They're back in the good books today. Woke me up early for grilled salmon, cauliflower cheese and potatoes plus a plate of fruit. Bought myself some dates at the weekend and been snacking on those in the evening. Apparently the Prophet Mohammed used to just eat a handful of them for his morning meal and breaking fast as they are very good for slow release of sugars. I bet he didn't have to pay what I did though - nearly 15quid for a tub of them. Not like the English Christmas dates though - these are Medjool dates - bigger with soft flesh and very sweet. Very hard to stop eating them once you start.
You can get all sorts of dates in the UK now, some very nice ones in Turkish and Asian shops. But when I was a kid, you only ever saw them at Christmas, in those long packets with a picture of a camel on the box; and no one ever ate them. A leftover from the days of rationing, apparently, when people couldn’t get much chocolate or sweets. Good dates are better than toffees.
Those were the ones - I think they glazed them in sugar and there was always a plastic stick in there which I think polite families would use to spear them out of the box.
Just reading up on rationing - didn't realise it carried on in Britain until 1954. There's a great paragraph in Wikipedia where they did research before the war to work out how best to ration food without affecting health and working ability: "Using 1938 food production data, they fed themselves and other volunteers one egg, one pound (450 g) of meat and four ounces (110 g) of fish a week; one-quarter imperial pint (140 ml) of milk a day; four ounces (110 g) of margarine; and unlimited amounts of potatoes, vegetables and wholemeal bread. Two weeks of intensive outdoor exercise simulated the strenuous wartime physical work Britons would likely have to perform. The scientists found that the subjects' health and performance remained very good after three months; the only negative results were the increased time needed for meals to consume the necessary calories from bread and potatoes, and what they described as a "remarkable" increase in flatulence from the large amount of starch in the diet. The scientists also noted that their faeces had increased by 250% in volume. The results – kept secret until after the war – gave the government confidence that, if necessary, food could be distributed equally to all, including high-value war workers, without causing widespread health problems. Britons' actual wartime diet was never as severe as in the Cambridge study because imports from the United States avoided the U-boats, but rationing improved the health of British people; infant mortality declined and life expectancy rose, excluding deaths caused by hostilities. This was because it ensured that everyone had access to a varied diet with enough vitamins." Makes you think maybe they should reintroduce it.
They could try.... but some idiots would still raid the bog rolls. Btw I learned about rationing and when it ended from a program called How We Used To Live which we were forced to watch in school.
my eldest lad was breaking his fast at his mumZ...I haven’t really felt too hungry so far this Ramadan so I didn’t bother with extras. I’ve got a bag full of frozen samosas.
Mine are home made...not by me though....my sister in law. You can buy frozen samosas too...not too bad...much prefer homemade
I don't make them at home but that's so true. The shop frozen ones are ok but the take-away ones have a better potato filling and pastry imo.
Nothing in particular....once again...I’m not feeling the hunger thus far...expect it will change as I go further in. Last night I made a couple of slices of toast, generously buttered! I drink half a pint of milk every night with something sweet...my sweet tooth is tremendous plus I’ve usually had a spliff so it’s just been a go with the flow Ramadan so far...but I’m enjoying it. Already learned a lot about myself...the less said the better.
Soz...try Tesco’s...not all Tesco’s but many have them in the frozen section. They are decent..I’ve tried them. Failing that I’m sure you know of some local Asian shops...defo will have a range or two of samosas in the freezer
