This post is brought to you by Bombay Mix (Indian style)

..."A delicious, authentic blend of mild and spicy noodles, pulses, nuts and sweet dried fruits."

Those of you who know me well know that I am quite obsessed with garlic sesame sticks. I've written odes to them, eaten pounds upon pounds of them in my lifetime and you know I mean business when I say, "I swear to you on the last bag of sesame sticks left on this earth that.....". I'm sure they have sesame sticks (the garlic is optional, but it's like a double bonus if they are garlic) here in London but I've yet to seek them out. I've been too busy with things like school, moving into my new house, getting lost and finding my way again to really be concerned about sesame sticks. I know I know, I need to get my priorities in line. And they are slowly getting there. Don't tell a sesame stick, but I may have found a snack to send them running for their money.

So yesterday was just the shittiest weather ever. Cold, rainy, grey....putting everyone in a bitchy mood and when British people are in bitchy moods, well, it's just strange. First of all, hearing their accent when they are mad is almost laughable to American ears. You might hear something like, "Ey mate! What's the big idear!" (Not a typo-lots of words end up with r's on the end) It sounds almost friendly at first- 'cause, you know, their accents are so cute, but then you start to hear the sincerity in their voice and you look into their eyes and see years of cold grey unforgiving winters, years wasted on public transport and years of eating nothing but meat pies and mashed potatoes (they can't be bothered to say mashed potatoes, they just say mash- see? angry). Then all of the sudden you realize you have to buck up and be mean too, because that's the only way to win- put on your mean London face and just fucking go for it. I blame all of this on the weather and am expecting a whole new fanciful breed of city folk come spring time.

Anyway, I needed to go to the grocery store yesterday and get some things for a cake that I will tell you about in a couple of days. But I was just so excited about this Bombay snack mix that I had to tell the world as soon as possible! Any British person that is reading this post right now is probably already horribly offended and now they are rolling their eyes at my love of Bombay MIx. I don't know how long it's been around, but I imagine I'm conjuring up memories of Bombay Mix in brown bag lunches, a substitute for dinner while your parents were going through a divorce, or cheap college food that is repulsive now. Or maybe it was served at those awful cocktail parties your parents used to drag you to. Who knows. All I know right now is that I am discovering them for the first time and I am in heaven. I cracked them open on my way out the door of the grocery store and did not stop shoving bits of crispy rice noodles, peanuts, crackers- all coated in massive amounts of salt and spices- until I got home. Actually, it was really windy and rainy and I had to fight to hold an umbrella, carry my groceries and dodge angry Brits running after their busses- all while enjoying the pleasures of Bombay Mix. Bombay Mix actually held me together at this point in my life, and although it was a bit of a struggle to eat and walk and fight the wind, rain and people all at the same time, it was totally worth it. Thank you Bombay Mix. I did not have to put on my angry London face, all I had to do was look people in the eye and say silently to myself, "You're just mad because I'm eating Bombay Mix right now and you don't have any. If you were being remotely nice right now I might give you some". I even made sure to turn the bag so the label was facing so everyone could know.

Now that I've throughly insulted the British for their ways of life and other things they don't have much control over, I'm going to praise them to the highest. Granted, it's influenced from Indian cuisine (this is very vague though), but I feel confident this Bombay Mix is all a British thing. Who else could put lentils (shhh...don't tell Kyle) in their snacks and it still be tasty? Green split peas, anyone? This Bombay Mix is absolutely out of this world and makes me feel a little naughty (thanks to high sodium levels and preservatives) and a little nice (thanks to dried fruit, ethnic spices and beans). I honestly can't open a bag without finishing it in a matter of hours. So yes, I've had eight servings of Bombay Mix today. And Kyle, I don't need a lentil comment from you- you would eat this up just I am now with no complaints. When have I ever deceived you?

I've found Bombay MIx at Sainsbury's (yesterday) and Tesco (today). Both are equally delicious and addictive. So grab a big glass of water, ignore the salt content warning on the back and snack away! Oh, and if you live in the States and are really craving some Bombay Mix (as you should be), we can certainly work out a PayPal arrangement. No one should have to live another lonely disgusting day without Bombay Mix. And if Bombay Mix exists in the States and I just have not found it yet, please don't ever tell me, just laugh amongst yourselves.