Friday 6 December 2013

Cheers, bottoms up

There's been a big mopping up session going on today at the bottom of the hill. Thank goodness that this mornings high tide wasn't as high as last night, and didn't make things worse. The pub was flooded along with several houses close by. When I went a walk down there, people were assessing the damage, the water had brought all kinds of rubbish up with it, as it breached the banks and covered the road. Several horses had been moved up into the village to higher grounds yesterday, and this morning they were walked back down to their fields which had luckily escaped the deluge. Some fields however are still covered in water, we now have ponds where there were no ponds before. One of the paths which I sometimes use is under water. Looking at the pictures of other areas, it seems we have got off lightly. Not good for the people who have to clean up, but it could have been much worse.

Moving on.......Austin asked me if I brewed my own wine. He noticed that I had paid £5 for a bottle at Aldi, and said I could make it myself much cheaper, at about 20p a bottle. Hello Austin. There is a reason for me not brewing wine, and it's the same reason why I don't bake cakes, and biscuits, and I don't make jam from foraged fruit.

I enjoy a glass of wine, but on the whole I don't drink much alcohol at all. I limit myself to one bottle in maybe three or four weeks, that way it stays a treat and doesn't become the norm. I only buy one bottle at a time, as and when I fancy a glass, and a bottle lasts me three days. If I had lots of bottles of home made wine in the house, I would be very tempted to have a glass every night, and could very easily come to rely on it as a comfort drink. This is not a good idea, excess alcohol does all kinds of horrible things to your body, screws your head up, pickles your organs, and is very bad for your health all round. I saw what it did to my father, he died at 46 through drinking every night. So, I would rather not put that temptation my way. I will carry on buying one bottle of wine from a supermarket, as and when I feel like a glass or two.

So where's the connection with not baking? In the same way, eating excessive cakes, and biscuits is not good for your health, there is too much sugar in it. I love cake, but, I don't want to bake them because I would scoff them as soon as they were out of the oven. I would rather not put temptation in my way. Cake once in a while is a treat, maybe for a special occasion. I sometimes buy cake when it is reduced to pennies on a yellow sticker at Tesco. Then when I get it home I find I have too much. So to get rid of the temptation I give most of it away.

Home made jam is much better than shop bought jam, but I don't collect berries and make it because you need to add a lot of sugar to it, and sugar is bad for you. Sugar rots your teeth and piles the pounds on your hips, I never buy jam for that reason.

I hope that has answered your question, a bit long winded I know. To sum up. I don't want 50 bottles of home made wine at 20p a bottle in my house. I would rather have one bottle at £5. Basically I am weak willed with anything that tastes nice. I have to be strict with myself because I don't want to be storing problems up for myself in the long term. I recognise my weaknesses and like to stay in control of them. Oh gosh, don't I sound boring. I'm not really  :o)
Toodle pip

16 comments:

  1. Strange to say, my doctor recommended 2 glasses of red wine a day as being beneficial, more so than teetotalism.

    And I do make my own wine from foraged brambles and yellow stickered stuff, I find it's a very satisfying hobby, but only 1 demijohn at a time, so only about 5 bottles. I actually manage to stick to 2 glasses as well.

    Currently in stock is bramble, peach, strawberry, blueberry, apple, pear and runner bean, it varies from very good to drinkable. if one isn't too good, it gets left for another 6 months and usually improves with keeping.

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  2. Not boring at all. Very sensible, I think, to have discovered that you can over indulge in comforting foods and drinks.

    Like you, I don't bake cakes, scones etc or even buy them at all now. I don't bake bread much for the same reason. I would eat it because it's nice and over indulge.

    I do eat a little good meat and fish but mainly veg, pulses and rice. Everything I eat is home grown or home made from the best ingredients I can afford. Often, like many people, I can't afford the best stuff but hey that's life.

    From my experience it is not a good idea to make your own wine unless you are very disciplined. Far too easy to over indulge! Been there done that :)

    "Know thyself" Socrates

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  3. Your logic sounds reasonable to me. Our health is more important than saving a few pennies!

    And the evidence of your healthy eating approach is clear. Don't know many 60 year olds that can walk as much as you do.

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  4. Point taken about the sugar. I've been reading an old book called 'This Slimming Business', published in 1958, and basically it says that sugar is the culprit when it comes to weight gain, rather than fat, so I'm reducing my carbohydrates and hoping that sheds the pounds. Too much food around is only wasted. You are a great inspiration!

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  5. I'm with you on this one Ilona. My dad died from alcohol at 47! I like a glass or two of wine and I like the occasional cake. But, like you, I would rather buy them when I fancy them and not have them sitting there tempting me all the time. I do bake muffins but I freeze them and use them in packed lunches for the family, so I rarely eat them myself. Sometimes health has to come first. I think you are very sensible.

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  6. HI Ilona, glad to hear you're safe and the damage was not as bad as predicted. I see your point about not making wine. I wouldn't do it as like you I would 'just have another' it's so easy to do.
    I do bake occasionally but, for the same reason as you don't, I don't bake often as I would also scoff it!!!!!!

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  7. Very pleased you have not had too much flood damage in your village ( apart from the pub).

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  8. glad your ok. keep a check on your drains in case they get backed up. This happened to my BIL when the floods were in Glos. And it caused all hell of problems with the bricks at the bottom of the house

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  9. I completely agree with you. We all have our triggers, don't we? I've been a vegetarian for years, but since I've switched to a no-oil starch based vegan diet, I feel sooooo good. It took a few months to make the change successfully in my diet and tastebuds, but as you say I kept 'chipping away at it' and now we are just as happy eating this food, or happier, than the regular vegetarian diet I've followed for years.

    I can have a bottle of wine hanging around for a week or 3 and be hard pressed to finish it. BUT, sugar is my last bastion of craving. I have to say I love cakes and could have them every day. So, I don't have them in the house except once in a while. I'll sometimes make my husband and I a single-serving cake each - perfect portion control! When I make us a whole 8"x8" cake I always feel like I eat too much of it!

    Ah well, perfection is never attained :)

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  10. Well, that sounds bad enough what happened with the flooding—but at least it wasn't so bad that it ruined everybody's houses and whatnot & the horses were in the higher ground. But the fields sound in a right mess. I suppose everybody won't be drinking as much if the pub is party under water...
    I wish I could eat baked goods and cakes anymore, but I can't even if I wanted. :(

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  11. I don't make wine, not enough room also I only like a glass every now and again, I use the rest for cooking. I do bake, but I share the cakes with my lovely neighbours, that way we all have a little. I do the same with the jams and chutneys that I make. Each year I make about 12 Christmas stockings and fill them with home made goodies. It as all about balance and control.

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  12. You are not boring at all rather, an inspiration!
    Nancy from Northern California

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  13. Good to hear that you didn't get too much damage, We didn't on the Northwest coast. There was some but not as bad as some places.
    When I lived on my own I didn't have cakes, biscuits, sugar or alcohol in my cupboards but all that changes when my man moved in and then we had a child. Now I have to avoid most of that for medical reasons and I'm slowly getting used to it again but it has been hard.
    Carolx

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  14. Glad to hear that the high tide didn't affect you. I went to Hull on Friday evening and the guy that unloaded me at hessle rd Asda said that the retail park on st Andrews fish dock had been flooded.
    20p for a bottle of wine sounds good but knowing my luck my homebrew would taste like vinegar. Although there could be a market for flavoured vinegar.
    Dave.

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  15. Totally agree! Couldn't have put it any better - it's no saving if it makes you feel worse/is bad for your health..... There is nothing wrong with knowing our weaknesses - being able to deal with them is the key thing....

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  16. Fair point about the wine. Some home brewers do over indulge. People in general tend to drink too much these days - you get wine at so many more functions now even at things like church socials when in the old days you'd have been lucky to get a cup of stewed tea! I tend to only make wine if I've got some free fruit or veg to make it with, which isn't that often, so I don't indulge much. Best wishes, Austin.

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