Take a break from it all
BY CHRIS FORTUNE
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The question on some people's minds this festive season is: Does belching contribute to global warming?
With the focus over the next three weeks on relaxing, socialising and forgetting about the troubles of a world where we are bombarded with global-warming concerns, terrorist attacks, the wrongs of society and all things negative, surely our national pastime of going to the beach, getting the barbecue going and enjoying a couple of carbonated drinks and beers is not going to harm anybody.
More than 500 billion litres of soft drinks are consumed around the world annually. Add to that 1816 million hectolitres of our favourite beers and all of a sudden we do have a carbon-dioxide problem. Adding to this is that we are about to slap a piece of prime, aged, grass-fed, seasoned and tender beef steak on the barbecue – in New Zealand our methane-emitting cows account for more than 32 per cent of emissions. Methane has a greenhouse-gas impact 20 times greater than carbon dioxide, so we have to have a few cold ones to catch up to the livestock.
Does it really matter? If we stop drinking soda and beer, will we lower the Earth's temperature? If we exchange our Kiwi barbecue for tofu and chickpea salads, will sea levels go down? And does this mean that days at the beach per person should be limited so we all get an equal share?
The main thing during the next three weeks is that you get a break from the negative messages so that you are refreshed and re-energised and can absorb and focus on them again for the other 49 weeks of the new year.
GLOBAL WARMING LEMONADE SCONES
Makes about 12-14 scones.
325g (2 cups + 2 Tbsps) self-raising flour
170ml ( 2/3 cup) cold lemonade
170ml ( 2/3 cup) thickened creamHeat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Combine the lemonade and cream in a medium bowl. Add the lemonade and cream mixture to the flour and gently fold the ingredients together until just combined. (Don't over-mix the dough, because this will produce tough scones.) The dough should be fairly soft and sticky.
Place the dough on a lightly floured bench, form into a round and press out to about 3.5cm thickness. Cut the scones using a floured 5cm-diameter cutter. Using a quick, firm motion to cut the scones gives them a better shape and makes them less likely to stick to the cutter. Form the offcuts into another round and cut more scones.
Place the scones close together on the tray, so they are just touching. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until pale golden and cooked through.
If you like your scones to have a soft crust, cover them with a clean tea towel for one minute after removing from the oven. Serve hot with jam and whipped cream.
- The Marlborough Express
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