Wow, its been a long time since i posted. Been working too hard, I guess – definately time for a holiday! I’ve been wondering where to go and  I really fancy somewhere in south east asia – possibly Vietnam, Laos or Thailand, I’ve heard good things about them all.

Been doing some reasearch and have found some pretty listings of guides around:

BOTW has a good selection of thai travel websites, as does JoeAnt. Goguides had a whole bunch of sites on both Vietnam and Thailand and Skaffe was pretty good too. It’s definately time to start saving – problem is I want to go away for a very, very long time!

Drinking coffee can help ward off type 2 diabetes and may even help prevent certain cancers, according to panelists discussing the benefits — and risks — of the beverage at a scientific meeting. I’ve also heard elsewhere it prevents cirrhosis of the liver too

read more | digg story

The coffee you drink as a pick-me-up in the morning could also make you more open to persuasion, researchers say. Evidence from a new study suggests that this happens because caffeine revs up the brain, not because it generally boosts mood.

read more | digg story

“10. Deodorizer. Dry them out on a cookie sheet and then put them in a bowl in your refrigerator or freezer, or rub them on your hands to get rid of food prep smells. 9. Plant food…”
This is a great list for those into their recycling! Perfect for what your coffee machine leaves behind

read more | digg story

I grew up on fresh bread almost every day thanks to my dear mother, who would cook some of the finest breads made to man. White or brown, olive or sundried tomato, every one was a winner – I especially loved her brioche!

Unfortunately the day did come when I had to leave home, and for years I would lurk in the supermarket around closing time, desperately hunting for the most reduced bread that still held some substance, none of this floppy airy rubbish they are so fond of churning out.. my tastes went a long way beyond what my pocket could afford, so I had to make do.

Fortunately since my birthday I am the proud owner of a shiny new breadmaker, which has been my pride and joy ever since. Mine’s a panasonic but I hear kenwood and breville breadmakers are great too. More at squidoo

Coffee means a great deal to me on a personal level. I owe a lot to it – my job, my life and general sense of wellbeing, and I think it is one of few substances on the planet I feel truely comfortable being addicted to. It has been shown to help protect against liver damage – something I tend do need, living the student lifestyle, as well as having many other benefits.

Recently I’ve been drinking a lot of Vietnamese coffee from a drip-coffee pot, a very slow ritualistic process, but recently I have been investigating various coffee makers and machines to help me get my fix. The only problem is the sheer choice available, whether filter coffee or expresso makers, cappucino machines or drip, retro coffee makers or classic.

I think some of my favourites are those by cuisinart, although I love the ones by kitchenaid and jura too.

I’ll let you know what I chose when i’ve finished my research.. sluuurp