Leek-ing words of wisdom, let it bean! 10/10 thread, all welcome :o)

[TooTicky]

For anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and you can download more detailed information by following the link at the very bottom of the page

Hello everyone. Have bought some spirulina tablets in the hope of helping my immune system through chemo. Franny can you tell me what you know about spirulina please, I seem to remember you lauding it a while ago? I know it's an algae with health benefits but that's it, did it make you feel marvellous, how quickly did it work etc?

www.lifemel.co.uk

anorak.have you read about life mel honey?

anorak the one I take is Kiki superfood. It has got spirulina in it but also many other things. I found it marvellous and instantly gives me a boost when I take it, plus worked very quickly to shake off a long old virus which I was failing to get over (that was why I tried it in the first place)

elder berry extract also v good for immune system

stiffit what would an online cook in be like?

have just made batch of lovely playdough (can you tell we are stuck in here with shitey weather?)

ds says he is a sushi chef and is making playdough pickled ginger and maki rolls [ponce]

ha.....we are playing with glittery shop bought dough
can you remind me how to make it franny?

ds is making alien cow pats

Thank you Franny and lullabyloo. I looked at your link lull but I found the scientific report hard to understand. Obviously the honey is beneficial, but I can't really understand the figures involved from that complicated report. Honey = good though, I know that.

Will try the spirulina out for a few days and let you know if I feel any better. I already take echinacea formula, been taking it for years.

3 cups flour
1.5 cups salt
2 tbsp cream of tarter
3 tbsp oil
3 cups water
Pour all ingredients into a large pan. Add food colouring, fragrance (eg lemon oil, vanilla essence) and glitter if wanted. Stir constantly over medium heat until a ball forms by pulling away from the sides. Knead the playdough until the texture matches playdough.

I made it in a wok frying pan today as all sauce pans full of stew, and it took about 3 mins to cook it - so much less stirring!

LL:

4 cups plain flour 4 cups water 2 cups salt 8 tsp cream of tartar 4 tbl cooking oil colouring/flavouring/smell as required Mix together in a saucepan Cook over low heat. Stir until it gets thick. Knead and cool

or

Quick basic playdough: 2 cups plain flour 1 cup salt 1 cup cold water 1 tablespoon cooking oil Just mix it all together. Doesn't last as long as "cooked" recipes but very quick

God this weather is dire!

Well any variation on those

Can I use something else instead of cream of tartar if I don;t have any? What about baking powder?

hullo just back from school run

an online cook-in would be when a recipe is picked by a few people and someone leads it (I guess you would peel and chop first)

then they would talk you through the cooking and you could at some point say help my souffle is collapsing or my onions are not caramelising

and all report back!

do-able if compupilator is downstairs near the kitchen maybe

hi anorak
what about zinc -- too obvious?

thankyou franny & fk

anorak...i am taking it to improve my white cell count..i have just had this months test results back & they have improved quite substantially in a month.

oh god Lully, are you still in need? Have been busy with dcs (all at home today).

If it's any help:

6oz wholemeal SR flour
1oz cocoa powder
3oz sugar

mix

add 90ml oil and 180 ml water

mix

bake as cake

OR

put in ovenproof vdish
mix 1tbsp cocoa, small handful sugar and, I dunno, up to 200ml hot water (make sure sugar is melted) and pour over mixture
cover with foil and bake at 200c for up to 50 minutes
Ends up with nice chocolatey sauce

Right, have to fix scalextric car...

This is one of my favourite recipes. It is very comforting when eaten hot.

to fgggffgh i love you love gyfdvhgdsfhgfhgfvyghgfyyghfgvyfvyhfgygyffdyfyfdygytddftdftdtftyytdt6dfteftre

That was ds2

oooh thanks Toot
Would you like any Easter decorations & craft type bits for the dc's?
We have an enormous surplus
It's Easter tastic here!

I love our easter tree
It is most beautiful...a little blossom tree,with primroses & grape hyacinths planted around it & hung with wooden eggs & rabbits & chicks & chains of tiny eggs

aw I haven't done an easter tree for years
they look so nice

stiffit it sounds hilarious but I think I may observe rather than take part
I can't do proper cooking where you do special methods and so on, without crying, and the kind of recipe I can cook is not worth leading people through, as it is things like "chop all veg and put in pan"

I really like the idea though, who else would be up for it? Surely we should pick one of Lully's recipes?

TooT ds2 really seems to love us. I am disappointed he didn't call us poo this time though

FK policywonk couldn't find cream of tartar so she used tartare sauce
it is in the cooking section in supermarkets if that helps

eeewwwwwwwwwwwww at tartar sauce play dough

franny...would ds like some wooden eggs/chicks/rabbits etc to hang on pussy willow/blossom etc?
We really have so much left over & if it disappears into the loft..twill never be seen again

hello

oh boco poor tooth - try wine that works well

100 will photo be black and white?

I found some at the back of the cupboard

PMSL at tartare sauce

stiffit welcome to 10/10...I have a veg box delivered every week, and supplement it with one or two things from the supermarket / greengrocer - usually peppers, sweet potatoes, salad stuff, and some out-of-season fruit because I can;t live on apples & pears.

I very, very rarely have to chuck anything away, and I don;t always use everything up within the week, either. The produce in our box is local, and mostly organic or no sprays so I think it is down to the freshness that it will actually last several days. Carrots & spuds come with fresh Kent earth on them etc

Obviously if there is something like spinach, rocket or chard in the box I tend to use it first, and save cabbage or cauli for later in the week.

I can compute in the kitchen if necessary but I am also of the Franny school of cuisine I'm afraid.

Lully I bet TooT will find a nice home for them

I have something in the fridge from veg box and I am having a daft week and can't remember what it is. It is white stalked green leaved close packed thing in the shape of a pointy cabbage. Is it chard? chicory? something like that?

last veg scheme (now closed ) had newsletter every week with news of the farm, anecdotes about the weather etc, recipes and full description of all produce. I miss it