I have been reading comments online about stealing site content. Whilst I admit to finding this annoying I feel there is little can be done about it. Obviously if they steal your post “in verbatim” along with photographs and personal comments, then you can. If it is just the ingredient and method, what proof do you have unless the recipe is unique? I have seen hundreds of recipes online similar to some I regarded as my own – made up by my own hands (with a little bit of input from the brain), in the 1960s.

Unless you have written notes or have undeniable proof that you were the first person to post such a recipe on a site, you can´t. I have written notes going back years, some of the quite unique, but mostly just common and garden recipes that many people have a version of. I have one recipe written in my own childish handwriting – late 1950s – I found the identical recipe on a site!

For instance, mother has two daughters – each of us take Mum´s recipe from when she taught us how to cook. We each make minor amendments, years on both claim the recipe. But who owns the recipe? Could perhaps Mum and her sisters have done the same thing, taken Grandma´s recipes, made minor changes and again claimed them as their own? Generations down the line, two strangers, but who are distantly related say “you stole my recipe”!

We put our recipes on our site/s, fully aware that “someone” will come along and pinch them, probably more than one “someone”. You can shout and yell all you want, what will be will be. I have found several of my recipes online, copied word for word onto a site, including my spelling mistakes and bad grammar. What can I do, well complain obviously, but if they say “it is mine, not yours”, and they are prepared to fight to keep it on their site, what can you go to and is it worth it in the end?

I watched Spanish TV – one of their chefs did a tortilla (or omelette) – it was mine down to the last ingredient – made with store cupboard ingredients left in an otherwise empty pantry and fridge, very unique. He claimed it as his own and gave it a new name.

I found a recipe on a well known British site – an old recipe I concocted one night when I fancied a cheese and apple pie, shortly after marrying in the late 1960s, but did not have a recipe – I wrote the recipe and method in an old recipe book from the 1920s. The chef claimed it as her own. The method and ingredients were (for the most part) the same as my handwritten notes with very minor changes – for instance increasing the sugar by 1/2 ounce and adding “serve with cream”!

What really annoys me is when a TV chef pinches a recipe like my apple and cheese pie, then puts it on a site and slaps a copyright clause in there, and she pinched it in the first place. Dishonest, oh yes! Can I do anything about it? Unlikely.

Update – this chef has now changed the method so it is now quite different. The fact remains – she “borrowed” it in the first place, though now she has made changes, she has now “borrowed” the idea – along with another person who has made in into a Lancashire recipe!

Two parcels are awaiting delivery from Amazon, this time the parcel – after two failed attempts to deliver – was (allegedly) left at the local bar near the entrance to the main street in the village. Went down to collect – man in bar said he did not have a parcel with our name … actually showed us the parcels he had. Phone local agent … when told of the comments by the man who was supposed to have taken delivery, he was abusive, rude and nasty.

So yet again, a complaint has had to go into Amazon, this time by telephone.

Why don´t the just deliver the damn parcel, surely it would be a lot easier than making excuse after excuse. The comments are usually “incorrect address”, “tried to deliver” latter saying basically no one was in the house when they called which is a downright lie, as I rarely leave the house and daughter works from home.

IMHO it is time Amazon found an agent in this area who is prepared to do the job they are paid for and deliver the parcels, whilst I appreciate that they are one of the best for deliveries to towns and cities, they suck when it comes down to delivering to villages. If they leave them at the bar, surely they could either phone the person who expects to receive the parcel to tell them they can pick it up there or indicate so on their tracking, or else drive a few hundred yards to the house … in the main square and it cannot be missed.

I put my favourite recipes on this site not only so other people can use them if they so choose, but also to keep a record of them for myself. It has come to my attention that one of my really old recipes has been taken – virtually “word for word” – from my site and posted onto a site for shared recipes with the person who has taken it claiming this recipe as their own. I have had this recipe in my hand written book for over 40 years, since I was first married. Whilst I appreciate that this is how recipes evolve, cooks taking an idea and building up on that idea to suit their tastes, just altering the type of alcohol is not taking an idea and changing it – beyond recognition – to suit their own tastes and thereby making it their own.

Please note that this site has a very good copyright clause.

Many of the recipes on my sites have been in my family for generations, from my Welsh grandma and my mother who were excellent cooks and my in laws, their contribution is usually acknowledged. Most of them my own, added to and changed over the years, I am 64 and have been cooking from 8 years of age. A lot of the recipes were made up from scratch when tasty things had to be made on a tight budget and with few – or inexpensive ingredients, some taken from general cooking recipes and from my school days then changed. Am I upset, you bet your life I am.

Please free to continue using my recipes if you fancy them.

Rant over for now.

Why did they discontinue one of my favourite soups?

One site said it hadn´t been discontinued, he was in fact talking about the Heinz Beef and Vegetable, NOT THE SAME. The only way I can describe it is … this soup does not have big chunks of beef or vegetables, it has been blitzed!

On a cold winter evening, we ate this soup with hot buttered toast, comfort food as its best.

Their new ranges are not, IMHO, anywhere near as good. Beef and Vegetable and Beef Broth are not in the same league though they are good, just … well for me not good enough … and I can make a similar soup to their beef and veg and beef broth at home, so why bother buying?

The only beef soup that will help with our family´s craving is the old style beef soup, which I am told they do not intend to bring back and somehow no matter how hard I try, my home made beef soup just isn´t quite right. If you are not going to bring it back, Heinz, then why not put a recipe on your beautiful site?

Update – just been onto the Heinz site and while I am pleasantly pleased with the Guinness sauce, I am not overly impressed with their current soup range – many of which I tried recently. Not good! Come on Heinz – you have a recipe section on your site, why not simply give in and add the old beef soup recipe – we will love you forever, promise!

Or rather didn´t – their agents in Spain still not have delivered our order and what is more their excuse is the same as before, i.e. they could not find our home despite being on the main square, next door to the shop and opposite the tapas bar, oh and right next to the church which simply cannot be missed.

Our reaction to this is to cancel all outstanding orders with Amazon and a vow to never place an order with them again. What is the point when the company who deliver their orders in Spain have such a bad reputation when it comes to delivering to our village. I understand from numerous chat sites that many more people living in rural locations are having the same problem. Though I do have to state at this point, when we lived in Torrevieja they were the only ones who actually delivered to our flat – all the others? Well we had to collect; but at least we got them one way or another and on time.

One of my Christmas presents actually arrived nearly one month after ordering, perhaps this wasn´t the fault of Amazon as the order was fulfilled by another company.

Which is why I am surprised that they just will not deliver one single parcel to us; they normally leave it at the bar on the main street. Trouble is – if we don´t have tracking – we don´t know it has been left there! Does this seem a little silly? They have our phone number why not just give us a call and tell us its there.

So now we have happy Christmas in the middle of January! Tad ironic?

I decided before moving that I would open a Spanish bank account – in my Naivety I believed, when told, that I would receive my weekly pension as normal the following Monday. Four weeks later I would receive my calendar monthly pension which would take a few days, about 4, to get to my Spanish bank account. It is now six weeks since I received my last weekly pension. Despite repeated calls since the four week mark passed, all I have received are repeated assurances that I would receive all weeks owing in the first payment, that the person I spoke to previously should not have told me what they had because … it was wrong. All I can say is .. good job I have a monthly private pension that will pay my rent and cover other bills. Eating, well that is a different matter. Not that we are on the bread line, but not all Brits in Spain are rich.

I have always defended this service during my time in Spain. Now I know why all the ex-pats grumble so much.

Not often I am right, but I am wrong again!

I deleted a controversial post a couple of days ago because I was afraid people would take exception to the content. Violence, intolerance – both racial and gender, prostitution, paedophilia, terrorism and so on.

Here on the Costas in Spain two gangs of Rumanians have been arrested for running prostitutes, some of them underage and many not doing this type of job of their free own will. I understand that money; jewellery and documents were recovered, so these men were also guilty of burglary and muggings. Then there is the violence against women in the form of rape, beatings and murder by male partners in addition to children being abducted by paedophiles.

The lack of self control seems to be a grave problem here in Spain (and probably worldwide), both sexually and emotionally, resulting in violent episodes – could this be because men no longer have total control of the women in their lives?

Racial intolerance in society as whole, a young woman was attacked both verbally and physically on a train and suffered severe trauma, why? Because she was a Columbian. A young woman was attacked in a town centre, why? Because she was Chinese. I was called a Puta, a whore to us Brits, why? Because I was English. And I am in my sixties, have never worked as a prostitute and feel I am a little old to make a living in this line of work.

One hates to be classed as sexist, but why is it that the world, which in general is ruled by men, is in such a state? In an area other than government, the Catholic Church, old men are in positions of authority and are either unable or unwilling to move with the times. Radical Muslims set off suicide bombs in other countries and kill many innocent people. Back to government again, war mongers among world leaders invade other countries because they feel there are weapons of mass destruction or drug running. I admit to being a sceptic when watching TV, and always ask myself “do I really believe world leaders giving speeches about the world problems”? Though I am no expert, having studied body language at open university during my first course, it can be seen that the truth is sometimes stretched somewhat and then there is lying with statistics, you can prove anything, or so I was taught.

Does religion have a place in modern society, well the “alphacourse” survey says that people believing in God are in the minority, i.e. 95% no, 1% probably and 4% yes! So perhaps society has already answered that question.

Should women have control over their own bodies? Or … should men, society, religion and government make their decisions for them, i.e. a woman raped becomes pregnant, should society tell her to go to full term and not be allowed an abortion?

Is it time for women to be more assertive in the home, work and government? I hope our survey says yes.

During my life I have come across a lot of prejudice (male against female). I worked in a male dominated industry, had I been a man I would have been the chief administrator, as a woman and despite being better qualified than the man, I was the assistant. My boss suggested had I been a man they would have jumped at the chance to promote me, I was the best person for the job but no man would work under me! At 25 years of age my father said to me, during a discussion on politics with my husband, “what would you know you´re only a girl”.

And then we look at the bible, it states that woman was made from a rib of Adam to be his companion. I should add “and do his bidding”.

Is this type of comment designed to put us in our places ladies? I for one think it is time to move the world forward into a new age.

Am I a feminist, “I should say so”, but I wasn´t always, the men in my life have made me so.

IMHO all of us should be allowed to make up our own minds on the course our lives will take, if you are a Christian or Muslim or belong to another religion, that is your choice. To be an atheist is mine. Please respect my choice as much as I try to respect yours even though I do not see any logic in religion and think them out of touch with modern society.

I don´t understand how the Spanish TV companies come to the conclusion that it is okay to screen a vampire series at 3 pm, then put one of the Harry Potter movies on very late at night. Obviously they do not have the Spanish equivalent of the “watershed”.

If young children watch Spanish TV and you like to make sure the programmes are appropriate for their age group, ie watch Harry Potter rather than a violent FBI TV series or a movie with rape scenes and dead bodies, then be careful.

The new digital network allows programmes from abroad to be screened in the original language, mostly it works, as this is Spain, sometimes it doesn´t.

I had insomnia and switched on the TV early one morning, as usual surfing between channels and came across a movie that looked interesting, didn´t understand the story line but decided to watch it anyone. Scene – a young couple having an argument, quite normal, then they move into his office, she strips all his clothes off and the next scene, as decribed to my daughter, was very realistic oral sex. Didn´t realise until she questionned which channel I had been on that it was a porn movie.

One of my favourite actors, Tim Roth is now starring in a series entitled “Mienteme”, I have watched the first four shows and find it riveting, a programme to rival “Perdidos”. It is about a company who are employed to ascertain when people are lying, Tim Roth is fantastic, as always.

I do not enjoy most TV series, mainly because of the shouting, violence and swearing, which for me is now becoming boring. The fight scenes are so false I often find myself laughing and then turning the tele off to do something more riveting like wash my hair. They are unbelievable. And all this from American TV, but one German TV programme is fast rivalling them for their ludicrous scenes.

I did not think I would ever become part of the “let’s make movies that are life like” brigade.

If the movie is portraying a character who has “super human” abilities, then these scenes are okay. But ordinary cops chasing down criminals, come on guys, give the movie going public and TV audiences a break and lets have something different, more real. If Britain can do it, so can the USA.

How about a “real” looking fight scene. Not all of your audience are people who enjoy movies with characters who can be beaten to a “pulp” and then get up and beat their rival.

Some of us still want actors who actually act and don’t just play themselves. Men who don’t just show off their six pack and think that’s all they need to do. Women who don’t just pose showing off their surgically enhanced boobs, chin implants, super white teeth, hair extensions plus half of Boot’s make up countery slapped on their face, but without a shred of talent. What difference if the actor is just a bit ugly, some of the sexiest actors around are not toned and beautiful, short … big nose … receding hairline … irregular facial features, whose “lunch box” isn’t the first thing you notice when he walks on stage in his too tight pants looking a little “pained”.

Please please please … give us something different!

Over the past few weeks there has been a lot of attention on TV re the problem of prostitution here in Spain. Young women being arrested by the Civil Guard, over 80 in one area of a large town. Women advertising in the local press and boasting of a 24 hour services. One English couple I knew started an “adult holiday” service for men and brought in women from South America, Russia and Eastern Europe. The number of murders where young women are the victims grows and paedophilia seems to be on the increase with very young children going missing, most never found, or being “groomed” on the Internet. I don’t know how other people my age and older feel, but from being of the opinion that I was fairly broad minded, I now believe I may be rather straight laced, old saying that one. I have always thought that prostitutes provided a valuable service and during my time managing public houses, I met many who were fantastic women who could find no other way to make a living. The skills they utilised being the only ones they had, their feelings, not mine. My partner at the time said they were in it for the easy cash. I thought him an ignorant stupid man, very intelligent, but sexist.

Update - since posting on this subject, I have received comments from men, this being just one:

“we want what we want”

This was in response to a comment about how sad a man must be to pay for sex in this day and age with so many young women enjoying “one night stands”. I do not judge them. I only say – and I stand by this comment – a man who pays for sex must be a really sad git! And yes, I do understand that men sometimes want “just sex” without having to take responsibility for pleasuring their partner. I actually heard one man say that he looked after his own pleasure, women should do the same. Selfish or what? If he was my partner, I would look around for a replacement or buy myself some nice handy sex toys!

My mother had an excellent saying when I said “I want …”, “I want doesn´t get”