Petica's posterous http://peticawatson.posterous.com a place to plonk stuff posterous.com Sat, 08 May 2010 15:04:47 -0700 Paypal: easy to be paid over the web http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/05/08/paypal-easy-to-be-paid-over-the-web http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/05/08/paypal-easy-to-be-paid-over-the-web Paypal is really good if you are selling anything.  When you signup for PayPal, you can start accepting credit card payments instantly. As the world's number one online payment service, PayPal is the fastest way to open your doors to over 150 million member accounts worldwide. Best of all, it's completely free to sign up. To sign up or learn more, click here: https://www.paypal.com/uk/mrb/pal=GPTRGFD8DYZZ2

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Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:56:20 -0700 Salamongundi, Feasts and Big Lunches http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/04/14/salamongundi-feasts-and-big-lunches http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/04/14/salamongundi-feasts-and-big-lunches The Big Lunch I really wanted to set this up in my street, like the Jubilee street parties of my childhood, where we played catch the egg and had slowest bicycle races. I am not really sure where my priorities lie at the moment so maybe I shouldn't start this new thing. LOADS of good ideas on this site, which inspires Big Lunches up and down the country on July 18th this year. http://www.thebiglunch.com/ideas-and-inspiration/ I also want to make a mental note to myself to research feasts and feasting from an anthropological point of view....many have done this, see below. I just want to put some time aside to go back to more academic studies of the world and food and how we relate to it. RADIO BBC radio 4's Food Programme http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnx3 (episode on Feasts:Last broadcast on Mon, 12 Oct 2009, 16:00 on BBC Radio 4 (see all broadcasts). Synopsis: Feasts have been a feature of human life since humans first mastered fire and climbed out of the trees, but what function do feasts have in today's largely urban society? Sheila Dillon visits the Thames Festival Feast, a modern urban harvest festival, bringing food back into the heart of the city and recreating a sense of community. Grape treading, sacred mayonnaise making and mobile food gardens make a vivid modern feast. Central to it a table spanning Southwark Bridge, its tablecloth printed with collections of Londoners' food stories. The traditional feast has been disappearing from rural areas, but the Welcombe community in Devon some years ago introduced a Christmas Salamongundi to bring the community together to celebrate. Poet and author John Moat explains how it came about. Sir Roy Strong, author of Feast outlines the social, political and religious subtext of historical feasting and, with Rev Richard Coles, comments on the dining TV reality show, Come Dine With Me. BOOKS Feast: A History of Grand Eating by Roy Strong, published by Jonathan Cape Ltd; ISBN-10: 0224061380,ISBN-13: 978-0224061384 Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, by Richard Wrangham, published by Profile Books,ISBN-10: 1846682851, ISBN-13: 978-1846682858 Food: The History of Taste, edited by Paul Freedman

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Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:47:34 -0700 Where can you educate and stimulate yourself easily and for free? http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/23/where-can-you-educate-and-stimulate-yourself-easily-and-for-free http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/23/where-can-you-educate-and-stimulate-yourself-easily-and-for-free

Open University videos on iTunes U

I've been working for the Open University for a long time now, re-organising their audio-visual archives so that they can be accessed free online through ITunes software, on ITunesU. It's a fantastic resource that hardly anyone seems to know about. Universities all over the world are uploading their visual content in the hope that potential students will be impressed and want to study a given course at that institution. Open University's material is the best of course. There are skillfully put together documentaries on all sorts of subjects (called albums), divided into short chunks or "tracks" . Open iTunesU on your computer and go to the Store. Click on the tab iTunesU and surf from there. Here's an example.

http://itunes.open.ac.uk/r/1vTBeR

The universities have the content, the videos and web provide the platform, and hey presto, a very useful service.

And here we have a San Francisco based company doing something similar - except, these are only filmed lectures, rather than professionally edited documentaries. Also, they're streamed, so you have to sit through their annoying initial student blurbs about when they've got to hand in their essays etc. Here's their blurb:

Academic Earth is an organization founded with the goal of giving everyone on earth access to a world-class education.

As more and more high quality educational content becomes available online for free, we ask ourselves, what are the real barriers to achieving a world class education?  At Academic Earth, we are working to identify these barriers and find innovative ways to use technology to increase the ease of learning. We are building a user-friendly educational ecosystem that will give internet users around the world the ability to easily find, interact with, and learn from full video courses and lectures from the world’s leading scholars.  Our goal is to bring the best content together in one place and create an environment in which that content is remarkably easy to use and where user contributions make existing content increasingly valuable. We invite those who share our passion to explore our website, participate in our online community, and help us continue to find new ways to make learning easier for everyone. http://www.academicearth.org/about and here's an example of a lecture: http://www.academicearth.org/lectures/sustainable-systems-in-sustainable-living (Gosh American uni students are pretty rowdy and excitable don't you think!)

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Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:42:48 -0700 Foodie Lurve Schools - reviews http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/14/foodie-lurve-schools-reviews http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/14/foodie-lurve-schools-reviews Another idea I had recently was to combine two of my "interests" - Food - and Flirting. I should start a local food lovers' group for singles... anyway in the meantime, I discovered some already existing... so I'm going to set about going to them and over time, should have some reviews... GOURMAND LOVE SCHOOLSWhisky blending for singles. Glengoyne distillery, near Glasgow. Tel: 01360 550 254. • Flirting With Flavour cooking course. Caffè Caldesi, London W1. Tel: 020 7487 0750/9. www.caffecaldesi.comWine-tasting dating. National events, dates and prices vary. www.grapevinesocial.com Tried this once - quite a good revolving system but unfortunately it was a little bit lowest common denominator for us, even if it was in posh Fulham.. Parship dating classes. Leiths School of Food and Wine, London. www.parship.co.uk Leith's is no doubt brilliant but DO NOT TRUST PARSHIP, the Independent's dating site. Terrible - in fact the reviews are so bad we wouldn't be going too far when we say it's a scam. So not sure how the two would combine. I will check out. FEEL FREE TO ADD TO THESE BY COMMENTING BELOW - THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE IN LONDON OR INDEED THE UK!

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Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:33:00 -0700 Green Food http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/14/green-food http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/14/green-food

Green Smoothies For Beginners

Basic Balance

1 mango 1 cup kale 1 cup water Yields 1 quart

Rocket Fuel Smoothie

2 cups green or red seedless grapes 3 golden kiwis, peeled 1 ripe orange, peeled, seeds removed 1 small leaf of aloe vera, with skin 5 leaves red leaf lettuce 2 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Party in Your Mouth Green Smoothie

1 small pineapple, cored 1 large mango, peeled ½ head romaine lettuce ½ inch fresh ginger root Yields 2 quarts

Morning Zing Smoothie

4:½ bunch dandelion greens 2 stalks celery ½ inch fresh gingerroot 2 peaches ½ pineapple Yields 2 quarts

Parsley Passion Smoothie

1 bunch fresh parsley 1 cucumber, peeled 1 Fuji apple 1 ripe banana 1–2 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Savory Green Smoothies and Soups

Mediterranean Soup

3 cups spinach 3 stalks celery 1 sprig oregano 1 sprig thyme 1 red bell pepper 1 large avocado 1 cucumber 1 jalapeño pepper 1 lime, juiced 2 cups water Enjoy with dulse leaves or flakes. Yields 3 quarts

Soup Gazpacho

3 leaves kale, stems removed 1 bunch basil 3 large tomatoes 2 stalks celery 1 red bell pepper 1 large avocado 1 lime, juiced 1 cup water 2 cups love Yields 2 quarts

Thai Soup

2 cucumbers 1 large avocado 1 lime, juiced 3 cloves garlic 6 leaves curly kale, stems removed ½ teaspoon dried turmeric powder ½ inch fresh gingerroot 2 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Cucumber Dill-icious Soup

2 cucumbers ½ bunch dill 1 large avocado 5 leaves dinosaur kale, stems removed 2 stalks celery 1 lime, juiced 3 cloves garlic Yields 2 quarts

Green Puddings

Kent Mango Bliss

2 Kent mangoes 1 bunch chard, stems removed 1 pear 1 banana Serve with kiwi. Yields 3 cups

Green Pudding

1 bunch fresh parsley 5 grape leaves ½ pineapple 1 Abbot pear 1 orange, peeled 1 cup water Yields 2 cups

Persimmon Pudding

3 fuyu persimmons, peeled, seeds removed 3 cups baby spinach 1 ripe banana Yields 2 cups

The Pear-fect Smoothie

2 d’Anjou pears 7 leaves purple kale, stems removed 1 leaf aloe vera 1 banana Yields 2 cups

Applesauce

4 apples 1 banana 1 head romaine lettuce ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 cups water Yields 3 cups

Green Smoothies for Body Care

Aloe Facial Cleanser

½ cucumber ½ avocado 1 large leaf aloe vera, with skin Apply on skin as a sunscreen, or after sunburn, or to improve overall skin health. Keep on skin 10–30 minutes, then rinse off. Yields 1 cup

Super Green Smoothies

Victoria’s Favorite Dark Green

1 bunch dandelion greens 4 Roma tomatoes 3 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Heavy Metals Be Gone

1 bunch cilantro 2 cups stinging nettles 1 bunch fresh parsley 3 stalks celery 1 lemon, juiced 2 mangoes 2 cups apple juice Yields 2 quarts

Green Smoothie Monster

4 leaves kale, stems removed 4 leaves chard, stems removed ½ bunch fresh parsley 1 leaf aloe vera ½ bunch dandelion greens 3 pears 1 banana 3 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Dark Green Love

1 bunch dandelion greens 1 medium cucumber 3 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Green Smoothies for Adventurous Souls

O-mega Aphrodisiac

3 cups wild purslane 1 small watermelon 3 limes, juiced Yields 2 quarts

Revitalizing Energizer Smoothie

6 young grape leaves (they contain resveratrol, which triggers longevity genes) 3 leaves dinosaur kale, stems removed 2 mangoes 1 pint strawberries 2 cups orange juice Yields 1 quart

Summer Splendor Smoothie

4 leaves chard, stems removed 3 stalks celery 1 head fresh parsley 6 apricots 3 peaches ½ vanilla bean Yields 2 quarts

“Bitter Delight” Cocktail

1 large leaf aloe vera, with skin 4 leaves chard, stems removed 3 cups chickweed 1 banana 1 peach 1 pear Yields 1 quart

Green Smoothies for Children

Miner’s Lettuce Smoothie

3 cups wild crafted miner’s lettuce (wild edible) 2 ripe pears ½ pint blueberries 2 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Coco-Tango

Thai coconut, meat and water 5 leaves kale, stems removed 2 nectarines 2 peaches 1 mango Yields 2 quarts

The Laughing Gorilla

½ head romaine lettuce 2 ripe bananas, peeled and frozen 2 oranges, peeled, seeds removed 1 mango 2 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Emerald Applesauce

4:5 apples 1 bunch fresh parsley ½ inch fresh ginger root Yields 3 cups

Green Smoothies for Pets

Poochie’s Gourmet Green Smoothie

1 cup kale 1 banana 1 cup water 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon kelp (granules or powder) Add some torn nori sheets; dogs love it!

Fluffy’s Delight

1 cup wheatgrass clippings (or any other grass, not sprayed) 1 cup water 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 capsules fish oil (pour on the smoothie, in the bowl) Pinch of catnip (optional) Yields 7 servings: You may freeze it in an ice-cube tray and serve it by the cube. Recipes courtesy of the Boutenko family

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Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:56:16 -0800 Thai snake head fish recipe http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/24/thai-snake-head-fish-recipe http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/24/thai-snake-head-fish-recipe I'm not sure you'll find snake head fish here, so we'll have to try this with any white fleshy fish I reckon. It's the typically Thai flavours of the sauce that are so important and the crispy fried skin of the fish that gives the deliciously satisfying texture on the tongue. Ooh - and if you can find half a thing of bamboo you could use it as a plate! [caption id="attachment_664" align="alignleft" width="600" caption="Snake-head fish"]
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[/caption] Fry the fish - veg oil - or why not try coconut oil if you have some - much healthier. Or olive oil. Make sure the oil's really hot before putting the fish in and be careful to not let the skin stick to the pan. When it's fried, put it to one side. Now chop up: 1 tblespn of galangal and another tblespn of ginger, or 2 of ginger (grated) 1 tblespn of lemongrass 2 shallots, chopped finely 2 red chillis, small - sliced then crushed in a pestle & mortar 2 tblespns of coconut milk Then put a little more oil in a wok, and put in the mixture and fry until the wafting of lovely flavours begins. Then add 1 tblespn of soya sauce and a spoon of sugar. Then the Thais add monosodiumglutamate MSG) but we're not going to do that, we'll just add a bit of a crumbled stock cube instead. Not too much. Simmer all this for a bit then pour over the fish!

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Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:16:56 -0800 Amazing dairy-free milk http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/18/amazing-dairy-free-milk http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/18/amazing-dairy-free-milk Hurray! I've finally discovered a non-dairy milk I actually like the taste of! Kara Coconut milk - it's drinking milk, not the coconut milk you'd use for Thai curries. And, it's better than soya and rice milk as it's even healthier. It only got released on the market recently - it's cholesterol and lactose free, and contains the richest source of Lauric Acid of any kind of milk. Lauric Acid is a medium chain fatty acid, which is healthier than saturated animal fats and also helps control cholesterol. http://karadairyfree.com/ Coconut milk is from the coconut flesh, not the same as the coconut water, which sits in the middle of the fruit, which is also full of electrolytes - a natural isotonic beverage. (see other posts) http://www.talkingretail.com/products/product-news/14219-kara-dairy-free-the-...

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Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:51:53 -0800 Sprouting - the joys of http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/16/sprouting-the-joys-of http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/16/sprouting-the-joys-of I've given up using the 3 tiered sprouter from Planet Organic as it didn't work - seeds went mouldy, water went stagnant, seeds all clumped up, etc. Turns out you just need a large jar anyway. 1) wash the seeds. Lentil, mung bean, alfafa, chickpea, fenugreek, try 'em all. Bigger ones take longer to sprout. 2) Fill the jar with an inch or 2 of water and leave the seeds in there for 24 hours. 3) Rinse out the water and leave the jar on its side with the seeds spread out. Cover with a teatowel - they have to germinate in the dark.Don't screw the jar lid on too tightly so a bit of air can escape. 4) Every 24 hours or so, rinse the seeds. 5) after 3 days, check to see if you can harvest them.... It's absolutely worth getting into the habit of doing this because they're so yummy in salads - and they are the healthiest food you can eat, full of living enzymes. See these for inspiration: http://www.sproutpeople.com/cookery.html https://www.livingfood.co.uk/

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Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:27:20 -0800 Cleaning the colon - what I did in Thailand http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/16/cleaning-the-colon-what-i-did-in-thailand http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/16/cleaning-the-colon-what-i-did-in-thailand The word detox used to make my heart sink, because I knew there was no way I'd have the will power to do it - even just the idea of eating salads for a week, delicious as they might be, made me cross! Cross because I knew if I had the desire to eat the chocolate cake, I would, because I lacked any will power to resist it. I didn't really believe that silly old herbal concoctions would work and it annoyed me that detox packages would be on sale for huge amounts of money in pharmacies 'cos I thought they're probably just a rip-off. Why did I feel I even needed to detox? Quite simply, years of over-indulgence and lots of niggling, sometimes screaming, health problems. It was like a last hope, a wiping-the-slate clean idea but I just never got around to it, and just put up with the status quo. So in 1998 I discovered a rather good value place in Koh Samui, probably I'd seen it on TV, and I stuck it in my brain section entitled Things I Will Definitely Do One Day. This place attracted me a) because it was cheap and b) something about the hard-core nature of fasting for 7 days AND giving yourself an enema twice a day - made me believe that this was the best method I'd seen yet for wiping the slate (colon) clean,  kickstarting a new way of living. However part of me remained extremely sceptical - these things only work for other people not me, I won't be able to do it, I'll just go back to my old ways. So it took me 10 years to get round to going there. Since this post is just a summary, I'll skip the gory details and just explain that it's very controlled; you take a special juice every 3 hours, herbal pills every 3 hours, (but not at the same time as the juice) and you give yourself two coffee enemas every day, morning and evening, all for 7 days. You eat nothing. It's all very strange at first. It's not pleasant giving yourself enemas, but there's a video and books to teach you and experts on hand (NOT with you in the bathroom) to ask; you learn as you go along, talking to fellow-guests in minute detail and picking up handy hints... you get a bit weak, you can do gentle yoga, chi-gong, steam rooms, massages, beach etc. Not as cheap as the rest of Thailand but all affordable - massage £6, yoga class £5.  The aim, in a nutshell, is to give your body a rest from being stuffed with food, so that it can concentrate on getting the gunk out of you, helped by herbs and enemas. You can hear more about this in other posts but suffice to say... EVERYONE has this, (unless they've been vegan and only eaten raw fruit and veg all their life), it's yuk, and you need to get it out of you, because it clogs up the colon and leads to other, potentially serious problems. Of course, I took photos - every time I did a colema. I emailed a couple of them to my father upon my return; he said he was almost sick and he promptly gave me strict instructions never to show these to any of my boyfriends. (Of course I wouldn't!) (well, not during courtship period anyway!) Honestly, why are some people so SQUEAMISH!? People are just not getting the fact that this stuff is inside THEM too and surely it's better out than in!! It's funny to see different peoples' reactions. There is one end of the scale, my father and brother, who shut me up loudly and almost hysterically if I even opened my mouth to say the word "enema"; and there is the other end of the scale, my friends B, P and E for example who were fascinated, examining pictures of mucoid plaque, and immediately decided they might want to do this themselves. If you are more the latter, then good for you! Follow your intuition - you KNOW that cleaning your colon is the way forward! I did mine at the Spa Village, Spa Samui in Koh Samui, Thailand.  www.thesparesorts.com I am currently investigating UK options for the same cleanse; there aren't many so maybe I will start one myself. Once you have done it and you know what you are doing, you can use www.ariseandshine.net to buy the herbs and psyllium husks and www.cleanse.net, find a colema board and do it at home, but I wouldn't advise if you don't know what you are doing. Yes, you need to take the herbs and drinks, and yes, you really should do the enemas,  (no point cleaning your house without emptying the rubbish bin) and no, you really shouldn't eat anything except drink coconut water, carrot juice, wheatgrass juice, a liver flush, vegetable broth. I've gone into more depth in other posts.
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Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:56:40 -0800 Khmer Chicken from Cambodia http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/10/khmer-chicken-from-cambodia http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/10/khmer-chicken-from-cambodia Khmer Chicken with Bok Choi (serves 2, or 1 hungry man) Chop these thinly and keep separately in piles: 2 cloves garlic 1 shallot (Onion if you can’t be bothered to buy shallots, but only a very small amount (1/5 th of an onion) 3 small lemon grass stalks but exclude the outer skin first – chop these as finely as you can! 2 pieces of fresh turmeric (hard to get it fresh in the UK?) 1 and a half kaffir lime leaves – roll them up first then chop thinly Galangal 1 inch square, or ginger if no galangal
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Mix and smash these in a pestle and mortar (or cheat with a blender) But they must go into it in the following order.. lemon grass, kaffir, galangal/ginger : smash a LOT to a pulp THEN the rest except shallots; smash smash smash, and the shallots must go in last, more smashing.
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Now you're ready to spread this mixture onto the chicken - a large organic piece of deboned thigh preferably. On to the chicken, which you have slathered in this yummy bright yellow spicy mixture, add 2 tablespoons of coconut milk, half a teaspoon of chicken stock. Here you are supposed to add 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce, but I say either add 1 only or none at all - I am suspicious that this is the Cambodians over-doing it a bit, making it far too salty. Over this add a couple of tablespoons of crushed peanuts - you should seriously think about keeping a jar of these in your larder - crushed to the point where some are powdery and none are left whole. (beware of using salted, but roasted should be ok) Now, heat some oil in a pan - by the way, the healthiest oil to cook with is coconut oil - if not, then olive oil, but you do not need any other oil in your kitchen - and make sure the pan has a lid or at least something you can improvise as a lid. When the oil's hot, fry the chicky with all of its yellow mixture  but don't toss it around too much, you want it to go a bit crispy so leave it in place, turning it over once or twice. When it's gone much browner, possibly 10 minutes, it's ready!
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You can serve with steamed rice and bok choi. The bok choi can be literally steamed with a bit of water, lemon juice and oil in the bottom of a pan or wok. Remember the lid!! If you want to be more elaborate, you can toss over it a bit of crushed garlic, palm sugar, fish sauce, a ladle of vegetable stock and some black pepper. The Cambodians like to add cornflower mixed with water at this point too but I thing this makes it look gloopy, you want it fresh and green. Don't oversteam, you don't want it to lose colour.
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Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:48:10 -0800 Thai green papaya salad (Som Tam or Pok Pok) http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/08/thai-green-papaya-salad http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/08/thai-green-papaya-salad One of my favourite Thai dishes of all time, but to make it in the UK you've got to find where they might sell green papaya and dried shrimps. Asian supermarkets will, but charging 10 times the few baht you'd buy them for in South East Asia - I just bought one green papaya for £4.80!  AND it's flown by air so food miles and carbon footprint are huge, but just once in a while it's nice to have a treat. I guess you could replace the green papaya with rice noodles and prawns, but that makes it a different salad.. I learned this in Cambodia but I've changed the recipe since the Thais make it better I think. (The Cambodians were getting carried away adding oyster sauce and tomato ketchup into the mix, sorry but yuk!) There are loads of variations on this recipe, just fiddle around with the ingredients till it tastes how you like it. You need a pestle and mortar if you want to do this properly really! Everything, even the shredded papaya, needs bruising in it. You'll also need a julienne stripper to shred the papaya, and v useful for other veg like carrot too.

Ingredients (serving 1)

A large handful of shredded green papaya A small handful of dried shrimps, chopped 1 small Thai red chilli, chopped Some green beans, chopped into 2cm lengths - can be lightly steamed or raw, in fact if you have a tendency to over-boil veg then don't go anywhere NEAR the saucepan with these! Half a clove of garlic, peeled and chopped 1 large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved 2 small handfuls of roasted peanuts (it’s fine if they’re salted) 1 tablespoon of palm sugar - ordinary sugar if you have none, but try and always buy unrefined 1 tablespoon of fish sauce lime juice - at least 1 lime if not two or 3 Thai basil

Method

peel the papaya, and shred with a julienne shredder into thin strips. Pound the green beans, red chilli and garlic in the mortar. Throw in the peanuts and dried shrimp and pound again, then add the palm sugar and tomatoes and pound again, lightly. Now introduce the lime juice, fish sauce and a large handful of shredded papaya. Give one last quick bruise and mix.
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Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:29:03 -0800 Day 8, Detox and fast on Koh Samui: BREAKING THE FAST http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/01/21/day-8-detox-and-fast-on-koh-samui-breaking-the-fast http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/01/21/day-8-detox-and-fast-on-koh-samui-breaking-the-fast Jeez, can't eat till like midday as still have special flora-gro "insertion" put inside me to replenish all the good bacteria. Will NOT miss the smell of coffee I can tell you. Weight check: 135 lbs! (lost in total, 7lbs, half a stone) (the 4lbs I put on 2 days ago must have been water, but it went the next morning) 12: 30 yuuuuuuummmmmmmyyyy papaya and mango and goat's yoghurt and bee pollen for brek. In a small bowl, but I felt stuffed! 3pm: was a bit naughty as supposed to eat only veg but spotted someone eating delicious raw vietnamese uncooked spring rolls with chilli sauce so ordered them too. Ate them in restuarant on the beach. YUMMY! Stuffed. Was only 7 mouthfuls! 8pm; another raw salad but only ate 3 mouthfuls as felt no need for food at all. (Highly unlike me!!) UPDATE: Straight after this detox/fast, I was able to cycle across from Northern Thailand to Laos for 11 days - sometimes doing 70 miles in a day! Didn't suffer at all. Was eating normally (but Thai food is healthy generally) - and drinking a beer a night. When I got back to England, I was still the same weight I was on the last day of the fast. I think this 7lbs was the weight of the GUT GUNK that is sitting in all of our intestines. It's now about 12 weeks later, and I am STILL the same weight - (it goes up and down a little), and I haven't been neuroticly sticking to a raw food diet in the slightest. However, I have invented loads of new salad combinations and find that I get very excited by these. You can see these on my other blog Zizzie's Tahini. (eventually!)

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Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:32:55 -0800 Day 6, Detox and Fast on Koh Samui http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/01/18/day-6-detox-and-fast-on-koh-samui http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/01/18/day-6-detox-and-fast-on-koh-samui I just want to write this to myself and make sure I never forget it. What IS this stuff??? I can't believe it's coming out of my body!?! How long has it been there? Will it all have come out by tomorrow? (when the fasting ends). It's like pondweed. And that's the more palatable description...and some of it is really quite hard. And it definitely takes on the form of a sheath - I can put a stick right through it. It's just like Rich Anderson's book says! The fact it is coming out of its own accord  - this morning before the enema as well - is a good thing I suppose. Those herbs must be doing their job. Dying to find out what the white bits are. Definitely fatty deposits. So odd. Anyway - I feel really weak now. Looking forward to eating again in 2 days time. My body is beginning to ache , especially my legs - I have been walking a LOT - like miles up and down the beach and climbing the mountain to my hut 8 times a day. My body feels as if I have done a really intense gym or heavyweight lifting session and not cooled down afterwards.It's not surprising as I haven't eaten for 6 days.  But in another sense I feel SO much lighter and clearer. I can see why people might get addicted to this. It is a spiritual experience as well as a physical one! I can't quite picture myself giving up alcohol, eating a raw food diet, and giving up all acid-forming foods though. But knowing i can do this makes me feel a great weight has been off my shoulders! Click here for Day 7 PS: Watched the Secret - had read it 3 yrs ago but had nothing else to do so watched the film: click here for notes on it!

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Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:10:33 -0800 Day 4 Fast and detox in Koh Samui http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/01/16/day-4-fast-and-detox-in-koh-samui http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/01/16/day-4-fast-and-detox-in-koh-samui So it's Day 4 and I'm wondering why I feel fine - you're supposed to feel a bit sick by this point. I am going to have to show you a photo of what's been coming out of me because otherwise you are missing the point. Look away now if you don't want to see! Actually no, I've chickened out. I'll tell you what, I'll upload them to a - post, and you can ask me for the password - or guess it! Here it is!>> Meanwhile, I'm realising that my nails are stronger and whiter and growing really fast. And every night I'm going crazy for all their instructive videos - some of which I've seen before, some not - you can see a list of films here>> . But I'm learning about how the colon really works, and why I've had the ailments I've had. And it makes sense, reading Dr Jenson's book and reading Rich Anderson's book - that 90% of human diseases would come from a dirty colon. There'll be more on this later. so day 4, and getting used to this yellowy brown mucoid plaque come out...and wierd white bits are coming out of me too- the size of baby's teeth, and the twisted patterns of presumably the intestine wall on one side, with smooth surfaces on the other. You can see photos here, if you want to ask me for the password, (or guess it).  After much discussion with various expert fasters and cleansers, we think these are made of cholesterol. This is I think proved later - 3 weeks later - when the white bits that I have stored in a little plastic bag, seemed to have melted into fats. Later, I find out that they look very like polyps. Did I have polyps in my colon??Are there more? By the way, I have lost a pound a day so far on this fast. Doesn't sound like much compared to my companions, and TV presenter Jessica from Real Hustle who says she's lost 9 lbs, but it's promising! Down from 142 lbs on wednesday to 138 lbs today - hurrah!

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Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:33:38 -0800 Day 3, Fast and Detox at Koh Samui http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/01/15/day-3-fast-and-detox-at-koh-samui http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/01/15/day-3-fast-and-detox-at-koh-samui Day 3, morning colema. Kind of beginning to get the hang of it, finding it fascinating. Here's how it works. You MUST put a kitchen colander in the loo, with the seat up.This is because you want to SEE what's coming out of you!  You rig up your bucket to a hook on the ceiling.
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Make sure the tube is at the bottom of the bucket, fill the rest of the bucket with some filtered warm water to the top. Not too warm. Then put the colema board - basically a fibreglass board with a whole in it - over the loo and balanced on a chair. Make sure all hoses attached correctly ( a level of detail I can't be bothered with here, sorry) and lie down, with towels and ipod. You put the pipe up yer bum, take the clamp off, and the water starts flowing in. Sooner or later (sooner, in my case) the water wants to burst out again, but you have to massage it up the colon and try to hold it in for a bit. After practice, you should be able to get about a 6th of the bucket inside you without letting any out. Reattach the clamp to stop water flowing in, and wait. Once it does come out, squirting around the sides of the little hose that's that bringing the water in, then you'll feel rather a sense of release, to put it mildly, and you release the clamp and let it flow in again. here's a rather satisfying animation: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JBLcH_pXSE&hl=en_US&fs=1&] Here's an instructive video on what happens when you swallow food: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTaPUdWAEnE&hl=en_US&fs=1&] We can see from this video that we are supposed to have somewhat of a mucus lining in our small intestine. Click here for Day 4

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Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:53:06 -0800 Day 1, Fast and Detox at Koh Samui http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/01/13/day-1-fast-and-detox-at-koh-samui http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/01/13/day-1-fast-and-detox-at-koh-samui This is a much shortened amended version of an account of the fast I'm doing in Koh Samui Thailand. If you are only reading one post, read here. Day 1 Arrived 9am from Bangkok. Feeling coldy, ill and run down, cross that the receptionist wasn't particularly friendly and that the taxi driver charged 4 times more than usual. Had a chocolate muffin and my last cup of tea - with condensed milk, since they have no normal milk here - on the plane, so feeling a little guilty. Was advised to start with a liver flush drink, consisting of lots of olive oil and ginger and cayenne pepper - recipe here> The Liver Flush recipe:
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil – anywhere from 2 Tbsp. to 1/3 cup, as you prefer
  • Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, 1/3 cup
  • Fresh garlic, 3-5 cloves
  • Fresh ginger, 1/2″
  • Cayenne Pepper, dash to taste
  • Freshly squeezed orange juice, 2 cups
Put all ingredients in a blender, blend and drink immediately. It's actually really yummy but I felt sick for the rest of the day. Sometimes that happens. Then I had a raw salad with dressing for lunch and a raw burger of nuts and seeds for dinner. Should say that that was pretty darn hard for me, knowing that there's all this (cooked) yummy Thai food to be had... Also not feeling great in the old tummy department since I'd been ill for a week with something. Watched a rather odd video with some American Hawaian-shirted colonics experts "sort-of" demonstrating how to give yourself a colonic, which just made me a bit more confused because I couldn't understand how you get the gut-gunk (henceforth my name for this stuff that comes out of you - yes you too - when you are doing this - more later) out of you - after all you don't want it coming back down the tiny hosepipe that delivers the water INto your bum. So far finding the people all a little odd. A loud trio of tattooed Englishmen - well one was a fake-breasted but very pretty tiny girl who turned out to be a tv presenter called Jessica, she presents Real Hustle I think it is, covered in tattoos they all were  - anyway they were 1 day ahead of me and the boys very loudly proclaiming how well their first colema had gone. Meanwhile the slightly teary tv presenter told me she hated it, had burst into tears and given up... I was filled with dread at having to do myself the next day. (you don't have to do it on your first day). Anyway over the week we had rather surreal discussions together about what was coming out of us and how to massage our stomachs to get more water up, and Jessica told me she lost about 9lbs in the first few days.. Bedtime: took the brown pills they gave me and tried to go to sleep in my rather lovely cabin, but resolving to ask to move rooms since next door woman was playing her tv at top volume. Hmmm, hope I settle in. Click here for Day 2

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Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:05:41 -0800 Nicaraguan charity work http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2009/12/15/nicaraguan-charity-work http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2009/12/15/nicaraguan-charity-work In 2003 I spent time working for a charity in Nicaragua. In this very poor village in the North, we toiled in heat and dust to create a community centre with the villagers. Their village is part of a Cooperative which used to produce sesame oil for The Body Shop, so they all asked me if I was friends with Anita Roddick. A year later, I met her to get a vox pop from her about plastic bags, and was able to convey their messages personally.. I had planned to make a film about them - but in the end I could not get a good enough camera, plus I was working far too hard to have spare time. Pity..but I did take 3000 photos.
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More photos of Nicaragua here:

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Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:06:21 -0800 Why Bikram is best http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2008/11/26/why-bikram-is-best http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2008/11/26/why-bikram-is-best Well, other forms of yoga are fantastic too, but it's been really interesting to watch how Bikram yoga has appealed to men and other groups that wouldn't normally have been interested. There's something about Bikram yoga that means you feel the benefits immediately. If I ever have backache, only a Bikram yoga session will fix it. Immediately. It's the heat and the sweat and the detoxing. And the fact that you know what to expect because it's always the same set of postures in the same order, but somehow you experience them differently depending on your physical and mental state. I just wish I had the time and money to do it everyday. But I need variety, so that would never happen..let's be realistic here.  Sometimes I just can't balance in a posture because my brain is off assessing all the other people in the room, or I just don't feel like looking at myself in the mirror very much. Other times, the focus and concentration is exemplary and I am proud of myself. Except, it's all about letting go of judgment really innit. Anyway, it's fun being pretty flexible and getting into positions I wouldn't have been anywhere near 10 years ago when I first went. www.bikramyoga.co.uk

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Sun, 04 Feb 2007 12:00:38 -0800 Chanting like a Hare-krishna http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2007/02/04/41 http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2007/02/04/41 Kirtan chanting is such fun. Well perhaps fun isn't quite the word for it . You feel a bit like a Hare-krishna devotee but the tunes are great and you sometimes get to play instruments - even if you can't play them! Somehow the instrument (rattle, tamborine etc) plays itself. There's a leader who sings the line and then the group repeat it, so you don't need to read music or know the songs. It's very meditational, and it helps when you are in a low emotional state - perhaps in the same way as exercise does, but more spiritually... Of course, the words you are singing are mantras, and they are repeated either softly to yourself (japa) or out loud (kirtan) in order to channel divine energy. And you know what, you feel you really are! You can do it here at Triyoga in Primrose Hill (http://www.freetheinnervoice.com/chanting.html) or you can do it at my fave place, Innergy yoga centre in Kensal Road every month on a saturday night and have a delish indian meal afterwards. http://www.innergy-yoga.com/chantingnews.htm. Innergy is great because it's a lovely carpeted old hall and there are fairy lights everywhere... To find out what sort of stuff you might be singing, listen to Krishna Das (double cd Live on Earth, try songs Namah Shivaya or Devi Puja) or JayaLakshmi (try song Ocean of Mercy)  ... I often find myself singing along to these at top volume whilst doing the housework.You find that some of them have a great beat and I often wish I was a cool funky DJ that knows how to technically take these tunes to another level by transforming them into some sort of Deep trance house rave mix. If you know of DJs out there already doing this, lemme know. Anyone who's recently taken up kirtan chanting, would love to hear your comments.

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