This week, I will mostly be eating like a hobbit. 

 

...And for a little elaboration on such a diet, it's something along these lines:

• Breakfast
• Second breakfast
• Elevenses
• Luncheon
• Afternoon tea
• Dinner
• Supper

 

My heaven.

Oh, my poor neglected blog, how are you? I've been rather busy since getting back into uni, this is the free-est afternoon I've had in a few weeks. So what've I been up to?

Well, Veggie-Nibblers has now transformed like a delicious butterfly into Cannellini Bean, a vital ingredient in the Three Bean Stew project. Myself and two classmates have out our brains together to create three sites linked together under the group name Three Bean Stew. We have a Twitter account in the making, which I'll be sure to link up here when we're more technically sorted. Do not fear, all my previous posts and recipes are still available!

To my utter delight, my part in the project is recipe-writing. The Kidney Bean is our kitchen detective feeding you information on what goes on when your food's being made in commercial kitchens, whilst the Green Bean is our science-geek, dishing up facts and features on nutrition and environmetal issues in the food world (environmental issues? What do you mean? This.)

And all that's just the online jazz. I've been doing radio work which is certainly different from what I'm used to. For the past year I've studied news bulletins and the like, whereas this semester is all about documentaries and using sound creatively. I am enjoying it, though, and am looking forward to the final piece (a 10 minute feature- sounds short but it is a -lot- of time to fill).

Oh and on top of all -that-, I've been trying to get into running. I've never been a sporty person. I walk everyday, in fact I get twitchy feet if I don't, but I've never been competitive or determined in sports. So when I pulled both my calves after going for a ten minute run-walk-run-walk I was peeved to have difficulty walking, let alone running (even standing up was painful!) But I'm mostly mended now, and looking forward to a light run tonight. 

So here concludes probably my longest blog post; me giving excuses why I haven't posted. Maybe I'll just start a rip-off from "The Fast Show"- Lisa's Diets. "This week, I 'ave been mostly eating carrots." 

 

..Nah.

 

Over the next week or so, you may see some funny thinngs going on at Veggie Nibblers. That's because now the site's been evaluated (I'll just drop in here that it got an A!) it can develop into something bigger: Three Bean Stew! Part of a group of three sites, Veggie Nibblers will continue to look at recipes, how to get cheaper ingredients and all that jazz. A site name change is in question, as in the Three Bean Stew I'm "cannelloni bean" (yes, we all get a type of bean as a mascot), and I think sticking with Veggie Nibblers may cause confusion. Can always change it back afterwards, though!

I'm really looking forward to uploading more cooking fun, I'm already so pleased I remember to grab my camera before diving into my brownie-making, but I want to try making videos and more detailed recipes. Coming out of winter's going to be great regarding variety in the dishes I make, what with different ingredients coming into season and the temperature lifting (supposedly). It's all exciting!

So it's finally snowed in England, but on this dreary day two, it's gone all slushy and despite a lovely lunch at the uni canteen (it's Green Week and the canteen have gone meat-free Monday!) I needed some perking up this afternoon.

Enter: awesome afternoon snack. In the spirit of Nutella Day yesterday, we bought a jar of Nutella and tucked into it this afternoon. My personal favourite combination is Nutella with peanut butter on toast with a glass (or when there are no clean ones, jar) of soy milk. 

What do you have for your afternoon snack? Don't get me wrong, I prefer a cake or cream tea, but my brownies weren't quite done at the time. Maybe tomorrow..

Sitting with my empty pudding bowl, I've pondered why when it comes to food certain things have to be just right. With anything sweet I can put in a bowl, there's always a dash of mixed spice and far, far too much cinnamon for most people's tastes (but certainly not mine). 

Do we all have a food ritual? The way we eat a meal and how we finish or not, chopping things in certain orders, or the precise calculation that is the milk to cereal ratio, surely we can think of something we do automatically that makes our meal ours.

But why? Is it a comfort thing? For instance, I measure out my cereal each morning so I know I won't be too full or still hungry; it is, to me, a risk one simply cannot take with the first meal of the day, and a comfort to know it's not miscalculated. Is it a childhood habit? The way your parents laid the table, how you were taught to cook pasta. It could well be something you take with you and pass onto the next generation. 

Whatever the reason, little habits are something quite charming, to me. I'm fascinated sitting at a dinner table and noticing how everyone eats. How about you? Any weird or helpful habits?

Inevitably, after my resolution to cook at least twice a week from my recipe books (I cook most nights, but not usually from recipes), I think I fell short last week. I can't exactly remember, but I do know that my diary from last week is packed and this week's not looking too great either. 

That's why today I've got up, dressed, checked my emails and twitter etc, and am planning what to bake today. It's important to get back up once you've slipped off the metaphorical horse, which is why I'm pulling out my recipe books (that's right- ALL three of them) and excitedly deciding what to bake/cook.

Admittedly, the cupcakes I plan on making today are from a packet. But I didn't go and buy it; we were given loads of packets from my partner's mother and I want to use them up and start making more of my own goods. I'm fed up with buying the perfectly shaped, sickly sweet biscuits you get at the shops. I like my biscuits wonky but made with love, don't you?

_________________________

In other news, I went to the local farmer's market held every fourth Sunday of the month and, out of my regular character, actually bought something; bags of apples. Okay, not the most exciting thing I could've bought (there were some really good goats cheeses, too..), but they were cheaper than the supermarket ones and more local. 

So I got home and picked up an apple, only to find a thick, waxy coating on it. "So they're keen on their pesticides, what of it?" I thought, and washed as much as I could off. The apple was bitter. Juicy but not very flavoursome, and bitter. Everytime I eat one now (because I refuse to not eat them- they cost me two whole pounds!) I cringe as if taking nasty medicine; they're good for me, but my gosh they taste nasty. Only coating them in cinnamon and maple syrup makes them taste good now. Maybe pancakes would help, too.

I'm really looking forward to getting back into work (though there's an essay I've been procrastinating my way around, tomorrow I just know I'll get it done ;D...). I could do it off my own steam, make my own website etc, but I wanted to keep building the Veggie Nibbler site. I've recently been informed that the class will be builing a new site on a different platform. Lisa = Not a happy bunny. 

But the positive of this? I can now see how passionate I really am about my site. I worked hard on that thing and I want to keep it up. I love the satisfaction of seeing a recipe of mine, uploaded with photos and such. I've got great plans for this year and my foodie-web-love. Videos, podcasts, more pictures, more articles (more excuses to buy yummy things, too!)

I read a lot of food blogs, more than half the time my partner will look over at my screen and see pictures of food. But what I like about my site is that it's not a blog. This is my blog. This is where my rambling comes out, where my ideas spring up and I write them down so I remember thinking them (seive brain, hurray!). My site is where the finished stuff is served, where I clean around the plate and dress the final piece with a nice layout and pictures.

 

Anyway, it's going to be awesome. Watch this space..for the link to the new space...Grr.

I've been confronted by vegans before, saying that vegetarians don't do enough for animals, that they don't really help the state of things. Screen Zombie (a game/music reviewer and fellow veggie) made this post after getting riled up about this somewhat counter-productive attitude taken by some (not all!) vegans. 

Now, I'm not gonna go eat a steak because someone hiding behind their keyboard tells me I'm a hypocrite for eating and drinking dairy products (*Ahem* I'm a vegetarian for health reasons, not moral), but I will stand my ground and say "Hey. I'll eat what I want. Jerk"

And I'm not saying I wouldn't try veganism. I love vegan food, and lots of vegan meals are nutritious.

 

But I love chocolate too much to cut it out all the time. >w> Omnomnomnom.