# Diabetes Support Forum 10th Anniversary Advent Calendar!



## Northerner (Dec 1, 2018)

White rabbits everyone!  As this is our forum's 10th Anniversary year I thought that for the Advent Calendar I would pick out treasures from calendars past   So, to start us all off on our wondrous adventure into a world from the diabetic perspective, here's Day 1:

A plateful of scrumptious Diabetic Rice!


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## robert@fm (Dec 1, 2018)

A nice contradiction in terms to start things off.


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## Northerner (Dec 2, 2018)

Day 2, from our Calendar of 2012, a refreshing diabetic beer!


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## Northerner (Dec 3, 2018)

Day 3, from the Vegetarian Calendar of 2015, a delicious plate of deep-fried tofu


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## robert@fm (Dec 4, 2018)

So, what's today's treat?  Hopefully nothing from the 2016 calendar...


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## Northerner (Dec 5, 2018)

robert@fm said:


> So, what's today's treat?  Hopefully nothing from the 2016 calendar...


Oops! Two to open today!  

From 2015, a nice, low carb, healthy breakfast


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## Northerner (Dec 5, 2018)

Day 5, some delicious Diabetic Jam from 2011, and a poem 

 

Ah! You’re diabetic? Well, don’t worry my dear,
We’ve got all sorts of goodies that are suitable here!
There’s diabetic chocolate and diabetic cake,
And diabetic jam – took me ages to make!

And diabetic sweets in all sorts of flavours –
For someone like you they’re heavenly saviours!
So don’t feel deprived, they’re especially for you!
I’ve heard sugar would kill you – is that really true?

Now you might find the sweeteners are rather emetic,
But you’ll just have to suffer since you’re diabetic…
I should also mention they cost twice the price
Of ordinary sweet stuff, but don’t taste as nice…

What’s that? You’re declining? Well how can that be?
But you can't eat normally, like people like me!
You can? Well, my goodness, I’ve learned something new!
My business is finished, and no thanks to you!


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## Northerner (Dec 6, 2018)

Day 6, from 2014


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## Northerner (Dec 7, 2018)

Day 7, from 2016 (sorry @robert@fm ) The theme for 2016 was weird cuisine from around the world. Here we have some scrumptious
Surstromming from Sweden  

Baltic Sea herring fermented with just enough salt used to prevent it from rotting. Mainly found tinned in brine these days, when opened it releases such a pungent aroma that it usually needs to be eaten outside.  Low carb!


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## Carolg (Dec 7, 2018)

Northerner said:


> Day 7, from 2016 (sorry @robert@fm ) The theme for 2016 was weird cuisine from around the world. Here we have some scrumptious
> Surstromming from Sweden
> 
> Baltic Sea herring fermented with just enough salt used to prevent it from rotting. Mainly found tinned in brine these days, when opened it releases such a pungent aroma that it usually needs to be eaten outside.  Low carb!


Yuk


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## Northerner (Dec 9, 2018)

Day 8 - from 2010, Hesy Ra, first mention of diabetes 1552 BCE


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## Northerner (Dec 9, 2018)

Day 9 - from 2011, Diabetic Rossogollas!* Sluuuuuuurrrrp! 







* an Indian sweet


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## stephknits (Dec 9, 2018)

They look like pickled eggs to me!


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## Northerner (Dec 10, 2018)

Day 10 - from 2014  @HOBIE and @Pumper_Sue will remember this and shudder!


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## trophywench (Dec 10, 2018)

Was a ruddy nightmare in them days Northie, couldn't get hold of a porcupine by the time I was diagnosed so had to make to with a hedgehog we kept in the garden and he was forever going walkabout in the night unless we tethered the little bugger to the rotary washing line post before it got dark.


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## Northerner (Dec 11, 2018)

Day 11 - from 2015, when the  theme was 'A Healthy Diet for All'

Bread and Dripping - preferably with a liberal sprinkling of life-giving salt!    A treat for us as children in the 1960s


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## Stitch147 (Dec 11, 2018)

I remember having dripping on toast with my grandad on Sunday evenings as a treat (late 70's early 80's)


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## trophywench (Dec 11, 2018)

Love it!  Esp beef dripping.  Salt and pepper on mine though please.

(Think it's been 20 years or more since I had any...…..)


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## Ljc (Dec 11, 2018)

Beef dripping Yum, no salt or pepper on mine though. Not had any for many a year.


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## Northerner (Dec 12, 2018)

Day 12 - from 2017, when the theme was 'Exercise' - we all need to do what we can, including...

Crossing a field with a large dog on your shoulders (you'll probably need to buddy-up for this one, otherwise double the calories used)

Calories:
15 mins - 43
1 hour - 179


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## Northerner (Dec 13, 2018)

Day 13, from 2012 - how about some tasty 'Enterex' chocolate? Mmmmmm!!!


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## robert@fm (Dec 13, 2018)

Sounds like a laxative and probably works as one.


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## Madeline (Dec 14, 2018)

Could someone explain the porcupine/hedgehog thing please


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## Northerner (Dec 14, 2018)

Madeline said:


> Could someone explain the porcupine/hedgehog thing please


It's from back in 'olden times' before lancets had been invented  Well, before blood test strips too, actually!  It's remarkable how far things have come...

I won’t forget those wise old words my Daddy said to me
As he sat down in his chair one night and perched me on his knee.
He said, ‘Son, diabetes wasn’t always so much fun,
So let me tell you how it was in 1931!’

Twice a day we’d drive to town, down to the abattoir,
Pick out a bovine pancreas and stow it in the car,
And when we got home Mum and Dad would mash that organ up,
And strain it through a muslin bag into a paper cup…

Then Dad would get some chemicals and boil them in a pan,
Adding bits of this and that with flourish and élan!
And meanwhile I would drink and drink until I had to pee,
And Mum would take a jar away, as swiftly as could be!

She’d add it to the chemicals, and if it turned bright red
Then I would have no supper and be sent off straight to bed.
But if it just turned yellowish, I’d have something to eat
Like carrots mashed in gravy, with sweet pickles for a treat!

I didn’t like the needles though, at least six inches long!
So Mum would jig around the room, distracting me with song!
And when he’d scraped the rust off, Dad would stick it in my butt,
I’d bite down on a leather strap to keep my mouth tight shut!

So, should you whinge and moan about how finger pricking’s bad,
Then pause to contemplate about the progress we have had.
We’ve gone from times when prospects for our future might seem poor,
To looking forward to the day that they announce the cure!


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## Northerner (Dec 14, 2018)

Day 14 - Bet you didn't know that bread could get diabetes 






Reminds me of another poem...

Low G.I. bread

Down at the bakers, I’ve heard it’s been said,
There’s a good special offer on Low GI bread.
So I put on my coat and set off down the road
For something to lower my glycaemic load.

And there in the window in prominent view
Was a sign confirming what I’d been told was true:
‘Live your life healthy, for you’re a long time dead –
Come in and sample our Low GI bread!’

The devil inside me said ‘I wonder if they know?
They say ‘Low GI’, but what makes it so?’
So I questioned the counter girl, would she comply?
She looked rather puzzled, then gave this reply…

‘Well, the ‘Low’ means there’s less, and the ‘I’ means ‘Inside’,
But as for the ‘G’ I can’t really decide…
Could it be Garlic or Ginger or Goat?
Or (scraping the barrel!) a Gloucestershire stoat?’

‘Or Gherkins or Grapefruit, or maybe Goosefat?’
I suggested ‘Glycaemic?’ – ‘No, I don’t think it’s that –
Gammon? Or Gumbo? Or Guava? Or Gin?’
(She was beginning to wish that I hadn’t come in!)

Then a lady beside me said ‘Why would I pay more
For bread that has less of what went in before?’
That caused the girl’s listing of ‘G’ things to stop,
So we both turned round briskly and vacated the shop!


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## Eddy Edson (Dec 14, 2018)

Northerner said:


> It's from back in 'olden times' before lancets had been invented  Well, before blood test strips too, actually!  It's remarkable how far things have come...
> 
> I won’t forget those wise old words my Daddy said to me
> As he sat down in his chair one night and perched me on his knee.
> ...



Car? Luxury!


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## Madeline (Dec 14, 2018)

Eddy Edson said:


> Car? Luxury!


Don’t be silly, cow pulling a cart.


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## Eddy Edson (Dec 14, 2018)

Madeline said:


> Don’t be silly, cow pulling a cart.



Cow? Luxury!


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## Madeline (Dec 14, 2018)

Eddy Edson said:


> Cow? Luxury!


Maybe Northerner’s Dad?


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## Eddy Edson (Dec 14, 2018)

Madeline said:


> Maybe Northerner’s Dad?



His old ma, more likely. His dad would have been out in the fields with the Porcupine Beagle.


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## Madeline (Dec 14, 2018)

Eddy Edson said:


> His old ma, more likely. His dad would have been out in the fields with the Porcupine Beagle.


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## trophywench (Dec 14, 2018)

Eddy Edson said:


> His old ma, more likely. His dad would have been out in the fields with the Porcupine Beagle.



Don't be daft - everyone knows you have to use Pointers - can't use beagles or spaniels - even trained Springers or any type of retriever - cos their mouths are too soft for the job, hence why they're so excellent at picking up any sort of bird or pesky wabbit you have just bagged.


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## Eddy Edson (Dec 14, 2018)

trophywench said:


> Don't be daft - everyone knows you have to use Pointers - can't use beagles or spaniels - even trained Springers or any type of retriever - cos their mouths are too soft for the job, hence why they're so excellent at picking up any sort of bird or pesky wabbit you have just bagged.



No, no - you miss the point. The Porcupine Beagle is trained to approach its target with extreme stealth & startle it with a torrent of yelps. The porcupine of course reacts by shedding spines which may then be collected at leisure.


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## trophywench (Dec 14, 2018)

Ah, well of course never having lived anywhere were the porcupine also did, I purely based my knowledge on the Worcestershire tribe of hedgehogs and the shotgun/dog owners I knew up to the later 70s when test strips became available on prescription.


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## Northerner (Dec 15, 2018)

Day 15 - Misconstrued!


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## Northerner (Dec 16, 2018)

Day 16, from 2016 - on everyone's Christmas table this year, a tin of traditional festive Spam...  What's your favourite way of presenting it?


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## Lanny (Dec 16, 2018)

Northerner said:


> Day 16, from 2016 - on everyone's Christmas table this year, a tin of traditional festive Spam...  What's your favourite way of presenting it?



I hate Spam as it's so salty! I prefer Chinese tinned luncheon meat & the best is the Ma Ling brand that I can get from Tesco. It has so much more flavour than just plain salty!

Edited to add:-* Oh, just noticed it's made in Holland but, that's par for the course for a lot of Chinese products here in the UK: there's a huge Chinese community & manufacturing plants in Holland! Ma Ling in Hong Kong is made in China.


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## Northerner (Dec 16, 2018)

Lanny said:


> View attachment 10567
> 
> I hate Spam as it's so salty! I prefer Chinese tinned luncheon meat & the best is the Ma Ling brand that I can get from Tesco. It has so much more flavour than just plain salty!
> 
> Edited to add:-* Oh, just noticed it's made in Holland but, that's par for the course for a lot of Chinese products here in the UK: there's a huge Chinese community & manufacturing plants in Holland! Ma Ling in Hong Kong is made in China.


I love the 'serving suggestion' - cut a couple of slices off the slab, stick a bit of salad in between. Very sophisticated!


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## Stitch147 (Dec 16, 2018)

Northerner said:


> Day 16, from 2016 - on everyone's Christmas table this year, a tin of traditional festive Spam...  What's your favourite way of presenting it?


I always remember Spam fritters when I was at school. Used to be one of my favourites.


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## Ljc (Dec 16, 2018)

Northerner said:


> Day 16, from 2016 - on everyone's Christmas table this year, a tin of traditional festive Spam...  What's your favourite way of presenting it?


Battered and fried


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## Flower (Dec 16, 2018)

Northerner said:


> Day 16, from 2016 - on everyone's Christmas table this year, a tin of traditional festive Spam...  What's your favourite way of presenting it?



In the bin


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## Madeline (Dec 16, 2018)

Bleurgh


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## Northerner (Dec 16, 2018)

Ljc said:


> Battered and fried


Ambrosia!


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## Madeline (Dec 16, 2018)

And you guys think I’m the weirdo for liking the green JBs


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## Lanny (Dec 16, 2018)

Very popular in a lot of fast food joints in Hong Kong is macaroni in a flavoured soup broth with pan fried slices of luncheon meat & a fried egg on top for breakfast.


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## trophywench (Dec 16, 2018)

I'm very happy to say my mom didn't like it, hence it was only in other people's houses we had to suffer it occasionally.

So my favourite way of presenting it is still on a shelf in a supermarket !


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## Northerner (Dec 16, 2018)

I've always liked it grilled and then put in a sandwich with lashings of brown sauce - often had that as a child


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## Barbie1 (Dec 16, 2018)

I only discovered Spam when I left home for college. I then found a cafe in the town serving spam fritter and chips, and I ended up sneaking off there to eat them when no one was looking. Not sure if I was awfully well controlled blood sugar wise then.......


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## trophywench (Dec 16, 2018)

Ah well - all that fat and the remains of some protein along with the spuds and flour in the batter - at least the carbs would have hit you a bit slower.  LOL  Shame you're T1 though …. !


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## mikeyB (Dec 16, 2018)

Ever looked at the ingredients of Spam? Only 6 - pork, ham, potato starch as binder, salt, water and sodium nitrite as a preservative. It’s mainly protein - nothing wrong with it. Bit processed, OK. You can tell it’s natural because of the gelatine in the tin, like you find in a pork pie. It’s not added.

So there you are - health food.

It must be healthy - spam fried slices aren’t a normal part of a full Scottish breakfast. I like em, with brown sauce just like Northie, specially in an oven bottom muffin and 8 units of insulin.


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## Madeline (Dec 16, 2018)

mikeyB said:


> Ever looked at the ingredients of Spam? Only 6 - pork, ham, potato starch as binder, salt, water and sodium nitrite as a preservative. It’s mainly protein - nothing wrong with it. Bit processed, OK. You can tell it’s natural because of the gelatine in the tin, like you find in a pork pie. It’s not added.
> 
> So there you are - health food.
> 
> It must be healthy - spam fried slices aren’t a normal part of a full Scottish breakfast. I like em, with brown sauce just like Northie, specially in an oven bottom muffin and 8 units of insulin.


What is an oven bottom muffin please?


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## Northerner (Dec 17, 2018)

Day 17, from 2014 when the theme was healthy foods (not!)  - a Gregg's steak bake


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## Madeline (Dec 17, 2018)

YUM!


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## trophywench (Dec 17, 2018)

We were out a couple of weeks ago and went in Gregg's café where I had a sudden desire for one of their hot sausage rolls.  It was 'orrible - not even flaky pastry, let alone any taste in the sausage.


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## Madeline (Dec 17, 2018)

trophywench said:


> We were out a couple of weeks ago and went in Gregg's café where I had a sudden desire for one of their hot sausage rolls.  It was 'orrible - not even flaky pastry, let alone any taste in the sausage.


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## Northerner (Dec 17, 2018)

trophywench said:


> We were out a couple of weeks ago and went in Gregg's café where I had a sudden desire for one of their hot sausage rolls.  It was 'orrible - not even flaky pastry, let alone any taste in the sausage.


Well, if you're daft enough to order anything but a steak bake from a Gregg's then it's hard to feel any sympathy for you Jenny


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## Madeline (Dec 17, 2018)

I’d murder for a steak bake. 

17 miserable g of carbs so far today. Wallowing in self pity. Feel free to virtually slap.


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## Ljc (Dec 17, 2018)

Madeline said:


> I’d murder for a steak bake.
> 
> 17 miserable g of carbs so far today. Wallowing in self pity. Feel free to virtually slap.


@Madeline . Have one of these instead


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## Madeline (Dec 17, 2018)

Ljc said:


> @Madeline . Have one of these instead
> View attachment 10581


Awww thank you <3 <3 <3


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## trophywench (Dec 17, 2018)

Me eat a steak bake?  Far too much.  The sausage rolls are too big anyway - but used to be so more-ish.  Fat virtually dripping out of the flaky pastry and ditto the sausage.  Now the pastry has no 'layers' and there was a completely empty space all round the dried up circular length of what they claimed was sausage - like they'd used a length of that horrid skinless sausage.


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## Madeline (Dec 17, 2018)

trophywench said:


> Me eat a steak bake?  Far too much.  The sausage rolls are too big anyway - but used to be so more-ish.  Fat virtually dripping out of the flaky pastry and ditto the sausage.  Now the pastry has no 'layers' and there was a completely empty space all round the dried up circular length of what they claimed was sausage - like they'd used a length of that horrid skinless sausage.


Oh. It’s been years since I had one, sounds like I’ve not missed anything.


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## Northerner (Dec 19, 2018)

Oops! Behind again!  Day 18, from 2012 - time to get baking with some of Lister's Diabetic Flour!


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## Northerner (Dec 19, 2018)

Day 19, from 2010 -  the chemical structure of Metformin


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## Eddy Edson (Dec 19, 2018)

Northerner said:


> Oops! Behind again!  Day 18, from 2012 - time to get baking with some of Lister's Diabetic Flour!



And their diabetic flour factory: https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-c97e-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99


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## Madeline (Dec 19, 2018)

What on Earth was diabetic flour? Actual thing or a big con?


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## Ljc (Dec 19, 2018)

Eddy Edson said:


> And their diabetic flour factory: https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-c97e-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99


*Omg *


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## Eddy Edson (Dec 19, 2018)

Madeline said:


> What on Earth was diabetic flour? Actual thing or a big con?



It seems to have been based on casein, presumably extracted from cows milk? But how that got processed into "flour", don't know.  

Mentioned in this https://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/bulletins/b220.pdf from 1919, which is a great little insight into the "late pre-insulin" era.


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## Madeline (Dec 19, 2018)

Mmm thrice cooked vegetables, yummy! Thanks for that, I’d not had any success googling, I just got auction stuff for old posters.


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## Northerner (Dec 20, 2018)

Day 20, from 2017, when the theme was 'exercise'  

Ironing

Calories
15 mins - 22
1 hour - 88


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## Lanny (Dec 20, 2018)

No kidding! I HATE ironing & never do it! I only buy no ironing or minimum ironing clothes! An ABSOLUTE essential with my work clothes, when still in the restaurant business: teflon coated short sleeve shift dress & longline jacket, part of the waiting staff, that repelled stains too! From a specialist catering industry clothes catalogue. Still needed washing everyday because of the smell of food & alcohol! DID NOT want to iron too!


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## Northerner (Dec 21, 2018)

Day 21, from 2012 - 
Oh yum, some diabetic ice cream!


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## Ljc (Dec 21, 2018)

Lanny said:


> No kidding! I HATE ironing & never do it! I only buy no ironing or minimum ironing clothes! An ABSOLUTE essential with my work clothes, when still in the restaurant business: teflon coated short sleeve shift dress & longline jacket, part of the waiting staff, that repelled stains too! From a specialist catering industry clothes catalogue. Still needed washing everyday because of the smell of food & alcohol! DID NOT want to iron too!


I don’t blame you , I detest ironing too I do the bare minimum.


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## Northerner (Dec 24, 2018)

Day 23, from 2011 - hope everyone has got a jar in the cupboard for that special treat!


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## Northerner (Dec 24, 2018)

Day 24, from 2017 - Treadmill session in inappropriate footwear. Make some room for those sprouts!  

Calories
15 mins - 45
1 hour - 180


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## Northerner (Dec 25, 2018)

And finally, Day 25, from 2012 - give yourself a boost with Gluco-Burst Diabetic drink!  Merry Christmas everyone!


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## AdeV (Jan 2, 2019)

I'm a bit late to the party here, erm, so Happy Christmas everyone!

Meanwhile:



Northerner said:


> Oops! Behind again!  Day 18, from 2012 - time to get baking with some of Lister's Diabetic Flour!



Interesting that carbs were in the frame way back then as a problem for diabetics... makes you wonder what changed, doesn't it?


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## robert@fm (Jan 2, 2019)

I like your Gru-some avatar.


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## AdeV (Jan 3, 2019)

robert@fm said:


> I like your Gru-some avatar.



Hehe - thanks  It goes back to a "work/holiday" trip I had to the States; out there with the boss, his lad, and me in Florida: Boss says, let's go jetskiing! So we did, and batted up and down a lagoon for a happy hour. Apparently, I looked "just like Gru" whilst hunched over the handlebars trying to make myself more aerodynamic in order to go faster!

I couldn't walk properly for about 3 days after that, my legs were completely like jelly... I couldn't even go *down* stairs, let alone up them! Had to lever myself in and out of chairs, on/off the bog, and I didn't dare take a bath in case I got stuck in it! But.... what a rush!


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