Monday, October 29, 2007
Spurs that jingle jangle and a willy like a small childs arm...
...and it's a very good evening from me, your host...
1. Saudiism.....
As we speak the Queen is pandering to every need of the Saudi Arabian royal family...what the fuck!...it is them that should be pandering to us for buying huge amounts of oil at incredibly inflated prices, making the Saudi Royal family the richest uberpikies in the whole world. Of course the Queen lives in a world of her own and has no idea of the hardships her people go through on a day to day basis. "what, does one have to BUY petrol?" she asks her aide and you see the titters and tiaras roll around when she finds out the truth. Fuck her and her family, the whole place would be better under a presidency as I have said many times before...if anyone can make me angry it's her and her inbred half wits...oh, and the pope because he's a cunt.
2. Saw 4....eeek it's here...watching it tonight so will post a report in the next issue.
3. something to keep you amused....
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/games/action/knd/hamsters/
it's just brilliant!
4. Sex talk....
What's 'fisting' all about then...I for one could not imagine anything worse than putting my hand inside somebody's rectum and using them like a glove puppet...if i wanted to do that i would have become a rural vet.
'Piss play'...why?...why would you want to roll around in something that somebody has excreted through their kidneys as by-products that their body doesn't want. If i had wanted to do that I would have got off my tits and gone into the darkroom at some god awful Ibizan club.
'Swallowing'...why all the turned up faces and squealing...its only like sucking an egg out of it's shell with added sweet and sour flavouring.
5. Ticket Prices ....(an old theme revisited)
"Hairspray" is now on sale at £60, I remember when Ellnet was £1.39 for a huge can and i thought that was expensive...seriously though, every time a new show opens in the West End the price goes up...60 pounds! For 60 pounds I would expect 4 of the 5 westlife boys singing their greatest hits, a full facial from them and have change for a packet of moist towelettes from Superdrug....60 pounds my arse...although the soundtrack is fine it ain't worth the money.
My intentions are very good, but my alter ego is very very bad...more goat soon...ciao x
1. Saudiism.....
As we speak the Queen is pandering to every need of the Saudi Arabian royal family...what the fuck!...it is them that should be pandering to us for buying huge amounts of oil at incredibly inflated prices, making the Saudi Royal family the richest uberpikies in the whole world. Of course the Queen lives in a world of her own and has no idea of the hardships her people go through on a day to day basis. "what, does one have to BUY petrol?" she asks her aide and you see the titters and tiaras roll around when she finds out the truth. Fuck her and her family, the whole place would be better under a presidency as I have said many times before...if anyone can make me angry it's her and her inbred half wits...oh, and the pope because he's a cunt.
2. Saw 4....eeek it's here...watching it tonight so will post a report in the next issue.
3. something to keep you amused....
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/games/action/knd/hamsters/
it's just brilliant!
4. Sex talk....
What's 'fisting' all about then...I for one could not imagine anything worse than putting my hand inside somebody's rectum and using them like a glove puppet...if i wanted to do that i would have become a rural vet.
'Piss play'...why?...why would you want to roll around in something that somebody has excreted through their kidneys as by-products that their body doesn't want. If i had wanted to do that I would have got off my tits and gone into the darkroom at some god awful Ibizan club.
'Swallowing'...why all the turned up faces and squealing...its only like sucking an egg out of it's shell with added sweet and sour flavouring.
5. Ticket Prices ....(an old theme revisited)
"Hairspray" is now on sale at £60, I remember when Ellnet was £1.39 for a huge can and i thought that was expensive...seriously though, every time a new show opens in the West End the price goes up...60 pounds! For 60 pounds I would expect 4 of the 5 westlife boys singing their greatest hits, a full facial from them and have change for a packet of moist towelettes from Superdrug....60 pounds my arse...although the soundtrack is fine it ain't worth the money.
My intentions are very good, but my alter ego is very very bad...more goat soon...ciao x
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Tantrums and Tiramisu
Gosh...3 blog entries in 6 days...how regimented am i being ;)
1. 30 Days of Night....
Watched this yesterday and boy oh boy its good...josh hartnett is extremely good with his little puppy eyes...it's fucking scary and gruesome, just like something out of a clive barker nightmare with vampires that have big teeth and go snackity snack on the local population...watch with your throat covered up :)
2.A New Rose....
Lets talk about Gordon Brown for a minute...let me get this straight, i do see myself as a socialist but not on the same track that the current Labour Party want to lead us down...lets face it, Gordon Brown is a shit...he is the worse possible choice for leader, his speeches are boring and he won't commit to any 'proper' policies that would do the country any good...hell,lets face it he won't even commit to the people of this country that he is meant to be looking after. If we had had an election for leader of the Party, he would not be it, plain and simple...Gordon knows this, hence his backing down from announcing a General Election recently.He is scared of David Cameron, an excellent Orator and charismatic figure...so what do we do, do we really let hime ride out his 2 years? By then he will have been ousted or unelectable...c'mon Labour Party followers, lets get vocal and get someone who can deliver something to this country once and for all.
3.The Goat and the Ambush Tree (part the third)...
Thwap!....Emery looked astonished as stood before her was a Manatee flapping it's huge sloppy tail onto the dust ground beneath it..."What the fuck?" said Emery (please not that 'fuck' will be changed to 'heck' in the childrens illustrated edition).."Manatees are meant to live in water, where did you come from?"...The manatee looked puzzled for a minute and then quietly asked Emery "have you not read the bible?"
"What's that got to do with anything" muttered Emery, now looking a little scared and apprehensive.
"It tells you where I appeared from" it replied...."I have one here, I'll show you", and with that the Manatee flipped up it's tail and magically threw a bible onto the ground before Emery. It had underlined a specific passage. "Excuse the spelling mistake" the Manatee begged and so Emery read. Emery got to the bit where it says 'and people will expect Manner from Heaven'..."thats it" cried the Manatee excitedly, "it's really meant to say 'Manatees from Heaven' but they were a little shy about correcting spelling mistakes in those days".
Emery was now very puzzled indeed, she looked inquisitively at the Manatee and asked "but why?".
The Manatee asked Emery to take rest on her haunches and began to explain it's purpose as quickly as possible...(to be continued)
One singular sensation after another....roll on.....ciao x
Friday, October 26, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
ooo ee chirpy chirpy cheep cheep...
1. top tunes...
band of horses
the wombats
2. Random flashes of energy...
why is a beaver called a beaver? is there a verb that i have not heard of 'to beave'? if thats the case, what is beaveing as it sounds like it might be quite fun!
Britney Spears is a cunt...it's official, really. smack headed, bald fannied, harlot starlet that thrives on bad publicity. She keeps asking for help so for gods sake somebody do it and put her out of her misery...saying that the new album is fairly listenable...therefore...full cunt status is removed and she now has the title of 'official cunt in waiting'
the pope is still a cunt....see previous blogs
In a cinema, why is there always one tiny piece of the screen that glistens bright white all through the film and really pisses you off.
I really hate walking on sticky carpets.
3.Did you know....fun fact for the day
in porn land sometimes when stars can't produce ejaculate, they mix up a batch of white cotton wool balls with nail varnish remover...apart from the smell it's quite convincing....there you go boys, if you feel tired pre fill a johnny with the mixture but whatever you do don't use it!...have your wicked way with your partner, pretend to cum, roll over, flick off the empty genuine condom and quickly pick up the pre filled one which you have secreted somewhere and hey presto...a satisfied and unaware partner with no effort on your part :)
4.The goat and the Ambush tree (part 2)
'Yes', Emery thought, 'This is indeed a strange and peculiar day'...She heard a voice resounding louder at terrifying speed coming towards her.thwap!...to be continued.
I'll be back before ye know it....ciao
band of horses
the wombats
2. Random flashes of energy...
why is a beaver called a beaver? is there a verb that i have not heard of 'to beave'? if thats the case, what is beaveing as it sounds like it might be quite fun!
Britney Spears is a cunt...it's official, really. smack headed, bald fannied, harlot starlet that thrives on bad publicity. She keeps asking for help so for gods sake somebody do it and put her out of her misery...saying that the new album is fairly listenable...therefore...full cunt status is removed and she now has the title of 'official cunt in waiting'
the pope is still a cunt....see previous blogs
In a cinema, why is there always one tiny piece of the screen that glistens bright white all through the film and really pisses you off.
I really hate walking on sticky carpets.
3.Did you know....fun fact for the day
in porn land sometimes when stars can't produce ejaculate, they mix up a batch of white cotton wool balls with nail varnish remover...apart from the smell it's quite convincing....there you go boys, if you feel tired pre fill a johnny with the mixture but whatever you do don't use it!...have your wicked way with your partner, pretend to cum, roll over, flick off the empty genuine condom and quickly pick up the pre filled one which you have secreted somewhere and hey presto...a satisfied and unaware partner with no effort on your part :)
4.The goat and the Ambush tree (part 2)
'Yes', Emery thought, 'This is indeed a strange and peculiar day'...She heard a voice resounding louder at terrifying speed coming towards her.thwap!...to be continued.
I'll be back before ye know it....ciao
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Confessions of an undertakers assistant...
yip yip coyote....howdy all!
1.Whats been happening?....well the truth is i got too lazy too write! I know, how sad is that! Every proper gay guy should be ready to share all his salacious gossip at the drop of a Jimmy Choo. I'm back though and will catch up with you all on a more regular basis....first of all I have a guy in my life who is still 'the one' and i really don't expect that to change anytime soon. His name's Mike (for those of you who haven't met him) and he really is heaven and earth to me. we are very opposite but neatly entwined and it works really well because we can learn from each other and teach each other different aspects of lives rich tapestry :) He's funny, witty, charming and I really can't wait until we get our lives together and 'together', if you see what i mean!
2. The Goat and the Ambush tree.
Once upon a time, in a land that was barren and dry, there lived a goat...we shall call her Emery. Emery was 3 years old and had lived the life of a goat as only special goats do...she woke up in the morning, udders pulled and milk drained she trotted up to the highest point of the land and began her daily song...the song was a rather raucous affair and all the other goats frowned at her accordingly. For us humans it was like putting whitney houston and barbra streisand in the same room together to see who could sing the loudest, understand? Emerys song went on for about 10 minutes until Kelvin (the little boy goat from downland) kicked a stone at her which shut her up. She scowled and went on her business of munching at all the bushes and berries that she could find...these were daily events for Emery until one peculiar and rather unsettling day, something changed... (to be continued)
3. Fuck me I've really missed talking about films...I have watched so many since we talked last that i don't know where to begin...so i won't! I will start afresh with new releases as from today. The first one that i watched last night was "License to Wed"...it was a monday night so i needed something fluffy to watch, and fluffy it is indeed....it's a rather nice comedy starring Robin Williams and Mandy Moore. Yes Robin Williams pulls the old faces and mannerisms but the part of Father Jack really suits him and it turns out to be his best work in a long time. Mandy Moore brings style to the proceedings of this feel good film that is just right for a girls night in. The story isn't very taxing, Father Jack sets the couple a test before he will marry them to prove that they really do love each other, but the jokes are thick and fast and the supporting cast bring a whole lot of fun to the frothily light storyline. Its a 7/10 from Piddys Place.
4. Alison Moyet is a goddess...just check out the new album which has just been released called 'The Turn'...its so so wonderful...which is more than I can say for the feminist bleatings of Annie Lennox on her latest release...I really wanted to like it but the girl power thing just got a bit too much for me by the end of the album, it's pleasant enough but don't expect the genius that was 'Diva'
5. Russell Brand in 'Ponderland' ...Channel 4....genius :)
If you feel you would like to complain about the content or the style of writing please don't bother, as I'm really not interested what you fucking think or do with the stuff that i write...even if you print it off and use it as toilet paper, at least i have made one arsehole happy....ciao x
1.Whats been happening?....well the truth is i got too lazy too write! I know, how sad is that! Every proper gay guy should be ready to share all his salacious gossip at the drop of a Jimmy Choo. I'm back though and will catch up with you all on a more regular basis....first of all I have a guy in my life who is still 'the one' and i really don't expect that to change anytime soon. His name's Mike (for those of you who haven't met him) and he really is heaven and earth to me. we are very opposite but neatly entwined and it works really well because we can learn from each other and teach each other different aspects of lives rich tapestry :) He's funny, witty, charming and I really can't wait until we get our lives together and 'together', if you see what i mean!
2. The Goat and the Ambush tree.
Once upon a time, in a land that was barren and dry, there lived a goat...we shall call her Emery. Emery was 3 years old and had lived the life of a goat as only special goats do...she woke up in the morning, udders pulled and milk drained she trotted up to the highest point of the land and began her daily song...the song was a rather raucous affair and all the other goats frowned at her accordingly. For us humans it was like putting whitney houston and barbra streisand in the same room together to see who could sing the loudest, understand? Emerys song went on for about 10 minutes until Kelvin (the little boy goat from downland) kicked a stone at her which shut her up. She scowled and went on her business of munching at all the bushes and berries that she could find...these were daily events for Emery until one peculiar and rather unsettling day, something changed... (to be continued)
3. Fuck me I've really missed talking about films...I have watched so many since we talked last that i don't know where to begin...so i won't! I will start afresh with new releases as from today. The first one that i watched last night was "License to Wed"...it was a monday night so i needed something fluffy to watch, and fluffy it is indeed....it's a rather nice comedy starring Robin Williams and Mandy Moore. Yes Robin Williams pulls the old faces and mannerisms but the part of Father Jack really suits him and it turns out to be his best work in a long time. Mandy Moore brings style to the proceedings of this feel good film that is just right for a girls night in. The story isn't very taxing, Father Jack sets the couple a test before he will marry them to prove that they really do love each other, but the jokes are thick and fast and the supporting cast bring a whole lot of fun to the frothily light storyline. Its a 7/10 from Piddys Place.
4. Alison Moyet is a goddess...just check out the new album which has just been released called 'The Turn'...its so so wonderful...which is more than I can say for the feminist bleatings of Annie Lennox on her latest release...I really wanted to like it but the girl power thing just got a bit too much for me by the end of the album, it's pleasant enough but don't expect the genius that was 'Diva'
5. Russell Brand in 'Ponderland' ...Channel 4....genius :)
If you feel you would like to complain about the content or the style of writing please don't bother, as I'm really not interested what you fucking think or do with the stuff that i write...even if you print it off and use it as toilet paper, at least i have made one arsehole happy....ciao x
Monday, August 13, 2007
Summer....
just to let you all know that I'm still here and happily in love :)
will be around more as the weather turns bad...you know what it's like, I don't want to waste precious sunshine hours inside typing away!
Have lots to tell you about but little time at the moment...so bear with me and stay tuned to Piddys Place as more will appear shortly...meanwhile if you like come over and join me at Facebook (http://www.facebook.com)
if the link doesn't work just search on Neil Piddock and you will find me...such dumb fun!
will be around more as the weather turns bad...you know what it's like, I don't want to waste precious sunshine hours inside typing away!
Have lots to tell you about but little time at the moment...so bear with me and stay tuned to Piddys Place as more will appear shortly...meanwhile if you like come over and join me at Facebook (http://www.facebook.com)
if the link doesn't work just search on Neil Piddock and you will find me...such dumb fun!
Sunday, July 01, 2007
apologies
...I have been sooooooooooooooo busy with my little self...now I'm partnered up, life is a bed of fuschias (not a big fan of roses!)...also been doing some extra shifts with the dead people so I have not really had five minutes to myself over the last couple of weeks...
The big news is we won the lottery at work with our syndicate...how much did we win... £137,000 pounds ..woo hoo! 26 of us in the syndicate so it was a very nice £ 5300 each approx...new telly, holiday, etc etc on the way!
managed to catch two really good films between shifts... I smell an Oscar nomination for "Reign Over Me", Adama sandler as you have never seen him before playing the part of a guy who can't face up to the fact that he lost his family during 9/11...an absolutely stunning and moving film with such good acting from Sandler and Don Cheadle...well worth a trip to the flix...
...secondly a film called "1408" based on a Stephen King story, very very good acting from John Cusack who nearly has the whole 105 minutes of film time to himself on screen. Good effects, storyline..a good ghost story without the gore :) go watch!
If I haven't mentioned him I have started seeing a great guy who ticks all the right buttons and it seems to be working out fine...M has a fantastic personality and I hope he is around for a long time..I need him in my life right now...aaahhh!
Onward dear friends......
The big news is we won the lottery at work with our syndicate...how much did we win... £137,000 pounds ..woo hoo! 26 of us in the syndicate so it was a very nice £ 5300 each approx...new telly, holiday, etc etc on the way!
managed to catch two really good films between shifts... I smell an Oscar nomination for "Reign Over Me", Adama sandler as you have never seen him before playing the part of a guy who can't face up to the fact that he lost his family during 9/11...an absolutely stunning and moving film with such good acting from Sandler and Don Cheadle...well worth a trip to the flix...
...secondly a film called "1408" based on a Stephen King story, very very good acting from John Cusack who nearly has the whole 105 minutes of film time to himself on screen. Good effects, storyline..a good ghost story without the gore :) go watch!
If I haven't mentioned him I have started seeing a great guy who ticks all the right buttons and it seems to be working out fine...M has a fantastic personality and I hope he is around for a long time..I need him in my life right now...aaahhh!
Onward dear friends......
Monday, June 18, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Cool The World
hi all...I have designed a logo t-shirt for the Stop Climate Chaos day and have a shop for you to visit...I make about 5 pounds profit on each t shirt so that money will be going to the Stop Climate Chaos fund...hope you can help and I hope you like the design.
http://www.shirtcity.com/myshirtshop/merchandising/482820/t-shirtshop.html
http://www.shirtcity.com/myshirtshop/merchandising/482820/t-shirtshop.html
Saturday, June 16, 2007
whoops!
yes...i know it's been a while but when I get five minutes to myself i will write a bit more :)
meanwhile here's an awesome video for you to watch
the track is 'Allies' off the new Blue States album available in August xx
meanwhile here's an awesome video for you to watch
the track is 'Allies' off the new Blue States album available in August xx
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Another new home...
For those of you that want to try something new...it's a great site which you can do a lot more on audio visually...yso you can either follow the blog here or there...enjoy!
http://piddy77.multiply.com/
http://piddy77.multiply.com/
Friday, May 25, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
vittles....
Hi all...hope everyone is enjoying lovely weather...lots happening round here, prince ticket frenzy, live earth ticket frenzy, music festivals have started (even though I am now an armchair festival goer and rely on the digital red button for my festival fun)
On another forum that I belong too someone asked what your favourite youtube clip was, it took me a while but I came up with this one which is the crazy christian US wife swap aftermath...you have to watch it in full, it's simply amazing lol
Just listening to lots of good stuff at the moment..Tangerine Dream 'spring in Nagasaki', a beautiful piece composed privately for a japanese businessman...well worth a listen...also an amazing mix by Fred deakin called 'the triptych', a 3 cd set that mixes drum and bass up with siouxsie and the banshees via disco and rock gods!...it has to be heard to be believed...
More coming soon...off to enjoy the weather on the roof with my instant barbecue box :)
On another forum that I belong too someone asked what your favourite youtube clip was, it took me a while but I came up with this one which is the crazy christian US wife swap aftermath...you have to watch it in full, it's simply amazing lol
Just listening to lots of good stuff at the moment..Tangerine Dream 'spring in Nagasaki', a beautiful piece composed privately for a japanese businessman...well worth a listen...also an amazing mix by Fred deakin called 'the triptych', a 3 cd set that mixes drum and bass up with siouxsie and the banshees via disco and rock gods!...it has to be heard to be believed...
More coming soon...off to enjoy the weather on the roof with my instant barbecue box :)
Friday, May 11, 2007
Go raw!
Feature Article
How To Select The Best Raw Foods
When we first start changing our shopping habits, depending on our background, it can take quite a while to become proficient in knowing how to select ripe and optimally fresh and live raw produce.
With this in mind, this week's article is about how to fast-track your raw food shopping skills to pick the best no matter where you are. Knowing how to do this can save lots of time, money and disappointment, because you'll feel confident that every choice you make will be the right one!
How To Select The Best Fresh Produce
SIGHT - Generally we can tell just by looking at a food if it is good or not, but things like chemicals we cannot see with our bare eyes. What we can see though, is:
Colour - As a general rule of thumb, the brighter and/or deeper the colour the more nutrient-dense and ripe that food is.
Size - Bigger doesn't always mean better, but with tropical fruits it often does (- but these are generally only found in their native countries.) Small tomatoes often taste better than the big ones, much sweeter and tastier, berries too, but if a fruit is unnaturally small for its kind then that may mean it's inferior or on its way out. So this is a case-by-case scenario - you'll learn more about this as you go along, although much will be common sense.
Shape - Truly good organic food is often irregular in shape but these foods often don't make the shelves for this reason. They are not "perfect" looking enough and so therefore don't make the grade. Visit any good organic farm shop and you'll see lumps and bumps and other irregularities, but my goodness you'll know that looks don't matter when you taste them and feel how much more real they are in every sense of the word!
Life! - Sometimes you can just see that produce is looking healthier or more alive than others. Think limp lettuce versus perky pepper!
Other visual signs - Food does actually speak to us via its own language. Yes really! Think about it for a moment... Bananas go speckled when ripe. Bell peppers go from green, to yellow, to orange to red as they ripen to perfection. Melons round out a little more, and when perfectly ripe look as if they might burst open - durian too. Conversely look out for the less-positive signs, such as those of unripeness (green-ness) and mould or decay (white or brown). None of these you want. You want robust, sparkling, "come and get me" kinds of foods that will impart some of what they've got to you!
SMELL - Fresh fruits should smell, but many don't. A lot of this is down to the air miles they have travelled, being picked while unripe and being kept in storage too long and at too cool temperatures. So try to select fruits that do have a good natural scent wherever possible. This is most likely to be possible with some good quality mangoes, tomatoes, red bell peppers, some pineapples, some melons and bananas. This list is by no means the definitive guide, but it is my experience here in the UK. Of course local and seasonal is going to be best.
TOUCH - What the eyes can't see and the nose cannot smell, the fingers can feel. And picking up and squeezing your food is also hugely important. This is especially true with fruits which generally speaking need to "melt" a little when you squeeze them - that is to "give" a bit with gentle pressure but not stay dented! Good examples are avocados, mangoes and oranges.
SOUND - Yes we can use our hearing to detect good food! That doesn't mean to wait for your apples to sing or your sweetcorn to sigh, but in the case of melons - the perfect example - if you tap your potential purchase with your fist while holding it to your ear you are listening out for a dull thud. If it sounds weak or tinny, it's not yet ripe - put it back and try again!
And finally - TASTE. Well that's the ultimate test but not always practical in a shop setting which is why you have to learn how to rely on your other three or four senses. But if you CAN get to taste the foods before you buy, then of course, go right ahead and use your finest sense of all to make your buying decisions for you.
So that's how to select the best fresh produce, but what about all the other raw foods like nuts, seeds, olives, dried herbs and spices, oils and all the raw foods that come in a bottle, packet or jar?
How To Select The Best Dried / Pre-Packaged Produce
Organic and fresh always need to remain your priority however your raw foods show up, but there's a lot about food that we don't have a clue about until we start investigating and what I have discovered along the way is this:
Nuts. The best way to buy nuts is in their shells, but when this isn't possible then buy de-shelled nuts that are as whole, unchipped and unmarked as possible. And when you've bought them they should ideally be kept in the fridge, as their oils can go rancid, especially when out of the shell. Yes, it's true, some "raw" nuts are heat treated, Brazils and cashews being the most likely suspects, but personally I do not let this become too much of an issue. Having seen some people become what others might regard as a little too neurotic about whether their "raw" nuts are truly raw, I think it far better to eat these foods even if they're lightly heat treated than not to eat them at all.
Seeds. These tend to be a lot hardier, and less prone to rancidity than nuts, so just going for organic, generally speaking should take care of making a good choice.
Olives. Perhaps surprisingly most olives are not raw. They are often pasteurised during the bottling process and usually highly treated to make them palatable (natural olives are very bitter), are bottled in brine (salt water) and often with a preservative mixed in. If you've tasted truly raw olives you'll know that there really is no comparison, and if you haven't then you're in for a treat. NB: To my knowledge truly raw olives are only available by mail order in the UK, but the brand "Olives et Al" are the best of the rest available in shops UK-wide with minimal processing and are great tasting too.
Dried herbs and spices. These are subjected to heat in order to dry them out, however, you will use so little of them in your "un-cooking" that in my opinion it's really not worth getting too excited about that fact! Start by opting simply for organic and when you have more time see what different quality of dried herbs and spices are out there...
Sea vegetables. These are sometimes heated sometimes not. Not very helpful! - so you may have to read the packet carefully or ask the vendor or manufacturer. In the case of nori sheets, one of my personal favourites, you need to go for purple/black sheets rather than green (the opposite way to what you might think). The green is toasted and doesn't taste as good either.
Oils. Most oils are heat treated to some degree, yes, even the ones that say "cold pressed" can be subjected to heat. It's all to do with the amount of heat generated during the processing - the temperatures can get quite high and so the oil ends up being quite a different product than it would have been if the extraction method was a lot more gentle. There are oils on the market that are produced with minimal heat, and yes, again, you will most definitely taste the difference, but these are a lot more expensive and can be harder to get hold of, so to start with just go for virgin, cold-pressed organic oils and this will be a huge step in the right direction.
So that's the pre-packed stuff. Anything not mentioned here is relatively problem-free to find, and if you use the "raw and organic" rule as your main criteria for selection then, generally speaking, you can't go too far wrong.
© 2007 Karen Knowler
Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.
How To Select The Best Raw Foods
When we first start changing our shopping habits, depending on our background, it can take quite a while to become proficient in knowing how to select ripe and optimally fresh and live raw produce.
With this in mind, this week's article is about how to fast-track your raw food shopping skills to pick the best no matter where you are. Knowing how to do this can save lots of time, money and disappointment, because you'll feel confident that every choice you make will be the right one!
How To Select The Best Fresh Produce
SIGHT - Generally we can tell just by looking at a food if it is good or not, but things like chemicals we cannot see with our bare eyes. What we can see though, is:
Colour - As a general rule of thumb, the brighter and/or deeper the colour the more nutrient-dense and ripe that food is.
Size - Bigger doesn't always mean better, but with tropical fruits it often does (- but these are generally only found in their native countries.) Small tomatoes often taste better than the big ones, much sweeter and tastier, berries too, but if a fruit is unnaturally small for its kind then that may mean it's inferior or on its way out. So this is a case-by-case scenario - you'll learn more about this as you go along, although much will be common sense.
Shape - Truly good organic food is often irregular in shape but these foods often don't make the shelves for this reason. They are not "perfect" looking enough and so therefore don't make the grade. Visit any good organic farm shop and you'll see lumps and bumps and other irregularities, but my goodness you'll know that looks don't matter when you taste them and feel how much more real they are in every sense of the word!
Life! - Sometimes you can just see that produce is looking healthier or more alive than others. Think limp lettuce versus perky pepper!
Other visual signs - Food does actually speak to us via its own language. Yes really! Think about it for a moment... Bananas go speckled when ripe. Bell peppers go from green, to yellow, to orange to red as they ripen to perfection. Melons round out a little more, and when perfectly ripe look as if they might burst open - durian too. Conversely look out for the less-positive signs, such as those of unripeness (green-ness) and mould or decay (white or brown). None of these you want. You want robust, sparkling, "come and get me" kinds of foods that will impart some of what they've got to you!
SMELL - Fresh fruits should smell, but many don't. A lot of this is down to the air miles they have travelled, being picked while unripe and being kept in storage too long and at too cool temperatures. So try to select fruits that do have a good natural scent wherever possible. This is most likely to be possible with some good quality mangoes, tomatoes, red bell peppers, some pineapples, some melons and bananas. This list is by no means the definitive guide, but it is my experience here in the UK. Of course local and seasonal is going to be best.
TOUCH - What the eyes can't see and the nose cannot smell, the fingers can feel. And picking up and squeezing your food is also hugely important. This is especially true with fruits which generally speaking need to "melt" a little when you squeeze them - that is to "give" a bit with gentle pressure but not stay dented! Good examples are avocados, mangoes and oranges.
SOUND - Yes we can use our hearing to detect good food! That doesn't mean to wait for your apples to sing or your sweetcorn to sigh, but in the case of melons - the perfect example - if you tap your potential purchase with your fist while holding it to your ear you are listening out for a dull thud. If it sounds weak or tinny, it's not yet ripe - put it back and try again!
And finally - TASTE. Well that's the ultimate test but not always practical in a shop setting which is why you have to learn how to rely on your other three or four senses. But if you CAN get to taste the foods before you buy, then of course, go right ahead and use your finest sense of all to make your buying decisions for you.
So that's how to select the best fresh produce, but what about all the other raw foods like nuts, seeds, olives, dried herbs and spices, oils and all the raw foods that come in a bottle, packet or jar?
How To Select The Best Dried / Pre-Packaged Produce
Organic and fresh always need to remain your priority however your raw foods show up, but there's a lot about food that we don't have a clue about until we start investigating and what I have discovered along the way is this:
Nuts. The best way to buy nuts is in their shells, but when this isn't possible then buy de-shelled nuts that are as whole, unchipped and unmarked as possible. And when you've bought them they should ideally be kept in the fridge, as their oils can go rancid, especially when out of the shell. Yes, it's true, some "raw" nuts are heat treated, Brazils and cashews being the most likely suspects, but personally I do not let this become too much of an issue. Having seen some people become what others might regard as a little too neurotic about whether their "raw" nuts are truly raw, I think it far better to eat these foods even if they're lightly heat treated than not to eat them at all.
Seeds. These tend to be a lot hardier, and less prone to rancidity than nuts, so just going for organic, generally speaking should take care of making a good choice.
Olives. Perhaps surprisingly most olives are not raw. They are often pasteurised during the bottling process and usually highly treated to make them palatable (natural olives are very bitter), are bottled in brine (salt water) and often with a preservative mixed in. If you've tasted truly raw olives you'll know that there really is no comparison, and if you haven't then you're in for a treat. NB: To my knowledge truly raw olives are only available by mail order in the UK, but the brand "Olives et Al" are the best of the rest available in shops UK-wide with minimal processing and are great tasting too.
Dried herbs and spices. These are subjected to heat in order to dry them out, however, you will use so little of them in your "un-cooking" that in my opinion it's really not worth getting too excited about that fact! Start by opting simply for organic and when you have more time see what different quality of dried herbs and spices are out there...
Sea vegetables. These are sometimes heated sometimes not. Not very helpful! - so you may have to read the packet carefully or ask the vendor or manufacturer. In the case of nori sheets, one of my personal favourites, you need to go for purple/black sheets rather than green (the opposite way to what you might think). The green is toasted and doesn't taste as good either.
Oils. Most oils are heat treated to some degree, yes, even the ones that say "cold pressed" can be subjected to heat. It's all to do with the amount of heat generated during the processing - the temperatures can get quite high and so the oil ends up being quite a different product than it would have been if the extraction method was a lot more gentle. There are oils on the market that are produced with minimal heat, and yes, again, you will most definitely taste the difference, but these are a lot more expensive and can be harder to get hold of, so to start with just go for virgin, cold-pressed organic oils and this will be a huge step in the right direction.
So that's the pre-packed stuff. Anything not mentioned here is relatively problem-free to find, and if you use the "raw and organic" rule as your main criteria for selection then, generally speaking, you can't go too far wrong.
© 2007 Karen Knowler
Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Monday, May 07, 2007
Prince is coming!, Prince is coming!
ओह थे जोय, थे एक्ष्कितेमेन्त्...प्रिन्स इस फिनाल्ल्य किंग बैक तो लोंदों
Yes you saw right...Prince is playing the O2 arena in greenwich for 14 dates (i Believe) from the 1st August to the 14th August which means he will play for me on my birthday...no idea how much tickets are yet but i bet they are a lot considering he has been charging 312 dollars to see him in las vegas!...I am sure it won't be as expensive as the glorious barbra streisand at 600 pounds a ticket (yes you read that right!) but i gave her a miss this time!
More news?...nothing else today as nothing else matters...Prince is coming !
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