16 May 2010

My Quest for the perfectly organised home (3)

Yesterday, we went to our good friends, Cally & Ross, as it was Ross's birthday party. As always, wonderful evening was had by all, great company, great conversation, great food (and puddings, yum) alas no champagne (I had been relegated to designated driver) so was stuck drinking some non alcoholic apple malt drink. It was quite refreshing actually (the not drinking alcohol, not the drink itself) as I didn't wake up this morning with some demented woodpecker trying to drill a hole in the top of my head.
So, last night we were standing around the kitchen counter, chatting away, like only women can do, when Michelle (a really good friend of Cally's) took a plastic shopping bag and within no time at all (whilst still chatting) produced a pretty little triangle shape shopping bag, all neatly folded. Well blow me over with a feather, I had to know how this was done, this is something not even Martha Stewart does (well there is no mention of it on her website). so I went and found two more shopping bags and asked Michelle to do a "show and tell" et voila, we had three pretty triangle shapes in front of us.
Very chuffed with this, I will give you one guess what I did this morning, yup that's right, I woke up, (minus the sore head) went and got my disdainful looking shopping bags and proceeded to fold them all neatly into pretty little triangles. What fun. I think I have found a kindred soul in Michelle (I just don't insist on only buying tins with English labels, yup no Afrikaans labels in Michelle's pantry). So I thought I would put some pics up to show those of you who just can't wait to go and make your shopping bags into pretty little triangles too. Thanks Michelle.
Till next time
xoxo


All pretty, lined up like white and green samoosa's et Voila, a pretty triangle shape
Until there is only a small rectangle left, fold this over and tuck inside opposite side

Continue to fold over into triangle shape along the length of the bag

Fold corner over to form a triangle

Fold lengthwise again

Fold lengthwise

Flatten out

Take typical look plastic packet after removing the shopping

13 May 2010

Baking with a glass of Champagne

Voila, perhaps I can bake

Out of the pretty pink container
Looks a little caramelised
Pour into pretty pink container
sift the flour & salt

This seriously looks curdled to me (Eeeeeuuuuwwwwww)
Mash the bananas, Bring on the champagne

Still trying to find that light and creamy texture
Cream the butter and sugar together (yeah right)


I can't bake, I have never been able to bake, I hail from a Grandmother, who was a Home Economics school teacher who could bake and cook up a storm at the drop of a hat (not to mention, knit, sew and create beautiful things). My mother and I however seemed to have inherited only the being able to cook side of things. My Mother is an amazing cook, able to whip up food, that will remain in your memories for aeon's to come (don't get me started on the over catering bit, though). However although I can cook, I CAN"T BAKE. I could write a book on the fiasco's I have had over the years, lets mention the fudge that set in the pot, the marshmallows that ended up, stalactite looking, holding onto my ceiling, and lets not go to where I decided one weekend after successfully cooking Beef Wellington on Friday night, and Duck a'la orange on Saturday I felt invincible on the Sunday and thought, if I could cook those, surely I can bake. I need to digress at this point to mention I had a wonderful miniature Maltese poodle at the time called Whiskey, who would eat anything not nailed to the floor. Well this unfortunate Sunday after mastering two very successful dishes, I venture into the kitchen to bake a sticky toffee pudding for my family. Well suffice to say, Grant and Jordy had one spoonfull and politely made there way as far away from the pudding as they could, so I called Hoover (Whiskey) over to have some, and even my darling boy, turned his nose up at it and walked away. So with that in mind, I put baking away in the recesses of my mind, and decided it was just something, i would never be able to add to my repertoire. However, I decided (stupidly) that if I could ever find, pink silicone baking dishes, I would buy them, and try, try and try again, until such time as, I either got it right or poisoned my family in the process. Well fortuitously (or not), I was at Boardmans in Design Quarter today (buying a birthday pressy for a good friend) and lo and behold they have pink silicone bake ware. So I buy the cake and loaf shape, with all good intentions of coming home and using at least one of them. Now grant loves banana bread and only ever gets it, when Cally makes it for him or we buy it from Broadacres Spar, so with a mission in mind, I decide, that on my way home, I will get what I need to make banana bread (please remember that I have never done this before, so have no idea what goes into banana bread, I figure, it must have flour, sugar and banana's then I figure it must have cinnamon, honey or syrup , trying to remember what it tastes like). Now I digress again, but it is pertinent, I wore the shoes from hell today, my feet were already killing me when I got out of the car this morning in the car park, walking into the building. I spent most of my working day with my shoes off under my desk, and only went downstairs for two ciggies the whole day as my feet were being tortured so badly. So by the time I had done a whole day at work, walked around Design Quarter to get the birthday pressie and hobbled back to the car, the last thing I felt like doing was going into a shop to buy baking ingredients. However, Pink silicone baking dishes in tow, I got out, grabbed a trolley and went shopping for ingredients, I figured there must be syrup or honey (so bought both), was convinced there was pecan nuts as well (so bought those) bought flour, bananas, unsalted butter brown and white sugar (just in case, didn"t know which was right) and Cinnamon, then made my way home (by which stage I was cursing the shoes, like they were tools sent straight from Satan, they have definitely been relegated to the section of, DON"T ever wear these again). Anyway I get back home, find a recipe for banana loaf and start making it, all the while, thinking to myself "this is seriously not going to work" Jordy even said, "don't worry Mum, we will let the dog try it first" (nice, NOT), however I find out that actually banana bread does not have honey, syrup or pecan nuts, or Cinnamon not the the recipe I have anyway). I pour the obligatory glass of champagne and get stuck in (I can't seriously do this without a glass of bubbles). It says beat the butter and sugar until it is light and creamy, well after some considerable time of beating away merrily, my butter and sugar, has pulled away from the side of the bowl and created a very neat large ball (if I was making bread, this would be a bonus) no light and creamy in sight, it then says add three large mashed banana's (seriously, how big is a large banana, no rudeness intended), which I do, the mixture now resembles something really disgusting and looks decidedly curdled (at which stage Grant is looking very scared), add the flour and salt (sifted) done, now add a bicarb of soda and water mix (done). empty into pretty pink (previously buttered) silicone loaf container. Place in oven for 45 minutes (then pray to the good Lord, for a different outcome). 25 minutes later I take a peak through the oven door and, shew, it actually looks like it should. I wait till the 45 minute buzzer goes off, ask grant to take it out of the oven. Well what a Numpty, he figures it is a plastic dish so he doesn't need oven gloves to remove it, grabs it firmly with both hands and realises very quickly that pretty pink "plastic looking" cookware, is just as hot as normal metal ones. I go through to the kitchen and lo and behold, it looks like banana bread, smells like banana bread and wait ....... IT TASTES LIKE BANANA BREAD. well blow me over with a feather, I MANAGED TO BAKE. Well here's to finding my bubbles again. Going to try a cake this weekend (look out dogs).
till next time
xoxo

Looking for inspiration

Usually I am one of those people, who have at least 2 books on the go at one time, have Soduko's waiting for me next to my bed, some form of project on the go, like sewing or decoupage etc etc, some form of computer game on the go as well, albeit Farmville, Happy Island, Professor Layton Adventures. I usually take great pleasure in cooking wonderful meals for my family and eating them together. Usually I am chatting away on Facebook during the day, popping in and out to find out how my friends are doing. I usually bounce around life full of bubbles. However something has changed, I just don't seem to have any energy any more. I get home at night, barely throw some food together and find myself drawn towards my bed, earlier and earlier. I have lost my centre, my balance and I need to get it back. I feel like I am not adding any value to my life, I feel like I am not growing as an individual. I feel like a non entity moving through my own life. The time has come, to pull it together, pull up those socks and get things back on track. Starting NOW !! So off I go on a mission to get it all back.
Till next time
xoxo

10 May 2010

A Mother's Day to remember

I am a very blessed woman, yesterday was Mother's day, which started off with receiving very heartfelt cards and beautiful pressies. I was then treated to breakfast in bed and even better, I didn't have to clean up. Grant & Jordy then went off to buy food for lunch and brought back DVD's, they both went out of their way to make sure I had a very relaxing day and succeeded tremendously. It feels marvelous to be so loved by your family and to be treated in such a special way, makes me appreciate my husband and daughter all the more. So thank you guys for making yesterday such a memorable one. I have found my centre again.

Till next time
xoxo

A tribute to my mother

I believe that you do not know your capacity to love, until you have a child of your own, your love for your child is beyond anything that can be described by words. I would gladly lay down my life for my daughter, without blinking an eye or taking a second thought. Turning this on it's head then leads you to understand what it is that your mother has done for you in your lifetime and Mothers Day is just the time to let your mother know how much you really appreciate her. I have been truly blessed with a mother who raised two very strong willed girls, who taught us to stand up for what we believe in.
So to my Mum
Thank you for believing in me, when I found it difficult to believe in myself.
for saying what I've needed to hear sometimes, instead of what I've wanted to hear. For siding with me and for giving me another side to consider. Thank you for making so many special memories with me. Thank you for always being honest with me, being there for me. Thank you for being a friend to me in so many meaningful ways.

Till next time
xoxo

05 May 2010

Life's Truths - pick yours

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
2. Nothing stinks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. Really, how ARE you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Sat Nav's really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.
15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Crap!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
19.I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Township routing option.
20. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.
21. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
22. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
23. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
24. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
25. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!26. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
27. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?
28. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
29. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.
30. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
31. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'll bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

03 May 2010

Life is a merry go round

Shew, what a whirl wind the last two weeks have been. Work has been unbelievably hectic, so much to do, so little time, I suppose it keeps you out of mischief though. Along with the hectic work schedule, my Mum and Dad arrived from Gabs, as my sister Donna was going in for her second operation. Any how, in between working late, rushing off to the hospital to visit Donna and having to then make sure the family was fed and then perhaps get a wink or two of sleep (not much of that happened in the last two weeks), there wasn't much time for much else, other than the four dog beds, blouse for my mother and skirt for my daughter that I made. However with that said, Donna was discharged from hospital on Saturday so Mum made an absolutely divine meal and we all sat round the dining room table and had a wonderful family evening. Yesterday we were off to the Oyster & Wine Fest at Brightwater Commons. Mmmmm, so very yummy and it looked like we were eventually going to be able to just sit and relax while drinking wine and munching our way through oysters done in every fashion you can imagine, when lo and behold an extremely inconvenient bee decided to sting Jordyn in her mouth. Grant is highly allergic, so panic set in as we didn't know if she was as well. Off to Olivedale Clinic Emergency she went, was sped through the people who were waiting to be seen (who had been in a car crash) and was put on an adrenalin drip and other stuff they injected into her (they treated her as if she was allergic, rather to be on the safe side) so that effectively was the end of our relaxing Sunday. Donna is going back to work tomorrow, Mum & Dad left this morning to go back home so I am planning on leaving the office at a reasonable time today, just so that I can go home, get into bed and sleep. I need to find my centre again, it is all out of kilter.
Till next time
xoxo