Probably nothing original here!

[wistfulangelkitty]

Food intolerances blah...

Tonight potato waffles with either wheat free sausages or fish fingers - frozen peas and sweet corn :)

[wistfulangelkitty]

Food intolerance stuff part 2

Right onwards! Tesco value lightly salted tortillas - these are made with maize flour and no dairy Newburn bake house (I think it’s warburton’s) -really nice bread products but costly - I find the wraps are good and they freeze well too! Genius - reasonable crumpets and frozen sausage rolls I’ve used this recipe with some success but it can take a while to fry… https://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/recipes/quick-flat-bread-tortilla-wraps/ Quinoa is a good alternative to breadcrumbs when you’re doing something like fish cakes but I haven’t checked J’s tummy with this recently Fish fingers - gluten free ones can be bought - alternatively fish or chicken pieces can be egg coated then rolled in oats or crushed Rice Krispies or crushed cornflakes before baking. Marmite is a good way to flavour gravies … More to follow :)

[wistfulangelkitty]

Food intolerances and the like

Ok…so I’m sure hundreds of thousands others have written more successfully and more succinctly on this topic but since my darling son came along, this has become a subject close to my heart. I’ve read lots of recipes from others too but I find often it’s more helpful to just be able to switch out certain ingredients for others. I want to declare that my son is cows milk protein intolerant, can’t tolerate oat milk often, has a wheat intolerance and a fructose malabsorption. I struggle the most with the fructose malabsorption to be honest because it rules out pure tomato sauces, coconut milk, soya milk, seeds, beans and peanuts and technically ought to rule out onions and garlic too although I tend to cheat and allow a little in and a whole lot of fruit is out as are fruit juices and dried fruits too. So here’s a basic list of ingredients that I’ve found most useful! Knorr stock cubes - gluten and dairy free Kallax wheat free - some of their gluten free still has milk in though Violife - it’s reasonable but not really cheese Smash - yes really Tesco free from gravy granules- really salty but reasonably tasty Corn flour is your friend! Red peppers are reasonable to swap for tomatoes in lots of things! Eggs are brilliant for this diet and when mixed with banana they make a great pancake! Home made stocks - always use the whole carcass when roasting :) Vitalite is great for baking too Wheat free pasta is fine Oat cakes are good Porridge oats are fabulous both as a porridge made with water or as a filler in minced meat dishes or as a coating on baked chicken Pancakes made with wheat free flour and vitalite are also great …. more to come watch this space!

[oupacademic]

Your favorite philosophers

In 2016 our readers’ favorite Philosophers of the Month were Aristotle, Kant, and Plato. You all have great taste. Here are some cool facts you might not know about these legendary thinkers.

Aristotle studied at Plato’s Academy in Athens for nearly 20 years.

Kant never traveled more than sixty miles from his hometown of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia).

Two of Plato’s uncles, Critias and Charmides, were members of the Thirty Tyrants of Athens, a brutal oligarchy that rose to power in 404 BC after the city’s defeat in the Peloponnesian War.

Aristotle tutored Alexander the Great.

Human autonomy is the core of Kant’s philosophy. There is no outside source of theoretical and practical enlightenment—we cannot escape a responsibility for our own enlightenment.

Government, according to Plato, should be controlled by intellectually-trained elite.

Students of Aristotle were known as peripatetics, meaning “one who walks about.”

Kant’s moral theory centers around the categorical imperative: ‘Act only on that maxim which you can at the same time will to be a universal law’.

According to Plato, a virtuous person can only be created by a virtuous state.

Image credits: (clockwise from top left) 1. Plato from “The School of Athens” by Raphael, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. 2. “Kant” by Becker, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. 3. Aristotle by Ludwig Seitz, photographed by Anton, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

[wistfulangelkitty]

The truth (a truth, if truth exists, my truths)

I parent creatively and I think that looks braggy sometimes. I think I share this stuff because it’s the high lights of our days. I don’t do all this stuff because I want to win “mum of the year”. My children don’t rest. They are infuriatingly wired! So putting the TV on for a rest, it just doesn’t last too long before the 2 little darlings are literally tearing each other and my whole house apart! Trust me if they would give me a day of sitting and watching TV - I would do it but as it happens it’s actually better for every body when we do something! The truth is that I’m struggling, every day I’m struggling- I do try to be honest on social media but frankly if I was honest every day about how hard it all is I’d just sound really negative and whiney and ungrateful. I’m not ungrateful- I know I have life pretty cushy compared with a great many people but I dare say that doesn’t make life easy. So please please the next time you see that we’ve done something fun and I’ve shared it on Facebook- please don’t think me smug, I’m just doing this parenting thing the only way I know how.

[wistfulangelkitty]

The truth (a truth, if truth exists, my truths)

I parent creatively and I think that looks braggy sometimes. I think I share this stuff because it's the high lights of our days. I don't do all this stuff because I want to win "mum of the year". My children don't rest. They are infuriatingly wired! So putting the TV on for a rest, it just doesn't last too long before the 2 little darlings are literally tearing each other and my whole house apart! Trust me if they would give me a day of sitting and watching TV - I would do it but as it happens it's actually better for every body when we do something! The truth is that I'm struggling, every day I'm struggling- I do try to be honest on social media but frankly if I was honest every day about how hard it all is I'd just sound really negative and whiney and ungrateful. I'm not ungrateful- I know I have life pretty cushy compared with a great many people but I dare say that doesn't make life easy. So please please the next time you see that we've done something fun and I've shared it on Facebook- please don't think me smug, I'm just doing this parenting thing the only way I know how.

[wistfulangelkitty]

[wistfulangelkitty]

Only love...whenever I can :)

Yep that's the promise today, giving myself some grace. I can't do only love, all day, I can't - it's freaking impossible in this life I promise. I don't intend to give up trying but I'm still having to relearn all the time that its ok to be me in this mummy hood life. That no, I'm not perfect, that my house and my body get me down, that I'm tired and racked with guilt. But that's ok...I mean it's not ok, most of the time it sucks but - maybe it's actually ok, that it sucks, maybe...<3

[wistfulangelkitty]

Tears of exhaustion and laughter :)

[cantcontrolthegay-deactivated20]

[lady-of-redemption-deactivated2]

He did it. He actually managed to describe how it feels to live with depression and suicidal tendencies.

[witchycats-deactivated20160113]

this is really, really important

[wistfulangelkitty]

This guy rocks at the truth x

[wistfulangelkitty]

Bathtime

There's something about a bath... There's something about the way the hot water melts it all away. There's something about being so exposed yet feeling so secure. There's something about the ritual of getting exactly the right temperature and exactly the right oils. There's something about the indulgent nature of simply topping it up with more hot. There's just something about baths that I love <3 3rd bath in 12 months! :)

[oupacademic]

The clash is not between civilizations, but between negative, inverted perceptions of Islam and Muslims.

Jocelyne Cesari discusses the symbolic integration of Islam within liberal, European democracies. (via oupacademic)

:-O yup :)

[oupacademic]

What Everyone Needs to Know Q&A: With the global community considering military action against ISIS in the Middle East, we want to know: 

What is the “Islamic State”?  IS—formerly ISIS—is the latest incarnation of the jihadi/takfiri movement in Iraq. The term “jihadi,”as it is used here, refers to those Muslims who wage war against those they perceive to be the enemies of Islam (most Muslims use the word “jihad” to refer to an inner, spiritual struggle). Takfiri refers to those Muslims who pronounce others who claim to be part of the Islamic community to be, in fact,non-Muslims. For takfiris, these purported Muslims have been unfaithful to Islam and, because they are apostates, it is legal to kill them. “Al-Qaeda central”—which was Bin Laden’s organization—is jihadi in the former sense but not takfiri.

[p 136, The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know, Second Edition, by James Gelvin]

Learn more about the Arab Uprisings and the most important topics of our time with the books in the What Everyone Needs to Know series.

Image Credit: “Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.” Photo by Thierry Ehrmann. CC by 2.0 via Flickr.

[wistfulangelkitty]

Watched this film for the first time recently, can't believe how in love I am with it! It's so completely about God and Grace and mercy and salvation and its so poignant and beautiful and and and just lush <3

[wistfulangelkitty]

I hate that pig!...

Why I hate that pig.... I've been asked before by several people why I hate peppa pig? And when I try to explain it doesn't come out right so here I am trying again! You see when L was very young I let her watch peppa pig a few times before I'd really had the chance to check out for myself what it was. It's a children's program that children love...so how bad can it be? But then I started really listening and to be honest was pretty angry at the messages that are sent through this program. Wait, wait, wait - it's just a program right? It's just a bit if fun - don't take it so seriously! But I've seen my daughters brain developing and I've noticed a very strong correlation (unsurprisingly) between what goes in and what comes out (language and activity). So I really don't want her brain to he filled with some of the messages this show seems to advocate or instill. I'll give you some for examples:- 1.The attitude towards daddy pig- "daddy's big tummy" inspite of daddy quite clearly showing he doesn't like this, peppa, her mummy, younger brother George and grandparents repeatedly tease daddy about his big tummy. Don't get me wrong he has got a big tummy but that's not a good reason to keep taking the rip. Also - he's a pig, they all are - so they all have big tummys! Peppa also calls him "silly daddy" "silly naughty daddy" etc when bad things happen to daddy pig and he says it's not funny they say "it is a bit funny" and continue to laugh. This is lacking in empathy, sympathy and respect. They even forget him and give his cake away etc etc Mummy pig often undermines daddy pig too :( 2. "Messy mummy" is also used - kinda funny but petty rude 3. Peppa is blooming bossy - she tells her parents what to do and they do it unquestioningly, she bosses George around too - I find her generally an unpleasant character and to top it off she's not even cute but they've still plastered her all over children's clothes etc 4. she's also boastful she permanently insists that she's so good at things and so much better than George. Ballet, instruments, ball games - you name it she's obviously a genius at everything - only I find this a really ugly attribute - there's a fine line between confidence and boastfulness and she is way over that line! 5. There are no consequences for any of the undesirable behaviour. She sometimes says sorry but that's it and they just laugh off when she's ignored instructions e.g - "please watch my prize pumpkin" - peppa then smashes into it with her bike and says sorry - daddy's response is simply that as long as she's ok - they can all have pumpkin pie now! And I get that her welfare should come above that of a pumpkin but even just a minor hint of disappointment wouldn't have gone a miss. On a holiday special, peppa repeatedly loses her teddy and the policeman repeatedly brings it back etc etc 6. Food- they bang on about daddy's big tummy but all they seem to eat is junk (apart from spaghetti) it's all pie, crumble, pancakes, chocolate cake, birthday cake - giant picnics involving cheese and bread and lemonade and cake - is it any wonder that George doesn't like salad when presented with it but when he says he's had enough he is then offered chocolate cake - talk about encouraging over eating! 7. Secrets - several episodes involve peppa and/George being encouraged to keep something secret from a parent on one episode it's because daddy made a big mess of putting a picture up. On another it's because mummy pig has given away daddy's favourite chair! I don't think it's a good idea to encourage secret keeping from parents - I know it goes on but it's not great safe guarding practice - we have and continue to discuss the difference between surprises and secrets. 8. Mummy and make up! On one episode peppa dresses as mummy and says she needs make up to be as beautiful as mummy. This isn't a message that I want to encourage for my naturally beautiful little girl and it isn't a message that is corrected in the show either. The thing is, I let her watch enough that she knew she wanted more - before I knew what it was - so I'll never ban it or anything. We have watered it down by introducing and encouraging other shows I prefer like pocoyo and humf. Don't get me wrong I know there are other shows out there that are just as bad if not worse but I find the complete lack of any consequences difficult! I have taken to, when it is on - talking about it with L e.g "poor daddy pig - that's not very nice of them to laugh at him is it?" Etc.. Please don't think I'm telling you what to do or anything - I'm merely explaining my view point!

[wistfulangelkitty]

Christmas traditions

I was taking with a friend the other day about how England spends more on Christmas than any other country (tbh I can't remember if that's exactly what she said and I don't know her source but anyway) we realised just how many traditions we have picked up over the years... Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, Christmas cards, Christmas films, carols, Santa and presents, mince pies, the big dinner, the buffets, the parties, the outfits including Santa hats and silly jumpers, mistletoe, Christmas trees, lights and all other decorations, Christmas crackers, advent calendars, Christmas songs, some ppl have special breakfasts, I'm now in a bit of a dilemma - you see I love all this stuff - I really love it but there's a part of me that craves a simpler time and celebration? Am I being bah humbug or is some of the magic buried under all this???

[oupacademic]

Over 1,000 new words added to OxfordDictionaries.com in December 2014

As usual, popular culture and slang have seen plenty of new additions in the Oxford Dictionaries update, including duck face, or ‘an exaggerated pouting expression in which the lips are thrust outward, typically made by a person posing for a photograph.’ Other pop culture additions include simples, choon, fone, handsy, xlnt, and Canadian tuxedo.

For those cursed with butter fingers, there is now an entry for the five-second rule: ‘a notional rule stating that food which has been dropped on the ground will still be uncontaminated with bacteria and therefore safe to eat if it is retrieved within five seconds’. Sadly the operative word in that definition is notional (‘existing as or based on a suggestion, estimate, or theory; not existing in reality’). Other food-related additions include arancini, cavatelli, cappellacci, trofie, parm, queso, guanciale, izakaya, food-borne, and food diary.

Video games also demonstrate a growing influence on language, with the additions of respawn (of a character in a video game, ‘reappear after having been killed’), and permadeath (‘a situation in which a character in a video game cannot reappear after having been killed’).

[wistfulangelkitty]

That's still not my understanding of the 5 second rule - it was always more to do with manners as I understood it :)