Sneaky Superstore "Savings"

Here's an interesting article on a couple of things big chain retailers try to do to confuse or con people into thinking they are getting a good deal.

Click through to BBC News.

Cheapest Birthday Meal Ever

I wasn't looking forward to going out to a restaurant this weekend.Why? I'll be quite honest and admit that I am stone cold broke. However, a promise to a friend is a promise to a friend--so after clarifying a few etiquette points on how little I could get away with ordering, I set off for this place:

I've always been a bit wary of restaurants or companies that use Disney characters (illegally) in their advertising, but boy was I pleasantly surprised.

The interior is lavishly decorated in a faux-Moroccan style, and the "kitchen" is pretty much open so you can see your food being grilled (should you choose to do so)

Being broke, I settled for the lentil soup--something I have never tried before, and handily the cheapest item on the menu. I've been looking for ways to use the lentils I bought a few weeks ago, and thus far have only actually cooked them into a curry, so this alone made the entire night worth it.

Fortunately, they served a type of moroccan flatbread with everyone's food so I actually had quite a sizable meal, finished off with a piece of the most delicious baklawa I have ever tasted.

It always strikes me that you can't judge a restaurant by its front of house, which seems rather counter-intuitive, but there you go.

Looks like UK schools are actually asking for more crappy food to be sold on the premises. Isn't that lovely.

Poison Soup

Chemical Poisoning due to slow leeching of soup tins

Yum yum!

Anyway, I work for a charity that helps people in Wales tackle depression--on Thursday we raised 433 pounds as part of an auction and comedy/music night. It was utterly exhausting, especially compering unexpectedly on very little sleep.

And now.... grant applications and further planning to turn some of that money into an arts therapy program.

I know, I know

It's been almost two weeks since we posted anything, but we have good reasons.

I've been recovering from food poisoning. Oh yes. I make bad food choices too. I opted for take-out and unfortunately that can be like playing russian roulette with your digestive system.

Furthermore, tonight is the culmination of 3 months' worth of work-- a charity fundraiser I've organised involving music, comedy and an auction. Phew! I will let you know how it went.

In the meantime, check this out.

Claims as to health benefits of sea salt "flawed"

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (and a Pumpkin Patch!)

The week before Halloween, a couple of my friends drove me out to the sticks so we could go to a proper pumpkin patch.

Go big or go home!!!

You might be thinking that pumpkins are no good after they become jack-o-lanterns. This is not true (unless you leave them on the front porch until they turn blue and cave in on themselves, in which case...eww)! You can take them inside once you close up shop on Halloween night, then chop them up and freeze them. They are awesome in curries, soups, baked goods of ANY kind...etc., etc.

However! The unsung hero of the whole operation is the pumpkin seed. They are delicious when seasoned and roasted.

Here's how I did mine:
1. Put a strainer in the sink and dump your pumpkin guts in it.
2. Run cold water over the guts, working to separate the flesh from the seeds. As you collect the seeds, place them on a couple of sheets of paper towel. Let them dry off a bit.
3. Once the seeds aren't sopping wet anymore, toss them in salt and and/or another seasoning of your choice (I used Spike).
4. Spread the seeds out in a single layer on a cookie sheet (you might want to use parchment paper, as well).
5. Roast the seeds in a 350°F oven until golden brown (20-30 minutes), occasionally shifting the seeds around with a metal flipper (or something).

And there you have it! There are other methods of roasting your pumpkin seeds, so you can play around with them and see which one you prefer.

On a parting note...enjoy your seeds but don't eat too many of them! They are LOADED with fibre. I have heard horror stories. Just...be safe, okay? Okay.

Eat like the English

Apparently about 4000 lives a year could be saved if the Scottish and the Welsh ate "more like the English".

Sensationalist and hardly groundbreaking, as the article goes on to define that as simply eating more fruit and veg.

As a person living in Wales, I tend to agree. I know more than a handful of fully grown adults who flat out refuse to eat 95% of vegetables I can think of. But what's behind this? On one of my grouchier days, I would simply call them childish....but even children eat vegetables!

We need to get people excited about vegetables again.

Here's a link to a fantastic broccoli stir-fry to get you started!