Special Centenary Celebration Edition

Well, here it is and here I am.

Before I start the special centenary celebration edition, I need to ask (myself) three questions, rhetorically, of course:  (Although I welcome some suggestions)

1. Why didn't anyone stop me before it got this far?
2. How on earth have I managed to maintain writing everyday about more or less the same thing?
3. Which poor unsuspecting inanimate object should I target next?

Appreciation's.

I'd like to thank the outstanding folk at spoilt for choice, without you non of this would have been possible.

(I guesses I would have ended up having to convince members of my team to make me 1 cup of tea each day, for 100 work days, then secretly review it.  Damn! That sounds like a good idea... Ah well, it's too late now, I will think of some other mischievously insane thing to keep my mind occupied.)

Much respect goes out to my work colleagues who gave me nothing but support during this soup marathon, especially Paul Darbyshire, without you I would have given up long, long ago.  Please read http://crystal-blue-dreams.blogspot.com/ for an insight into his brilliant mind.

And to you, the reader, thank you for taking the time to regard my madness, it's made me realise that there may still be some thing's about myself that I didn't already realise.  One of these being a peculiar knack of writing words out in such a fashion that it's easy for the reader to, erm, well read.  My normal vocal spectrum is sketchy at best sometimes, this news was very warmly received and makes me feel like I've just had a Chilli Beef Soup which scored a full 11.

Writing is very relaxing for me and I would have only found out this by trying something strange and different, I implore you to do the same.  If you can't pait, then try drawing.  If fly fishing isn't working for you, buy a float and some line weights and go coarse fishing instead. Adapt what you like into something you are good at, the enjoyment is immense...

I've still got to add the remaining photos to the blog and there is one more special spoon full of madness I am eager to offer to you, but dinner times are short, and writing takes time...  So this blog will cease being updated for a while (although I will still be consuming the soup daily like a hungry monkey)

First impressions...  aaaaarrrghhh, that's so hot! By the hoards of Lucifer how is this liquid so hot? You could forge a level 35 steel broad sword in this soup today.  Once my mouth has stepped down from the red alert burning sensation and my taste buds have come out from hiding, I can once again taste, and it's good.
The amount of beef in today's scoop is unprecedented, I could probably make a small bolognese with this serving of beef.
The wind outside is an unrelenting, invisible force of some impressive power today, and the Chilli Beef is my metaphorical wind breaker.

Out of 11

• Taste: 10
• Texture: 8
• Bouquet/Aroma: 7
• Heat - Temp: 11
• Heat - Chilli: 8
• Brownness: 7
• Beef content: 7

Dipping choice for today: Salt and Malt vinegar by McCoy's - I was hoping to have some fancy arse crisps for today, but due to the weather outside, I decided that a trip to the crisp shop was out of the question, even for this auspicious occasion.

Days since "the spillage" and I've still not cleaned my keyboard: 57

I leave you with a slightly teary eye, but things must be put on hold if the improvements are to be completed, and the next stage of my plan is to be put in motion.

Hot Chilli Beef

When you're feeling a little down,
The Chilli beef will flip your frown,
Rotate it 180 degrees around,
And turn it upside down,
The scousers say that's Sound.

It's exceptional today, really it is.  It's super spicy and tastes somehow different to usual.

Yesterday I bought a small plastic indoor water fountain, for my cat.  Purchased with all the best intentions in the world and with a view to encourage my cat to drink fresh (albeit recycled) water instead of non at all. Trying to get him to use it was no easy feat, and needless to say, he's quite simply not interested in the slightest. I've thought about replacing the water with milk, but the list of problems that would produce would be endless.

I'm sorry about todays blog, I'm really not in the mood...

Out of 11

• Taste: 9
• Texture: 6
• Bouquet/Aroma: 5
• Heat - Temp: 9
• Heat - Chilli: 8
• Brownness: 6
• Beef content: 3

Dipping choice for today: Cheddar and Onion by McCoy's

Days since "the spillage" and I've still not cleaned my keyboard: 56

Routine

We all do it, fall out of bed at around the same time, make a miniature cup of coffee to keep me awake whilst I driving down the same road i do every day, to arrive at work and stumble in through the same rotary doors, almost catching my lanyard and access card in the door.  After logging onto my barely functional work PC, I make a pint of coffee, you know, to see my through the morning.
Then it's lunch.
I suppose it's here where I differ from most people.  Instead of sitting and enjoying my lunch, I now have this bizzar ritual of crisp choice, soup transfer into my Thermal mug, photograph the aforementioned items, then write about what i think of todays soup, be it marvellous, or otherwise.

Otherwise unfortunately is the case today.  There are no mitigating circumstances such as distracting tuna pasta, everything is back to normal, but the soup isn't performing to a level that I've come to expect. To further compound my mystery, there are strange gloppy bits in there, which ( I presume) are the result of a poor stiring method.  There are some bad soups out there and I hope this blog is the 1 out of 100 which is below par.

Out of 11

• Taste: 6
• Texture: 5
• Bouquet/Aroma: 5
• Heat - Temp: 7
• Heat - Chilli: 4
• Brownness: 2
• Beef content: 3

Dipping choice for today: Salt and malt vinigar by McCoy's

Days since "the spillage" and I've still not cleaned my keyboard: 55

Not one for the faint hearted

Well, it's almost here again.  This freaking time of the year, when nothing else changes except the expectations of the shop's and young children.  You don't get paid more to compensate for the days off work or for the outlay of money for presents.  But, it's the same for everyone i guess, I just wish I had more of a choice in the matter.  I'm not religious, but I'm forced to participate in a religious ceremony, it's not even about religion anymore, it's about money and showy glittery things.
I feel I have lost my way somewhere along the line and I no longer subscribe to the fanciful celebratory mass hysteria of this bastardised religious holiday.

Don't get my started on Easter...

Instead of my usual sandwiches, I've got a tuna, mayo, chilli, salami, Parmesan, sweetcorn pasta.  This alteration to my normal plan has thrown my otherwise clockwork-like regime into chaos, or as much chaos as this situation could get into, with all it's 3 variables.  Chilli beef soup, main ingredient (in this case, pasta) and some crisps.

One majour side effect is the fact I forgot to photograph my soup and dipping choice combo for today, after 96 of these I'm quite disapointed in myself for forgetting, so (when i eventually get round to publishing the missing photos) there will be a photo of some crisps half eaten and the soup half empty, or half full, depending on your outlook on life.

At this point i really should write something about todays soup, inkeeping with the other blogs...
Ahhh, todays soup tastes really nice, like a good oxo gravy, without the onion.  But as you can imaging, the combination of tuna past and chilli beef was not a pleasent one.  Far from it.

Out of 11

• Taste: 8
• Texture: 7
• Bouquet/Aroma: 9
• Heat - Temp: 7
• Heat - Chilli: 7
• Brownness: 7
• Beef content: 8

Dipping choice for today: Sea salt and malt vinigar by Seabrooks

*Edit* No idea why this image is on it's side, no time to change it though.  So could you just tip your head to the right a little bit please?

Days since "the spillage" and I've still not cleaned my keyboard: 52
This is what keystrokes where activated when i decided to check out the soup spillage "zone." l,...l;,l,l,k,,,,,

Fit for a Queen

No, I'm not asking "is she's fit for a Queen".  Erm, yeah, sorry about that one.

The soup today would be fit for the Queen.  Infact, after she's done strolling round the Liverpool museum and before going for a bite to eat in New Brighton, she should nip into Spoilies for a nice Chilli Beef soup.  If she called round here first she could borrow my cup, so long as it's washed before it's returned.

I'm fairly sure the conversation would go something like this:
Queen: "Ummmmm, Phillip, this curious brown liquid makes one's tastebuds most pleased.  We really must instruct Demi, our Chef de Partie in the Royal kitchens, to knock us up a batch.   Phillip?  Phillip? Where has that blasted idiot gone now?..."
Phillip: (Outside in Bootle) "Oh hello there old bean, now what in blazes do you do for money around here?  I myself am normally barred from chattng to members of the public, but i saw your tracksuit and thought you may be an athlete.  Are you coming down to our little athletics party next year?"
Scally: "U waaaa?"
Phillip: "Is that where your pockets are in this part of my country? (motioning down towards the scallys groin, where his hands are down the front of his tracksuit)"
Scally: "U WAAAA La?"
Phillip:" U Waaa la, Bing Bang?, I know that one..."


And i thought that yesterdays mass expultion of information had left me feeling rather insparationless today, apparently not.

Out of 11

• Taste: 8
• Texture: 7
• Bouquet/Aroma: 10
• Heat - Temp: 5
• Heat - Chilli: 7
• Brownness: 7
• Beef content: 8

Dipping choice for today: Simply Sea Salt by Walkers Crinkles. BORING!

Days since "the spillage" and I've still not cleaned my keyboard: 51

Some kind of jug

I sent a work colleague into the soup emporium for my soup today, slightly aprehensively I waited outside, casting an occasional eye into the shop i noticed that there was a jug being used (instead of the tried and trusted ladle of joy ™, after a short interregation i found out that it was some kind of "ran out of soup" situation.

Aaaaaanyway;
this small diviation from the norm makes no difference to the overall experience of the brown stuff, although having said that, it is slightly on the cold side.
The taste is there, its rich and full of flavour, just what you need on these cold days.

The combination of pork crackling (please see below) and Chilli Beef however, mix about as well as oil and water, you allow one taste to come in, then a few seconds later, the second coms strolling along as if completely unrelated, like an arguing couple.  Though the physcial arrangement of these items makes for good scooping!

Out of 11

• Taste: 9
• Texture: 7
• Bouquet/Aroma: 6
• Heat - Temp: 5
• Heat - Chilli: 6
• Brownness: 7
• Beef content: 6

Dipping choice for today: "Quality" Pork Crackling by Green Top Snacks.  The inclusion of the word Quality always raises an eyebrow.  To feel that the company must state that these products are Quality suggests that if this statement where not made, then the quality would not be sufficient, or that by buying this particular variety of Pork Crackling, then you're avoiding the non-quality version.  I remain doutful that the word "Quality" has holds any weight in this instance.

Days since "the spillage" and I've still not cleaned my keyboard: 50.  Having just come back from a visit to our local pub for lunch, this situation is unlikely to be resolved this afternoon.

OCBBD

Obsessive Chilli Beef Blogging Disorder.

It sounds like it's  a problem, but it's not really.  I can get on with my life as normal, it's just that for 10 minutes per day, i use up my lunch hour buying, consuming then reviewing this soup.  Some people read it and make nice comments, some people say they will read it, but never do.  I suspect that some people must think I've completely lost my mind.

But if truth be known, I just enjoy writing non-sense, about the same thing, everyday.  So when that person i've not seen for a month or two asks me "are you STILL writing about soup?", I can cheerfully announce "yes!".

Whether that person is left feeling impressed or concernde, i care not.  But at least my concerted efforts may have sparked a reaction, and they may do something different in their lives to make someone else smile.

Damn!  The soup has already almost gone as I've been writing this.  The review was all based on the very last mouth full in my cup.  I'm getting pepper *couch* and oxtail.  It's quite gloopy, but hey, it's still amazing...

Out of 11

• Taste: 9
• Texture: 9
• Bouquet/Aroma: 7
• Heat - Temp: 8
• Heat - Chilli: 8
• Brownness: 9
• Beef content: 6

Dipping choice for today: Cheddar cheese flavous pretzels by Penn State.  Not sure how this is going to go, because there really isn't much surface area to hold any soup.

Days since "the spillage" and I've still not cleaned my keyboard: 49, almost there...