Living on next to nought - is that the key?

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

Went the day well Dear Reader? Mine's been smashing

Pippi - I hear you with the veggie stat, but I never quite know how there is such a difference. After all, it pains me to say it, but some of my veg that I buy has travelled extraordinary distances to get to my plate. I remember once being on the phone to my greener than green friend, and looking down at the bag of valoo onions I'd bought at mrT.... produce of New Zealand I can only think, if the stats are right, that the worlds (intensive) meat production, must be a heck of a user of resources to make a veggie footprint comparably smaller - and that isn't intended as a 'bashing meat-eaters' statement*. I genuinely don't see how else there is such a disparity, if I'm eating NZ onions or Chinese sultanas (mrT looking at you again.....And yes, I have swapped to mrA for raisins, at least they're sourced from Turkey......) :think:

*Anyone new to the thread, I am veggie, but that is my choice, I don't mind what other people eat and don't disparage the choices of others. We all do our best in this world

mrsinvisible - whoop! Go you with the weight loss :j:T Have you a 'nice hand' when it comes to writing? Or are you a whizz at calligraphy? Do tell

I had one of those thermometers - it was nearly always registering 'risk of hypothermia' in this house in winter I got rid of the thermometer and put another fleece on

supersaver - begone dam fug indeed! And hurrah, it has today.

So, I bagged a nsd yesterday - siggie figgie updated But I spent money today, as I happened on some YS'd bread and rolls. Typical that I have little room in my tiny freezer, so I had to leave loads on the shelf But we've some, which will help to make sandwiches for lunch if we're doing DIY when we've some time off.

I also bought some varnish and paintbrushes, oh how I [STRIKE]loathe [/STRIKE] love DIY

Dinner this evening turned out to be a bit of an invention - and definitely constitutes a 'buddah bowl', although I was using things that needed using/that I had, rather than leftovers. And I hadn't actually 'planned' this BB, but it came together well

Now first things first, you will all have to line up - form an orderly queue, please - to call me a 'hypocrite'. I said t'other week on here that I wouldn't be buying anymore avocados from mrM. Well, when I went to mrL last week, they had put their avocado 2 pack up by 10p So I had another look (longingly) at the mrM avocados for 99p, and decided that I would give them 1 last chance. I chose fruit that looked like the ones that had successfully ripened, and, I have to tell you dear reader, it worked :j The 2 avocados that I used in tonight's meal had ripened beautifully :j I was almost sad that I was making a dressing out of them, they would have looked lovely just cut up

Anyhoo, tonight's offering;



We have noodles, dressed in avocado dressing, with runner beans on top. Then there are slices of grilled halloumi cheese which in turn are topped with diced tomato dressed with oil and vinegar, toasted sesame seeds and nigella seeds. YUM. The best bit was the *squeak* as you bit into the cheese Followed by the taste of the avocado dressing

I'm afraid that there are no recipes as such, the noodles were sh*rwoods again (so 50p for 2 portions), the avocado dressing is from Adele McConnell's book, 'The Vegan Cookbook' from the noodle/courgette/avocado salad that I made when we went out on our impromptu picnic the other week (and I can't find a reference to the recipe on the net - sorry ). The runner beans were the last of the donated beans from the gardening parental, the halloumi is from mrAl and was £1.69. I think it was good value for money. It was supposed to be 'flavoured' with mint (DP was despatched to purchase it, and didn't realise that the box was mixed flavoured/plain - could have been worse, they do a chili one :eek:) I know that halloumi is quite salty anyway, but I would say that this is quite a salty one - I tried a bit as it was cooking, and as a result, there is salt no-where else in the dish. The tomatoes are a mix of HG and the last of the donated ones from the gardening parental. The sesame and nigella seeds are just for texture and added taste.

A really nice combo - I would make it again if I had the components I have to say, that I made the dressing with sesame oil this time, because I had it (I didn't have any last time) - YUMSKY

I'm sorry that the pic isn't brilliant, but it's the sort of dish that comes together all at the last minute (and is difficult to assemble in a tiny kitchen ) and I was conscious that halloumi is a product best served straight outta the pan.........

Due to the donated produce, it was also a very inexpensive meal, but apt for the weather

Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

improvisation - wonderful when it works..... (<-- there isn't a *smug* smilie :rotfl:)

that I am so stubborn - I will not be beaten by an avocado, I will not be beaten by an avocado, I will not...... :rotfl:

for a fun conversation this morning, that literally was a laugh-a-minute - Laughter truly is a tonic..........

Thank you for popping in, reading and joining in. Always appreciated

See y'all later.

Greying

boredofbeingathome

That looks nomingly good

I had a veg curry tonight. I will figure out how to post photos then i can share. It was a slimming world one-well my version of it

supersaver1000

Hi GP and friends

Felt a fug this morning, gone by this afters, thank goodness.

Dinner has been Jacks lentil burgers with new potato chips baked in the oven. DH had mushy peas and we had salad. Yum.

HM Annabel Karmels oat bars again - (flapjacks with sultanas, raisins, coconut and seed mix - double yum.

I think the veggie stats may relate to all the food etc that has to be grown, processed and transported to feed the animals and then there's a huge footprint in getting rid of waste products and so on. I remember reading an article about how just growing food for humans would be so much better, so that may be it.

Well done on the avocados. :T

mothernerd

The meat / veggie use of resources is down to something called trophic levels (it's a while since I did this so please excuse me if I don't get it perfectly right).

If you consider an ecosystem such as an Oak tree (one English oak is supposed to host about 600 creatures). Right at the bottom (in both senses) are things like bugs, insects, worms and slugs - these eat the decaying or fresh leaves of the tree. At the next level are the creatures (using that because we are talking about a variety of insects/ mammals/ birds - probably several classes of each). A hedgehog might eat the bugs, a tiny sparrow eats the worms.

A sparrowhawk eats the sparrow, a fox takes the hedgehog to feed her young ... and so on and so forth. There may be up to seven levels - at the end the bones and the fallen leaves lie on the ground and are broken down (by maggots and micro organisms which return the nutrients to the ground to begin the whole cycle again.

Now in the same way that if you burn coal to make electricity, the energy produced is less than the energy in the coal if it were used to fuel fires, at each trophic level there is a loss (estimated at 90%). So a bird of prey will need many rabbits, mice, voles to sustain it, each of whom will need hundreds of insects, blades of grass, vegetables to grow (Think how many tonnes of bamboo a panda gets through).

So to produce a cow (or more simply a 1lb of meat) will take 10 times the land that producing a 1lb of protein as soya from beans does (both require some processing between field and plate).

One of the things that has always stayed with me (still trying to be vegetarian but not there yet) is that at the height of the Ethiopian famine (that led to live aid) they were still exporting grain to developed countries to support our beef habit (and the international bankers who had lent them money and then dictated that they should grow 'cash crops' to repay them). The world has enough for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed.

Sorry if I sound too lecture mode. I'm far from perfect. We could all benefit from reducing the amount of meat we eat - my meat meals usually have a s many lentils as meat and then double that in veg. Ate a portioned up lamb curry last week and I don't think there was a single chunk of meat in it. I have veggie curries as well but I am trying to wean DS3 off his takeaway habit and had taken 3 meals out for him but when he didn't eat them, I did. Since he is mainly nocturnal I cook in a large pan then divide and box them up - in the middle of the night he takes one out, shoves it in the microwave and cooks himself pasta to go with it.

Loving your diary as always. Thanks beanie for your kind offer - started to pm you the other day and the laptop kept cutting out. Still here, still reading.

Greying_Pilgrim

Hey Bob! Ohh, food pics :drool:

supersaver and mothernerd - ah ha! I see, yes, I see how 'quickly' the resources footprint stacks up. mmm. I still feel guilty at eating veg - particularly stuff that can be grown in the UK - that has travelled so far to be on my plate. That is why I get so annoyed in the asparagus season that it is easier to buy asparagus from Peru than it is Pershore - madness! Thank you both for your comments. Most interesting and thought-provoking, thank you :think:

Greying

mrsinvisible

Yes, very thought provoking, so sad that we, as individuals try so hard to be 'eco-friendly' and care about our effect on the planet and its inhabitants and its future, but those with the real power to make a difference are to busy acquiring fiscal wealth and vainglory for themselves.
With regard to the handwriting, our class had a teacher (Harrington junior school, 3a, Miss Robinson, to be exact) who taught us copperplate 'joined up' writing and it stuck with me.
A senior moment here as for the life of me l cant remember the word for joined up writing! I can't remember the word for lots of things, so I will do what my mam always did, and say 'cauliflower' for any word I forget, and arrange to be 'put away' when I can't remember that 'cauliflower' is the word for when I can't remember the word. (and if you can make sense of this, welcome to the madhouse of chez invis)
Lunch today is Dahl soup, (thanks again for the recipe) made last night, I thought about trying to make naan breads, but chickened out as the recipes looked complicated, so I will make chilli scones as dumplings instead.
cauliflower, cauliflower, mrs l shambles off, bewildered.

Greying_Pilgrim

mrs invisible - if you're still around - use the piadina recipe instead of naan. Much simpler, similar taste/effect. Recipe HERE (first part only)

Greying

Greying_Pilgrim

Good morning :hello:

mrs invisible - I hear you on the 'richer getting richer', 'more powerful getting more powerful'. And regrettably, it no longer matters what country you are in - everyone is doing it, stepping on their fellow humankind to get a leg up

So, we're at the end of the week already. I think this week has flown, although I can imagine that if you were waiting for 'A' results, it d-r-a-g-g-e-d Hope that everyone got what they needed and can move forward to their next adventures.

I was aiming for a nsd today, however, mrL have their XXL event on, and we're out of onions, and I shall be in the vicinity of the store....... with the car..... Not too sure if onions are included this time (they usually are) so might have to pop in and have a shufty.

Pizza and wedges for us tea

Right, best shift a tail-feather and get going.

Thanks for popping by, reading and commenting. Always good. Always appreciated. Always

See y'all later.

Greying

Pippilongstocking

Oh dear I started a conversation didn't I

As an avid meat eater, fish and cheese eater I'm not advocating anyone does anything wrong.

Its interesting to *think* where things come from. I read something recently that rice production produces more (or similar amount) of methane as cows. I did alot of reading up before THAT interview as I like to have a few facts and figures in me pocket. As for flying food all around the planet, its officially nuts.

The article I read was in New Scientist about diets and GHG emissions. On further reading I did wonder if it was our 'tummy' gases that were to blame. The thing I like about NS is that they link the article so if anyone is interested abstract is here.

Linky here.

Another article had french mens GHG's higher than ladies as they ate more deli meat. So it COULD be our own wee gas escapes which were the subject of it........although that article pointed out that an increase of fruit/veg in diet was good, BUT Actually eating LESS of everything, just what we need to sustain ourselves, was potentially 'better' all round. That made me think.

I'll stop being silly now.

I think your point is good Greying (and others) the sustainability of grub often cites the golden challis as home grown, local grown, country grown, imported.

We all need affordable food, sadly, as you've quoted when onions from NZ are more easily available than closer to home. Its madness.

Dont' get me started on asparagus!

I stomped off one day when DD asked for courgettes in mid february.

Seasonality is not something our children (the collective me) have a clue about, like wot we did in the olden days when you could only buy rhubarb in the spring/early summer.

Have a great day. Sorry if I started a rucus please don't take away my day pass.

Greying_Pilgrim

Pips - dunna be daft You know how much I like conversation - good conversation And no, no-one is feeling pressurised as to their food choices - we all do the best we can with the information and resources at our disposal

My issue - and it seems particularly bad this year, is that I agree on seasonal eating. However, the supermercados have got the economics of it all wrong - height of the season of courgettes/avocados/peaches/nectarines/tomatoes/lettuce??? CHARGE TOP WHACK FOR IT - erm, nope, supply and demand states the rarity value demands top rate, when stuff is two a penny, YOU CHARGE LESS MR SUPERMERCADO (of every shape and hue) I AM LOOKING AT YOU :mad:

Have a good 'un Stripes

Greying