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Lobby , a photo by thesmithsontour on Flickr. Lobby is the name potters gave to a simple stew. We both grew up eating it most weeks. My Grandparents always had a big pan of lobby on their stove & my mum used to make it in her pressure cooker.... Our version of the North Staffordshire dish is so cheap & easy to make - we love it! We use onions, garlic, lots of root vegetables, pulses, some greens & fresh herbs. You can add stock , miso or soy sauce, but cooking it slowly for a couple of hours just makes it taste so good & finishing off with a sprinkle of black pepper & the juice of half a lemon. Served in large bowls, with some home made bread fresh out of the oven... Makes a great warming meal! Hope everyone is keeping warm! Kay & Sime xx

Diet And Drugs

April 21, 2012

Some of you know about my fight with Graves Disease, an auto immune system disorder, which causes an overactive thyroid. Since I was diagnosed 7 years ago, I have made it my business to know everything I possibly could about the condition & this has probably saved my life. I have blood tests on a regular basis & in November last year, I was told that my T4 levels are normal & again in January the same. My thyroid stimulating hormone was finally starting to work too, after 7 years of lying dormant, so I suggested I came off the anti thyroid drug & my GP's response was to continue for a while longer. A month ago, I rang my GP & suggested again that I come off the drug or at least halve it, as I was feeling so well & was concerned about the drug pushing me into being under active. Again, she said to be patient & they would send for me when it's time for a blood test. I don't normally do as I'm told, but decided to stick with it a b...

Natural Housekeeping

April 08, 2012

Ever since I can remember, I've had allergic reactions to nasty chemicals in perfumes & detergents. As a child, I would break out in rashes from washing powder & anything perfumed, as did my siblings - in fact my Brother was even allergic to freshly cut grass! Little did my folks know about the body & health. My Dad was a heavy smoker & us kids had constant throat & chest infections, we lived on penicillin. Our bodies were continually stripped of antibodies & we all had an inability to cope with any toxins, so my Mum accepted that she had to buy particular brands of various soaps, cleaning & laundry products. Today, I still have a problem with strong smelling perfumes, air freshners & detergents, so have just avoided them as far as possible... Even tampons & sanitary towels irritate me, so I've used a Mooncup & reusable cloth pads for a few years now. Since becoming veggie over 20 years ago, I disco...