Travels with our aunt

To introduce my nieces to different foods and flavours we 'travelled' to some countries around the world. I loved sourcing the recipes and compiling the menus, setting up the table and trying to make it 'real'. They received a passport at the beginning of the year that was 'stamped' and expires now in December. There was a lot of 'Wat is dit?' but lots of fun and laughter. The one they enjoyed the most was the New York street food theme. I loved all the food, not so such the alcoholic beverages, wow, some of them were strong and yucky. They are disappointed it's all over and asked if we had 'visited' every country in the world. No, sorry, we didn't. Maybe we'll do some more travelling next year, you just never know.

A hop, skip and a jump

A hop, skip and a jump from September to November, it's almost as though October never was. So here is just a short recap for October. If there are any typos in the text please forgive me. No need to highlight them and send me a message, like all good mistakes, I cannot go back and undo them.

September snapshots

Naked Lamingtons

Crunch, munch, munch, munch

Some like it hot

Holy cow, the food is so good

To celebrate Chris' birthday he wanted to go somewhere new, somewhere he hadn't been before. I suggested the Holy Cow. He wasn't too sure about it, uhm he said, but that's where we went. We started with a cappuccino, because they don't have a liquor licence. Good coffee. Chris had Chicken Korma while Peter and I ordered the Sri Lankan chicken curry, although we had no clue what it meant. What it meant was incredibly delicious, lick-the-bowl scrumptious, we were so happy with our choice. A nice hour and a bit then back to the office.
In an ideal world we would have spend the afternoon there. Waited a few hours and ordered dessert with more coffee. Sigh!

I am sure I took almost the same photographs as before but no matter, I can't help myself, the place is lovely.

June flashback

1. I bought material to make another quilt. I enjoyed making the one earlier this year. I also want to apply what I learnt to show the improvement. 2. At last I am starting to use all the squares I have tie-dyed. 3. While we were in Durban we walked around the Moses Mabida stadium. I like that it is part of the city and so assessible. They should have done the same in Johannesburg, integrated it better into Joburg or Soweto. 4. Lunch at Weylandt. The food as beautiful was everything else there. 5. I enjoy the zigzag design on these stairs. The metal looks as pliable as a piece of paper. 6. I love the veld grass everywhere  at Freedom Park. 7. Once we were Warriors. This coat of arms, I must assume, once represented pride, loyalty and commitment. 8. Bunnychow at the Oyster Box. I asked the waiter to recommend something and he said it is the best in Durban. 9. Lighthouse at the Oyster Box. 10. Seating arrangement at Moyo. 11. Where we stayed when we were in Durban, on the beachfront. 12. Interior at the Oyster Box. 13. I only had coffee there but another patron ordered another helping of chips to take away because, she said, they were soooo good. 14. Pier at Umhlanga. 15. In bloom, a tree at Tinsel gallery. 16. Yummy birthday cake. Thanks. 17. Entrance at Tinsel gallery. Nikki exhibited her jewellery piece at the student show. Some very lovely stuff. 

Home-made roasted tomato soup

From a recipe found in the Ideas magazine I made the most delicious tomato soup. I deviated from the recipe by adding peppers. Baked a pull-apart bread - cheese, onion, bacon. Dunk your bread in the soup, take a bite and go to a happy place.

Easter 2016, a happy egg was I

Another wonderful Easter with loved ones. Lots of laughs and silliness. I got a bit carried away and bought more than just eggs for the hunt. Books and bunnies and sheep.
We made popcorn, drizzled with white chocolate and covered in sprinkles, for the kids. Hand-painted/printed the tablecloth. Hmm, didn't really turn out as per the vision I had.

Let's Salsa

Had the studio lunch at Salsa today. Great food, giant portions, excellent service. Thanks.

December break 2015

A lunch with friends before the family arrives and everything is delightfully mismatched and the table sloping slightly westwards in its southern corner. Our guests arrive and love it. Love the meal too. Spicy coconut chicken, fresh baked bread (to mop up the sauce) and a salad. I am normally so diligent in the visual recording of my meals but today I forgot. Oops. Anyway, you can find the recipe on taste.co.za

Two men jog past my house at noon. When the Lindt chocolate is unable to keep its pose in the house - it can't decide whether to cling to the wrapper or try and hold on to its centre because its so very hot. Two men run past my house in the noonday sun. Insane.

Do you know how hot it really is without taking a barometer reading? Those candles that change colours when lit (heat-activated) are going through their colour phases without a flame on the wick.

Rain from the east. Wind from every direction. The trees sway this way and that faster then a row of spectators at a Wimbledon final. The rain follows a zigzag pattern from the top to the bottom taking its direction from the wind. So cool now after a hot day. In the morning we see how many branches the wind wrestled from the trees, torn off with force and now lie discarded on the garden floor.

Its 05:48. Last chance today to bake the Christmas cookies. However, my lazy body and my lazy bones seem more inclined towards lying on the bed and reading a book. And so the battle begins, since the body is already on the bed it feels this is an easy victory. But the mind always wins because it plays the guilt card. Well, it was late afternoon before I started baking. I was sweating like a Chinese child labourer, oven on and about 32 degrees. The house smells wonderfully like Christmas.

I got a bowl of homemade fudge and placed it with all the other presents in the basket under the Christmas tree. We went swimming and when we came back in the house we realised why the dogs had been so quiet, they had eaten all the fudge. We should have known, like children who are too quiet they were up to no good. BJ threw up later that evening because his body couldn't find a happy balance between how delicious the fudge was and how bad it is for his system. Lots of pacing, panting and going outside. Eventually, I had had enough and gave him a heaped teaspoon of alkaline powder and that settled everything.

Tuesday 12:36. Awaiting the arrival of our guests. Excited.

So the family arrive late afternoon. It is so frigging hot and no one can get to sleep, any of the night they were here. We had all the doors and windows open but without a breeze it remains hot. The mosquitoes seem annoyed with the hot weather and take their anger out on us day and night, it seems relentless. 

We are so grateful for the swimming pool. Spend so much time in it, it is fun. Play games or just swim backwards and forwards then float about like dead fish. We put the dogs under the shower every day to cool off.

Christmas Eve I lay the table. We eat an early dinner, just something light, salads. My sister-in-law made a delicious watermelon, grape and feta salad. She cut the watermelon into shapes, very pretty. Play the Christmas music as our mom and dad used too. The girls sing us a Christmas carol, the candles are lit and everyone is quiet for a moment. Then we open the presents. Awesome. I'll show you all the gifts I got later. Out onto the patio for dessert, delicious.

We all had a good time together. On Sunday before they left I make a big lunch despite the hot weather. More swimming. Teaching the girls dominoes etc. Before you can say: hot as hell we were back at the airport and it was all over.

I promised Trish I would bring a cake to her dinner and while I knew the baking pan was the wrong format for the type of cake I was making I wanted a wreath-shaped cake.  Well my hummingbird cake stuck to the pan in one spot when I tried to turn it out and so it was in broken pieces and crumbs. Trish suggested I turn it into a trifle. Good idea. A generous sprinkling of kirschwasser, some drunken pineapple (soaked in kirschwasser), smashed nuts, Woolies chocolate mousse and some whipped cream and we had a trifle. My first trifle, I think it's a very English thing, and I have never thought they look very appetising. Anyway, it saved me and tasted good but I will probably never make another.

Jill had loaned me 4 books and I have managed to read 3 of them. I enjoyed Me before you and City of Dark Magic.

Too hot to get to all the things that need to be done around the house so we took ourselves off to the movies twice. Lady in the Van. Maggie Smith was so natural and made it seem like everyone else was acting. I don't know how to explain it. And we saw Sisters. I am a big fan of Tina Fey but this is the first of her movies I have enjoyed, entertaining, a good laugh.

One whole day we spent watching Homeland 4 - I know you have all seen it already but we don't have any of the mod cons (yet) so we are a little behind with our favourite series. Thoroughly enjoyed it. it was a great day. small pleasures.

Back to work tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for all my wonderful gifts!

Sunday summer salads

Brunch at Hemingway's

Vegetable pie

Catch up!

We have been busy DIYing around the house so we haven't been out much, but here's a quick catch up. Left to right: Dinner at the local Indian restaurant, most delicious samosas and rice flour pancakes.
We are buying two bottles of red wine every month, estates we have never heard of. I want a pretty label, and the other bottle must have a cork, not a screw-top. Simply little rules, then we have a small glass every night, while preparing dinner, or while the sun sets, or while reading a book in bed. And soon, while we're lying in front of the fire. Coke- Cola bottle is 100 years this year and they had a travelling Coke art exhibition. Like the brand, not the product, but you must admit they really know their stuff. Collection of stuff at home. Lovely, lovely new restaurant in our area: Green Origins. See you again soon.

Lunch on Saturday at The Sheds - 1 Fox

Another great Sunday lunch with the family

For Sunday lunch we made almost everything from the new Taste magazine. Taste March 2015. We made sweet potato 'slap' chips for a snack before lunch, instead of buying crisps. Served it with tomato sauce and/or balsamic vinegar. Idea found on page 44, Taste March 2015. For our main course we made the Roast Vegetable Tart with Parmesan Cream, and the Chicken with Red Pepper Pesto, page 77-78, Taste March 2015. The tart, OMW, it was so delicious. Everyone had seconds and then thirds. We didn't serve the chicken with the penne as per the recipe because we had the tart and the rocket was in the salad we served on the side. The chicken, too, was yummy. Licked our fingers. Dessert was Craig's Granadilla Fridge Tart, he makes it for his kids. For tea we had baked a chocolate cake, Another week in the kitchen, Karen Dudley - page 86, Chocolate Buttermilk Cake.
© Another week in the kitchen, Karen Dudley
© Taste March 2015
No permission has been requested or granted for the representation of the pages from the Taste magazine or Karen Dudley's book. Sorry, but it's too good not to share.

A simple meal for two

Sunday evening, a light meal and a glass of wine to end off the weekend.

Menu for the picnic

Cheese puffs. Couscous salad - couscous (duh;-), butternut, capers, spring onion, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, pine nuts, garlic and chilli, drizzled with fresh lemon juice. Bean salad - green beans, yellow and red peppers, tomatoes, olives, red onion, garlic and chilli. Olive oil and white balsamic vinegar dressing. Picnic terrine - hollowed out rye bread spread with basil pesto and filled with mozzarella cheese, roasted brinjal, roasted red peppers, rocket, cucumber, hard-boiled eggs. Put the lid back on the bread and weight down with a brick or tile so all the ingredients settle nicely in the bread, then when you cut it it doesn't fall apart. Fruit salad - pineapple, mango, nectarine, peach, black currant,  kiwi and granadilla, with a generous amount of fresh-squeezed orange juice. Sit down and enjoy. Yum.