Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion
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Allie wrote: "I'm pretty sure Terri just called us all monkeys. Lol."Some more monkey than others, is what I should have said! :D
Allie wrote: "I cant give up pasta. Don't make me Alicja! :("No, you don't have to give up pasta. But add lots and lots of veggies to it and you won't be hungry. Pastas are short term fillers, you may feel full for an hour and then you start getting hungry again. Veggies are long term fillers. Just make the pasta with plenty of veggies. When I used to make pasta, I would buy store made red sauce and add crushed tomatoes, garlic, chopped onions, cut into strips bell peppers, and cubed zucchini. I'd stir it all together and let it simmer. I know you said you don't like eggplant, but I would roll the eggplant in breading and then fry it. Pour sauce on the noodles, then the fried eggplant, and smother it with cheese on top (I was so addicted to cheese).
Allie wrote: "Get out there and do the rain dance Terri. We need to stop those bushfires!!"I don't think there ismuch rain falling in the whole of Australia right now. It is bloody abysmal.
For us in the more tropical zones, we rely on the monsoon trough coming down in summer and for the last two summers it has stayed up near India and Indonesia. As a result last summer and this summer have been really bad with drought.
Last year it didn't start raining heavily until the end of January. this year, with nothing forecast, it doesn't look like it will rain until sometime in February. It is bad, very bad.
I checked the Sow Stall phase out and it is 'no sow stalls by 2017' not 2014 as I said below. HOWEVER, the major supermarkets are saying they will not buy pork bred from sow stalls after 2014 and it is the major supermarketes who dictate the industry, so most sow stalls will be phased out by 2017.Apparently, sow stalls have already been phased out in the UK.
What a shame for all of you, Terri. Here in the US , the California is having drought a fires as well. Has your water use been restricted yet?
Alicja - I'm so hungry now! You sound like you're an awesome cook. My own spaghetti sauce is actually something I did learn to make :)Terri - that sucks. It just sets off a whole chain of disastrous results. Hope you get rain sooner than expected. I can do the rain dance for you as I'm doing one for more snow here. Sorry everyone in the U.S. :D
Hi Portia,You guys have also been freezing with your polar vortex.
Not sure what is happening in the city with water restrictions. We are rural, so all our water is collected on the farm. Our household water is the water kept in tanks that has fallen from the roof, and our yard water is the same as our livestock water (pumped from dams on the property).
In saying that, we have been on self enforced water restrictions for months. I have piles and piles of dirty laundry in the the laundry room because we can only spare enough water these days to wash our important stuff. Two washloads a week.
Allie, please. Dance!! Dance!!
Need rain.
Terri wrote: "I checked the Sow Stall phase out and it is 'no sow stalls by 2017' not 2014 as I said below. HOWEVER, the major supermarkets are saying they will not buy pork bred from sow stalls after 2014 and i..."Better late than never!
Terri wrote: "I checked the Sow Stall phase out and it is 'no sow stalls by 2017' not 2014 as I said below. HOWEVER, the major supermarkets are saying they will not buy pork bred from sow stalls after 2014 and i..."US of course is behind the rest of the Western world. Ha, we just had a lawsuit about whether made from 40% beef was enough to call something beef when advertising! If you lived in the US, you'd go veg*n as well just not to eat that crap here. And the "free range" here has no regulations and what actually constitutes humane treatment and free range is left up to the manufactures to decided. What it really means is slightly better conditions and much, much higher prices.
I don't mean to sound negative about the US, my apologies to our American members if this does, but yours and Europe's issues with animal welfare and mass produced 'meat look-a-like products' is renowned. I may not go vegan if I lived in the US, but I sure would be hunting out genuine free range organic from farmers markets and the like.
Yeah, wait till you see the prices on all the free range/organic foods. Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
LOL. I love salads. Touch my iceberg lettuce and you die.
Allie wrote: "Yeah, wait till you see the prices on all the free range/organic foods. Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!"That's one good thing about Australia. Free Range and Organic have gone mainstream. The major supermarkets stock both and the prices are therefore competitive.
Ok guys. Because you all entered the giveaways at some point or other, I've entered too. Like, 20 books lol. Fingers crossed for E. A. Poe's entire collection of poems & short stories with illustrations!!!
Terri wrote: "I don't mean to sound negative about the US, my apologies to our American members if this does, but yours and Europe's issues with animal welfare and mass produced 'meat look-a-like products' is re..."Feel free to be negative about the US where we (as a country) have earned the negativity. The treatment of animals is just the tip of the iceberg with what's wrong but I'll spare you all a rant. :P
I totally agree Alicja.F.Y.I. there's the Vegetarian Bible: 200 recipes from around the world in the nonfiction Goodreads giveaways. Just saw it and thought of you :)
Allie wrote: "I totally agree Alicja.F.Y.I. there's the Vegetarian Bible: 200 recipes from around the world in the nonfiction Goodreads giveaways. Just saw it and thought of you :)"
Thanks! But I need vegan recipe books these days. I have too many veggies ones left, maybe if this vegan thing sticks I'll give those away myself.
Alicja wrote: "Feel free to be negative about the US where we (as a country) have earned the negativity. The treatment of animals is just the tip of the iceberg with what's wrong but I'll spare you all a rant. :P..."
I'll always be very selective when I say something unflattering about a country. You know how it is..it is okay to trash one's own country, but not okay for other countries to do it. lol :)
Alicja I can't believe someone actually had a conversation about what constitutes beef! it's amazing what manufacturers getaway with. I think we'd be amazed at some of the stuff that goes into our food unfortunately. Maccas had a big campaign here a while ago about " our chicken nuggets are now 100% chicken" ! I said to the teenager at the counter well what the hell was in them before. Fair dinkum: blank, nothing, then : Huh? Lol. Thankfully I no longer eat maccas and haven't for some years. But when I get a burger, I do bloody hope it's just beef!
Ah mad cow disease I remember it well. Mr Gummer MP feeding his daughter beef burgers to prove to us all it was safe to eat.I love fish and molluscs more than meat but couldn't give up meat. Grow my own fruit and veg so I know where it comes from. What I don't like is the increasing trend of schools to source Halal meat to give children regardless of their ethnic or religious beliefs. I am certainly not a racist but am against this on ethical grounds.
Seems like veganism is certainly more popular at the moment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25...
Allie wrote: "Get out there and do the rain dance Terri. We need to stop those bushfires!!"We've had Terri's share here in Britain. A few years ago the reservoirs were very low and the experts said it would need to rain for a few months, even a year constantly to fill them up again. Since then it seems it hasn't stopped and the reservoirs and rivers are overflowing. Thanks mate!
Alicja wrote: "Allie wrote: "I totally agree Alicja. F.Y.I. there's the Vegetarian Bible: 200 recipes from around the world in the nonfiction Goodreads giveaways. Just saw it and thought of you :)"
Try an Orthodox cookbook exclusively for fast periods; they are nearly all vegan, with possibly a few feast-day recipes in the back. I have "Taste and See" from an Antiochian [Syrian Orthodox] parish in Tennessee. This is just an example; there are others out there.
Bombogenesis. This is the word I just heard on the radio that describes the fast-moving cold front meeting warm air that is bearing down on my home bringing 4-7 inches and more -0 F temperatures. The US Government is shut, NOT by politicians but by Bombogenesis.
Darcy, what do you have for Snowmageddon?
I have a wiki list of all the incidences called such and snowzilla and snowcopolypse http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowmage...
The WeatherDudes are mum on this one though
They do have some other interesting tidbits though, those weatherdudes. I believe most work for NOAAhttp://www.weatherdudes.com/facts_dis...
Language fascinates me. In my world, if you bomb our you fail miserably. Seems to be the exact opposite in the weather science universe. (Hint: Snowmageddon resulted from bombogenesis.).
Terri wrote: "I don't mean to sound negative about the US, my apologies to our American members if this does, but yours and Europe's issues with animal welfare and mass produced 'meat look-a-like products' is re..."
We have awesome farmers markets here in Oklahoma. I guess it depends on where in the U.S. you live, but it's not hard to find affordable free range organic around here. I've relatives who are free range cattle ranchers, and get all of my beef from them. I try to stay away from the crap they sell in mainstream supermarkets these days. Farmers markets are definitely the way to go if you have access to them.
We have awesome farmers markets here in Oklahoma. I guess it depends on where in the U.S. you live, but it's not hard to find affordable free range organic around here. I've relatives who are free range cattle ranchers, and get all of my beef from them. I try to stay away from the crap they sell in mainstream supermarkets these days. Farmers markets are definitely the way to go if you have access to them.
Snowmageddon is the term we denizens of the Nation's Capitol use to describe life here in February 2010.
Derek wrote: "Terri wrote: "I don't mean to sound negative about the US, my apologies to our American members if this does, but yours and Europe's issues with animal welfare and mass produced 'meat look-a-like p..."Our farer's markets (which we shop at all the time) sell mostly fruits and veggies but never any meat. But they have some of the most exotic stuff, the only place I've ever found whole lychee fruit!
Terri wrote: "We grow cattle for the meat trade and while they are killed (they need to be killed to be eaten) they are never tortured. They live happy lives here until they get to the abattoirs and the lights go out. They don't even know it is happening."I remember a photo of your farm, overlooking a river I think, with trees and green meadows, and I think I'd be a really happy cow to live there.
I eat meat, but I prefer free range. For both me and the animals.
It is much more difficult to have control on the quality of food if you eat processed products - which I understand is usual, for instance, in the US.
Whoever named this storm knows Mythology. Janus, the two-faced god for whom the month of January is named, is a just the right deity to preside over a storm in January that had two sides: serious cold meets warm and moist.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janus
Portia wrote: "Whoever named this storm knows Mythology. Janus, the two-faced god for whom the month of January is named, is a just the right deity to preside over a storm in January that had two sides: serious..."Touchè!
Haydn wrote: "Ah mad cow disease I remember it well. Mr Gummer MP feeding his daughter beef burgers to prove to us all it was safe to eat.I love fish and molluscs more than meat but couldn't give up meat. Grow ..."
I'd have been more impressed if he'd eaten them himself. Bloody MPs!
Portia wrote: "Bombogenesis. This is the word I just heard on the radio that describes the fast-moving cold front meeting warm air that is bearing down on my home bringing 4-7 inches and more -0 F temperatures. ..."Bombogenesis. Sounds like a hobbit.
My correct-o-fone keeps trying to make it Bimbo Genesis.I refuse to comment.
Portia wrote: "My correct-o-fone keeps trying to make it Bimbo Genesis.I refuse to comment."
LOL! :)
Haydn wrote: "We've had Terri's share here in Britain. A few years ago the reservoirs were very low and the experts sa..."
Oh you are totally bloody welcome...*grumble, grumble*
Portia wrote: "Bombogenesis. This is the word I just heard on the radio that describes the fast-moving cold front meeting warm air that is bearing down on my home bringing 4-7 inches and more -0 F temperatures. ..."Wow. The US is really pulling the tricky owrds out this year. First Polar Vortex and now Bombogenesis.
What could be next?
Simona wrote: " remember a photo of your farm, overlooking a river I think, with trees and green meadows, and I think I'd be a really happy cow to live there.."Not like that right now, my Italian buddy. No green, just dry and, brown, bone and crispy. The drought makes the area not look like the pictures in my Goodreads profile photos.
I had to see these pictures...your farm, house, puppy dogs and you are all gorgeous! I especially love your reading nook and writing desk pics :)
Terri, let's make a deal. I just heard on the nighttime news that, except perhaps for Saturday, our temperatures will stay in the teens F for another week. As you know, the zephyr is that little warm breeze that wafts through during the cold months reminding all of us that Spring will come someday soon. I don't know what the crisp wind that hints of Autumn is called, but, when I feel the zephyr, I'll let you know if you promise to let me know when you feel the crisp wind.Deal?
By the by the, we have a tiny (7 pound) Siamese mix who HATES the cold. We named her Zephyr.
Portia wrote: "By the by the, we have a tiny (7 pound) Siamese mix who HATES the cold. We named her Zephyr."Cute! I have a tiny Siamese mix as well! I wanna see pics!!
Does she also have that patented Siamese screechy meow?
My Maui:
Zephyr (or Zeeeee Fur, as my Spouse, aka Grumpy [hi, Happy:)] calls her , is a quiet little thing. Her body language, on the other hand, is very clear and, even tho' she is a virgin, she has some slutty kitten moves that she uses on her Grumpy when she wants him to do something for her such as crook his legs so she can nest there during the night under the covers. I will gaze on Maui first thing when I get to my laptop in the AM ans will send gushes her way. I have been thinking of having Z as my Avi to give Cha Cha her litter mate a break . Gotta learn technology , so be patient with me , please. Wow! I DO have cabin fever, don't I? Blah de blah de blah de. :/)P
Are you going to be okay, Portia? I'm worried. ;)
Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
The Berry Pickers (other topics)Fortune's Child (other topics)
Hild (other topics)
Sharpe's Command (other topics)
Edenglassie (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Amanda Peters (other topics)Nicola Griffith (other topics)
Bernard Cornwell (other topics)
Bernard Cornwell (other topics)
Allan Hands (other topics)
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You are lucky! Where I live, all we have access to is factory farmed, filled with antibiotics and other crap, patricide-filled corn fed animals who barely have enough standing/laying room and who are left sick and diseased until the day they die. That is what I refuse to participate in ."
And so you shouldn't participate in this.
I refuse to eat cage animals too.
I don't buy eggs as I have my own birds. I don't eat my own birds, I buy them prepackaged, but I buy free range.
I also try to buy free range pork too as I can't stand the thought of pigs in stalls, especially those horrendous breeding stalls.
In my country breeding stalls are being phased out and there will be no breeding stalls allowed in Australia by 2014.
Which is good.
Everything else (other than pigs and chickens) in my country is free range.
Even grain fed beef is technically free range because they can wander around as much as they want in their square area. they just don't have access to fresh green grass (they get dry green grass).