What happened to choice?

Sorry I went a bit off the topic here. I do agree about too much choice.
Did you know your blink rate goes down in a supermarket and you walk around with glazed eyes? (Someone's experiment!)

People have different tastes, so if someone likes a dish slightly saltier than the chef thought it should be, it is arrogant of the chef to refuse to provide salt at the table. He (usually he) may be the professional, but it's still a matter of opinion and taste buds. Of course, you should taste food before adding any further seasoning, but having tasted it, it's no one else's business if you do add some.

Avocados are terrifically good for you, but surprisingly high in calories for a fruit. Still, as a rule, you eat only half a one at a time. Packed with vitamins and unsaturated fats, they are even good for stroke and heart patients. Great weaning food for babies too. By the way, as soon as avocados are ripe, they fall off the tree. Consequently, they must be picked before they ripen, but will ripen quite naturally – and utterly deliciously – left in a slightly warm place.

I've heard they ripen well if put in a bag with a banana. It's ages since I had an avocado, and I must buy one. It was something I didn't taste until I was probably in my late fifities, and I loved them. Found it very interesting to read peoples' comments about too much choice, because, when given too much to choose from I can't think straight and I either buy too much or nothing at all. And, yes, I do sometimes feel panicattacky in such situations. I wonder if supermarkets know this. Bet they do, because they put so much thought into which shelves to put things on so we buy more. Homebase were very naughty yesterday and had a 15% off day..then in small letters it said 'if you spend £50 or more', knowing that, if someone hadn't spent that amount they'd probably top up their purchases with another item.

I don`t use an awful lot of salt, but think potatoes and veggies taste a little bit bland if boiled without just a little salt. My daughter-in-law won`t use salt at all, says it`s really bad for us, but doesn`t seem to mind her kids eating loads of crisps, and they`re loaded with salt! Something my hubby nearly always has to ask for is vinegar, rarely provided on the table.
I get fed up on our odd evening out for a meal, if, when ordering a steak, I ask for it to be "cremated", as I really cannot eat meat that isn`t cooked right through. They look at me with such disgust on their faces, and one chef accused me of asking him to ruin perfectly good food!

In my twenties (a few years ago ) I had a blood test, can't remember what for, but the GP told me that my sodium levels were very low and that I should add salt a bit more. I always have salt with boiled/scrambled eggs or an omelette, and definitely on chips - not that I have them very often!

Oxon, am with you on the amount of soap powder. Have gone back to buying the old fashioned loose sort, not all those tablets and fancy sachets. I use a small scoop and probably use half as much as they say. We just dont get our stuff dirty anymore, the odd stain is treated with ecocover stain remover and thats it. To be honest once in a while the stuff clogs and does not get washed into the machine......I've never noticed the difference and certainly dont wash it again!

I've always used loose powder and never measure it..recently I've been using less and less..I do wonder how much 'surplus to requirement' soap powder goes into our water systems? Also realised not to use fabric conditioner on towels and tea towels, and use less and less of that, also.

My husband loves popping into Lidll, to buy basically non essential items like loads of biscuits, well he is diabetic. I have started to accompany him of late, and the choice there is great, there isn't any. So you want tinned tomatoes, one brand, dirt cheap. Olive oil ditto. All their washing powders, and liquids, own brand, dirt cheap. They have a good range of frozen fish, bought a bag of 5 alaskan salmon fillets for 4 quid. Aldi have a very good range of cheeses. I have now become slightly addicted, and now only wish to shop in Sainsburys about every 5 weeks. I no longer wish to gaze at about 20 different brands of the same items, and usually the ones the big supermarkets are pushing your way, more profit for them.

I've got five different detergents on the go at the moment. One bio for whites, one bio for coloureds general, one bio for coloured delicate fabrics, one non bio for whites and sensitive skin (DH's pants) and one non bio for delicate fabrics where the label states "do not use bio detergents.

All of them totally necessary.

I don't see how you can manage with less.

Depends what you mean by 'manage', dunnit? Anyway, you're just being jangly.

No, I'm not! I mean it.

You pay good money for clothes these days. You need to care for them properly.

tongue sticky out emoticon to The Bags.

jangly, I mean it too! My clothes last a long time because I don't use fierce detergents, at least in part. Also, I just can't use detergents because of skin problems. The clothes still get clean, so obviously it's possible to 'manage' without detergents.

Thanks for the Avocado advice. I have only ever eaten them cooked by others so how should they be cooked please? I will give them another go.

ElseG you will love avacados, they are delicious raw or just put some lemon juice on them. Spread avacado on fresh bread, rolls or turkish bread, anything really in place of butter. I chop avacados into cubes and put it in all of my salads. They really are the best first foods for babies, how much safer than processed foods. Lovely in pasta too or mash them up and use for a dip. Guacomole is delicious too. www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/Guacamole-L610.html
To get the most out of them cut the avacado in half, use what you want then put the skin back on like a lid, then refrigerate, they last longer that way.
www.avocado.org.au/nutrition/nutritional_information.aspx?gclid=CNvdnbjxwKoCFUYmpAod_22I4w

Brilliant, thanks for that Faye. I felt a fool for asking but having heard what everyone had to say I felt I may not have given them a fair chance

Jangly, you must have believed ALL the adverts....

Its science!

I'm a bit of a worrier. Even about the sodding washing!

Got to get it right!

there's more than one right way to do most things, jangly! I hope you enjoy your washing. I love seeing washing blowing on the line.

ElseG Do not cook avocados. You can add sliced or cubed avocado to a soup at the very last minute to heat through. Otherwise – NO. Lovely just halved, stone removed and served with a vinaigrette or mayonnaise in the cavity left. If you want to, you could use prawn or crab with mayonnaise, Marie Rose, etc. A good addition to green salad and a wonderful treat with crispy bacon in a sandwich. P.S. Lots of vitamin E – v. good.

Wow, I could comment on choice (came back from living in Sri Lanka and freaked out in a supermarket so understand that one). Could comment on washing powder (all those types certainly not needed though I do think the ones for whites have bleach so shouldn't be used for coloureds. I wash nearly everything on "Worn Once 30 degrees). But can I say something about avocados. Could comment on salt, (please don't add salt until you have tasted something I have lovingly cooked, but feel free to add if you then wish).

28 years ago we were living in Sri Lanka as mentioned as our daughter was ready for weaning. The first food we tried was avocado. She had terrible stomach cramps and we were told that there was too high a fat content to be used first. So it was potato and carrot first, then banana, then avocado as time went on. She's the healthiest girl you could find, but I put that down to her crawling around in the dust, eating the "au Pairs" curry round the back and being passed around the local market when we went shopping.

Regarding all the different washing powders etc. I only use non-bio at 30 degrees. The best advice though, is not to wash your clothes too often, as a consequence you do pong a bit. When my daughter was a teenager, she would wear something for 2 hours and then throw them into the washing basket, I used to sniff everything and pop them back into her wardrobe. The old man is pretty good, he only changes his underpants about twice a week, whether they are dirty or not. ha ha

Hattie you are a laugh!
I might add why not wash in cold water. Its not necessary to heat up water for washing clothes, the clothes come out just as clean and you save energy and money. Heating your water is one of the largest uses of power in your home. Most people I spoke to when I worked as a consultant advising on ways to save energy washed in cold water!

Dirt rots your clothes. You should them frequently.

You need warm water to expand the fibres so the dirt can be released.