The Anonymous Widower

Shopping for One

I tend to cook meals in fours.  Tonight, I’ve cooked four Moroccan chicken casseroles, of which I’ve frozen three and put one in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch.  I’m having a big lunch as I’m going racing and then watching Status Quo at Newmarket.  (I still have a spare ticket, if anyone is interested!)

One of the reasons, I cook in fours, is that it is such a waste buying food for just one meal.  Either you have to eat the same thing, two or even three days running, or throw most of it away.

Things I don’t like include :-

  • Two for one or three for two deals.  They are no cheaper for me, as the second one goes off before I can buy it.
  • Meat usual comes in packs of two.  So I have to buy two and put one in the freezer.  Then I forget to get it out and have lots there.  Then the freezer goes off and it’s all ruined.  Grr!
  • The lack of small sizes.  There are some gluten-free pretzels that I like.  No supermarket stocks the small size, so I eat too many if I buy a packet.
  • Recipes that are made for four.  OK, my maths is good, but can we have more recipes for one.
  • I’ve got lots and lots of small packets of spices.  Smaller ones would be better.

I do wonder whether the reason some people are obese, is that they live alone and buy too much!

It’s not that I’m unique in living alone. There are about 7,000,000 of us in the UK.  So please can we have sensible sizes of food and other goods.  If nothing it will cut down waste.

July 23, 2009 Posted by | Food | | Leave a comment

The New Surgeon General

Barack Obama has appointed a new Surgeon General.

Has he made a mistake in appointing someone, who if they may not be clinically obese, are definitely overweight?  In my view, yes!

The article in the Telegraph has this paragraph.

Sarah Reed, another family doctor, who said she kept her own BMI at 19, said: “I am disappointed that Dr Regina Benjamin is obese. Obesity is the number one problem in my own practice and I make it a very high priority to lead by example. Although her credentials speak for themselves, her weight cannot be overlooked. Shame on her!”

I’m the same weight I was when I left University in 1968.  That helps me to stay pretty fit, even if I’m struggling at the moment with my foot injury.

July 23, 2009 Posted by | Health, News | , | Leave a comment

How to Complain

Take a look at this video on YouTube.

Dave Carroll is a musician whose guitar was damaged/broken by United Airlines on a flight to Nebraska.  He didn’t get any joy with the airline, so he wrote the song and put it on YouTube.

When I played it, it had over three and a half million hits and it was funny too!

United Airlines have decided to use the video for internal training.

But it does show, how if a company doesn’t act quickly to genuine complaints, then they can be on the end of a very big stick.  They should remember too, that most cameras these days have a very professional video mode.

But be careful.  My late wife was a barrister, who knew a lot about libel law.  It’s why the BBC says allegedly so often!

July 23, 2009 Posted by | News, Transport/Travel | , , | 1 Comment

National Pandemic Flu Service

So the government has got their flu service web site up and running at last.

Who thought up the URL of http://www.pandemicflu.direct.gov.uk? It’s not very user friendly is it. As the web site is down because every Tom, Dick and Harriet is trying to use it, perhaps it should be called the National Panic Flu Service!

July 23, 2009 Posted by | Health | , | 3 Comments

Maharajah Restaurant, Cambridge

Last night, I went to this pleasant little Indian restaurant just outside Cambridge city centre on Castle Hill.

The service was quick and the food was good.  And of course it was gluten-free, as it is in most Indian restaurants.

July 23, 2009 Posted by | Food | , | 1 Comment