Radio7

Its not a 'word' persay, but on "$40 A Day" I cant stand the Whooosh! Sound when they cut from one scene to the next. Talk about hokey!

I always cook the stems. They taste just fine, and I hate to waste any precious brocc!

wow - thanks for all the great replies. So much good information! Not to mention amusing annecdotes. lol I love the citrus rinds & ice cubes advice; I'll definately be using that one. I would have thought hot water would be preferable to run during use, now I know to keep it cold. Unfortunately, there is no place for composting where I live. So that's out. I do need to do more research on this - figuring out what HP I have etc. I suspect it's a pretty old unit, by the looks of things, and also considering the age of other appliances in the building. We've actually had a repairman in once in the short time since moving - the motor died after a few runs. All in all, I now feel more confident in taming the dragon!

Recently moved, I am now living with a kitchen that has a garbage disposal in the sink. This is only the second time in my life I've had the use of one. My lack of experience in this area leaves me feeling extra delicate when using the contraption, so I look to you all for expertise/advice: Is it wrong for me only to use it for very soft items (ie: scrambled eggs residue, mushy cereal, crumbs)? Or is the disposal also meant to get rid of vegetable skins and the like? Are little carrot bits lethal? Are chinese food remnants, for example, too greasy? (for the GD, natch, not me lol) .....Wouldn't want the GD to explode it all out at me or just go 'on strike' completely.... Also, I was brought up (in Canada) calling these things garburators. Is this some sort of regional term, a trademark, or was I kidnapped by aliens? *edited for color error

What a fascinating essay, thanks Tora Talk about an organized system! My grade school was nothing like this....we had a 'hot dog' lunch once a month - and that was the extent of any kind of 'nutritional program'. lol Its particularly great to see how involved they are with parents - ensuring good practise of health & manners at home as well. I'm very impressed. I wish my university cafeteria had similar food, it looks delicious!

Thanks guys, glad to hear I'm not the only fan! Phaelon, no I haven't tried dryGrape, but it sounds fabulous. Not too sweet but crisp and refreshing, I'd imagine. I'm moving to the U.S. this weekend, as it happens, so I'll keep my eyes peeled out there. Thanks for the heads-up, Bigbear. As cool as the soda-ordering dotcoms are, I just cant justify paying big prices for unique flavours shipped to my home. Its student poverty! It is SO true, Kim, that diet soda of almost any kind is hard to find. Its some sort of sugar conspiracy I suppose. I really dislike the high-sweet taste of regular pop, I find it overwhelming. As a kid I drank coke, but since my teens my sweet tooth has mysteriously gone away for the most part. Although alot of my taste preferences changed around then. In a similar vein, what an odd niche market it must be that the new mid-calorie sodas are being sold to. What is the point? It seems simple: go regular or go diet, it's not a life-or-death quandry. If someone were that worried about the specific caloric content - if soda is the primary source of one's diet woes; some re-jigging of personal eating habits in general would be in order. ~Radio

My favorite soda of all time used to be Schweppes diet raspberry ginger ale. In the early-to-mid-90's I sucked it down daily. A proud addict I was However, I soon found that the product was no longer stocked on Canadian shelves. Here and there I'd find a can, but the well ran dry near the end of the decade. I've not seen it since. So, my question to you all is, does this beverage still exist? Perhaps only in limited marketing areas? Am I the only person who loved this stuff? If anyone can answer these crucial questions , I know the worldly EG'ers can. Thanks, R.

Margheritas! - Watermelon, bien sure - Ice-cold celery sticks with a thin layer of peanut butter, and a drizzle of honey - Tabbouleh - Homeade Limeade. Also, iced coffee! - Beef carpaccio with baby greens (tossed in a light citrus dressing) - Salmon sashimi - Wheatberry salad. - Plain slices of red, green, yellow peppers. So fresh and crisp!

Thank goodness. There is absolutely no reason, on gd's green earth, for any kind of store that size. Lunacy.

Hi Nash I'm new here too. You mention EVOO in your post, and I've seen it mentionned also in others' posts. Could you enlighten me as to what it is? I'm embarassed at my ignorance Maybe a way to revive your motivation during lulls would be to go back to the simplest preparations/meals. Concentrate on enjoying the preparation of a 'no-frills' type meal; revel in a non-extravagant process. I personally find chopping vegetables and making a simple fish entree very calming after a particularly frustrating or stressful day. Chopping veg is almost meditative for me at times. I suppose this is one of my main "fall back" meals, as Balmagowry put it, and I totally agree with Balmagowry re: the fun and challenge of using 'underdog' items.

Honey Mustard and Soya Sauce float my boat. They're both so yummy and versatile!