posted September 16, 2009 08:17 AM         

lol at Blue

Kat, in Britain we have a thing called Freecycle, where you offer things you don't want and take things other people don't want. Is there similar in the States does anyone know? How about an ad in Craigslist? Some people just want you to take their junk off their hands if you collect. Yeah, massage tables are hefty things huh?

Yin, that sounds fab! are you having a good time?

Spanks, I dropped off a pair of dogs at the police station at college once - their owner was so cool she bought us a bottle of vodka as a thank you. Bronson is a wicked name for a dog. Mr Mojo Risin' (Gypsee's dog) is also brilliant.

Yesterday's Winter - sorry to hear about your friend

posted September 16, 2009 08:31 AM         

My big one is water - drinking water straight out of our tap. I think it's the Earth's most precious resource. How absolutely fortunate are those of us who have it so readily available. Don't waste it!

posted September 16, 2009 08:47 AM         

quote:

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All I might ask in return is a few words from thy voice of experience on the wonderful world of stir-fry: I’ve never really messed around with making a meal that way, and I’m prompted to ask because my 13yo has discovered that vegetables are indeed edible (a complete 180 on his part, I assure you!!) and I thought stir-fry might be a fun way to get him involved in cooking yon veggies…...
In particular, what do you use for seasoning?? Do you have any WOCian secrets that could be revealed for a price??

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Well honeh, stir fries happen to be my all-time favourite easy dish.

I would recommend a cast iron wok with a round bottom if you can get hold of one (they distribute the heat much better). Heat the holy crap out of it and apply oil and salt and rub the thing with a stiff brush, and repeat until it's non-stick. If you treat it right it'll be non-stick forever. I only have the wok at home, it does me for everything. Don't wash it with detergent, when you're done cooking, just get most of the bits out with a piece of kitchen paper and put a smear of oil on it before storing. No washing up! I know this should appeal to a Pisces mooner

Start out with medium thickness egg noodles. Boil them until they're nearly done and then run cold water on them to stop the cooking and leave them to drain.

Then the wok. Put on the highest flame, and give it a really good blast of heat until it's smoking. The heat will kill the germs that you get from not washing it with detergent.

Don't be afraid to go really really hot with the flame, and keep it hot. This cooks things quick, allows them to keep their colour, texture and vitamins.

The next thing I do is cook the things that need a lot of cooking, dry things first.

So at this point I would add cashew nuts to the dry wok and stir them a bit until they're nice and brown. Sesame seeds are good too. Set these aside.

If you eat tofu then add a bit of peanut oil or sesame oil to the pan, wait for it to heat up really well (this will stop things sticking) before adding the tofu and fry it until it's brown. A good firm tofu is best. You want an oil that can withstand high temperatures (olive oil no good). Set the tofu aside. If anything has stuck just scrape it out and make sure the wok is clean.

I should have mentioned, chop up all your veg before you start any of this (Gemini moon, always on to the next thing!).

I use bell pepper, pak choi, baby sweetcorn, courgette cut into thin matchsticks(or zucchini as you call em over there), carrot ditto, cabbage (especially dark green savoy cabbage, delicious - finely shredded), mushrooms, and whatever you can get your mitts on really. The only thing to bear in mind is cut the veg up the same size or thereabouts. Also ginger (lots of it, mmm, cut up into matchsticks) and garlic. You can add a sliced mild chilli pepper if that's your thing. Onions of some kind, green onions are great.

Put the pan back on the heat, add more oil and make sure the oil is hot before you add the veg, otherwise the veg will just steam in its own juices and go gacky. Cook and turn them until they're starting to wilt a little bit. You want them sort of crunchy.

Then add the cool noodles and fry until they're hot.

Then add your seasoning and your nuts/seeds.

I use oyster flavour sauce as a seasoning (no oysters were harmed in the making of this sauce) that you can buy in a bottle from the Chinese supermarket, or any pre-prepared However, knowing how you are about your food it probably contains a whole load of MSG and crap. So you can make a dressing yourself.

I sometimes do this. I squeeze a lime into a bowl, add a tablespoon of soy sauce (Japanese soy sauce is best, you're probably aware of the soy thing so if you're going to use it make it count - soy sauce is like wine, easy to spot the crap stuff, it has no depth of flavour). There's a brand called Kikkomans - I don't know if you can get it over there. Add a tablespoon of sesame oil, some toasted sesame seeds, and a tablespoon of runny honey. Anything that combines sweet, salt and sour is good. Stick this on the noodles, add a big chopped up handful of coriander (cilantro, do you call it?) and serve.

Can't go wrong, job's a goodun.

posted September 16, 2009 01:59 PM         

Go to a nursing home in your area, if you have one.
Just introduce yourself and express an interest.
This is what I did, because I had a friend that was convelesing there for a short while, he was disabled, not elderly.
They love visitors. They just had me to sit in the day room with them and chat, at first.
Some have no people at all to visit them.
One year I brought construction paper and we made turkeys with their hand prints, just like children do, with colored strips for the feathers. They loved it.
Now I have my special ones, since my grandparents are dead, this means the world to me, I wonder if I am getting more out of it then they are sometimes!

posted September 16, 2009 02:14 PM         

Wheels, you always remind me of the movie, The Holiday, with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, where they swap houses for the holidays. I would love to swap with you. Although not practical right now, I can't help but fantasize about it.

posted September 17, 2009 05:43 AM         

Peace Angel, I couldn't agree more about water. I think water's going to be the thing people eventually will fight over so it is so important to conserve, especially in Australia when the aquifers are so relied-upon. I think "glbal warming" is a red-herring but I have certainly noticed how places in Britain that used to be so green (especially east) aren't any more. Water distribution is changing, globally. Poor old Bangladeshis. So yes, water and it's such a simple thing to alter behaviour to change use. I think water meters were the best thing ever to happen to this country. I actually got £60 back off my last water bill in my flat because I used to less than they thought I would, but the meter made me more aware. Hehe, I've never had a go on rollerblades, have you? They look fun.

Zala, a pleasure my dear! I thought I may have been a bit prescriptive about the wok and sounded like Delia Smith (my least favourite TV chef, she's so into her gadgets and disapproving if you haven't got a special spoon to dig olives out of a jar with - meh). But any cast iron kitchen equipment is just so indestructible. Pisces has cast iron skillets and they are the bomb. I thought you may like to see a picture of my wok. (Brainwave - I would love to be a cookery/home photographer - all my personal pics are of food and the house!). Steel woks are good too. Anyhow:

posted September 17, 2009 05:55 AM         

Hello Future! Well thank hun, what a kind thing to say!

Gypsee, I will do what you suggest. I can't imagine how lovely it must be for the old folks to get a visit from you. Old age scares me a bit and I often worry about where I'll end up. I worry that I'm just going to be in a room of people who are supposed to be my "peers" but were actually the kind of people who if I met them now I wouldn't have anything in common - you know, people who don't like talking about the stuff we all talk about on here basically!! So I will do as you suggest, thank you. I just want to talk to them about how it was for them in their life, is all. I am so glad you're getting a lot out of it. I do admire you, and Cpn too for your work in this area. And what two great people, a sparky Archer and a sunny Lioness. Perfect to distract a person from the blues and the aches and pains of old age. I salute you.
Great job on the rubbish - one bag for 7 people is very minimal. I know this because my sister and niece and I generate more, so I'm going to work on that for sure.

Unmoved, I would so love to swap with you too! If you were ever in a position to well you know, gis a call love. This Virgo Asc would be very respectful of your no doubt, beautiful space. I have seen a wooden house I want to buy, totally derelict so it would need a rebuild, but I came across it last night. It's two houses down from Pisces', and despit living in the same place for 3 years I never noticed it before. Too freaky, actually. P doesn't know who owns it so I'm going to ask the Land Registry today, I may be able to work on the owner. Anyway, thread hijack but I'm fairly excited.

Kat, best of luck with getting a bike! Biking's such fun. So I didn't know you were a masseuse. I'd love to hear more about that. Do you know anything about foot massage? Would love to know more, I just rub away without any knowledge of what I'm doing re reflexology etc, he enjoys it but has back pain and I hear relexology on feet can help that.

posted September 24, 2009 08:56 AM         

Zala, yes, they are the eyeballs of multiple car-drivers. Muhahahaha. Well, erm, either that or sausage, back when I was eating sausage. I can't remember what I was doing with them though, maybe they were an addition to a pizza topping? I can't remember. 10 points for Yin getting it right. Named that meat in one!

posted September 24, 2009 12:58 PM         

use the tip of your thumb at an angle that gives you the most strength so you can press straight into the foot. a little warm-up rub is good to get the circulation going, and squeezing with whole hands is also good stimulation.

you can find reflexology maps online that tell what the various points are but the main thing is to press on each different part of the foot. where it is tender is where the work is needed, ie you stay on that point and make TINY circular movements with the pressure, no moving off the spot! - until the tenderness dissipates.

the bony arch represents the spine, the toes are neck and organs therein, and the body organs are in the soles of the feet for the most part. do NOT work around the ankles of pregnant ladies!!!!!! not a problem for your man of course, though the sex organs are round there and you may get more response than you were bargaining for heheh!

left foot is left side of the body. right is - guess!? so the liver, gall bladder etc on the right sole and the stomach, spleen on the left. pancreas both feet, intestines both feet though the rising colon is on the right and descending on the left.

the lungs and chest and heart are in the balls of the feet (heart center of left). and so it goes. this link should show you a chart...

http ://healing.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&zTi=1&sdn=healing&cdn=religion&tm=9&gps=60_318_989_573&f=00&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.ofesite.com/health/reflex/chart/

i first discovered relexology in a book which fell on me in watkins books in london, while i was browsing in the ASTRology section. not only was it in the wrong section but i noticed it was printed a couple of miles from where i was born in new york state, so i bought it. it was called (wait for it tatatata!) FOOT REFLEXOLOGY by MILDRED CARTER. the best reference i know of!

practicing on yourself is the best way to get an idea of the touch/pressure part...and it will probably prove to you that it makes a difference.

without ANY knowledge or skill, rubbing the foot with specific pressure applied to individual points will show you where the "work" is needed. i teach it to my clients all the time without getting into major details.

posted September 24, 2009 02:44 PM         

is there a foot point for shoulder knots?