I was reading Sensible Living's perfect rice recipe, and I decided to post my perfect rice formula, which is very different. Basically start out with a big pot with a lid. Even if I'm only doing 1 cup of rice, I still use a large pot that I also use for pasta - this pot is also nice because it has holes in the top where some steam can escape. The big pot prevents spillage. Then you bring it up to a rolling boil for 5 minutes. If you're doing a couple of cups, 8 minutes might be a little better. Sometimes you still have to watch it and lift the lid a little so the foam doesn't come out. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat and leave it to sit with the lid on for 20 minutes. Stir it up, and serve. Perfect rice.

It so happens that this is exactly the same for perfect boiled eggs. The pot doesn't have to be so big, but it does need a lid. You put the eggs in with about an inch of water covering, bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes exactly, turn off the heat, let it sit on the burner for 20 minutes. Then, immediately cool off the eggs under running cold water. The eggs shells will practically fall off.

Rice and eggs are the two things that I really hated to make, because I pretty much failed most of the time. A few years ago when we had television I used to be a big fan of Survivor, and do you know what the key is to staying on the island longer? Being able to make good rice. In a survival situation, such a basic skill becomes an extremely valuable commodity. So I learned how. :)

On a completely different topic, my father-in-law sent me an article today from BBC about how home births are now proven to be just as safe as a hospital birth, at least in situations where there are no complications. There's always been speculation about safety and even here in BC where midwives and home birth are free as part of our medical care, I still get that worried look from people. A study three years ago done in Canada showed that home birth is actually safer (not just as safe) than a hospital birth, but still only about 7% of births in BC are attended by a midwife. It may be a bit higher because that was about 6 years ago, but you would think it would be better than that. Even though I've had two hospital births, both were midwife-attended and this third time will hopefully be the home bith. People think once you've chosen to have a home birth, that's what you get, but actually there are many factors and even of ones that start out at home, 1/3 end up at the hospital. Birth is a complicated process, even though it is a natural and generally safe one. Having a midwife just improves your chances of it unfolding without invasive procedures, in a much more comfortable, convenient manner.