The problem with compacting falafel mix is that it becomes too dense and stodgy.
Maybe that’s why they are deep fried as it seals the edges quickly.

I would love to be able to use varifocal contact lenses but I’ve had a vein thrombosis in one eye with a resulting field defect so the other eye does most of the work.

My knee problem is partly due to being overweight as a young adult which resulted in a degenerative tear when in my 30s. The knee was already weak due to a serious injury when I was a toddler but I’ve no doubt all the stress of carrying too much weight was a significant factor.

I don’t need a reason to watch TV as I don’t answer to anyone other than myself 😀

Morning All we here in South Australia are heading for 4 days of +37 and then Fri and Sat over 40. Our eldest son gets married on the 30/3 very exciting times for all the family so many great memories to be a part of and just as it was when he came into this crazy mad world “I was there that day” be our motto. I got my walk on early and so now lets get our fast on.
Happy Monday trendsetters.
Peace RT

Morning/evening all

Jo,
Lucky you with only a few bruises and some pain. It could have been far worse as you might have broken a heel……. 😉

Seriously, it could have been so much worse and I’m glad to hear you’re OK.

I went to Sri Lanka 14 years ago and there have been so many other destinations visited since then it’s hard to recall too much about it. If you visit Kandy, the botanical gardens are fabulous and they have a huge orchid collection. It is a beautiful quiet and peaceful place away from the hubbub of the city with all the people and traffic.

I do remember it being very quiet everywhere with few tourists due to the tsunami the previous year.

If you are interested in wildlife, Yaka NP is great. One probably has a better chance of seeing a leopard there than anywhere else in the world.
There is a rock fortress at Sigiriya with a vast number of steps which is well worth the effort as the views are spectacular.
Dambulla has a collection of cave temples that are magnificent unless you are at the stage where you never want to see another Buddha.
If you get up into the highlands (?Cameron) there are numerous tea plantations and terraced farms

The south coast (which was hit by the 2004 tsunami has some lovely beaches). Visiting the following year meant there was still a lot of devastation plus many rebuilding efforts and it was a rather emotional experience especially as there were so many shrines along the roads for those who had lost their lives.

It’s a great place but no-one is in a hurry.

True story:

At our last hotel on my tour, where they weren’t used to looking after non Sri Lankan tourists, I went to the bar one evening and ordered a G&T. The waiter poured the gin and then realised he had no ice so he picked up the ice bucket, walked halfway across the dining area, then stopped and had a chat with one of his colleagues. He eventually went into the kitchen and returned with some ice stopping on the way back for another little chat.
He then realised he had no lemons so he sauntered back to the kitchen, stopping for another chat on the way.
He got back to the bar and guess what? No knife to slice the lemon…..

I eventually got my drink just as the rest of the gang arrived and ordered their drinks which took aaages to arrive. As soon as the last one was placed on the table I said “same again” 😆

This was the hotel where on opening my hotel room door I discovered why there was water running out underneath it.
I went to the tour leader and said that I had a waterfall in my room and he responded that once the rain stopped all would be well (he thought I was exaggerating) I insisted he came to my room to look at the problem. When he arrived it took one swift glance at the torrent of water pouring through the roof around the light fitting creating a small river which divided the room in two, poured out under the door and over the balcony and agreed that I did indeed need a different room 😆

It wasn’t the usual hotel that the company were used to as that had been swept away in the tsunami along with several of the staff which was a sobering reminder of how dangerous the weather can be.

Have a good one everybody 😜

Hi Fast Trackers and Hello World (You All know Who You ARE) 😉
A male patient is lying in bed in the hospital, wearing an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. A young student nurse appears and gives him a partial sponge bath. “Nurse” he mumbles from behind the mask, “are my testicles back?” Embarrassed, the young nurse replies, “I dont know, sir Im only here to wash your upper body and feet.” He struggles to ask again, “Nurse, please check for me. Are my testicles black?” Concerned that he might elevate his blood pressure and heart rate from worrying about his testicles, she overcomes her embarrassment and pulls back the covers. She raises his gown, holds his manhood in one hand and his testicles in the other. She looks very closely and says, “Theres nothing wrong with them, Sir. They look fine.” The man slowly pulls off his oxygen mask, smiles at her, and says very slowly, “Thank you very much. That was wonderful. Now listen very very closely: ARE MY TEST RESULTS BACK?
Have A Happy Weekend All You beautiful Losers 😆
Peace RT

I’ve had a really busy week, for various reasons, and now away on another training course. So that’s my excuse for not posting!

It seems to be that if Amazon doesn’t post, no one bothers! I loved your Sri Lankan hotel stories btw Amazon, sounds memorable but not necessarily for the right reasons!

Sorry to hear the bad news, Jo. Life throws some curve balls, doesn’t it?
I’ve been flat out too. First proper fast yesterday after a wee break (Life interrupting!) It reaped rewards, so I’d better follow through on Thursday. 🙄 P

Greetings, all.

The rain passed through here yesterday, most welcome after another long dry spell. It wasn’t quite so welcome at the Basin, where the test match had to be postponed…

Glass of wine you suggest, Amazon? Good idea, it’s that time again 🙂

FDs are failing to cope with dining indiscretions, so the weight is creeping on, unfortunately. I am seeing a hypnotherapist about my sleep issues, so weight gains can be part of the conversation. His suggestion for when I wake at 3am – get out of bed after ten minutes of not getting back to sleep, sit on a chair beside the bed (the naughty chair) for ten minutes, repeat. This is to re-train the brain that bed is for sleeping. So eight times did I sit on my chair, but by the ninth time I stayed in bed and got back to sleep (6am by then, fortunately it’s Saturday). Such a waste of the day. I will continue this until the next appointment, when hypnosis will be used to reinforce the new patterns (if I can bear it…)

He slept through most of it, P, vaguely aware of some movement at times. I would really like him to also get the benefit of the therapist as his sleeping patterns are rubbish. But he’s in denial!

If there is anyone out there, hi.

This thread becomes more like the Marie Celeste with every day that passes and I’m beginning to wonder if I’d do better writing in a diary…..

Not even any Friday Funnier from RT this week ☹

Well another week has gone by and I’ve started my latest vegetarian odyssey. I was tempted to break it yesterday when I went into a local food store and discovered they’ve got a new on-site sushi franchise. The trays of sashimi were calling to me, but I managed to escape without putting some in my basket.
Seems a good idea to visit on Good Friday and treat myself to some in lieu of an Easter Egg.

My Shrove Tuesday pancakes and set me up well for the rest of the week.

I made muttar paneer with the addition of some spinach that needs to be used and it was delicious and went very well with some dhal I had in the freezer.

I made guacamole this morning but decided to skip the spicy beans etc and am having roast veg with blitzed kale for dinner as I discovered a few items in the veggie drawer of the fridge that had been sitting there for longer that is desirable, including half a bag of kale which was looking rather tired.

There is also a cabbage that has been purchased and forgotten and I’m planning to use it to accompany mushroom ragu, and in a stir fry and Pad Thai

I managed to find organic tofu on my local supermarket shelf. They’ve either only just started to stock it or I need my eyes tested as I’ve not noticed it before 😆

I bought two packs and I have the idea of making a lasagne style dish using aubergines and roasted peppers rather than pasta sheets and making a tofu and mushroom sauce.

My new exercise regime is going well. The knee is fine now and my hip is responding well to being stretched and worked hard. I’m having a rest day today as I don’t want to push my luck.

To those of you who are reading this, have a good weekend, and the same to those of you who aren’t 🤣

Have a good one anybody 😜

Hi Happy,

I once tried a vegan lasagne recipe which consisted of pasta, a layer of spinach, tomato sauce and crumbled tofu. I decided to make the tofu into a Béchamel style sauce by melting it in which worked well but the finished dish wasn’t particularly exciting flavour wise.

I’m thinking this time I might make a Béchamel sauce (using almond milk to keep the calories down) and add cooked mushrooms and maybe griddled or dry fried cubes of tofu, so there is more texture and hopefully more flavour.
I’ll also use my usual tomato sauce recipe which has much more flavour that that in the recipe.

The possibilities are endless……

I’ve found an Indian recipe website: harighotra.co.uk. I’ve tried a couple of Hari’s recipes, a pumpkin curry and the muttar paneer and they’ve both been excellent.
I found it by chance when looking for pumpkin recipes and there are so many mouthwatering recipes, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free etc. The calorie counts are wildly inaccurate but apart from that I can’t fault them.

My only concern is living long enough to try the multitude of interesting recipes I’ve collected 😆

Thanks RT 🤣🤣🤣

It’s very windy here and it’s raining but there are also large patches of blue sky and bright sunshine. It is so mild no heating is required.
There is a magpie sitting on a chimney stack and it is clinging on whilst being battered by the wind…..

March in England, spring is on the way 😀

Have a good one everybody 😜

I love Adelaide 😀

Amazon I have been meaning to ask if your 800 cal a day program has been quite difficult to implement and adhere too what if any at this point would be the main issues?
1) Hunger
2) Satiated
3) Boredom
4) Just not satisfied
5) Results
The reason I ask is that clearly we all have our individual make ups and are hard wired differently.
I do not respond well to moderation or mindfulness where others seem to do rather well whether calorie restricting always or IF time restricted eating. Whereas fasting is my weapon of choice and if i drop back only a day from 3 to 2 I gain weight if I continue with 3 I maintain. Should i need to lose weight i have to intensify my routine and use longer fasts to enforce the fat burners are fully engaged.The Journey continues.
Keep on Keeping On
Peace RT

Hi from the Mary Celeste,
Not quite drowned.
I have been on the road for a couple of weeks (around NZ).
I can’t fast at present. Too much going on. Non-stop social life, much unplanned.
Getting back to Europe in 3 weeks for a few months.
Forgive my silence. I will be active as soon as I can.
Wiwi

Hi P glad your soaking up some of our natural attractions and the festivals and culture..Says he who has never been to the fringe festival or Kangaroo Island 😯
Of course i must also add YET 😉
Blue skies lovely sunshine and high 20’s today LG Lifes Good.
Keep on Keeping On Folks
RT

Morning/evening all,

I’ve been to Kangaroo Island but it was only a day trip. I’d love to go back and spend a bit more time there.

I’ve always visited Australia in January but now both sets of friends children are adults I want to go at a different time of year so maybe I’ll be able to investigate Adelaide during a festival.

Have a good one everybody 😜

Mad March! An excellent time, if you have accommodation and KI is such a peaceful place. Just finishing off our bbq’d prawns and slaw as the sun sets over the beach. Seals, sting rays, goannas and dolphins today. Penguins tomorrow evening. 😊
It’s been a perfect sunny day. 22.5 deg.

Hi Fast Trackers and Hello World (You All know Who You ARE) 😉
A husband and wife were golfing when suddenly the wife asked, “Honey, if I died would you get married again?” The husband said, “No sweetie.” The woman said, “I’m sure you would.” So the man said, “Okay, I would” Then the woman asked, “Would you let her sleep in our bed?” And the man replied, “Ya, I guess so.” Then the wife asked, “Would you let her use my golf clubs?” And the husband replied, “No, she’s left handed.”
Have A Happy Weekend All You beautiful Losers 😆
Peace RT

😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣 Morning RT!!

No place for it anywhere in the world. Appalling.

40 dead- just so sad. Just listening to the PM. I really like her approach.

The news is getting worse and worse. What drives such people to slaughter others?