First to go, as part of our 2011 resolution of removing hydrogenated vegetable oil (artificially made trans fat to you and me) from my family's food chain, is the humble cup a soup.

A quick filler on a cold day, I was stunned to discover they contain hydrogenated vegetable oils as they are a dried product.

The packaging says, "Contains no artificial colours or preservatives" - a shame then that they contain man made trans fats, which the human body thinks are low colesteral and doesn't break them down as fast as natural trans fats.
These man made trans fats are proven to serve no beneficial purpose to the human body and are banned in Denmark, who have seen a staggering 40% drop in heart disease cases since they were banned.

Hydrogenated vegetable oils are only allowed into the food chain of the UK, due to the financial argument, in that they are cheap and keep the cost of food manufacturing low.
I'd rather not pay with clogged arteries thank you.

Drastic post title and with good reason, Hydrogenated vegetable oils are being used in foods we eat everyday and should be BANNED!

Commonly known as "trans fats" in short, HVO/trans fat take much longer for the body to remove, which increases the risk of fat clogging arteries and causing heart disease.
It astounds me why the powers that be openly promote skimmed milk and the reduction of dairy products in our daily diet, yet when faced with the evidence that naturally occuring trans fats, only used to account for 2-5% of saturated fats consumed, and that natural trans fat also produces two acids essential to human cells, and the human body could remove the fats relatively quickly....

Why are governments around the world, permitting in the use of HVO/trans fats, that now make up 30-40% of our saturated fat intake and DO NOT naturally produce the two acids essential to the make up of human cells?
Denmark have led the way in removing HVOs from their food chain, in the few years this has been done, Denmark's health has improved. A staggering 40% reduction in coronary heart disease!

Factor in the links with HVOs to diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, liver disfunction, infertility. Not to mention the current studies into the links to cancers of the prostate and breast cancer!
Banning HVOs in several countries is not being brought in, for one simple reason... MONEY!
It is cheaper to use HVO to cook with than the natural, healthier option.

Once again, big business rules over the nation's health, disgraceful!

In future posts, I shall be highlighting everyday products that most of us use, that contain HVOs (Hydrogentaed vegetable oils) and removing them where ever possible from the food chain in our home.

Independant article on HVOs

I was given this tip, back in the mid 1980's when I used to visit a shop called Bruccianis, in good old Barrow-in-Furness, who made the best sandwiches in the world!

Prawns on their own are dry, don't taste of much, etc. Instead of wasting your money on 1000 island dressing and the like, try this:

Take 2 parts salad cream, mix it with 1 part tomato sauce (I use heinz out of a glass bottle as the "squeezy" bottle is normally alot thinner than the glass bottle stuff) mix well together, spread on one side of a muffin/teacake/bap, add prawns, add a lettuce leaf and maybe some cucumber, then scoff before someone else can eat it.

I've spent the day battling with the age old problem of my victoria sponges not rising.

Using the correct ingredients, I have now tried to make the sponge with a hand whisk and metal spoon, a food processor, an electric whisk and a combination of all of them, mixing butter and sugar with food processor then folding in flour and eggs with a spoon.

I have tried the oven on gas mark 4, 5, 6 and 7, at the centre of the oven (always recommended for baking cakes) and at the top of the oven

I have tried 7 inch and 10 inch baking tins.

All have had the exact same results, the mixture is cooking but not rising.
Any ideas where I am going wrong with my victoria sponge would be most welcome. Thanks.

I am having real trouble finding any useage for a deep fat fryer we were given as a gift.
I have tried chips, regardless of temperature, they are done on the outside but raw in the middle.
Tonight I tried doughnuts, which cooked in 6 minutes, but held in all the new vegetable oil. The end result was doey in the centre but crunchy on the outside. Again I tried all temperature settings and shortened and lengthened the cooking times between 4 minutes and 8 minutes.

If anyone can suggest a use for our deep fat fryer I will try it, I think I am going to have to give up on this and find it a new home (for free of course) which is a shame, as many people use them and say they are great to have around the kitchen?