change exactly but I'm having a massive clear out. If I haven't worn it for two years then it's out. And I am finally going to say goodbye to all my suits....how did I get to the point where I had 23 suits?
The footwear stays though!
Then the cosmetics - why do I have 17 different lipsticks when I only ever wear two (and one of those is rarely)? Do I need all this hair goo when 99% of the time my hair has dread extensions? And just how many hairbrushes does a woman need....especially given that she never brushes her hair because this happens?...
And then my workroom - I'm never going to use all the fabric I have accumulated over the years, so I may as well be rid of it. Anyone want to buy some really good quality latex, by the way?!
How did I acquire so much stuff? I don't need it, and now it feels it is just cluttering up my life. I'm feeling stifled, trapped, and bogged down....it's damaging my self-esteem, it's damaging my creativity, and it's damaging my psyche.
Enough now.
I've had enough of being in a funk (partially induced by illness, admittedly) and it's time to do something about it. There are things I desperately want to change, which are out of my control at the moment, so I'm doing the next best thing - changing the things I *can* change.
First up.....my wardrobe! Not change exactly but I'm having a massive clear out. If I haven't worn it for two years then it's out. And I am finally going to say goodbye to all my suits....how did I get to the point where I had 23 suits?
The footwear stays though!
Then the cosmetics - why do I have 17 different lipsticks when I only ever wear two (and one of those is rarely)? Do I need all this hair goo when 99% of the time my hair has dread extensions? And just how many hairbrushes does a woman need....especially given that she never brushes her hair because this happens?...
And then my workroom - I'm never going to use all the fabric I have accumulated over the years, so I may as well be rid of it. Anyone want to buy some really good quality latex, by the way?!
How did I acquire so much stuff? I don't need it, and now it feels it is just cluttering up my life. I'm feeling stifled, trapped, and bogged down....it's damaging my self-esteem, it's damaging my creativity, and it's damaging my psyche.
Enough now.
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