Random Blatherings

This afternoon, I made a very tasty cheese & veg bake. In the veg box a few days ago, we had a head of Romanesco, and I wanted to do something new with it. So I poked about in the fridge and freezer, found some other veg, and made a vegetable and cheese bake.

My apologies for the half-eaten-ness of it, but I was hungry, and had 2 helpings. Anyway, to make it, you will need:

• 1 pint (600ml) of milk.
• 3oz (90g) of grated cheese. Make sure it’s a strongly flavoured cheese, as this is what will be providing the flavour to the sauce. If you only have cheap stuff (like I did), just add more.
• 1½ oz (40 g) of plain flour. I used self raising (because it was all we had in the cupboard) and it turned out fine.
• 1½ oz (40 g) of butter. I used margarine, and slightly less (~30g), because I wanted it to be healthier.
• 3-4 handful of whatever veg you fancy. I used Romanesco, Broccoli and a Leek. I think I’d use 2 leeks next time.
• Salt/pepper/spices/Worcestershire sauce to flavour. I used cayenne and turmeric.

Method for cheese sauce:

1. Gently melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Use a smallish one because it’s easier to break the lumps up.
2. Add the flour and stir in. It should lump together pretty quickly and look like wallpaper paste. Don’t worry. Just add a little of the milk if you think it’s going to go funny or not mix. Keep the heat low.
3. Slowly add the milk, about a tablespoon (15ml) at a time. I used a silicone spatula to break up the inevitable lumps. They’ll keep forming for a while, until the sauce is more liquid, so just keep working them out.
4. As the sauce gets more and more liquid, you can add the milk faster and faster. At this point, use a hand or electric whisk. If you’re finding you still have lumps, get rid of them before you slosh the milk in, or you’ll have trouble shifting them afterwards. Always work your lumps out before you add too much milk.
5. Once all the milk has been added, and you have no lumps (just strain your sauce if you find them at this point), turn the heat up. Get it to about medium-hot, and whisk like mad. Don’t let the mixture sit at this point. As the mixture starts to boil, it will thicken. When it does, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer for a few minutes.
6. After a few minutes simmering, and stirring occasionally, add the cheese. Put some in, stir it about to melt it, then taste the sauce. If you need more cheese, add more. Once you’re happy with the cheesiness of it, add the salt & pepper. I used freshly ground black pepper, which meant I had little black bits in the sauce. White pepper might have been better. Stir.
7. Taste your sauce. I added a little cayenne for some heat, and some turmeric to make the sauce a more appetising creamy yellow colour. Neither are essential, so if you don’t have them, just leave them out.
8. Stir, taste, and leave to simmer.

Method for vegetables:

1. Use whatever veg you like. Cauliflower is traditional, but try Brussels Sprouts, Courgettes, Peas, Purple Sprouting, etc. Use something that will hold it’s shape (ie, not leafy vegetables). This is just for aesthetics, and who really wants to eat a 1″ square bit of Cabbage?
2. Cut your veg up small. Smaller than you think. Anything bigger than your thumbnail is too big. You wont be able to see them easily in the cheese sauce, and this isn’t the sort of dish you eat with a knife. Small bite-sized pieces are what you’re aiming for.
3. Cook them how you like them. I steamed mine, but you could boil or microwave or whatever. I like mine crunchy, too, so I cooked them for just a couple of minutes.
4. Set aside to drain.

Method for completion:

1. Put your veg in the bottom of the serving dish. I jumbled mine up, but you might like to get all fancy and layer them regularly. Whatever works for you.
2. Pour over the hot cheese sauce. Heat it up a little to make it run better. The sauce should freeze OK, so don’t feel you have to make the veg swim. This recipe will make over a pint of sauce.
3. Add your topping. I use crunched up maize based snacks (cheesy poofs) on top of mine, but you could use ordinary potato crisps (chips).
4. Serve.

Variations:

1. Mix in some cooked pasta to stretch the veg. Penne would work well, but just use what you have in the cupboard.
2. Add some fried pancetta (cubes of bacon) to the sauce. The saltiness would go well with the creaminess of the cheese. If you don’t have pancetta (and who does?) just grill some bacon and cut it up into strips.
3. Instead of putting a crispy topping, use some potato slices. Parboil them, then layer attractively (think fish scales) on top of the mix. Cover lightly with cheese sauce, then bake until golden.

This is great for fussy eaters, because they can’t see the veg so easily. If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, please leave me a reply below.

I sometimes think of life as a table. A massive table laden with food and drink, like you often see at parties. Everyone you meet comes to this table looking for food, conversation, etc. I know it’s a messy analogy, but work with me.

Some people are givers, and bring more food to the table, in the form of good times, encouragement, laugher, help, conversation. They improve your life simply by being a part of it, and are often your best friends or your family, those people in life you seek to associate with.

Some people don’t stay for long at the table. They just come for a look, and then go away again. These include cashiers, people on the street and, if you’re lucky, your mother-in-law.

Some people just gorge themselves on your food, and then go away when you stop providing it. This class probably includes people that you no longer know. If you don’t know anyone like this, count yourself very lucky.

But the most pernicious class are those who string you along, either by malice or ignorance, promising you untold dainties if you’ll just do this for them, or that, or the other. People who behave like this sometimes don’t realise that they’re doing it. That doesn’t change the fact, though, that what they’re doing is unacceptable (unless, of course, you’re OK with working hard for little or no reward). I have people like this in my life. I bet you do too.

How do you deal with them? Do you cut them out completely, or limit interactions, or what?

Do you think your blog is secure?

By default, Wordpress is flashing it’s version number to the entire internet. In itself, this isn’t a big issue. However, the security hole appears when someone trying to hack into your blog sees this little bit of information, and uses it to their advantage. Earlier versions of Wordpress (and quite possibly the current version too) have security holes that were patched (or will be) in later versions. Someone who can see that you’re running an older version will use a hack specific to that version of Wordpress, to get access to your blog. And once they have access, they can wreak a lot of havoc.

If you want to see what I’m taking about, go to any page on your blog, and view the source (usually, you’ll find this feature under View in the browser menu). What you’re looking for is right at the top of the page. A few lines down, you’ll see something like:

<meta name=”generator” content=”WordPress 2.6.2″ /> <!– leave this for stats –>

(If you’re seeing anything less than 2.6.2, shame on you! Wordpress 2.6.2 fixes a major security issue. Make sure and update as soon as possible.)

If you view the source of this page, you’ll see something like

<meta name="generator" content="WordPress 8330" /> <!-- leave this for stats -->

That’s because I’m using Replace WP-Version. It’s a Wordpress plugin that automatically hides the version number of your Wordpress installation. Once this plugin is activated, you don’t need to do anything else. No need to edit any files, or anything scary like that. Just upload and activate. And then forget about it. The plugin replaces the Wordpress version value with a random number, every time the page is reloaded. A potential hacker isn’t going to know what version of the software you’re running, so they’re more likely to look for another blog to hack.

Maybe you think your blog is too small to be bothered hacking. It isn’t. There are forms of malware out there that seek out targets like your blog to hack into, automatically. They don’t care about how many RSS feed subscribers you have, or when you last posted. You’re just a target to them, the same as any other blog. By letting them know the version number, you’re giving them an easy ride hacking in.

Use Replace WP-Version to help keep your blog safe and secure.

I thought this might be a fun thing to do. I’m going to write some advice to my younger self. Stuff that I think would have been nice to hear while I was growing up (like I’m ever going to stop doing that). It’s too late now, but who cares.

Years 5 and below:

She will eventually stop grabbing you by the neck. I promise. Yes, the big wide world is scary. Get used to it. It happens a lot. Life does get better.

Years 5-10:

Do not be mean to the cat. Yes, it’s funny, but the cat doesn’t think so. And lets face it, you certainly wouldn’t like it if someone did that to you now, would you? Don’t bother calling for him. It’s not going to work. You’ll realise this pretty soon, and give up. She wont like it, but then again, she never will like anything you do. Cherish these years. They’re the most fun you’ll have for a long time.

Years 11-15:

Keep your mouth shut! I don’t care how lonely you are, or how much you want the attention. If you tell them, and you repeatedly will, you will have any shred of self esteem you once had stripped from you. These, aside from the couple of friends you make, will be some of the darkest years of your life. You will survive them, but it wont be easy. Eventually you’ll rebuild, and be stronger for it. Keep that thought uppermost in your mind. And remember; people will take advantage of you if you let them. The meek never inherited the earth.

Years 16-20:

Just keep going. You’ve been through worse. Rebuilding will be slow and lonely, but you will fall in love with someone, and it will heal you more than you know. You’ll get a stable job, earn a wage, and become an adult in the eyes of the law. Maturity you have already. You’ll build a friendship, and because of that realise that everyone is messed up in their own way. People aren’t always malicious. They’re just out for themselves. Remember what I said about being meek?

Years 20-present:

Life is getting better, isn’t it? You’ll be up and down, and confused a hell of a lot. Stick to what you know is true, and forget what other people tell you. Follow your heart, and do what you know is right, because that way, you’ll be able to stand tall, knowing that you did the right thing for you. Life now is better than it’s ever been. Even on the bad days. Follow your bliss, because nobody else is going to follow it for you. And if they did, pictures of it wouldn’t be the same. You are an honest, true young man. Nobody is going to tell you this, so you’ll have to tell yourself. And you will.

—–

Well, that turned out darker than I expected. Still, it’s interesting to look back.

What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself?

I started this blog with high hopes. I was going to post some random fascinating tidbit about something every few days. It’s been about a month on average between blog postings. How do you guys do it?

How do you find something so regularly to post about?

Help a guy out here? Please?

I will be back soon.
Do not worry.
Put a sign on the door:
“Back in five minutes”.
I am merely going to another room, to change.
I will be back soon.
You may see me again:
Different face, different shape.
You may even know me.
I am alive, in your heart.
I will be back soon.
Do not grieve.
And do not say “goodbye”.
Say “hello”.

Sometimes, when I’ve had one of those days, I just get the urge to hide away from the world. I just need some space away from people to relax and lower my guard a bit. I find several things useful when I’m feeling like that.

1. A quiet place, where I can physically shut myself off from everyone else. Usually this is my bedroom. It’s very important to me that this by my territory, not a shared area, and that I can put a physical barrier (the door) between myself and the rest of the world. Sometimes I even close the curtains.
2. pzizz. It’s a programme for the PC that will create a custom “nap” for you to listen to, composed of soothing music. I have lots of mediation music, but I like that pzizz creates a new song each time you use it. I put it on, and turn the speakers up loud. Since it’s soothing music, I don’t get any complaints.
3. My air purifier. I use it to waft calming essential oils such as lavender or cedarwood round the room. Not only do they help calm me down, they also smell great.
4. Sometimes, I don’t feel like calming down. I need to expel the aggression, and let it burn itself out. When I feel like this, I grab my notepad, and start writing. I just let the thoughts flow, using curse words if I feel like doing that, and let the bile flow. Once I’m done, I put the pages through the shredder, or burn them. Destroying them in this way has a great visual appeal. If I’m really wound up, I’ll shred and then burn the pages. usually as I do this, I get the urge to laugh like a maniac.
5. Once I’ve calmed down, I’ll often listen to a hypnosis tape, and drift off to sleep for a while. When I wake up, I often feel much better. “Things always seem different in the morning”.
6. When I’ve calmed down, and come back to an equable state, I’ll have a look through the archives at Things I’m Grateful For, or maybe try to list some things I’m grateful for on the current day’s blog posting. I always try to end the situation on a happy, high note.

How do you calm down when you’re stressed out?

Register with Jack Daniels to get free bits and pieces. Feedback is good on this one, with several people saying they’ve received multiple items.

Click here to register. Don’t forget that you must be over 21 to register.

Get a free de-stress hypnosis download when you enter some details at Hypnosis Direct. You’ll get 2 emails from them, and I always recommend using a throwaway email account when dealing with freebies like this. I’ve just downloaded the mp3, and other feedback is good.

Click here to enter your details.

Today I have applied for a free back issue of Beautiful Britain Magazine.

Welcome to Beautiful Britain, the quarterly magazine for everyone
who loves Britain. Wherever you live, Beautiful Britain will help
you discover more about the country’s stunning landscape, its
picturesque towns, charming villages and ancient cities, and
the people who give Britain its unique character and vibrancy.

I found this via Moneysaving Expert’s Freebies Forum.

I love fruit smoothies. Mainly because I like fruit, but sometimes find it inconvenient to eat it. I love the fact that I can sit at the computer or whatever, slurping three of my five-a-day without the inconvenience of dealing with cores or pith. I also love the fact I can vary the recipe to make each smoothie suit my mood. If it’s a hot day I might have melon, grapefruit and some celery juice (much nicer than it sounds). If it’s cold, I might have apple and cinnamon with a dab of honey.

One thing I’ve noticed while juicing is that berry fruit such as raspberries, blueberries or blackberries often have a lot of seeds, which can be a right pain when you’re expecting a nice smooth drink. A trick I’ve learned is to juice these fruits separately, then strain them. I put them in the blender with a tiny little bit of apple juice, whizz them up, and then strain them through a tea strainer. The fine mesh prevents the seeds from getting into the drink, but you still get the flavour.

The book I use in the main to provide me with smoothie recipes is Juices & Health Drinks. I got it quite cheap from a charity shop, and it’s proved to be invaluable. It’s spiral bound, which is a massive help when you’re fingers are covered in fruit juice and you don’t want to stain the pages. I used to just do apple+banana+grape (imaginative, I know), but you haven’t lived until you’ve tried the Melon Mint smoothie from this book. Some of the recipes sound a little extreme (one of them contains spinach), but I’m working my way through them, and finding more than a few gems. And of course, it’s a great leaping off point. I’ve been inspired to invent quite a few of my own fruit smoothie recipes.

When I’ve been drinking smoothies regularly, I can definitely see a difference in my skin and energy levels. They also seem to help me with my diet, because I find some of them rather filling (banana+mango) which helps me stop snacking. And it makes me feel good to know that I’m eating a healthy snack, instead of fattening chocolate and crisps/chips.

I’ve even tried adding some unusual ingredients to smoothies - bell pepper, celery, etc, as well as some more obvious ones such as carrot. They all add a different nuance to the drink, as well as the health benefits. Extra fibre in a diet is always a good thing, as well as antioxidants and less refined sugars.

I use an ordinary home blender to make the healthy smoothies. I do have a juicer, but it’s a bit of a pain to clean up afterwards. A smoothie maker So I peel and core, and slice a bit, then stick it all in the blender and whizz away. It’s a very cathartic method of creating, and watching the mixture change from lumps of fruit to smooth drink is quite satisfying.

If you’d like to have a go at juicing, but don’t know where to start, check out Juices & Health Drinks. It’s a great book for the beginner juicer. If you already do make smoothies, what is your favourite recipe? I’d love to hear it.