Stay Off-Topic Thread

by JackRabbit Sun Feb 21, 2010 10:35 pm

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Someone starts a thread and before you know it, the subject takes a nose-dive, completely off-course. Then it turns into a conversation between two or more members about something else entirely. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to respond here with an entirely different subject. You can talk about your cucumber garden, your pet hyena, the weather, what's on TV, likes-dislikes, etc. Better yet, have a conversation with one or more of the other members about things you want to talk about which have nothing to do with the original post. You can rest assured that it will be read. Remember, the one who changes the subject the furthest WINS.
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by Breezey Breezey Wed Jan 13, 2016 10:02 am

lorry p wrote:Whatever it is.. it looks YUMMY.. Do you reckon a bit of that would be ok with Diabetes?

I have no idea what is good for a diabetic... seems to me SOME sugar intake is still part of life? I would ask your doctor, Lorry.

by lorry p Wed Jan 13, 2016 10:13 am

No... no sugar allowed. She was pretty strict on that.. unless i am having a hypo.. then i can have CHOCOLATE... or jelly beans. I have it very well under control.. keeping it that way as long as possible. Don't want to end up like Mum.. having to inject insulin.. or my aunty.. she died of a massive stroke after being a vegetable for 2 years previous from minor strokes. She never listened to her doc. I'll just enjoy it from afar. lol

by Breezey Breezey Wed Jan 13, 2016 10:37 am

Well... exactly why I didn't give you advice or tell you to go ahead! lol I know next to nothing about it all.

by Tater Salad Thu Jan 14, 2016 5:38 am

The main ingredient is sugar, Lorry, so I would think not, unless you could keep it to a tiny bite.

by lorry p Thu Jan 14, 2016 7:39 am

I knew a bit Breezey because Mum has it.. but it is different when you have it yourself. You learn a lot more.. Sugar, when you have diabetes, destroys your body if you do not do what you need to do. The kidneys, heart, feet re gang green, eyesight.
No Tater.. best if I have none.. You can have my share. (-:

by Tater Salad Thu Jan 14, 2016 8:27 pm

I'm not big on sweets anymore myself; at least not since I was a good bit younger. I'm happy with a small piece of DARK bittersweet chocolate now and then - I love the kind that's 80 or 85% cacao, which really doesn't have much sugar at all - about 4 grams per serving, and I usually have 1/4 of a serving, so my sugar intake is only 1 gram (1/5 of a teaspoon!)

Now my mom, on the other hand, LOVES sweets, but unfortunately for her, she has been diabetic for about 10 years now. Ironic, isn't it?

by lorry p Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:49 am

You are just lucky Tater... that you don't have either a sweet tooth or diabetes. At least if you do get it from your Mum, you will not have trouble controlling it.

by Tater Salad Sat Jan 16, 2016 5:49 am

Sometimes I think one of the reasons she developed diabetes in her 70's was BECAUSE of her sweet tooth. Practically everything she likes to eat is sweet, from snacks to veggies (three bean salad) to salad dressings. Her favorite condiment is ketchup, which is packed with sugar. She uses it on everything from meats to potatoes. Mine is mustard, which has none.

by Breezey Breezey Sat Jan 16, 2016 8:02 am

Tater Salad wrote:Sometimes I think one of the reasons she developed diabetes in her 70's was BECAUSE of her sweet tooth. Practically everything she likes to eat is sweet, from snacks to veggies (three bean salad) to salad dressings. Her favorite condiment is ketchup, which is packed with sugar. She uses it on everything from meats to potatoes. Mine is mustard, which has none.

That sounds a lot like my mom. When a doctor told her to lay off the sweets and other foods with sugar... she claimed if she was going to live, unhappily.. what was the point? She decided if she was going to die, she'd die happy.

The problem with sugar is it seems to be in just about anything and everything you buy at a grocery store.
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by lorry p Sat Jan 16, 2016 8:10 am

The trouble with that thought Breezey, is that you may be happy eating what you want.. WHILE you are well.. but when your kidneys are not working etc... that's when you realise that you could have lived a longer life being happy knowing are you living well.. instead of eating crap. We are all brilliant in hind sight though.. lol

by Breezey Breezey Sat Jan 16, 2016 8:18 am

My mom was diabetic and refused to quit eating all the crap. She seriously refused to do all the things a doctor told her to do.
I don't believe my mom was all that geared up on prolonging her life.

I don't eat a lot of sugar, but certain things just yell at me when they are around. I try not to have much here.
I learned bread can be made without sugar. smile2

It's not a need, just a convenience to speeding up the process.

by Tater Salad Sun Jan 17, 2016 2:54 am

Bread can be made without sugar, but bread doesn't need much sugar. If it has more than a gram or two per slice, then that brand is catering to peoples' sweet tooth.

That's not much compared to many cereals, even many that you wouldn't normally think of as overly sweet. Many of the flavored packages of oatmeal, for example, contain 10 or 12 grams of sugar per serving. (10 grams of sugar is 2 teaspoons!)

by Breezey Breezey Sun Jan 17, 2016 4:07 am

Tater Salad wrote:Bread can be made without sugar, but bread doesn't need much sugar. If it has more than a gram or two per slice, then that brand is catering to peoples' sweet tooth.

That's not much compared to many cereals, even many that you wouldn't normally think of as overly sweet. Many of the flavored packages of oatmeal, for example, contain 10 or 12 grams of sugar per serving. (10 grams of sugar is 2 teaspoons!)

Bread doesn't need much sugar... many things don't need any sugar but have it added...probably why I make a lot more things myself... including oatmeal!

by Tater Salad Sun Jan 17, 2016 5:11 am

I can't eat oatmeal without ANY sugar, but a scant 2/3 of a teaspoon or so is sweet enough for me, or even better, a little bit of honey or agave or maple syrup instead.

by Breezey Breezey Thu Jan 21, 2016 1:08 pm

From what I understand, many of our foods would not need sugar or honey if we learned to add fruits or what not... that is already sweet to add to the sweet taste to foods. Just not sure how to incorporate that totally.... hmmm...

by Tater Salad Fri Jan 22, 2016 5:33 am

Using fruit juice as a sweetener instead of sugar is one good way. When I make cranberry sauce, I use 2 ingredients: Fresh cranberries and orange juice.

by lorry p Fri Jan 22, 2016 9:14 am

I made a cake yesterday that had no sugar apart from a ripe banana which has more sugar than an unripe one, albeit natural sugar... and it was fine. I added dates and sultanas for the sweetness. Most things don't need a quarter.. if any.. of the sugar we add.

by Tater Salad Sat Jan 23, 2016 5:06 am

Sadly, I haven't had a date in a long time.

Oh wait, you meant the fruit...

I've heard of sultanas, but once again, what exactly they are escapes me just now...

by Tater Salad Sat Jan 23, 2016 5:09 am

Okay, I looked it up, and sure enough, I have heard of them; we call them Thompson seedless grapes, or simply, white seedless grapes. Not sure why we call them white though, when they're actually green.

by lorry p Sat Jan 23, 2016 6:55 am

Sultanas.. here... are dried grapes and packaged to be eaten at any time. Great in fruit cakes or a snack.
As for a date.. other than the fruit kind.. You will just have to "hit the town".. there's more slang for ya mate. lol

by Tater Salad Sat Jan 23, 2016 7:13 am

We do hit the town here, especially if we're in the 'burbs. But those sultanas that you be talkin' bout, we done call raisins.

by Breezey Breezey Sat Jan 23, 2016 7:37 am

Tater Salad wrote:Using fruit juice as a sweetener instead of sugar is one good way. When I make cranberry sauce, I use 2 ingredients: Fresh cranberries and orange juice.

The first time I ever made cranberry sauce.... I was stupid enough to follow a recipe I found... way too much sugar and nobody wanted it~
I'll keep your basic recipe in mind.

by Breezey Breezey Sat Jan 23, 2016 7:39 am

lorry p wrote:I made a cake yesterday that had no sugar apart from a ripe banana which has more sugar than an unripe one, albeit natural sugar... and it was fine. I added dates and sultanas for the sweetness. Most things don't need a quarter.. if any.. of the sugar we add.

ripe bananas! I can tell the difference when they finally get ripe enough to be so sweet! I just can't eat a ton when they are like that. lol

by Breezey Breezey Sat Jan 23, 2016 7:39 am

Tater Salad wrote:We do hit the town here, especially if we're in the 'burbs. But those sultanas that you be talkin' bout, we done call raisins.

Raisins are use a lot here. smile2

by Tater Salad Sat Jan 23, 2016 9:58 am

Anybody for some banana nut bread?

by Breezey Breezey Sun Jan 24, 2016 5:15 am

Banana nut bread! Are YOU baking banana nut bread? If yes, I'll have some...please! smile2

by Tater Salad Sun Jan 24, 2016 5:30 am

We've got nuts and over-ripe bananas, and nowhere to go thanks to 2 feet of snow (plus drifts) that was so rudely dumped outside our door, so I'm thinking banana nut bread would be a good way to put our resources to good use.

by Breezey Breezey Sun Jan 24, 2016 5:32 am

You got snow?! In the last day or so?!

by Tater Salad Sun Jan 24, 2016 6:09 am

Yep. Friday night through Saturday night, we had a blizzard. They were predicting 18 to 24 inches, but with all the drifting that comes with 30 mph winds and 45 to 60 mph gusts, it's hard to tell exactly how much we actually got.

Want some?

by Breezey Breezey Sun Jan 24, 2016 6:14 am

No I don't want it! I still have enough from the snow that dropped here! It was awful and I don't know how some people deal with a whole lot more than that!

by Tater Salad Sun Jan 24, 2016 6:35 am

Well I don't want it either, but it's still sitting there, just looking pretty and being really inconvenient if anybody wants to or has to actually go anywhere. Hmmph! Mad

by lorry p Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:43 am

Here.. we have both sultanas and raisins.. The sultanas are a brown colour while the raisins are almost black in colour.
Here... we don't have snow!!!!!!!!..
But we do like banana nut bread. So send that over in ice please.
Over ripe bananas are FULL of sugar. That's why i don't need to add sugar in my cakes.

by Tater Salad Sun Jan 24, 2016 9:31 am

I believe your sultanas are what we call golden raisins; they are made from white grapes, and look like this:
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Keep in mind that if white grapes are not treated with sulfur, they will be a darker brown, the same as untreated apricots.

by Breezey Breezey Sun Jan 24, 2016 11:21 am

Tater Salad wrote:Well I don't want it either, but it's still sitting there, just looking pretty and being really inconvenient if anybody wants to or has to actually go anywhere. Hmmph!

I know the feeling....

by Tater Salad Mon Jan 25, 2016 4:41 am

I don't know how you do it Breezey; you get a lot more snow than we usually do, and it's a good bit colder on average up there as well.

by Breezey Breezey Mon Jan 25, 2016 4:47 am

I don't deal well with it. Got stuck the first awful snowfall this year... I stay inside a whole lot. I stare at my back yard and remember what it use to be with grass and a garden....
If I could be somewhere warmer, I'd be there.

by Tater Salad Mon Jan 25, 2016 4:54 am

I sometimes wish I could have stayed in Florida, and the sad thing is, I probably could have.

by Breezey Breezey Mon Jan 25, 2016 8:58 am

Tater Salad wrote:I sometimes wish I could have stayed in Florida, and the sad thing is, I probably could have.

Hindsight.... later, we can look and see... that maybe we could have worked something out, done something differently.... and often, it's too late to do that.

And... I tend to believe if we were really meant to be somewhere, we'd put more effort into it... just thinking...

by Tater Salad Tue Jan 26, 2016 3:40 am

Yeah, I know you're right. The thing is, I missed my family, but now that I'm back here...

by Breezey Breezey Tue Jan 26, 2016 9:35 am

I would miss family too...
Thing about relying on family and living too close... it becomes a bit "hard". I'd be fine with visits and webcam. lol Seriously.... I guess it would depend on what I had wherever I was too.. friends, etc... not feeling alone.

by Tater Salad Wed Jan 27, 2016 2:23 am

Well, to be honest, the job situation down there wasn't exactly ideal either. In most of Florida, unless you had a skill or background that was in high demand and short supply, the wages were not very good.

by lorry p Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:34 am

Come to Australia.. It's WARM here. And there is plenty of work to be had. The wages aren't bad either. Average wage would be $23 per hour. With a trade, you can earn approx $60 or so per hour. How does that compare to where you are? And if we get snow... it is nothing like you get.

by lorry p Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:35 am

Those sultanas look like ours Tater (-:

by Breezey Breezey Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:39 am

Lorry, how much do you pay for a gallon of milk and a gallon of gas?

by lorry p Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:47 am

Breezey.. we don't call it gallon, so i will tell you by the litre.. Milk is $1 per litre. Petrol is at present $1 and 8 cents. How much is it over there?

by Breezey Breezey Wed Jan 27, 2016 9:55 am

1 gallon is equal to 3.78541 liters.....
Okay, so... a gallon of milk would be over $3? Is the whole or skim or something else?

A liter of gas is a dollar? Does that mean three of those is our gallon again? lol
Would you believe we pay less than $2 for a gallon of milk?
So... pay is better for work maybe due to higher cost of living where you are?

by Tater Salad Thu Jan 28, 2016 3:37 am

Breezey, milk is well over $3 a gallon here; you may pay less due to price restrictions there in the 'dairy state". Here, we may pay more due to state minimum prices. Gas costs less here because Australia produces no gas and is dependent on imports.

Also, keep in mind that the Australian dollar is not worth quite as much as ours, so part of the reason pay rates are higher is that goods cost more as well. For example, something that costs $100 here may cost about $115 there.

But another reason wages are higher is the relative scarcity of labor, especially skilled labor.

by lorry p Thu Jan 28, 2016 8:44 am

Couldn't have explained that better myself thanks Tater.. except partially the last part. There are many skilled labourers.. but many, like my son, can earn much better money by working for himself as a landscaper/handyman. He charges approx between $80 - $150 an hour depending on the job he is asked to do, instead of working for a boss or a firm, where his wage would be less. A teacher's wage, for example would be approx $50 per hour. So it makes sense to a lot of people to run their own business.
What are the wages there?

by Tater Salad Fri Jan 29, 2016 4:31 am

Let's just put it this way; I don't know any teachers who earn anywhere close to $50 an hour. But then, part of that is because teachers generally aren't nearly as appreciated here as they are in many other places.

Some skilled laborers do earn a pretty penny, especially if they are in a good union, but many unskilled laborers are lucky if they earn much more than the minimum wage. ($7.25 an hour nationally, but higher in some cities/states)

by lorry p Fri Jan 29, 2016 5:02 am

$7.25 an hour!!!! You are kidding right? And we think we are on low wages. What would your house prices be on average? And what would you spend on groceries per week approx?

by Tater Salad Fri Jan 29, 2016 5:22 am

Sadly, I'm not kidding, and yet most conservatives don't think we should raise the minimum wage, as they like to pretend that it only affects mostly teenagers working part time and entry level workers.

Housing prices can range from under $100,000 to well over a million, depending on location, size and condition; I would guess that the average is probably well over 200,000.

I would estimate that on average, people spend at least $50 per person per week. Obviously, bargain hunters who use coupons and are savvy shoppers spend less, but if you're not looking for the best prices and buy a lot of convenience foods, you can easily spend double or more than that.

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