Mt Dew, Dr Pepper, Pints, Caffeine, Gravy and Lemon Sherbets!

[aichambaye at yahoo.com]

I hope that covers it... I reckon you guys are tired of me always 
having something to say.

First, pints... pubs can still sell a pint. Britain got a special 
dispensation from the EU to sell Royal pints of beer, because it's a 
cultural tradition. But they have to sell hard liquors in 25 ml 
measures. Percise ones, at that! No chumming up to the bartender for 
a larger shot. I hope they haven't changed the pint rule. If they did 
it's Labour's fault and I'll be crushed. Who wants to go down the pub 
and have a 1/2 liter of beer, and not a pint? Argh! 

Mountain Dew is GREAT. It's carbonated caffeine, neon yellow. I'm an 
addict. That and diet Dr. Pepper. I can't even comprehend a caffeine 
free life. I reduced it from the 3 liters of pop and several cups of 
coffee down to about a liter and a half of pop and the occassional 
half cup of coffee or cup of tea. That's fine with me. And I heartily 
second Amanda's discussion of the taste of the person who thought Dr. 
Pepper tastes like Coke with baking soda. Yuck. My hubs HATES dr 
pepper. He says it tastes like cough medicine. I will admit it's got 
cherry flabored overtones.... but it's not cough medicine!

Gravy: I will bow to the people who have corrected my impression of 
gravy. I appreciate knowing how people do it elsewhere. And I'd love 
to taste it. 

It will be over my dead body when anything but sausage gravy (not 
chunks, made with sausage grease) is served at breakfast in my house -
 or, for that matter, over a chicken fried steak (breaded hamburger 
steaks, deep fried; no chicken involved, British folks). The stuff 
some of you are calling gravy, served over asparagus and the like, 
the cream stuff... well, at my house that's sauce. Cream sauce. 
French stuff. Also very nice! Pardon my confusion! I think it's a 
regional thing. Or maybe it's just my weird family. But I like gravy 
made from sausage best of all.

Also, I spoke to my friend Ian today (could he be anything but 
British?) and he says, Lemon Sherbets are quite nice. As are Jaffa 
cakes. I can't WAIT to be in a London sweet shop!

Heather M., eating Girl Scout Cookies. Not made with real Girl Scouts.