An Ode to Coke

There is a running battle in our house ... Coke or Diet Coke!! 

I am a full-fat girl but my hubby goes for the 'yucky' stuff. A fact that has confused many a waiter and waitress as they automatically assume the girls drink the diet one ... leaving us giggling, doing a quick swap or gagging if we haven't realised. We're very protective over our favoured choice!

I haven't always been so loyal to the 'real thing'. When I worked in Tanzania back in 1999, I was a Diet Coke drinker and very disappointed when I found that Coke of the diet variety was unknown where I lived. When I left in 2001, it was finally available (at a price) ... but by then I was a convert and have never looked back. When something is perfect, why tweak it in any way at all! 

I used to have a habit of drinking the equivalent of four cans a day ... but a few years back I cut it down to just one! If I'm in a restaurant and on ordering am told 'We only hold Pepsi products, is that OK' ... I'm the awkward customer who says no changes her order. Why waste my one drink allowance on anything but the best!

It will be interesting to see what preference the girls will choose but as Abigail still only drinks water (her choice!) and Naomi, milk ... only time will tell! As you can see I'm beginning the brain washing in my favour early!!

Over the last few years I've learned some interesting Coke trivia. 

• Coca-Cola's advertising helped shaped the modern day image of Father Christmas in 1931 according to Coke Lore. 
• The first ever coupon was thanks to Coca-Cola
• A truck transporting Coke weighs several tons more than one of Diet Coke ... I don't have a link to that or an exact figure ... but apparently it's true and it's all to do with the weight of the sugar!

All those Christmas images and money-saving coupons we use today (and in America coupons are used A LOT ... and have regularly saved us quite a bit!!!) are thanks to what I have renamed the Elixir of Life!! 

Some may view Coke as an international corporation working on world domination ... which they are!! I have no problem with that, as long as I get my one a day fix!!

Back on the Menu

About 10 years ago I cut out a recipe I wanted to try from a magazine ... about 5 years ago I got around to making it! (There is an endless supply of magazine recipes still waiting in the wings to be tried and tested in my kitchen!)

Chicken, sweet potato and coconut curry became a fast favourite of ours for adults and kids alike (it's mild enough for everyone). When we moved to Ohio, finding korma paste was a little more difficult ... so our lovely friends & family have been bringing out these two person packs from the UK which are the perfect size for this meal. One day soon I will perfect a homemade korma paste, so I don't have to wait for shipments!!

The only downside of this delicious dinner recently, has been the unfortunate after effects the following day ... in Naomi's nappy! Over the last 8 months we've only eaten it once or twice because any kind of curry's or even meals with onions while I've been nursing Naomi, have had to be off the menu! I was really excited at the end of December when she was 100% on the bottle and the 'forbidden foods' could once again be part of my repertoire again! 

There is an unwritten rule in my life that I only try out a new recipe on the family and never when we're entertaining ... just in case! For some reason I took a gamble the first time I tried out this recipe and thankfully it was a hit. In fact, every time without fail that I've cooked this for friends I'm asked for the recipe! It really is that yummy and makes approx enough for 2 adults and 2 children!

• 1 Tsp Sunflower oil
• 2 Tsps (or more!) mild curry paste
• 2 boneless chicken breasts - diced
• 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes - peeled & diced
• 4 Tsps red split lentils
• 300ml or 1/2 pint chicken stock
• 400ml can coconut milk
• 175g/6oz frozen peas (or green beans)

1. Heat oil in deep pan/wok - stir in curry paste (about 1 min)
2. Add chicken, sweet potato & lentils ... coat in paste
3. Pour in stock and coconut milk
4. Bring to boil & simmer for 15 mins
5. Tip in peas - bring back to the boil and simmer 4/5 mins

Can be served with rice/noodles/chapati/naan etc ... enjoy!!

Verbal Diarrhoea

This time last week Abigail was just recovering from a 24 sickness bug and I was it's unsuspecting recipient in a few hours time! Thankfully it was an instant 'get it and get rid of it' thing and Mark and Naomi were completely unaffected.

As a result of the bug and the recovery, Abigail was a little quieter than normal. At the beginning of last week she wasn't all that chatty. A fact that she totally made up for by the end of the week ... when we seriously had trouble stopping the talking!

She would read any book, making up all the words and going on and on about all kinds of random things. At bedtime we have taken to leaving her with a book now until she decides to go to sleep otherwise we will never escape from her bedroom! Then go back in later and tuck her in properly!

In the daytime, Abigail was running around the house picking things up, talking about them ... seeing something else talking about it ... cuddling Naomi, talking about her ... a true one woman monologue. She didn't even seem to draw a breath when saying 'and then' which is often the only link between sentences as the subject matter is usually totally unrelated!

It was highly amusing most of the time, just wondering what on earth she would come up with next. The diagnosis at the end of the week, totally different from the one at the beginning ... Verbal Diarrhoea!

If the spelling of diarrhoea confuses you, it is the British spelling and not the American one. As we've found with so many words since living in the States, spellings can differ, pronunciation can differ or words can be totally different from one 'language' to another.

I've mentioned before some of the differences when we go to the store/shop (delete as appropriate!) and the fact that the girls are growing up surrounded by both versions of English. I find myself using American English more and more ... it really is like learning a new language. 

Last week a friend of mine working in Turkey posted a link to the most amazing and extensive 'Glossary' of British English words and their American equivalents that I have seen to date. I'm still slowly making my way through the page ... but so far I can see just quite how much language learning I've had to do since we moved to America! Even if you just look at a couple of the words it's well worth a quick glance to see just how different the two languages are!!