Were you guilt tripped?

Did your parents guilt-trip you into eating everything on your plate by gravely informing you that Biafrans were starving?

I belatedly researched the Biafran famine last night. It was a terrible thing, caused by the Nigerian government imposed a military blockade on the region. Food, medical supplies and humanitarian relief were cut off, leading to around a million casualties before the war ended in 1970.

According to Wikipedia, the war was largely forgotten after that … but not by my parents … who were still hanging the famine over our heads a decade after it ended.

Making your kids eat everything on their plates was pretty standard parental practice back then. It’s since been suggested that’s not the best idea, as it can lead to children ignoring their body’s hunger and fullness signals and can result in over-eating later in life.

In my case it also means I am obsessed with consuming every mouthful of leftovers in my fridge. I have no idea how I’ve avoided food poisoning over the years, considering some of the manky things I’ve microwaved.

On Friday night, DD ordered Chinese takeaway to cheer himself up after his hospital visit. It was from a place we hadn’t tried before and it wasn’t very good. We chucked most of it in the fridge, alongside all his other unfinished leftovers.

I suggested maybe pimping the dishes up for lunch the next day. DD wasn’t keen, so I snuck the containers into my cooler bag and took them home on Saturday night … and I’ve been eating the leftovers ever since.

I bought some diced chicken leg meat and a bunch of Asian greens from Woolies, stir fried them and had them with the fried rice for lunch on Sunday, then I tossed the chook with the Singapore noodles for dinner on Sunday night.

On Monday I had another bowl of Singapore noodles for my lunch, then I tossed some Asian greens with the leftover Mongolian lamb for my dinner last night. Lunch today will be the last of the Singapore noodle sauce-covered chicken and Asian greens with rice.

Not a single skerrick left.

It will be a shock to my system when I have to cook an entire meal from scratch tonight. I’m making lamb and dukkah meatballs with cous cous, which I will dutifully consume for the rest of the week.

In other completely unrelated news, this popped up in my Facebook feed yesterday …

What in Hades’ name is it? I have suspicions it’s some sort of bondage attire. Or is it just a complicated dog harness or something else completely innocent? Do completely innocent things – other than dog harnesses – have studs, multiple straps and clips?

I don’t want to click on the link to find out because then my entire feed will be filled with naughty accessories and I’ve only just purged that lemon thingy from it.

Celebrate life’s special moments with a personal touch? Extra memorable? Blimey! No thanks.

PS In other disturbing news, my request to avoid jury duty has been denied and I will need to front up on Monday and beg in person. Pray for me.

Song of the day: Pink Floyd “Another brick in the wall”