This isn't surprising

Not so fast: Ramadan sees rise in binge eating and A&E cases

Mixing modern fast food with very serious fasting seems to be a really unhealthy idea. I wouldn't doubt it. The Ramadan fasts are really serious, so I expect the food that should be eaten after sundown should be better than fast food, and one should eat somewhere where they're not encouraged to 'biggie size' something...

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Finally!





There's some scientific reasons as to why I don't really like the flavour of Cilantro:

Cilantro Haters, It’s Not Your Fault

I can eat a small amount of it, but when it is in large quantities in a dish that doesn't have other components to overpower it, the taste almost makes me ill. This is an unusual reaction for me as I can generally eat pretty much anything edible. I've always wondered why I have such a strong reaction to Cilantro, as I know only one other person with a response like mine. Everyone else I know seems to love it.

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It does make one wonder

$10 M to Fight Honest Food Labels

Why would a company fight against a law requiring labeling foods with their ingredients?

I can think of a number of reasons, none of them good...

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The hypocrisy

of the new right wing governments.

Garbage fees for Toronto food banks, shelters a 'slap in the face'

On one hand the new right wing governments are telling us that government shouldn't be in the business of helping the poor and that the churches should be picking up the ball and running with it because charity is the role of the church, not the state. On the other hand they're increasing costs and charges for things for churches to make if difficult for them to actually provide those services. It makes one wonder what the motives of these levels of government really are.

(And, if truth be told, I think that the motives are the same as they've always been, and are best expressed by C. Dicken's Ebenezer Scrooge: "If they [the poor] would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

And no, I don't think I'm being too harsh here.)

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I listened to an interview with him

The U.N. official, that is.

Food for thought: Why David Olive is ashamed to be a Canadian today

We're a 1st World developed country that had its first food bank start in 1990 as a temporary measure. They're now a fixture. In a country driven by Capitalism, it may be that the food banks actually fulfilled a purpose for our Capitalist leaders - they took away the guilt and political issues that would accompany people starving in their homes or on the street and lessened the possibility of violence over the lack of food. For the politicians it was all win.

This is a national disgrace. Jason Kenney has the gall to suggest that the U.N. shouldn't chastise us. Perhaps it may be our place to remind Mr. Kenney that his government is failing in one of the most basic of tasks - providing food for those most impoverished in his own country. Great thing those blinkers, aren't they Mr. Kenney?

The only plus in this is that we're one step better than the U.S. - they tried everything possible to prevent the U.N. from even collecting data in their country - so that makes us one step up. Whoopee. Some great place to be.

I, too, am ashamed to be a Canadian today. I'm ashamed to live in a country that lets poverty like this happen. I'm ashamed to live in a country that can elect such a heartless and uncaring government...

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An item

people generally know nothing about.

I don't know about you, but I've always been fascinated by how expensive saffron is and how unique it is...

Saffron

(Other than old followers of Donovan's music, of course. "I'm just mad about Saffron...")

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A high point

in history. Literally.

On this day in 1886,

Coca-Cola

was first served at the Jacob's Pharmacy soda fountain in Atlanta. It really did contain cocaine as well as caffeine.

I lost my taste for Coke after their disasterous attempt to change the recipe in 1985. Even though they reverted to the old recipe after a huge public backlash, I believe that they then began slowly changing the recipe without any public announcement. There's no way that the Coke of today is the same as the Coke of 1984. This is the opinion of a veteran Coca-Cola drinker. So, celebrate their lengthy business survival, but don't look to them for the tasty beverage that they used to serve...

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And to keep those wheels of production greased

on this date in 1941 General Mills introducted their new breakfast cereal to the world:

Cheerios!

Eat smarter, not harder. Or something. But produce!

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Good Advice

The bitter truth behind the chocolate in your Easter basket

"The average American eats around 11 pounds of chocolate each year, and the weeks leading up to Easter show the second biggest United States sales spike of the year next to Halloween - 71 million pounds according to a 2009 Neilsen report. A recent press release from Kraft claims that worldwide, more consumers purchase chocolate during Easter than any other season.

So how does a chocolate lover ensure that the treats filling their family's Easter baskets are not supporting a life of slavery for a child half a world away?"

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Shaken, not stirred

The Martini: Why everything you know is wrong

Probably like a lot of people I had no idea what made a real martini. I still don't, but I can talk intelligently about it after reading this article. Good thing I'm not a purist about this sort of thing.

Really, when you think of it, gin is not traditionally known as the drink that the upper classes drink, so it's probably just a way to make gin trendy so the images of bathtubs and smelling like elderberries don't come to mind...

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There's only one odd thing

about this blog post about food...

20 Surprising Artificially Colored Foods

...and that is that the author thinks it is surprising that all those things are artificially coloured. Looking at the list I would be surprised if any of them weren't artificially coloured, and I would include a lot more foods in the list as well...

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On this date

in 1759,

Arthur Guinness

signed up to a 9,000 year lease for his brewery, for £45 per annum!

(If only one could get a mortgage like that!)

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Gratitude is good

The Chinese Restaurant Association would like to extend its thanks...

It really is terrific that God knows where and what they should eat. He's got good taste, for certain! (But then, He would have, wouldn't He?)

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Have you ever

seen these in the product section of your grocery store and wondered what they were?

Durian: Exotic fruit and vampire repellent

I have, and now I'm glad I know. I can stay away from any opportunity to try them...

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I'm not sure

Bubble Tea: The all-in-one beverage and snack

There have been a few places here that have sold, or specialized in, bubble tea, but it doesn't look like the fad has caught on here in a big way. The author says that Asian food stores carry the tapioca pearls and they're usually brown. It makes me wonder if they're special somehow, as most grocery stores carry the white/translucent tapioca pearls. Tapioca used to be a fairly popular desert item or component itself.

I just find it interesting. Food that has play value, like Shanghai Noodles...

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One would think

that something so mundane, so much a part of a family's (read 'kid's') life, such a staple for those living in below the poverty line, would be victim to such an event:

Peanut butter sticker shock coming

This is really sad.

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Two things

We need desperately to pray that hearts will be touched (both individuals and those in government) to do something to help these people, and we need to find charities that can, will and perhaps already are, helping, and give them some money with which to help these people. That's all we, as individuals, can do, it seems.

Famine hits Somalia in world less likely to intervene: Effort in 1990s to forcefully deliver humanitarian aid didn't succeed

The U.S. spends billions in anti-terror work (to protect themselves), but can't direct some of that money to supply food aid and to try to get the food aid to the right areas, past the Islamist murderers. Our world is so messed up. Just look at some photos of the starving people in Ethiopia...

I fear God's judgment, as I think it will be harsh. In today's world, these are our neighbours, and we're not feeding themw hen they're hungry...

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It's not a bad thing

Friday Penance

It appears that the Catholic Church in England has decided that a fast from meat on Fridays is a good way to follow the instructions on a penance that should be performed on this day. While some people may see this as a regression to 'the bad old days', it can also be seen as a reviving of a practice that did a great deal of good, both for the Church and for individuals. This is something that I wouldn't mind being reinstituted in CAnada as well. A good part of the time I try to follow it as a personal act of penance...

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Ummmm...Pizza?

Hell Pizza

I think I'll give it a miss...

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Here's the other side

Heaven: Pizza to die for

One of each. For no matter how you're feeling...

(Thanks to Spirit Daily for this, and the Hell Pizza links...)

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