Archive for the ‘Food’ Category
Posted by Shirley Anne on July 2, 2011
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And so it was that Shirley Anne got up late on Friday morning, a habit that is so unbecoming of her normally but lately seems to be the way to go. Anyways, I got up late, missed my breakfast, although I did manage to eat a small banana. I had received a call to do some work but it was nothing much and I was back home within the hour. I asked E if she would like to dine out and as usual for her she had to wash her hair first! She does tend to get greasy hair whereas mine is the opposite and takes days before the natural oils work their way down my tresses. I was in no hurry to eat so I sat and played my guitar whilst waiting for her to come downstairs. Off we went to a carvery about six or seven miles away, a place we often visit. I had a full bottle of red wine with my dinner, again something I do probably far too often! I can handle that much wine with no adverse effects and especially if I am eating. We drove back home after a couple of hours and sat around in the patio for a while. I have plans to work on the water-butt base and also the garage passageway roof but they can wait for a day. In fact I propose to do them both today unless something else turns up in the meantime. Today is supposed to be my sabbath day of rest but I have had so much free time lately it wouldn’t be right to just sit around and do nothing. The principle remains the same, don’t work 7/24/7 but take a break as you are supposed to do! I like to work but I also like to chill out, especially with a bottle of red wine!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Food, Leisure, Rest and relaxation | Tagged: Drink, Entertainment, Food, Philosophy, Rest and relaxation, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 28, 2011
Our first barbecue on our new patio went down extremely well even though some of our guests had to back out because of other pressing matters. One friend, who was supposed to be bringing his mate, turned up with his daughter and her husband and two (grown-up) children instead assuming we wouldn’t mind! Well, as he is a friend and we did have the space and food we didn’t mind. As it turned out they were very good company and were the last to depart. It seems they enjoyed it that much they didn’t want to leave.
By the time this photo was taken three of our guests had gone home. Peter, the friend I refer to is being his usual self by giving my camera the sly fingers! He is a real character and once he starts to tell stories about his life we end up in stitches with laughter. A real life-and-soul of the party type is Peter. We put away some wine between us all and the beer was hardly touched. You can just about make out the little drinks fridge on the left of the picture which had been stacked with different beers but only four bottles got drank! There was plenty more in the cellar which didn’t see the light of day. It is handy being able to use the fridge outdoors, it saves having to dash indoors every time you want a drink! The red wine didn’t need refrigerating of course and the white wine wasn’t on the table long enough for it to warm up! We did have to make a couple of trips indoors to replenish the white wine which is kept in the kitchen fridge. Anyway a splendid time was had by all.
Yesterday I went to do a job in a house some eighteen miles away where I had been asked to disconnect the wiring to a large garden shed and to trace the fault that had cut off the supply to the power outlets in the kitchen. The strange thing was the power was leaving the distribution point but not arriving at the kitchen! Obviously a break in the cable somewhere along the way. This meant a physical trace on the cable, lifting boards and such to find perhaps a broken connection in a junction box. Unfortunately, having determined that the fault probably lay beneath the bedroom floor, the client was reluctant to allow lifting the boards until she had spoken with her husband who was at that time in work. The problem is the large amount of furniture in that room which makes lifting floorboards extremely difficult. It appears they will clear the room themselves and decide on any further action later. I was able to locate were the supply to the shed was connected within the kitchen and I disconnected it. So the job has been left only half done! The circuit itself requires altering in any case, even after the fault has been located and rectified. It is one single cable presently supplying about eight power points! The limit for that size cable is two and they have to be in the same area! Converting it to a ring circuit is relatively easy though but requires an extra cable be run under that same bedroom floor!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Enjoyment, Family, Food, Friendship, Leisure, Work | Tagged: Food, Home and Garden, Kitchen and Dining, Recreation, Wine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 21, 2011
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On Sunday evening, after a late dinner I began to feel uncomfortable. I could feel the symptoms of trapped wind in my stomach. I do suffer from this occasionally and now know how to deal with it but this time it just wouldn’t go away. I thought it might be not only trapped wind but perhaps food poisoning. I spent a very restless night but did manage to get some sleep. When I awoke yesterday morning I was feeling decidedly out of it! My arms, shoulders and upper torso as well as my head were all suffering pain. I am the kind of person who resists taking pain killers, pumping medications into my system unless I really need to do so. Needless to say I had no breakfast as my stomach was still in pain but I did sip water which seemed to help by bringing up the occasional ‘burp’. I struggled through the morning and when it came to lunchtime I was still feeling queazy. If it was food poisoning I didn’t want to eat more food, however I think on reflection it was due to other things, trapped wind, tiredness, mild ‘flu and the after effects of working on the garage all day on Saturday. I had wanted to go out and purchase paint and a few other items but E found two full cans of the paint we needed and some other materials so anything else I wanted I would have to go out and buy. E had her lunch around 1.30 but she wanted to watch a program on the television until 2.15 and wasn’t ready to go out just then. We had expected the boys to arrive early in the morning to finish off the paving in the rear garden but they arrived at noon. I fell asleep on the couch whilst E was watching television but aroused myself and ventured out to the shops with her to buy some things. We bought a parasol to fit over the wooden dining table (part of the garden furniture, I will post a pic later if I remember), a bamboo door curtain that we can hang over the door space when the door is opened in Summer (just to keep out the flies!) and plenty of beer for the weekend. When we arrived back home the boys had finished the rear garden and had started preparing the area under the window at the front of the house. They are supposed to be returning at 8 o’clock this morning to complete that work (finally!). The weather seems to be getting better, just like I am. I hate feeling unwell when I know there is much to do but I never do work when I am not feeling well.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Energy, Food, Health, Shopping | Tagged: Abdominal pain, Food, Foodborne illness, Health, Shopping | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 17, 2011
On Wednesday E and I went to do some shopping after I returned home from a job. We bought furniture oil for our outdoor furniture (seems logical) and some more brick sealant (we ran out of the stuff when we treated the patio brickwork last time). That will keep me occupied for a day or two I am sure! Whilst we were out E paid a visit to the store where we bought the materials and furniture for converting our toilet/cloakroom into a shower/wet room and cloakroom. Coats will only be left there temporarily by visitors, our own coats are stored in our bedrooms. It is the only room downstairs that can be used as a temporary cloakroom. I digress. She went into the store whilst I sat in the car. We were wondering why it was taking them so long to deliver our goods, E was told that it would all be delivered the same day, a matter of two hours later! They were true to their word and it was delivered as promised. This means when it is raining I have a job to do indoors and when it isn’t I have plenty yet to do outside! There is no escape. All this depends of course on my availability, I do work as an electrician too!
Next weekend we hope, weather permitting, to have our first barbecue of the year (we did have a small one a week or so ago, just the two of us) where we will invite family, friends and neighbours. This will make good use of the patio too, well that was one of the reasons for building it! If the weather is not fine we simply eat indoors but that means cooking indoors too which takes more time I find, especially when it comes to cleaning up! As long as it isn’t raining or it isn’t too windy we should be alright. I like having people around for drinks, food and fun. We usually have music, games or a quiz to help things along. As long as my guests are happy, I am happy.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Family, Food, Friendship, Fun, Life, Lifestyle | Tagged: Drink, Food, Friendship, Fun, Garden furniture, Home and Garden, Life, Patio, Shopping | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 5, 2011
Yesterday morning I got stuck into sifting more soil. After around three hours it was time to stop and have a quick lunch and then back to sifting. A further hour or so saw the soil we wanted sifting all done. There is more soil to do at a later date in the area immediately behind the garage. We haven’t decided what to plant in that area as yet and we probably will leave it as it is for now. The area is totally shielded from the direct rays of the sun but is still suitable for growing some plants species. After I had completed my work E was able to plant out the twenty-four beetroot plants she had been growing in pots in the greenhouse. We now have two rows of beetroot, one of carrot, one of onion and a half-dozen gooseberry bushes growing in the vegetable plot, well half of it! We have potatoes growing between the greenhouses and elsewhere in the garden as well as strawberries, more gooseberries, more carrots, rhubarb, raspberry, and a little mint. Inside the greenhouses there are cucumbers, tomatoes chilli-peppers and capsicums. There are a couple of aubergines too. Apples are starting to grow now as are the plums and cherry. The garden now looks more like a garden that the half-wilderness it once looked like. It was early evening when I suggested we have an impromptu barbecue. E was all for it so we got the barbecue out of storage and cooked ourselves some steak and lamb. We made a quick salad to eat with it and a couple of soft drinks. After an hour or so we tidied up. E went indoors but I stayed outside to water the garden and lawn after which I went to the front garden and watered the plants there. I returned to the rear garden with my guitar and sat playing in the cooling evening air for an hour before finally going back indoors. All in all it had been a rather pleasant day.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Food, Gardening, Music, Rest and relaxation | Tagged: Beetroot, Carrot, Chili pepper, Garden, Gooseberry, Music, Plant, Rest and relaxation, Sieve, Soil | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 4, 2011
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Yesterday morning, as planned, E and I went to buy the windows for the garage and the plastic trim and the sill (for one of the windows), which we will fit ourselves. The day was hot and sunny, a day for relaxing and doing nothing. I had plans to dine out with a friend and she arrived a few minutes after midday. E was staying at home, though I had invited her to come along. We left around one o’clock and drove the fifteen or so miles to a place E and I often go. My friend has been there too whenever we have chosen to celebrate a birthday or other event there. We enjoyed a lovely meal together and were in no rush to return home. When it came to pay the bill my friend went to the toilet whilst I paid it. She had given me her share in cash but I intended to pay by card, a debit card rather than a credit card. I opened my purse but could not find the debit card. I have three debit cards and one credit card but the card I wished to use just wasn’t among them! The previous day I had used the card to buy the telephone extension lead and I know I had it with me when I returned home. Not wishing to use either of the other two debit cards I was forced to use the credit card instead. No problem, it just meant that I had to transfer funds from the current account I would have normally taken the funds from to the one that pays my credit card by Direct Debit. I do that via the Internet. I am at a loss as to where the debit card might be but rather than worry about it I telephoned the bank and had it cancelled. They will send me a replacement in a few days. I was a little annoyed that I had misplaced the card but that is just one of life’s minor problems. I paid the bill and we both left for home. My friend stayed for an hour or so as we sat in the patio and chatted over a couple of drinks. E was busy at the other end of the garden doing some weeding and planting but she joined us after a short while. The weather remained warm and sunny until sunset but my friend had returned home and we had returned indoors. Although I like the weather to be warm and sunny I am not overjoyed about it being too warm. I get hot and bothered if it gets too warm. Today looks like being a hot day and I have work to do in the garden. I am not looking forward to that. Fortunately the work I want to do (sifting the soil in the vegetable plot) will be done in the shade if I do it in the morning. Having said that I am signing off to do it!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Food, Friendship, Leisure, Rest and relaxation, Weather | Tagged: Credit card, Debit card, Direct Debit, Food, Friendship, Rest and relaxation | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 29, 2011
Yesterday morning E and I went to buy the materials and furniture that we need to refurbish the downstairs toilet. We had visited the store about two weeks ago and we knew what we wanted to purchase. Because most of the things were too large they would need to be delivered else I would need to empty my van and collect it all myself. I chose to have it delivered. We enlisted the help of a store employee who made out the list for us as we walked about the store pointing out the things we wanted. We then proceeded to the desk and paid the bill. Hopefully they will be delivered in two to three weeks time which gives us plenty of time to get organised.
It was approaching lunchtime when we left the store and I suggested dining out but E wanted to do some shopping first. It was around 1.30 before we decided to drive to a local pub/restaurant for a lovely carvery meal, very reasonably priced too! Whilst we were there I received a message on my phone from a guy I’ve known for a few years. He wasn’t sure if I was still living in Southport but was wondering if I could give him some advice regarding his plans to install lighting in his lounge. I answered via a text message that I could visit him in the afternoon. Shortly later he phoned me and we arranged to visit him after our lunch. He lives about a mile from where we live so it was no inconvenience to visit him and see what it was he was planning to do. It turns out that he is re-decorating several of the rooms in his house. We chatted about the work over a glass or two of red wine and after a short while his girlfriend returned with her dad. I had not seen either of them for over twelve months so it was nice to meet them again. We spent an hour or so there and had a really pleasant time before returning home. I am now awaiting the call to do the work some time in the near future. Today I shall be back working at home. I have plans to fit a window frame in the new garage and in the weeks ahead to fit three windows to match those we had installed in the house. I can fit those myself but they will need to be measured to fit the openings and subsequently manufactured to order but that is a few weeks away yet.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Food, House and Home, Shopping | Tagged: Home, Home and Garden, Shopping, Southport, Window | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 23, 2011
Image by wEnDaLicious via Flickr
It used to be considered the norm in the UK to have March winds and April showers, they marked the beginning of Spring. Nowadays, more frequently, we don’t seem to get that combination. Last month was for the most part gloriously warm and sunny with little rain at all. March wasn’t the roaring lion we have been otherwise used to. Now it is two-thirds into May and the weather has gotten progressively worse. May started off promisingly enough but after the first week things began to change for the worse. Of course we need rain and after April’s poor precipitation level we needed it even more. Today (Sunday) it looks more like an Autumn day than a late Spring one. It is very windy indeed and it is raining. Perhaps the weather will improve soon. Let’s hope so. In the meantime it is good to be indoors. Today we have our two sons and our daughter-in-law home for a Sunday roast dinner, chicken, new potatoes, roast potatoes, carrots, turnip, parsnip, for the main meal with a pineapple sponge pudding to follow. We don’t normally have formal dinners with our immediate family unless we are eating out but it is nice to lay on something a little special at home now and then. I will be having a glass or two of wine but I am not sure about the others as two of them will be driving later. So the wind and rain can do their stuff outside whilst we enjoy the warmth and comfort inside both the house and our tummies!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Family, Food, Weather | Tagged: April Showers, Fruit and Vegetable, Home, Parsnip, Rain, Sunday roast, Yorkshire pudding | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on April 13, 2011
Yesterday, Tuesday was quite breezy but very sunny and as the day advanced it got warmer. E and I decided to do more work in the gardens, she in the front and me in the rear. I have been slowly filtering the soil in the area adjacent to what will be the new patio. There had been a few trees there and it has taken a while digging out all the roots. Over the weekend I chopped down another tree and removed the stump. That was hard work! Anyway I am almost to the end of the area now with perhaps one more day to finish it off ready for planting. We did plant a cherry tree there on Sunday but the area needs much more coverage. After an hour or two I joined E in the front garden where she has been weeding out a large flower-bed and removing the hundreds of bluebell plants and bulbs that have infested it. We managed to clear half the bed by which time it was time for lunch. E had to see her mom in the afternoon so I continued in the gardens, clearing the soil in preparation for a new wall and then back to the rear garden to filter some more soil! I had to go indoors and prepare our evening meal which was a roast chicken dinner with roast potatoes, carrots and turnip with melon as a desert. E wouldn’t be back home in time to help. Just before the meal was ready E’s two nephews appeared and emptied a large van that was filled with building rubble and put it in the patio base ready for compacting. It is just about filled enough now with hardcore which is just as well, the guy doing the patio wants to start on the 26th, two weeks away. I think rain will stop play for today.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Food, Garden, Gardening, House and Home, Work | Tagged: Food, Garden, Home, Patio, Plant, Retaining wall, Soil, Work | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on March 20, 2011
Last night I was invited to another social evening in the company of the members of an Archery club in which my friend is also a member. Sometimes these gatherings are slow to take off but once the wine flowed folk began to relax and enjoy themselves, me included! The meal was good and likewise the company. I have attended a few of these gatherings as a guest and each time I have been made most welcome. It must have been after midnight when I arrived back home. I didn’t go to bed straight away though, I wrote and posted the post below!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Food, Friendship | Tagged: Archery, Drink, Food, Friendship, Recreation and Sports | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on March 12, 2011
We call it the weekend but if we want to be pedantic it is really both the end of the week and the beginning of the next one. It all depends on the customs of your country. Sunday is now the traditional day of rest for Christians but the real sabbath day of rest for Christians is the same as that of Israel ( part of which are the Jews of today and in fact much of the western world: see http://www.ucg.org/booklets/US/josephsbirthright.asp and other literature) and that day is Saturday or rather Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. This means that Saturday would be regarded as the last day of the week, the rest day from the six working days. God didn’t actually rest in the sense that we mean a cessation from tiring work because of tiredness, it means He abstained from carrying out further work or simply ceased doing it because it was all done. I digress. However things were changed by the Emperor Constantine and Sunday became the rest day. No matter. The simple fact is that in many nations of the world there are work days and rest days. The working week in the western world is usually meant to be Monday through Friday with two days off, the weekend. My personal choice is Saturday as my sabbath rest and Sunday for doing sundry things. This Sunday E and I have invited family (such as are available) and friends for an afternoon of relaxation together with refreshments of food and drink. I hope this will mark the first of many more during the year, hopefully some of them outside in the sunshine!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Entertainment, Family, Food, Friendship, Rest and relaxation | Tagged: Biblical Sabbath, Christian, Drink, Entertainment, Family, Food, Friendship, God, Israel, Jesus, Jews, Sabbath, Ten Commandments | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 22, 2011
No doubt you have heard the latest views of the so-called ‘experts’ regarding daily calorie intake for men and women. They now recommend an increase of 16% over the previously declared 2000 for women and 2500 for men! Do they ever get things right? Once upon a time butter was very bad for you but not long after we joined the common market we ended up with a butter mountain and guess what? Suddenly butter was ok to eat! Margarine was supposed to be the answer to butter but now we find it isn’t as good as it is made out to be. This is because of the hydrogenated fats that are needlessly produced in manufacture. All the other fats it appears are quite good for us. I smile when I hear that ‘scientists have discovered’ and ‘experts say’ whatever it is that we need to take notice of for our own good. Advice is a good thing and there will always be new discoveries which supersede old ideas but I am of the opinion that much of what is done on our behalf is tantamount to interference. Sometimes I feel government is too much of a nanny state. Everything in moderation should remain the objective of each of us. There is nothing wrong in eating butter, margarine, cream cakes, cheese and a host of other ‘bad’ things if done in moderation and as part of a well-balanced and need I say it, healthy diet? We can take things too far and miss out on the little pleasures in life if we are not careful. Naturally we should be taking care of ourselves and we each know what is best for ourselves so listen to advice but take some with a pinch of salt…not too much in case it raises your blood pressure!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Food, Health | Tagged: Butter, Cooking, Dairy, Fatty acid, Health, Home, Margarine, Vitamin | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on December 22, 2010
Okay I don’t celebrate Christmas, don’t have turkey, roast potatoes, yorkshire pudding, sprouts, carrots, peas,stuffing et al, followed by pudding with brandy sauce, mincemeat pies, cake, fruit, nuts, the list is endless. To me it is all nice food but hey, not all at once! I have another special treat for myself on 25th and that is baked beans on toast! That is what I like and that is what I shall be eating. I will feel a lot better afterwards too! What’s so special about turkey? It is another of our American friend’s influences. Here in the UK Christmas fayre was something different in times gone by but times and customs change and people just go with the flow as they usually do. Things become a tradition and are hard to let go of once entrenched into our behaviour. We assume we are missing out on something if we don’t partake. I say if you feel that way carry on and if you don’t feel that way then do your own thing. That’s why I am having beans on toast, I like them and they are healthy. I dislike all the fuss and bother surrounding the festival of Christmas and all the unnecessary food that people buy. I cannot wait for the return of normality, oh and more baked beans on toast!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Food | Tagged: Baked beans, Christmas, Cooking, Food, Fruit and Vegetable, Holiday, Home, Turkey, United States | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 7, 2010
Yesterday I had to pay a visit to the doctor as I have at this time a rather nasty rash on my body. I was prescribed some ointment and hopefully that should be enough, if not I will need a referral to a dermatologist! Anyhow I thought I would dress up rather than down as I had plans to dine out later. Well it was my day off! So E and I went out for a drive around about 1.30 and we ended up at a pub/restaurant about twenty miles away. Now if you have been following my blog you will already know that E and I go out for ‘lunch’ quite often but this time it was a bit special, at least for me. An ordinary meal normally it turned out to be one of the best meals I have enjoyed for a long time. Sometimes it goes like that doesn’t it? It was such a lovely experience we didn’t want to go back home! We were plodding along at 30mph! However on the way back home we got stuck behind a guy who thought 30mph meant 10mph! I really do not know why some people are on the road at all. If they lack confidence to at least drive at or near the allowed speed limit they shouldn’t be on the road at all if by doing so they hold everyone else back. Okay if it were a matter of being on a dual carriageway, no problem because they can be overtaken but when it is on a main thoroughfare and on a single carriageway where overtaking is very restricted then they should get their act together. Speeders are a nuisance but those who drive uneccessarily slowly are even more so.
Today I am at work but I have only one small job to do and will be home well before lunchtime. It has been a rather busy week this week and it doesn’t look like slowing down for the forseeable future. I prefer it this way though.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Driving, Enjoyment, Food, Lifestyle | Tagged: Dual carriageway, Food, Leisure, Speed limit | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on October 28, 2010
Whenever I do work for anyone I am usually asked if I would like a drink, sometimes the minute I step through the door. Most people will offer me a drink but very occasionally I might come across someone who doesn’t, then I ask if I can have a drink of water. This prompts them to ask if I would like a hot drink instead! Much of the time I prefer water, especially during the warmer months as I will be perspiring a lot more. When asked if I would like a hot drink I usually ask for coffee or maybe tea but I like them both extremely weak and black. I do not like strong coffee or tea. Nobody seems to get it right though and I have to apologise for pouring some away and topping up with water to make the drink weaker. I like it so weak that I can see the bottom of the cup through the liquid. Hardly worth drinking as some people have remarked but it’s all a matter of taste isn’t it? I sometimes wonder what strong coffee or tea means to someone who offers me what they think is weak when I can almost stand a spoon up in it without it touching the sides. Okay, a slight exaggeration but I think you know what I mean. My preferences for coffee are smooth and instant and I know there are some lovely varieties in the freshly ground version but not when they are strong and bitter. I sometimes use saccharin as a sweetener, never sugar, or go without. I drink unsweetened tea but I carry a tube of sweeteners in my bag for use in coffee. I will try most things at least once but I settle for what I like best. Tea is probably best and it has beneficial qualities in the anti-oxidants it has but coffee or too much of it, is supposed to be bad for the heart as it is a stimulant and can, in some cases, cause palpitations. Too much of anything is bad for you I suppose. Today whilst driving home from work I was listening to a program on the radio in which there was a debate about food, specifically what will be the kind of food people will be eating in the (distant?) future. One person suggested that soya would be more widely eaten in ways we only occasionally consume it today. Another person thinks we may be eating insects, or more of them for those who do so already. Ugh! Definitely not one for me, even if they are full of protein! In this case it isn’t just a matter of taste for me, it is a forbidden food. Only certain insects being acceptable. I don’t think I would be eating even those!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Food | Tagged: Beverages, Coffee, Drink, Food, Sugar substitute, Tea | Leave a Comment »
