I do hope you are grateful for the dedication I currently have to expanding your vocabulary. This week my subject is ABLIGURITION – or else the urge to lavish money on fine foods just for the hell of it. Though the word itself is now considered obsolete, the sentiment is not. For yes… guilty as charged.
Food is a constant worry on my mind. Though I am aware that this is a fine example of first world greed, I cannot help but stress if my pantry and fridge are not stacked with a decent variety of preferably organic produce. I would in fact rather spend money on food than almost anything else other than books. Council tax? Blah! Shoes? Nah! Pearls of balsalmic vinegar to scatter over a goats cheese and fig salad at £4.99 a tin? Oooh why I don’t mind if I do!
Clearly life is not much improved by balsalmic vinegar pearls. They are a luxury I could very definitely live without and a fine example of abligurition if ever there was one!
But  I believe that food is the very stuff of life. The icing on the cake that is just plain old being alive. Not only do we get to live scrumptious, joyful, occasionally heart-wrenching lives but hey, we also get to eat chocolate brownies and seedless grapes, parma ham and cheese on sundried tomato toast. We can indulge in five course meals and snacks of brie and celery. We can eat little sweet satsumas in bed and plan picnics of hard-boiled eggs wrapped in foil to be devoured with a little sprinkle of salt! Whole days can be rendered pleasurable by the smell of a chicken roasting or a casserole slowly stewing. We can make ourselves feel virtuous by eating salads of every fruit known to womankind and one hundred times better in an instant by baking an impromptu syrup sponge in the dear old microwave…
This then is the reason for abligurition: because it helps us grow children as strong as ox’s and by making food a priority in our lives, to stave off the occurence of disease that threatens our very life. Abligurition reminds us that family matters and that mealtimes should be a pleasurable part of our day: that variety and luxury are important factors when it comes to food, if we are to turn what is routine into the kind of ritual that stay in our families heart for always.
This too is the reason why my friend Kath and I can spend a few hours in Waitrose, wandering up and down the aisles, picking up foodstuffs we have never heard of before and exclaiming in delight. Imagining the possibilities and expanding our culinary horizons. It is the reason why I will travel for miles to a decent farmers market. Why I will spring out of the car whenever I pass an independently owned bakers and of course why my bottom is as big as a bus.
Abligurition is, I suspect, the best self-help of all and indeed, the key to joy. Big bottoms and all.
Create your own Brocante Life Book, plan Christmas, set up routines and rituals or live life the BrocanteHome way with my guided workbooks and planners.
Now then my Darlings, have you seen By Fryd, by the uber talented, utterly stylish Jeanette at FRYD + Design? Click the magazine to view it in full screen, then pop over to Jeanettes breathtakingly beautiful blog to thank her for all…
The problem with raising a child like Finn is that it is, all at once, enlightening, heartbreaking, hilarious and more often than not, downright bloody exhausting. While I can just about cope with the fact that he spends his days bouncing off…
Oh my goodness I have been meaning to share these these gorgeous journal pages from Alisa Noble of Life Is A Beautiful Place To Be fame for the longest time, because not only are they scrumptiously lovely (as all of Alisa’s work…
So the plumber came today. Now I don’t know how it is where you live, but here that is the kind of news that could make the frontpage of the local rag… I was so pleased to see him, I nearly kissed…
Woman Magazine, April, 1959. Other Things To Do At BrocanteHome Browse the Bookstore Discover a curated list of books to enhance and support life the BrocanteHome way Browse the Bookstore Life Love & Vintage Housekeeping the by BrocantePrintables on Etsy Create your…
Delia’s Christmas Easy menu plan Kiddley » Advent stockings ReadyMade Blog » Turkey Carving Action Debbie Overton Designs As lovely as ever. Thrift Shop Project Other Things To Do At BrocanteHome Browse the Bookstore Discover a curated list of books to enhance…
8 Comments
Thanks for expanding my vocabulary. This must be why my three year old keeps asking,”Mommy, let’s eat something I’ve never had before!”
So true! It is not a superficial thing, to be able to enjoy and savor the delights of food. I have had an ulcer for the past few months, and have come to know that a real layer of joy in life is gone when you can only eat toast and oatmeal and bananas (as lovely as they can be in the normal scheme of things!).
So true! It is not a superficial thing, to be able to enjoy and savor the delights of food. I have had an ulcer for the past few months, and have come to know that a real layer of joy in life is gone when you can only eat toast and oatmeal and bananas (as lovely as they can be in the normal scheme of things!).
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":300,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"http:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/tipjar-2.png","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"BrocanteHome","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"BrocanteHome","form_subtitle":"Help Me to Keep BrocanteHome Online","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you so much: helping me keep Brocantehome online really means the world to me.","payment_confirmation_title":"BrocanteHome","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
Thanks for expanding my vocabulary. This must be why my three year old keeps asking,”Mommy, let’s eat something I’ve never had before!”
Thanks for expanding my vocabulary. This must be why my three year old keeps asking,”Mommy, let’s eat something I’ve never had before!”
I feel much better now, knowing the name of this foodie feeling. I totally agree with your explanation of this condition. I am enlightened lol!
I feel much better now, knowing the name of this foodie feeling. I totally agree with your explanation of this condition. I am enlightened lol!
So true! It is not a superficial thing, to be able to enjoy and savor the delights of food. I have had an ulcer for the past few months, and have come to know that a real layer of joy in life is gone when you can only eat toast and oatmeal and bananas (as lovely as they can be in the normal scheme of things!).
So true! It is not a superficial thing, to be able to enjoy and savor the delights of food. I have had an ulcer for the past few months, and have come to know that a real layer of joy in life is gone when you can only eat toast and oatmeal and bananas (as lovely as they can be in the normal scheme of things!).
Hear, hear! I feel the same with any holiday-specific food as well…and here come the holidays!
Hear, hear! I feel the same with any holiday-specific food as well…and here come the holidays!