Well, I made chili tonight as per Cash's reccomendation, and it was perfect--hearty and filling and it cost about five euro to make, with enough to last me like three or four meals. But potatoes are so going in my future! And there's a cheese shop somewhere--I just discovered the sort of upscale local market (that isn't actually that local to me, but it's close enough) while I believe there is parmesan.

I was thinking on the tram home that black beans would be great for this chili too, but at the Tesco's there was seriously only kidney, butter, and baked. Very poor bean selection! I'll probably modify it with chickpeas in the future.

Though I love chickpeas, off hand chickpeas in chile does not sound good. Never tried it though - if you make the experiment let us know.

No black beans?? Good god. Crazy Ireland.

They're pretty tasty, TB. Hominy (the huge white corn kernals) is also good.

I put chickpeas in my chile for years. But I didn't eat meat so I used stuff that others might not. It was yummy.

If you want to vary your meals over the week, SA, you could serve the chili over rice, or pull a little sample off to the side, hit it with cinnamon and serve it over pasta Cinci style. Even over potatoes. You could also vary the toppings: cheese, sour cream, onions.

All of a sudden I'm hungry.

ION, I am so wrapped up in Meerkat Manor I sought out S2 spoilers.

I swear to god the show has more intrigue than MacBeth and more epic battles than LoTR.

I've been casting the meerkats with humans in my mind.

Flower - dominant female. Very tough. Rules with an iron fang. Halfway between Elizabeth I and Lady MacBeth. Played by Helen Mirren.

Zaphod - dominant male. "Bit of a bruiser" but also very sensual and attending to Flower. Played by Sean Bean.

Youssarian - adult male. Zaphod's littermate. Big, older. The previous dominant male but deposed by Zaphod. Has social problems. Possibly a little brain damaged from the owl attack on him as a pup. Freaked out and started a disastrous burrow move which killed pups. On the flipside, he was the only pack member to try and save Daisy's pups. Played by Randy Quaid.

Shakespeare - adult male. Not very big. Notable for both his bravery, reliability and kindness. Survived vicious puff adder bite. Saved the pup Mitch. Bravely fought against the much bigger Big Cy in from the rival Lazuli gang in the season ender, defending the pups. Played by Seth Green.

Mozart - adult female. Littermate of Shakespeare. Very attentive to the pups and close with Shakespeare. (She looks after him when he's bitten by a puff adder.) But also sexy and saucy and willful enough to go and have a forbidden liaison and bear pups even though she's not the dominant female. Played by Kate Winslet.

Tosca - adult female. Littermate with Shakespeare and Mozart. Penchant for bad judgement in (a) getting knocked up and having a litter without permission; (b) taking over the splinter group from Daisy just in time to be caught in her rebellion by Flower. Still, a strong willed figure. Forced into exile. Played by Scarlett Johansson.

Daisy - adult female. Bit of a ditz. When forced to choose between her litter and the pack, abandoned her cubs. Led splinter group, then deferred to Tosca. Just in time to avoid getting exiled herself. Played by Lindsay Lohan.

Carlos - adult male from rival Lazuli tribe. Keeps knocking up the Whiskers pack females. JZ thinks if Carlos was dominant male the warfaring ways would yield to a non-stop orgy. Played by Johnny Depp.

Big Cy - dominant Male from rival Lazulis. Biggest meerkat in the territory. Strong, but chased off by Zahod in one attack, and faced down by the much smaller Shakespeare in a burrow raid. Played by Adam Baldwin.

I've just discovered that Zappos doesn't ship outside the US. Fooey!

suddenly I need potatoes with cheese

From way back this morning -

Laura, the mouth is still sore, but barely swollen and it seems to do decently well if I regularly rince it out with warm salt water. I am avoiding all medicine and if it starts to look better, I won't even get the antibiotics.

I've just discovered that Zappos doesn't ship outside the US. Fooey!

That sucks, Sue. You should buy stuff, then get one of us to send it to you.

I'm glad your mouth is better, msbelle.

I just woke up. Huh.