Just a quick post to say I've not given up, I'll be back on the case again soon. Can't believe it's been two months since I last wrote anything. Tut! Naughty me. There has been a reason for this period of silence though, or rather several reasons. The first of these is that most of my time spent at the computer these last couple of months has been devoted to the creation of the website for The Loop Project, which is an exciting new venture of Andy and myself into the unknown and the start of our transition to a low carbon future. Read the launch here. Basically what we'll be doing is a bit of what we used to do - web and graphic design (strictly for TLP approved customers) to keep ourselves afloat while we learn and pass on skills which will be important in a world which can no longer rely on cheap energy. Expect to see a mix of exciting design for like minded groups like this and reports of our adventures in learning and teaching like this, as well as a few of our own "Public Information Campaigns" like this, How to Bake bread, the first of a ...

This fruit, with which I'm sure you are all well familiar with, just had to be included in our experiments if only for the reason that somehow the arrival of the watermelon enabled me to convince Andy to pose half naked for these ridiculous photos: Actually though there are lots more reasons. Firstly I have a fond attachment to the fruit. I have a vague memory of being introduced to it on a holiday as a small child in Bulgaria. I was so in love with it then that I insisted we brought one back on the plane home with us. I can only imagine how ridiculous I must have looked as a skinny little kid climbing on to the plane with my arms proudly wrapped around the biggest melon I could find. The next reason is that the experience of eating a 'real' watermelon is unlike any you 'll get from another fruit. I say real because I know, you can get watermelons at home, BUT believe me, they just aren't the same. Watermelons you buy from a supermarket in the UK that have been shipped across the world are just enormous balls of hard, flavourless, light pink ...

Custard Apple - Mang Cau You'd ever guess it from the name, but these actually taste a bit like a custardy apple. Wow. Very sweet, creamy and delicious. Even the big black seeds that fill the inside don't detract from this tasty treat. Well worth a go. We had no idea what to do with it when we bought it, so we chopped it in half, here's the inside: You can then easily pick off the green skin and eat the fleshy inside, spitting out pips as you go. Yum. The Coconut - Dua I'm sure most people have seen and eaten coconuts when they are at their older brown stage, but I'd not seen these green ones before. It's the same fruit, only younger, which means that apart from the obvious colour difference they have not yet developed the coconut "meat" and instead are mostly harvested for their drink, coconut water. It does contain a small amount of jelly like substance that is the beginning of the formation of the nutty stuff. This jelly can be scraped from inside and eaten along with the drink. The amount of juice inside is quite incredible. Andy and I both got one and I'd say there was ...

Here's a post I should have done AGES ago. I have a couple of friends, Paul and Kelly, who have moved out to Okinawa, a beautiful remote Japanese island.  As far as I was aware before Paul left his diet mainly consisted of cheese and onion pasties and baked beans (a very healthy balanced diet, I'm sure you'll agree), and in an effort to soothe their homesickness I'd send them beans. A great substitute for friends and family I'm sure. Anyway in a more adventurous moment inspired by the blogging by mail I was involved with earlier in the year we'd arranged to do a swap, I sent them some local delicacies (erm.. baked beans, salad cream, cream eggs and the like) and they sent me this amazing box of Japanese treats! Now the first thing I have to say about when I opened the package is that I had absolutely no idea what anything was! Going on visual clues from the packaging they could have contained small toys, joke shop tricks, pop up snakes or firecrackers. It was great to try something with no idea of what you were about to put in your mouth would taste like. Must be like ...

Isn't this just the best thing ever?! I found it in a second hand shop in Campbeltown in Kintyre. It's amazing! So funny. It's the kind of thing you remember your Grandparents having when you go to visit as a child. I imagine I will have it on the dresser in my kitchen when I am on old granny and the grand children will come round and love it as much as I do. I wonder who's it was? And how could they get rid of it? I would advise you to scour all your local junk shops inthe hope of finding one of these little beauties, it will make you smile every time you look at it. If you manage to find one let me know. Here's a few egg recipes to keep you going as you happily fill and empty your egg head egg holder. Spanish Omelette Broccoli and Blue Cheese Quiche