By the way, I meant to mention that I don’t think by any means that corn-based ethanol is the perfect thing. I think that eventually they need to make it from something else—something easier and cheaper to produce, and something that’s not so volitile. Such as switchgrass—or waste paper. They can make ethanol out of switchgrass, as well as a lot of other things (Brazil uses sugar cane, I believe), but last I heard, the process isn’t good enough yet to make it profitable. I don’t think it will be too long before it is, though.
Here is a link to a short article about using switchgrass as fuel. There are about 14 other articles archived, you could search for them there.
I like the idea of using something like switchgrass: it’s good for the soil, and you can get several crops each year.
Which reminds me: I have an internet friend (another one) who is from Scotland though she lives in England currently, and another from Ireland, and they both claim that they have never had a peanut-butter-and-jelly (or “jam,“ as they insist on calling it ) sandwich. They say it sounds just repulsive. Are they just odd? (Well, OK, they’re friends of mine so they are bound to be a bit odd.) Or in the U.K. is it really as peculiar a combination as they seem to think?
Your friends may well be odd, but that combination really does sound horrible. I don’t know anyone here who’s ever even wanted to try it.
Yeah, I’m with Mouse. That idea just makes me shudder.
You have GOT to be kidding! Pbj sandwiches (Peanut Butter and Jelly-jam) are a major staple in most US homes! Heck, we probably make 3 to 4 a day around here. (The kids seem to prefer them with strawperry preserves, but grape jelly is also a mainstay.)
Hey, you mention ‘Bangers and Spots’ and us Americans go into convulsive fits….
To each their own i guess. (Though I personally tend to try what friends recommend, just for the novelty if nothing else…)
It’s probably not as bad as it sounds. I remember on my first visit to the US as a young lad being rather surprised to find that American peanut butter was much more savoury than the UK stuff, which actually has quite a lot of sugar added to it, so the idea of sweetening it to make it more palatable to children would certainly make sense. Short of sprinkling a teaspoon of ‘Sweet-n-low’ over each sandwich, grape jelly, honey or a fruit preserve would seem to be a halfway healthy method of doing so.
Mind you, I was so traumatised by my first taste of states-side PB that I’ve never tried it on any of my subsequent visits, so I can’t say for certain that it hasn’t been sugared up with HFCS like a lot of other American foodstuffs.
It’s probably not as bad as it sounds. I remember on my first visit to the US as a young lad being rather surprised to find that American peanut butter was much more savoury than the UK stuff, which actually has quite a lot of sugar added to it, so the idea of sweetening it to make it more palatable to children would certainly make sense. Short of sprinkling a teaspoon of ‘Sweet-n-low’ over each sandwich, grape jelly, honey or a fruit preserve would seem to be a halfway healthy method of doing so.
Mind you, I was so traumatised by my first taste of states-side PB that I’ve never tried it on any of my subsequent visits, so I can’t say for certain that it hasn’t been sugared up with HFCS like a lot of other American foodstuffs.
Hmm. That would make sense. Although I don’t like peanut butter anyway…
Hi Boo!
I think he’s talking about bangers and spotted dick….crazy names for food!
Ahhh, I see. Well, considering spotted dick is a steamed suet pudding, it’s not only the name that’s put me off ever trying it…
Bangers is just another name for sausages (as I’m sure you know), so I’m not sure why it would send Americans into convulsive fits, but I’ll take Dave’s word for that.
And, if you’re going for weird names for food, how could one forget Toad in the Hole?
) sandwich. They say it sounds just repulsive. Are they just odd? (Well, OK, they’re friends of mine so they are bound to be a bit odd.) Or in the U.K. is it really as peculiar a combination as they seem to think?
