The Recruiting Officer

British democracy is not good enough

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:51:00 +0000

It's an interesting time here in the UK because annual political party conferences are happening and people are finally coming to realise that all the broken promises of the Labour party mean that it's very likely there may be a Conservative party victory in the UK general election we will have in 2010.

Many who remember the last Tory reign, that ended in 1997, may be wondering what the fuck went wrong.

Britain is a country that holds up democracy as a great thing. However, there is still a bizarre public perception of polarisation between the (traditionally left wing) Labour party and the (traditionally right wing) Conservatives. Labour and the Tories are still believed to be different even though they are now almost equally full of shit. I believe that without proportional representation here in the UK, the main third party, the Liberal Democrats, is often seen as speaking the most sense, but will likely never get anywhere because polarised constituencies using a majority system will more often go to one extreme or the other.

I'm not saying that moderatism is always the answer, but isn't it strange how so many situations are actually helped by taking a step back, taking all views into account and doing what is genuinely best for all?

I'm afraid we come back to how thoroughly grim western democracy is. Especially since those traditional left/right boundaries have been broken down into give, give, give, me more, more, more. What's to choose?

Strike a light! Brussels Bulb Ban Bourgeois Backlash

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:40:00 +0000

The traditional incandescent light bulb is on the way out - and some people aren't happy. (It's probably not just the middle classes, but never pass up a good headline.)

From September 1st in the EU it will be illegal to manufacture these bulbs, or for shops to buy in new stock. Shelves have already emptied in various countries and whenever reported, lots of people have been up in arms, trotting out all the tired old, ignorant stories about how different variants of energy-saving bulbs are all rubbish.

For example, they must have been a bit torn at the Daily Mail, what with this being an excellent opportunity for an 'EU stamping all over our choice' piece, yet having to balance that up with the 'we don't want to look like evil planet-hating bastards' angle, resulting in this fairly restrained entry. Check the storm of comments though, they are fab.

Really though, whilst the change hasn't really been publicised much in the UK, this ban is undoubtedly a good move. Energy will be saved and people will save money. All good.

It inspired me to write a little verse...

Arc! Light a candle!
We are gathered here today to fi-lament the passing,
Of an old fixture watts lux run out.
Brilliant in their day, truly incandescent, they would have volted forth, stuck a tungsten out at their usurpers,
Possibly even ballasted or lamped them.
But they grew dimmer, passed into the shade - and now argon.
Switched off.
We commit them to the halide ground.
And now we turn the spotlight on to to those who have LED the way to be energy-saving,
To stop the climate getting edison-screwed.
Reflect in peace.
Lumen.

Big Tissue

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Hello folks!

Greenpeace have recently chalked up a victory for their Kleercut campaign.

One of my last posts a couple of years back concerned Kimberley-Clark (the people who bring you Kleenex and other paper tissue products) and their consistent plundering of wood from endangered forests in order for you to blow your nose on them (or whatever).

Kimberley-Clark have done the standard greenwash thing in the time since then, pointing out in adverts how many lovely trees they do plant etc. However, they have finally bowed to pressure from Greenpeace and others and decided to adopt some much improved environmental policies.

They've "set a goal of obtaining 100 percent of the company’s wood fiber for tissue products, including the Kleenex brand, from environmentally responsible sources." I like that word 'goal' don't you? Anyway, this includes sourcing FSC certified timber and more recycled fibre so it's actually a bit of a result. It's going to take them at least a couple of years to sort much of this out though.

Some people criticise Greenpeace for not being hard line enough, but there's no doubt their policy of being open to talk with big industry has reaped rewards over the years. In line with their 'no permanent enemies' stance (and I presume much smarming from K-C) they have also suggested people praise Kimberley-Clark's stance and made this comedy 'making up' film:

That said, I won't be adding Kleenex to my shopping list anytime soon. Once they've actually achieved their 'goal' I might think about it. How about you?

Happy returns...

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:10:00 +0000

Hello!!!

Your Recruiting Officer has returned! My apologies, I really was gone for some time. Nice to see the blogosphere is still standing. Although it's been an interesting couple of years for our world I note that not all ills have been righted - so let's see if we can lend some more weight, condemn the bad, praise the good, and generally have a good time in the process.

Act II

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Night's dark fingers crept into the settlement and tightened their grip, as the waning sunshine drew far and away, over the edge of the boundary walls, the reddened sky marking its vow to return good and strong the following morning.

The sentry and his lad stood watch, the father all alert and the boy hugging himself against first chill of the evening.

A long time passed without event, until, suddenly but faintly, a song could be heard, far off on the forest road, and with time it grew louder.

"Hark!" said the sentry, "I know that song! It's an old tune our Recruiting Officer would sing, to put cheer in our hearts on the hardest of days. But he's been gone too long now, it cannot be. Or can it?"

The song grew steadily louder...

AWOL-ness...

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 11:06:00 +0000

Goodness me, I haven't posted for nearly three months! I can assure you, your Recruiting Officer has been very busy in the garden battling the adverse effects of this summer's wet weather and doing all manner of exciting things. I have even managed a holiday. Abroad, no less! Anyway, perhaps more of that soon. In the meantime I hope anyone stopping by is well - and hopefully I will manage another post or two before my time is up. :-)

I can't talk now, I'm doing a three point turn...

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Wed, 16 May 2007 21:30:00 +0000

I was driving home this evening after going out to buy some bits for the garden and on one of the roads approaching my house, which is about a car length in width, there was... a car. Sort of stretched right across the road at a bit of an angle like someone was doing a three point turn and got a bit bored.

I pulled up, waiting for something to happen and then, eventually, it kind of lurched across the other side of the road and on to the pavement.

The reason? The plank was actually on the phone. He didn't even stop after he mounted the pavement. I couldn't quite believe it, but there it was. It must have been a really important call. Or perhaps he was just a twunt.

I favoured him with a steely look and my 'taking the phone away from your ear' mime, that I learned from the Rozzers on Road Wars on Sky TV.

It does rather go to show how distracting people find mobile phones though. Even though we've had this phone/driving ban in place for some time and they have now upped the fine and points, I don't appear to see fewer people doing it.

Kimberly-Clark's Kleercut - Wiping Away Ancient Forests

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 10:45:00 +0000

You may have seen the ads here in the UK, or indeed elsewhere in the world, where the makers of Kleenex, Kimberly Clark, plonk down a big blue sofa in your high street and ask people to 'let it out' - i.e. relate some tale of woe that makes them cry so, yes - you've guessed it, they feel the need to reach for a Kleenex tissue to wipe away their tears.

These ads have been showing in the UK for months now and I've always thought it would be funny to spoof them, based around the fact many people find it very sad Kimberly-Clark feel the need to cut down ancient forest to provide virgin pulp for their paper products and the pitiful percentage of recycled paper they contain.

Well, Greenpeace in New York City in the USA went one better and hijacked a Kleenex filming session as part of the Kleercut campaign against them (a previous post on this here). This is priceless, check it out, clicky here - http://kleercut.net/en/letitout

Happiness is a warm gun...

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:07:00 +0000

There have, perhaps, been more worthy things to write about recently, however, will the US ever give up its love affair with guns? Another shooting, more kids killed. There will undoubtedly be another bit of a kerfuffle, then the US gun lobbies will say how it's a God-given right to shoot your neighbours in the head if they piss you off and actually how that's very unlikely what with how safe guns are and then we'll be watching something similar again soon enough, just like we are now after the last time. US gun law is bizarre - even when it exists. Easier gun accessibility equals more gun-related incidents. It's not rocket science is it?

For the fallen...

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 23:59:00 +0000

Here we lie,
Battered and bruised.
I never thought it would end like this.
Unused.

A Frog Was Spawn

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 11:00:00 +0000

Seemingly massive amounts of frog spawn in the pond has now exploded into tadpoles. Frogs are my chief ally in the organic battle against slugs and snails and fortunately there always seem to be plenty in the pond each year. There are some interesting facts about frogs and toads on the BBC Springwatch site.

Here they are basking on some algae at the top of the pond. I guess they might be starting to eat it now:

Here's a close-up:

Most seem content sitting around at the moment, but they occasionally wriggle around a bit. Hopefully they should be fine now if we have a cold snap - I think it's generally just the spawn that gets frosted when it's so close to the surface. I think the snails are getting worried already.

The only downside I've noticed with frogs is that around dusk, in the summer, it's quite difficult to the see them and they have the capacity to scare the living daylights out of me when they suddenly leap out of vegetation or across a path - half because I'm worried about treading on them. Makes for interesting gardening, anyway; and it's well worth it for all the good they do. They look quite sweet in the pond too, bobbing up from under the lily leaves and doing a little bit of croaking now and again. Only about two percent of frogs survive to adulthood apparently, but it still looks like mine should be doing okay if that's the case.

Do you have any interesting frogs or toads in your garden? I saw a couple of small very dark-brown toads in the garden last year (it may well have been the same one twice) that I couldn't identify, because I'm sure there was a red-coloured stripe on each side. It may have been a common toad - but it may also have been a frog because it seemed to be hopping, not walking. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture.

Lunar Eclipse 03/03/07

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 14:05:00 +0000

Did anyone see the lunar eclipse last night? It was absolutely smashing, here in Wareham; the worrisome rainclouds of late afternoon gave way to a beautifully clear winter sky.

I was once really keen on astronomy and it's one of those things I seem to have found a lot less time for in adult life, however the draw of an eclipse or shooting stars in late summer - or the treat of a properly dark sky somewhere remote, rather than one over-burdened with artificial light - still fills me with tremendous excitement and fascination. To me, it's one of those precious life experiences quite similar to the feeling you get staring into a campfire or being absorbed in making something simple with your hands. You get that sense of connectedness, a sense of flow - a sense that these are the kinds of things people have done forever, they are hard coded into what we are.

I took some shots of the moon with my standard Olympus on a tripod, so I couldn't get in as close as I would have liked, but they came out as well as I could expect.

Here we are approaching total eclipse with just the top of the moon still to fall into shadow:

And now we are in near totality - the moon has that brilliant orangey-red glow, apparently from the light still being refracted through the earth's atmosphere:

A very pleasant way to spend a Saturday evening. I am currently trying to quell the urge to buy a new camera or lenses for this kind of thing, so am making do with all the brilliant efforts on Flickr.

Berry New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:30:00 +0000

You may have seen some of your Recruiting Officer's past posts about gardening and Garden Organic etc.. If so you'll know I have been honing my veg growing skills for a while now, concentrating on staying as organic as possible and chiefly growing the stuff that's expensive to buy: peppers, tomatoes, courgettes and so on.

Now I have a good game plan for the veg I have promised myself that this year I will start to get a bit more serious about fruit. The strawberry crops have been reasonable and I am now hoping to build a fruit cage in time to start some raspberries and blackberries. I have fond memories of happy summers, as a child, spent picking strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and the like from the garden.

I also have an established grape vine I am renovating and some more vines in containers I am hoping to plant out this year.

Blueberries and cranberries have become very popular in the UK in recent times - helped much, I'm sure, by the stories about their potential health benefits. In my fruity quest I was reminded that we have the most wonderful grower of blueberries right here in Dorset - The Dorset Blueberry Company. The owners, the Trehane family, introduced blueberries to the UK back in the last century.

And on Monday I spent a very jolly time having a look round their yard and buying some plants. They are in the middle of loads of work and not up to lots of visitors at the moment, building a new farm shop, tea room and all sorts. Not withstanding this they were really helpful and friendly, and the place should look smashing when they are done in a few months. You can also buy plants and an expanding range of other products from their online shop.

I now have some lovely little cranberry plants and two different blueberries - Herbert and Northblue. In the words of Dervla Kirwan, Herbert blueberries are not just blueberries, they are M&S blueberries - the Trehane's sell their crop to the supermarket from July to Sepetmber. I have much learning to do now about how to take care of them, but I can hardly wait for the results!

Back to veg again, briefly: the recent series gardener Carol Klein did on BBC2 called Grow Your Own Veg was smashing - she has such a passion for the subject. If you missed it and can catch a re-run I totally recommend it.

So what does it all mean?

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:46:00 +0000

As has been the case at several moments throughout human history, your Recruiting Officer has decided a foray into absurdism will be good for the soul. In the near future, you can expect more posts like yesterday's peanut related poem and in the near future I may attempt to say a few words about the great playwright Eugene Ionesco, a marvel of the theatre of the absurd. I am not mad. Bibble.

Re-Pulse

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 23:45:00 +0000

Peanut, peanut, there you are.
Singing on a shining star.
Tracing your parabo-laaaa.
Onwards, upwards, you'll go far.

Ode to Prolonged Wet Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:59:00 +0000

Sun is gone.
Missing in action.
Last seen sinking in the west.

Rain and clouds.
Never-ending.
Seems I'm not quite at my best.

Misery has come to stay.
Go away.
Come again another day.
If you must.

Happy 2007!

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 16:31:00 +0000

Well, it has only taken two weeks for your Recruiting Officer to make the first post of 2007. I hope life is treating you all well. I have been mostly coming to terms with working and otherwise generally trying to chill out a bit.

Of late I have been more and more conscious of the suction of modern life. The speed, the ignorance, the heady cocktail of the herd-mentality and the often ultimately dissatisfying bombardment and temptaion of the senses.

In fact this is the latest invite from the the folk at Adbusters:

Dear Jammers & Creatives,

Still feeling frazzled from the December whirlwind of holiday shopping, gift giving, and parties? Already burned out by extra hours at the office in the New Year? Tired of spending more time in traffic than you do with your family and friends?

It's not too late to slow down and renew your intentions for a saner, more mindful way of life in 2007. If you’re ready to experiment with a different, more fulfilling rhythm, join us in celebrating the second annual INTERNATIONAL SLOW DOWN WEEK, January 14-20.

For one week, instead of running to catch the bus or zipping in and out of traffic, try walking to work. Instead of grabbing take-out on the way home, cook a meal with your family. Leave the TV and computer off, and play an old-fashioned board game, or just sit and catch up with family and friends. If possible, take a day off work — and then while it away with a long walk and an afternoon nap.

For some humorous inspiration, check out our Slow Down Week animation at www.adbusters.org. Forward it to family and friends and invite them to join you in a week of leisure.

Sounds luvverly, don't it?

Happy Christmas 2006!

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 22:55:00 +0000

Well, I hope everyone is enjoying the festivities, whatever your thing might be. I am all set: some good food, good wine and good company lined up. I am cooking tomorrow which should be fun. This year we are having turkey and I can't remember the last time I had it at Christmas so I'm really looking forward to it.

Others are taking care of dessert this year so I have postponed the making of the trifle for a couple of days - and I have managed to get away without cooking much today apart from preparing some veggie sausage rolls.

Well, a large glass of red wine is calling me, so I'll just say I hope any visitors stopping by have a smashing time and I'll catch up with you all soon! ;-)

Crap Customer Service Spotlight: HMV

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:50:00 +0000

Another tale of why most big shops don't give a toss and why we should leave them alone.

Yes, I decided to buy some stuff from HMV. I really don't know what I was thinking, but if you are planning to buy anything from HMV over Christmas or in the near future, your Recruiting Officer suggests you certainly do not do so if you need things in a hurry.

Instead of simply ranting on now, complaining that HMV are rubbish, HMV are crap, HMV should be avoided at all costs etc., let me explain my order woe and how the problem is deep-seated within the way they operate...

Over a year ago I ordered some items from HMV. This was, I think, just as they moved their online operation to Guernsey in the Channel Islands for the purposes of VAT avoidance and what not. Now, HMV often advertise sale items as a way to tempt people in, as many shops do, however the HMV online ordering system was apparently built by a bunch of monkeys without enough coding skill, given too little time. Basically, as deep in their terms and conditions it vaguely points out, the price you pay is not the price you saw next to the big 'BUY' button, but is the one in your shopping basket.

Now, prices updating in a shopping basket to reflect changing stock levels etc. I have no particular truck with. Someone might spend a good while browsing, even across sessions, so prices could change. In theses circumstances I have noticed some websites actually alert you to the fact that items you have previously put in your basket have changed price. Good for them - being nice and transparent about it. However, because the HMV customer-facing system is only periodically updated with actual stock/price info, you can click the 'BUY' button at one price and the item will immediately go into your basket at a higher one. It is then up to you to double check the cost of every item at checkout. Shocking. My understanding is that if a supermarket or high street shop did this to you they would not have a legal leg to stand on, so how can HMV get away with it?

This also means they advertise items as in stock and 'normally dispatched within 24 hours' only to change their minds a day later and tell you they have to order stuff in. I ordered an item in October that was 'in stock' that I am still waiting for - and they've done the same with two items that were 'in stock' when I ordered them two weeks ago.

Now, I may just have been very unfortunate several times I've ordered stufff from them, however their system is, at best, inherently consumer unfriendly - if not entirely underhand. Buyer beware and all that, yes - but to have such a high profile vendor trying to scrounge orders they cannot fulfil and passing off crap business practice as acceptable by hiding behind terms and conditions is disgraceful.

HMV are sadly not 'top dog for Christmas'. More like the dog that wipes its arse across your carpet in front of your guests.

You must excuse me now, please, I've just spotted a pint of eggnog with my name on it...

Christmas Shopping - More Reasons To Be Fearful

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:00:00 +0000

I am just not writing this blog regularly at the moment. You know that and I know that, so I'll stop going on about it and hope things may improve in the future.

Anyway, I went shopping yesterday. Bloody hell. Madness. I commented last year about the apparent lack of joy in Christmas shopping and things don't seem to have improved.

I berate myself when I end up in shops like Tesco and Argos. It's crazy and mindnumbingly depressing. I went into the Argos in Bournemouth yesterday and as I stood in the very long, winding queue to the tills - the woman in front of me letting her two young children roll around on the floor with fistfuls of little Argos biros and some leaflets to scribble on - it felt like a march towards consumer doom. There we were, lots of visibly not very happy people, stressed or resigned to a several minute wait, a pregnant pause in our 'everything now' culture.

And what were we waiting for? Stuff we could probably quite happily do without, made and shipped over from China on a great big boat at a sizeable detriment to the environment - one that we can forget all about the next time we want to blame China for doing fuck all ourselves about global warming.

I also spoke to Orange this week about upgrading my phone. I am on a monthly contract and although they allegedly now offer the same deals to existing customers as new, they told me it was going to cost £150 to upgrade my handset. Yes, you guessed it, for a phone that if I was a new customer would be free.

The best bit is, if I change from contract to Pay As You Go, I can then take out the same monthly contract again and get the phone for nothing. Mental.

The future's bleak, the future's... Can you see I was going for a crack at Orange's 'the future's bright, the future's Orange' slogan? Only orange is notoriously difficult to rhyme with anything, of course. Even moreso something that defines shit.

Bah fucking humbug.

Buy Nothing Day - November 24 or 25 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 23:00:00 +0000

Fed up with consumer madness? Feel like someone is trying to sell you stuff 24/7? Well this weekend (Friday in North America and Saturday everywhere else) you can get your revenge by doing absolutely nothing.

Yes, it's Buy Nothing Day 2006: A chance to reflect on the ridiculous amounts we consume. A chance to realise how much damage we do to both the environment and people's lives through our collective greed. A chance to participate by not participating.

If you fancy being more direct then their are plenty of suggestions on active things to do from my post for last year here. There's lots to download here too. The dedicated UK site is here. And have fun - without spending a penny!

Blame Canada (and España)

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 16:55:00 +0000

Right now, the United Nations is considering a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling. While the White House is supporting deep-sea protection, Spain and Canada are trying to block the deal.

According to the World Conservation Union, Spain is responsible for 40 percent of the high seas bottom trawl catch. Meanwhile, Canada has no high seas bottom trawl fleet and their Minister has admitted bottom trawling is destructive - but is opposing a moratorium anyway.

On the Ocean Defenders side is the USA, Australia, Germany, Brazil, India, South Africa, Palau and a host of other countries. The UN will make a final decision by November 23rd.

Amusing accompanying animated linkage: Oh my God, they killed Squiddy!

Or just go here and send e-mails and stuff.

Good Morning America

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 23:45:00 +0000

The US mid-term elections have been held and... it's official: Finally George Bush and his war-mongering administration have been given a taste of defeat by the US public. The worsening war in Iraq seems to have been the main thing to swing a lot of places towards the Democrats.

In what was obviously a calculated move the first big thing Bush has done is to 'accept the resignation' of Donald Rumsfeld, the war-mongering US Secretary of Defense, who helped arm Iraq in the 1980s and then got all excited about bombing the crap out of it instead - and having played an instrumental part in waging an illegal war, still prefers to kill holocaust-like numbers of innocent civilians rather than put enough troops on the ground to do the job properly.

It all changed after September 11th didn't it? Such an utterly devastating event, but it's such a shame that was the catalyst for the evil in this administration to get its way. I am not a religious man, however one of the things I have always found odd about the US (and the UK to a lesser extent in modern times) is that, for a vociferously Christian country, that faith's ideology goes out the window the moment it's perceived someone needs showing who's boss. It's also shameful that US foreign policy is either so outright blatant or thinly veiled about profiting from such destruction.

Let's just sincerely hope the Democrats can effect some positive change to the shambles Bush and the neo-conservative hawks have wrought. We need a US behaving as a truly democratic nation setting an example on the world stage rather than the playground bully conveniently throwing the rules out the window whenever it wants. The sooner that happens, the sooner there will be a better concensus for peace and for dealing with the world's issues.

Anyway, today, Bush said that before accepting Rumsfeld's resignation, they both "had a series of thoughtful conversations." Let's just imagine for a moment how one of those might have gone...

Donald Rumsfeld: I'm fucked aren't I? It's time for me to resign and go play with my money.

George Bush: Do you want fries with that?

In a Pickle

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 22:45:00 +0000

Preserving food. Yum. This year I was hoping to experiment a bit with different preserving techniques. I have had some success with pickling, freezing and drying and I have made an exceedingly large amount of chutney.

In fact, a comedy amount of chutney. So much so that people will probably be getting chutney for Christmas and it will be forming a substantial part of my winter diet. But I can live with that.

So far I have made chutney with green tomatoes, regular tomatoes, tomatillos and aubergines - many featuring plenty of apple too and other bits and pieces. I think beetroot may soon be on the list too.

Tomatillos are fun. They have probably been in the UK forever, but seem to have become popular again recently. I have mentioned them before and they are another popular Latin American speciality - tasty in fresh salsas etc. I haven't got around to making salsa yet which is a shame, but chutney? Oh yes.

This year I grew an organic variety called Violet - apparently so-called because of the colour they ripen into:

Anyhow, here's a quick run through of some green tomato chutney I made back in September. I adapted the recipe from this one one by Keith Floyd from the BBC website. Most chutneys work along very similar lines though it seems. Firstly, of course, green tomatoes:

A big preserving pan is fairly essential when making chutneys and jams etc. Pop in the tomatoes and onions:

Followed by the apples, raisins, sugar, a little salt and a nice muslin bag full of chopped chillies and crushed ginger:

Lastly, pour in the vinegar and bring to the boil:

After a good long simmer things start to break down a bit and I gather you can just keep going as long as you like really depending on the final consistency you want:

The finished product needs to go in jars of course. Here is some of this year's stock:

Interestingly, I had some jars already although I quickly realised I would need some more. Looking on the internet and in shops I realised that one pound jars with lids cost anything from 40p upwards to buy new. In a perfect example of how crazy this world is, I quickly realised it would be cheaper to buy jars of something cheap and re-use them. Enter Tesco value pasta sauce at 27p a jar. Even bigger than a pound jam jar size and you can do something creative with the pasta sauce too! A good wash out and with the labels removed they are just the job.

It's been really satisfying making things using produce from the garden - especially knowing everything has been grown as organically as possible. As I mentioned earlier, I am now thinking of creative things to do with beetroot. I had no idea beetroot was so good for you. Chocolate beetroot cake is definitely on the list!

Just Sick

noreply@blogger.com (Recruiting Officer) — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 16:08:00 +0000

Blimey, I have been proper poorly this week. Not even sit in front of the computer poorly, I mean just don't bother getting out of bed poorly. My head is now feeling somewhere near half-sensible (I often can't hope for a lot more) and therefore I'll get on with the posts I've been trying to do. Tomorrow. I promise. Yeah, right, I hear you say. I will try. ;-)