WE ARE WHAT WE EAT

[Big Kev]

Go for it Kev!! Is your doctor supportive? Col advises keeping your Gliclazide prescription going otherwise you could be classed as not diabetic and your prescription for test strips taken away.

An unexpected visit to the surgery today, I can't believe I've been bitten by a spider, so I took the opportunity to have a quick chat and my GP is not averse to LCHF. I've laid the foundation for a more in depth chat with the diabetic nurse in a couple of weeks.

[Stanley]

I was bitten by one when I was a young lad Kev and nobody believed me until my leg swelled up! It left a scar..... It was so tiny! Perhaps it was an Australian immigrant.....

[Big Kev]

I was bitten by one when I was a young lad Kev and nobody believed me until my leg swelled up! It left a scar..... It was so tiny! Perhaps it was an Australian immigrant.....

Unofficial word is that it was Fake Widow but without any further evidence there's no way of telling.

[Stanley]

Whatever it was, you must avoid them in future!

[Stanley]

I see quite a lot of reports about the increasing use of insects as a cheap source of protein. I am sure that this is a future trend but can't help thinking I'd rather see more use made of what is at the moment regarded as waste by the meat processing industry and ends up either in landfill or as a burden on the sewage treatment system. As I have said elsewhere, this can even lead to good meat like offal and ox-tails being discarded. Think of the quantity of blood alone that goes to waste.

[Big Kev]

It wasn't so long ago that black pudding was being described as a 'super food'.

[BillHowcroft]

I thought the meat processors used everything but the squeak/moo/baa.
Don't the less attractive bits go into dog food?

[Stanley]

Our local slaughterhouse is frequently in trouble because of the amount of waste that goes into the sewers. I general you're right Bill but much of it that could be valuable human nutrition is either diverted to the pet food industry or into landfill because of the unhygienic way it is treated. A good example is chicken carcasses. Ask your local butcher if he sells chicken fillets, if so ask him what happens to the carcasses. He pays good money every week for them to go into his waste bin with the bones when it would make lovely stock if treated properly.
You're right Kev. Most people are put off it if it is given the old name, 'Blood Pudding'. Good butchers render suet down for dripping. When was the last time you saw dripping on sale in a supermarket?

[Tizer]

I thought the meat processors used everything but the squeak/moo/baa.
Don't the less attractive bits go into dog food?

`Mechanically recovered meat', sometimes referred to as `pink slime', was used in food products for many years, especially in the US. It was banned in the UK in 2012.

[Stanley]

I wonder what they do with the bones now.... All that good marrow and stock.....
At the height of the pottery industry a lot went to be calcined for bone china. We used to even import bone. At Shirley's Bone Mill in Longton, now a museum, they have elephant bones that came in from abroad.....

[Tizer]

I've been looking at the sugar content of apple squash drinks from Tesco and Sainsburys, the type that says `Contains 50% juice' and you dilute it for drinking. They both recommend diluting one part squash with 4 parts water, so it's possible to make a direct comparison of their sugar content. It doesn't surprise me to find that when you drink the Tesco squash you take in 5 times as much sugar as when drinking Sainsbury's. Even the Sainsbury's is too strong at the 1 to 4 dilution - we drink it at about 1:8 or 1:10 concentration. Tesco don't care if they poison their customers as long as they out-compete the opposition by taking advantage of the human craving for sugar. But then three Tesco execs are in court accused of fraud so why should we be surprised?

[Stanley]

One of the most insidious things about sugar is how fast you can become de-sensitized to it. If you are vulnerable you have to use more and more to get the sugar hit. I only have molasses sugar in the house and occasionally use a very small amount if I want to combat bitterness in my cooking. This small occasional quantity is all I need because normally I don't use it at all. I may be wrong but I don't see any increase in my liking for sugar from my daily apple. Are some sweeteners more addictive than others....

[Tizer]

And today Tesco announces a rise in profits....

[Stanley]

But from a low base after the problems of the last few years. The glory days of supermarket expansion are over and as we get into the uncharted waters of 'the glorious future of Brexit' they could have even more problems. We live in interesting times.

[Tizer]

I mentioned All Bran breakfast cereal elsewhere and that reminded me of something else related to sugar and supermarkets. They have their own-brand versions of All Bran: the Tesco product has much less bran and much more sugar than the Sainsbury's product.

[Stanley]

I have a healthy disrespect for 'breakfast cereals'. The only one I recognise is high quality muesli where you can identify the individual components. Same applies to 'cattle cake', all sorts went in it but you could get 'rough ration' which was much more expensive but you could see exactly what was in it.

[PanBiker]

I am on a quest for a supplier of decent oats to replace what I used to get from Elaine. We have some from the Coop that Sally uses to make her own muesli. It's good when it is roasted with all the other stuff that goes in but as porridge it's useless, not enough gluten. I have cleared all my summer breakfast cereal and jigged on to porridge this morning but it turned out like "Ready Brek", pilly wally and as a consequence I bet it won't keep me going till dinner time.

Elaine used to sell Country Products brand which was available in various milling grades, that was bob on and I could guarantee a bowl where the spoon would stand up in the mix.

[Tizer]

Oats don't contain gluten, Ian. The viscous consistency is due to soluble polysaccharides such as beta-glucan and arabinoxylan. These are also the soluble dietary fibre components that are good for the gut and the heart.

[PanBiker]

Thanks for the clarification Tiz, I didn't know that. I was correct though in assuming that the viciousness is a key component in the benefit ? You can tell that I preferred physics to chemistry.

[Tripps]

If my porridge was 'vicious' - I'd be changing too, a bit sharpish.

I've done some research here, and for all round value and creamy viscous texture the cheapest is the best. I've had Tesco, Lidl etc for 75p a kilo, and it's fine. I treated myself to Waitrose organic a while ago, and it has large 'grains' - probably better for muesli or energy bars , but they don't go creamy in cooking. It was OK though if you remembered to soak it overnight in the milk.

I think I've reached 'peak additives' in porridge. Currently using bay leaves, nutmeg a sprinkle of sugar, some double cream if available, and a topping of Polish raspberry cordial. I think that's enough.

porridge cordon bleu.jpg

[PanBiker]

HaHa spell checker trap, I generally settle on sugar, honey or home made hedgerow jelly. I always make mine with full cream milk. Yes the expensive stuff and major branded types seem to be over milled and end up more akin to gruel. I will probably try Aldi next and see how theirs measures up unless I can find the Country Products which I know is good. Standard mill for porridge and the rough cut for energy bars.

[Tripps]

Ah - the perils of late night posting.

Here's Elaine's Country oats (as was) ...Jumbo oats. Price seems about right for the quality. Isn't the internet wonderful.

I've been following Elaine and Heather for years now - I love their singing, and wish them well in their latest venture. Nabichi

[PanBiker]

I know it's available online Tripps but the delivery charges make it exceptionally pricey. £4.99 for orders up to £49.95, free postage for orders above.

I think that our nearest Keelham Farm shop in Skipton may stock it, we generally call there once a month while we are in Skipton for banking since they closed down our local Yorkshire Bank branch.

[Stanley]

If you search for kiln-dried stone-ground oats in Scotland you'll find the mill I got my oats from as they are the only mill with a kiln and it gives the oats a lovely nutty flavour. If you get a 10kg bag it lasts forever. They sell all grades and they're lovely oats..... Price per kg is tiny compared with any shop.

[Tizer]

If you get a 10kg bag it lasts forever.

Don't tell Maz that!