Tuesday 17th August
Post of the week time! This week we've chosen Madkat as our winner!
"Thats the thing though, it isnt just this country that experiences price rises, we are unaware of it happening in other affluent countries because we dont live there or hear about it in our news. All we hear is what is relevent to the country we are in. A lot of our goods are imported for our consumption, so if you think about it, price rises must be in place in other countries that provide us with raw goods, for the knock on affect to hit us as consumers in this country. Yes there are countries in the world that have a lower cost of living than we do, but when you look at the lifestyle of those countries as a whole, everything is relative to there economic climate. We are fortunate to live in the country we do with the availability of choice to us, but I think so many of us take it for granted because it is always there. It is inevitable that food prices will continue to rise, but that is part of life i'm afraid. There are periods where prices are relatively stable, but then as soon as they begin to rise again there is uproar about it. Everything in the world is increasing in prices, oil, transportation, storage etc that has such a huge effect on the prices of goods we all purchase. Not only within this country, but within countries that we get goods imported from. Every link in the chain that is involved in us as consumers being able to have the choice we have, experiences price rises, which inevitably end up with us as consumers paying that little bit more."
Congrats again to all! Keeping these decisions tough for us!
Moderator Information
Hi guys, firstly many apologies that this has taken so very long to declare, but we'd like to happily announce that (in no particular order) Madkat and Chattybird have agreed to take on a modship role for us on here. We hope you will continue to make their jobs nice and easy and try not to be too deferential towards them. Hopefully this will continue to make things tick over nicely and make the whole site a pleasant place to visit. We plan on sending out a FAQ document very soon to you all so hopefully this will clear up any other questions you may have as well!
Monday 9th August
Post of the week time! And this week (after much heated debate in Pulse HQ) we've given the award to Chattybird for for her travelling story in Hungary
"Many years ago, in another life, my (then) husband and I - who were young and poor - went on our 'Europe on 50p a day ' tour. I'm not joking, we both workrd for the railway industry so travel was free and we spent very little for three weeks and visited many countries, seeing more of them than we would have on organised holidays. We quickly discovered that railway station restaurants offered really good value meals so, on the night we left Budapest on the overnight train to Dubrovnik we decided to use our remaining Hungarian Forints (worthless once you left the country) on a meal at Budapest Main Station. I'm pretty clued-up on European languages but the menu, in Serbo-Croat, was a bit of a challenge to say the least! For the starter there was something that was obviously some sort of soup - no problem. For the main course it was clear that goulash would be a hearty casserole, no problem. Then the waiter arrived for us to order dessets - problem! I had already identified something on the third section of the menu that, in any language, could only translate into something to do with chocolate. I confidently poointrd to it and ordered two, only to be told that it was 'off''. Not recognising anything else, I pointed to the next item on the list and ordered two. So far so good, I thought until the waiter brought us two dishes of sauerkraut!!! We ate them. If this if of interest I could tell so many more stories of eating on a few pence a day in Europe in the 1970's. Let me know if you would like to hear more. "
Our "shortlist" this week was anything but short! So thanks for all the excellent posts, particularly MadKat's on food prices and rose's on salt levels in foods to name but two!
Monday 2nd August
It's another Monday already - and another post of the week competition! This week's winning post has gone to Particleman for his interesting thread on what makes food natural
"Just because something is natural does not mean that it is good, safe or healthy. Herbs are natural but they are also drugs when used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a disease. The chemicals which comprise synthetic drugs are natural. Some plants are lethal even though they are natural. But if you die from eating a lethal but natural plant, you will not be said to have died of natural causes. Ditto, if you die from being bitten by a poisonous snake whose venom is quite natural. If you die from lung cancer caused by smoking tobacco, a natural plant, you will, however, be said to have died of natural causes. Eating meat might be a natural act, but eating cooked meat is unnatural. Most sauces put on meat are made with both natural and artificial ingredients. Salt is natural, but some healthy people avoid salt like the plague. In fact, ultimately everything which is made is comprised of nothing but natural atoms, molecules, elements, or substances. So, if everything is basically natural, why do some people, such as the naturopaths, make such a big fuss about using only what is natural? Such an obsession seems unhealthy, but it helps one avoid having to ask difficult questions about whether something really is good, safe or healthy. All you need to know is that something is "natural" and you don't have to think about its value."
We thought the resulting debate from this was very interesting as well and really enjoyed reading it! Many thanks to all who contributed/are contributing to it (please don't let us tell you to finish!).
Monday 26th July
This week we have chosen DRGD's post on Brits to be hit with Junk food tax as the post of the week. For anyone that missed it, here it is
"I don't have a problem with this as I am someone who eats healthy food, although I am sure I am probably in the minority. After all with the huge deficit we have at the moment if this tax could go to reducing that without raising the income taxes I already have to pay then I am all for it. I like the occasional bar of chocolate and packet of crisps but I would certainly think twice about it if the price was increased by 15 to 20 pence. I don't understand the argument about poorer families being worse off. There are plenty of cost effective alternatives out there that aren't classed as junk food. It is down to the individual and head of families to decide if they feel that junk food is the preferred option for them because they are too lazy to learn how to prepare more wholesome food. A vegetable casserole, can be a healthy and affordable option offering valuable nutrients for a fraction of the price of feeding a family of four at a fast food joint. I personally believe that obesity is a result of poor food choices and lack of exercise. Lack of money and time are not a viable excuse"
Many congratulations DRGD. Thanks so much for all your great posts this week, keep it up and next week it could be you!
Tuesday 20th July
Post of the Week competition
This week we have chosen craigy123456789's post on being fed up of being told what to do as the post of the week.
"I thought we live our lives the way we want to? We make our own decisions in life no matter good or bad. I am so sick of seeing and hearing all the crap about having to eat healthily and how to do it. If we want to we will, if we don't we won't. Yes i need to lose weight but so sick of hearing that we should eat and drink this and shouldn't have this or that. Such an item contains % of this and that. Im bored of it all. Anyone else feel the same?"
Many congratulations craigy123456789. There were plenty of topics for us to look at this week and some good strong opinions (exactly what we like!)
Tuesday 13th July
Post of the Week competition
This week we have chosen siouxieq2010's topic on "The Daftest Mistake you've made while cooking" as the post of the week (hopefully she won't mind us highlighting it!)
"I have made two that I can remember. The first was many years ago when I had just started cooking. I had put a Heinz sponge pudding on to cook, back when you still popped them in a pan of boiling water. We were eating our main course when there was a terrific "bang" from the kitchen. We all dashed in to find sponge pudding on the ceiling, the floor, the walls, well just about everywhere. I had forgotten to turn the heat down once it had started boiling and of course, it boiled dry and the tin exploded! Mum was not amused!
Another time I put a jacket potato in the microwave and forgot to pierce it, so that also exploded violently, almost taking the microwave with it.
Not quite as bad as the Polish gentleman at work who put his dinner in the microwave still wrapped in the foil! That nearly took the canteen with it! "
Many congratulations siouxieq2010. We also liked the topic on tipping at restaurants, and the running debates on GM foods and additives, so please keep them up!
Monday 5th July
Post of the Week competition
This week the winner of the Post of the Week competition is....... Mollygirl with their post on favourite ice cream flavours
"Really, where can you get a lot of flavours? Not from any supermarket around Wiltshire that I've been able to find. Go into even a silly little shop back home in Florida and they'll have more flavours than the super Tesco in Trowbridge that I no longer shop at. Where's the Butter Pecan, the Rocky Road? Where are all the insanely lovely choices I can make at my local Publix back in Florida? Here we have a few Ben and Jerry's to choose from, two or three Haagen Daaz, and the usual chocolate, strawberry and vanilla of the store brand. I miss the days of having a huge choice in the freezer, make myself an ice cream cone, and chill out. I wish we had a huge selection without having to sell a kidney to fund it at one of the specialist shops. "
Many congratulations Mollygirl - again there was a tough decision at Pulse HQ with a lot of very good posts to choose from! Please keep it up!
Tuesday 29th June
Post of the Week competition
It's that time of the week again, and this week MadKat has been chosen as the post of the week for her comment on the 21st of June on the topic "Why do we eat foods we know are not good for our own personal health?”
"Hiya Ozz ... i personally think it is the mindset that we have all personally adopted as we have grown older that puts us all in this predicement. Yes there are people who suffer from certain medical conditions or allergies/intolerances that do have to avoid certain foods at all costs. Then at the other end of the spectrum is people, maybe like myself, who know that certain foods or ingredients etc arent good for us yet still continue to have them in our diet. The society that we live in we are never going to be able to get away from the fast food/convenience food culture. I personally tend not to eat these kinds of foods, but I do have a weakness for crisps and chocolate etc which has been continuously drummed in to us over the years are not good for us as consumers. I think for these trends to change, and for people to start taking a more avtice role in controlling there consumption of these types of foods, that the manufacturers NEED to be more aware and play a more active role in reducing the bad things that are put in to proudcts, the availability of high fat/calorie foods, and make the cost of healthier foods come down so that that are more accessible for people on lower incomes who have to rely on foods that arent so good for them. "
Congratulations to MadKat and your prize will be sent out very soon. There were some very good contenders once more this week. We particularly liked the Innocent thread started by fruitydumpling as well which had some very interesting stuff throughout!