Dear Betsy,This week a group of my close friends met for dinner 'at home' - a not unusual thing to do, of course, and a great evening with good food was had by all!
Two days later I went on a girlie evening 'out'. This soon turned into the realisation that maybe dining at home has now become a better option.
Among the myriads of restaurants in Bahrain, competition has become keen for the fine diners amongst us, but maybe not quite keen enough for some. I cannot understand why some people want to enjoy a lovely evening out only to come home with clothes stinking of other peoples smoke! An unpleasant and dangerous experience.
How come we have stopped smokers in the shopping malls but not in restaurants in Bahrain?
Rebecca
Dear Rebecca,
As an ex-smoker (27 years ago) I couldn't agree with you more. Non-smoking diners either have to sit and suffer the choking fumes of second hand smoke and the disgusting stink of smoke in our hair and clothes ... or stay at home.
Many restaurants here don't even have a token 'no smoking' area and those that do consign we non smokers to the least coveted table, usually by the kitchen door or garbage bins as if serving us up ( pardon the pun) punishment for daring to demand a clean, healthy eating experience.
I even have friends who are smokers but wouldn't dream of doing so in a restaurant whilst others are eating.
I am sure there are lots of readers out there like you who would rather dine at home than pay to dine in an uncomfortable, unhealthy restaurant environment.
I am going to challenge restaurant managers and owners and ask 'who is going to be brave enough and visionary enough to declare their restaurant a 100% smoke free zone?'
I would be the first to book a table and I am sure rather than be empty (as smokers will claim) that restaurant will be fully booked with a waiting list.
I can just hear those restaurateurs that will claim this would be the death knell for their business but I don't believe so. Take the examples of Ireland and Scotland where a smoking ban has been in place for the last two or three years, where most businesses have thrived.
England has more recently followed suit and I listened to a report on the news the other day where one of the leading UK Bar and Restaurant chains reported a 25% increase in business up and down the country, compared to the same period last year, despite the smoking ban.
The recent campaign by our government to reduce obesity and the massive cost of related healthcare is laudable but in my opinion they should also consider that banning smoking in ALL public places could reduce healthcare costs much more substantially. But, I realise even if this was made law in Bahrain, it would not be easy to enforce.
I remember quite a few years ago being in Paris on the day that the law banning smoking in restaurants came into force. I was ecstatic at the thought of gourmet dining that evening without having to fight and choke my way through the notoriously noxious clouds of 'Gitanes' and 'Disque Bleues' that pervaded every hostelry and watering hole in Paris. Unfortunately, no sooner had I sat down to dinner than the table next to me lit up in unison. When I complained to the Maitre 'D that they were breaking the law his response was to shrug his shoulders dismissively and declare 'C'est Paris!' So, what chance do we have? After all, 'Hathee Bahrain! La?'
l What do you think? Should we ban smoking in all public places? Email betsymathieson@hotmail.com
Dear Betsy,
Supermarkets can prove expensive and I sometimes submit to the temptation of buying imported cakes and biccies from Good Old Blighty.
In one store I was tempted by a Mr Kipling's Battenberg cake, not those silly little miniature ones but the Real Macoy. OK at BD2.400 it is not cheap but it was a special treat.
I picked one up and noticed it looked a bit dry and checked the expiry date. It was five days past it. It wasn't the only expired one either.
I showed this to one of the staff there who took it from me wordlessly and wandered off. After finishing the rest of my shopping, I went back to the shelf and the other expired cakes were still there, mixed in with others that had an expiry date of mid November.
Perhaps they were taking more care of their profits than the wellbeing of their customers? Caveat Empor.
Julius Ceasar.
Dear Julius,
For those of our readers who did not study Latin, Caveat Empor, means 'buyer beware'.
A phrase that puts the onus on the buyer to check just exactly what it is they are buying before making their purchase. It is always a good idea to check expiry dates when making food purchases as I am sure the odd item can slip through the expiry net into the next day, but I do think that still selling food that expired five days ago is stretching it a bit.
My legal eagle tells me there are laws in place to protect the consumer and clearly in this case they have been breached. I hope that by now these items have been removed and the store's management tightens up its procedures.
Dear Betsy,
My skin is so dry right now and I want to use a natural face mask that will help me keep it moisturised. What foods can I use for this?
Olga.
Dear Olga,
Dry facial and body skin is a common problem now as our weather changes. Right now, a seasonal food that is great for us (including our skin) is pumpkin.
Packed with powerful goodies such as zinc, magnesium, iron, vitamin K, omega 3 fatty acids, pumpkin also contains other plant extracts that are said to reduce cholesterol and offer cancer protective properties too.
Try roasting it in the oven and serving with some butter and freshly ground black pepper as a tasty veggie option or use it in soups with fresh chillies for an appetiser with a punch.
Eating pumpkin seeds is an easy healthy snack and you can also buy pumpkin seed oil which is a beautiful dark green/black, to mix with your salad dressing for a deliciously nutty dressing with a difference.
It is quite thick so mix it with some fresh lemon juice, organic extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and shake well.
As a home beauty treatment, pumpkin has alpha-hydroxy acids in it that will have a gentle exfoliating effect, helping to dissolve those dead skin cells, as well as feeding and nourishing skin. It can also be used as a body scrub.
Try these recipes below but remember drinking enough water is also vitally important for our general health as well as hydrating our skin, so aim for around 1.5 to 2 litres a day and use a good quality moisturiser for dry skin.
Also, avoid the temptation to have really hot baths and showers as the weather cools, as this will contribute to dry skin problems.
Pumpkin cream skin food
4 dessertspoons of Mashed Pumpkin, (fresh is best but you could use tinned pumpkin)
2 dessertspoons of Whipped Cream or extra thick cream
2 teaspoons of Runny Honey
Mix all the ingredients together into a medium-thick paste and apply to a clean face and neck. Leave for 15 to 20 minutes and rinse off.
You can also use this on your hands and feet, wrapping them in cling-film for 20 minutes. If you are really brave, or have help at hand, then it makes a fabulous all over body mask that will leave your skin super soft and smooth.
Pumpkin pie spice scrub
This is a body scrub and is not suitable for your face and neck.
Just avoid the temptation to eat it as it smells so yummy!
4 tablespoons Mashed fresh pumpkin
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Organic olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
Mix together to a paste and apply to dry skin, massaging in and paying particular attention to drier areas such as knees, elbows, hands, feet etc.
This combination of natural ingredients will remove dead skin cells, deep cleanse and brighten your skin and help stimulate your blood circulation leaving you with a healthy glow.
Rinse off under a warm shower and apply a nourishing body cream.
Use two to three times a week for beautifully polished skin.
This will keep for a few days in the fridge if you keep it in a sealed container and is great to use on your hands every other day, especially after heavy duty housework or gardening. Always follow with a hand cream.
