Can you see the red velvety goodness

I want to lick my screen.

Nail colours for summer...

Have been a  kix of red and purple....

next is neon green and yellow!!

Vintage Fitness

We're doing it old school style baby

You know in January most people have these great ftiness plans to get healthy and stop the monotony of being the couch potatoe...well I was that person up until I walked into the gym, only to realise that our contract had ended in Dec 2010 - due to not going 24 times in the 12 month cycle - Bad/smack on the wrist..I know.

Since then I've decided to take a different approach with this fitness 'thing'..instead of waking up helluva early to join the masses at the gym, I will rather meet up with my sisters and thrash out all frustration on the squash court..We started doing it in Nov last year and the fact that we got to spend time together made it that much better. I used to brag to my youngest sister about being the squash mamba (snake yes hehe) - until she silenced me on the court.

Shoelaces tied, hair up, earrings off....Let's see how this 'doing-random-things-to-keep-fit thing goes'.

Sugar Inspiration

Yes I am that person who likes reading the back of the sugar pack while at a restaurant....its's cheesy/corny but every now and then I find something that actually resonates with me....

...and this one did just that ;)

Lovely Lucy Lamington

Well it was Lemingtons to me, up until the other day when I had to search for a recipe,I always figured that anyone who called them anything other than that, was simply, wrong.

I laughed when I realised I had actually made a fool of myself on a few occassions by correcting others hahaha

My aunt made these over the festive season and needless to say we all hung ourselves on them. You're deceived by the small 'bite size' pieces, that it's so easy to just throw back a few ;)

Vanilla Sponge

500 ml (2 cups) Huletts Castor Sugar
4 Large Eggs
250 ml (1 cup) Oil
5 ml (1 tsp) Vanilla Essence
750 ml (3 cups) Flour, sifted
15 ml (1 tbsp) Baking Powder
250 ml (1 cup) Milk
Desiccated Coconut, for coating 

Chocolate Coating

500 ml (2 cups) Huletts White Sugar
250 ml (1 cup) Hot Water
45 ml (3 tbsp) Cocoa Powder
15 ml (1 tbsp) Butter OR Margarine

Method

Vanilla Sponge

1. Whisk the castor sugar and eggs in a mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Add the oil and vanilla essence, and mix well.
3. Add the sifted flour and baking powder to the mixture alternatively with the milk.
4. Pour the creamed mixture into a greased oven tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Chocolate Coating

1. Heat the sugar, cocoa, butter and water until bubbly.
2. Allow to cool, then dip the sponge squares into the sauce and roll in the coconut.

Waiting for the cake to cool so that it could be rolled in chocolate and coconut seemed to take forever even though it was only a few minutes.

 

 

To ensure that I would get that 'white-box-inside-a-chocolate-box' look, I opted to move the chocolate from the pan into a dish, only pouring small amounts of chocolate. That way, you can control how much chocolate you're using. Well somewhat ;)

My tips:

• Ensure to follow the chocolate making part to the T. Do not leave it to boil on the stove longer than what is listed (until it bubbles) because you might just end up with crystalised bits of sugar at the bottom of the pan.
• Have a production line – it makes it so much easier and necessary when dealing with the stickyness of liquid chocolate and coconut.

Lastly, enjoy with a cuppa tea or whatever floats your boat..

 ***I wish the sun would stay down for just one or two more days so that people don't feel guilty about indulging in the likes of LAMINGTONS!**

"my" toy for a day

well not mine and not for a day...my colleague loaned me his fancy shmancy Canon EOS 500D for a few hours....and wow I had so much fun! I thought I'd post a few of the pics I took (I wasn't allowed to leave the office block so I had to get creative;))

If you have been reading my post for a while, you will know that I LOVE taking photos and that I *desparately* want a new camera...an SLR to be specific...more specific than that...I can't be..I'm still deciding between a Nikon and a Canon..both feel the same? And the specs are pretty similar..I guess in the end it will all come down to price and the best deal I can get?



A present to myself this year WILL be a decent SLR whether it be Nikon or Canon or "shamnon" haha

If you know anything about cameras OR you have a decent SLR, please feel free to share your thoughts on this matter...please? ;)
PS: Feel free to click on each image to get the full view of the pic..the quality is to die for! ;)

Temptation oh so sweet

We had this watermelon on our kitchen counter for 2 days and eventually I just gave in... and got my sister to cut it hahaha

I couldn't resist the temptation to take a big bite out of it...it was fun...the simple pleasures in life are such where u allow the juice of the melon run down your chin and onto your top..and you really don't care...ahh bliss :)

So go ahead and take a bite this weekend...

Something fun for you foodies

These questions were taken from a blog that I follow. To see her answers click here


Was there a defining moment, or did you always know that you were a foodie?

Yes I think there was..it probably happened when I was living alone and chose to cook new meals instead of buying take aways? Last year was the year that stood out for me as a 'foodie' because I started my own business making all things confectionery! I took my foodie love to a new level and its been wonderful! I LOVE being in the kitchen and am not shy to say so ;)

What would you do with 3 courgettes; an apple, an onion, a stick of butter and one cup of flour. You may add one ingredient, plus water.
I would add an egg,,,then make a batter type thing and dip the courgettes in it, lightly fry it in the stick of butter..eat the apple while im cooking haha
 

What is the most ghastly tasting thing you have ever eaten?
Some live something while on a business trip in Paris..the menu wasnt in english..I trusted a friend who said she spoke frnech to choose my meal for me..and I specified no liver..and she ordered liver hahaha I can laugh about it now but when the food was in front of me it wasn't that funny..
 

What is the ugliest looking thing you have ever eaten?
mopani worms - DITTO on this one...
 

Assuming you were stranded on an island, there is fire, water and provisions. What single cooking utensil would you want to have with you?
My pan..
 

What sign of the Zodiac are you and do you think it influences your cooking character?
Leo, and yes as I like to be in charge in the kitchen - well I'm a LEO as well and have never thought about how my star sign influences my cooking? hahah I guess I do like to be in charge in the kitchen?
 

Are you a fanatically tidy or shamefully messy in the kitchen?

Eish...I'm a bit of both but I'm sure my sisters would say I am shamefully messy?
 

How many frying pans do you own?

I have ONE non stick frying pan ..one?! Madness need to buy more...and one thick based pan
 

What is your all time dream kitchen appliance to own?

A Kitchen Aid mixer - yes please...its what dreams are made of!

Have you ever had rumpy-pumpy (slap & tickle) in a kitchen?

hahaha hell to the yeah!! :)

….. HOW I FEEL ABOUT BEING BACK AT WORK TODAY....


First day back in the office since the start of 2011...and I feel...blegh?? after hitting the snooze button at least 7 times (i kid u not) I dragged myself out of bed and drove to work..walking across the corridor to my office was draining...somewhat..okay Im making this sound worse than it actually is...but the monotony of walking here just made me sad....

I guess I should actually be grateful and cheerful...ready to start this working year with a bang??!?! But Im a little confused at the moment...Been at my company for 5 yearts now...love what I do! But its not my passion!?! Yes I get to travel, which I am certainly grateful for, but there must be more to it than just that ? a salary and a trip overseas once a year (if the economy does well)...

I hope I can shake this feeling soon...

ASIDE from work....the start to 2011 has been UH-MA-ZING!!!!!!!!!!!! This is definitely going to be an AWESOMEEEE year!!

AWHOOOOOOOOOOOO

hmm...

Well..I dont know how I feel about this dress! My initial thought was wow! and now that I look at it again,I'm not so sure?

**All in the spirit of giving**

I made some cupcakes this past weekend...well quite a few..made more than 150 cupcakes (I had an order) so you can imagine how many were actually left over..I knew that T and I couldn't eat all of them so I opted to give them away...but instead of just handing them out as I sometimes do, I opted to package them with some pretty ribbons..you know all in the spirit of xmas..

I cannot give the homeless people a roof over their heads, but I was able to give them cupcakes. Someone said to me the other day “well that's stupid because they don't need sweet things, they need food” - but what's wrong with giving them something sweet? Maybe for that one moment while eating the cake, they actually got to enjoy something that they don't have often...

I hope that tonight they had a small chance to enjoy the festive season...

My heart is pleased...The gift of giving is always beautiful!

I'm a sucker for weddings..

 I really am..everything about them, I love! There has only been one wedding, in my 27yrs of existence where I did not cry..and it was probably because I was ill or something (I can't quite remember).

 I think its the amount of love in the room that gets to me!! I cry when the bride walks down the isle. I cry when the bride and groom say their vows. I vry when the priest says I now pronounce u husband and wife...arghhh its a ball of emotions man..

I hope that  I can turn off my taps when I get married..wouldn't want to spoil my photos by having an ugly oprah cry! I'll save that for the engagement haha


Lauren + JP from Matt Odom on Vimeo.

PS: video taken from Apricot Tea 

Ke DEZEMBA aka it's december ..

And with that, comes good times. Lotsa sunshine, relaxing, braaing, chatting - LOVE it!!

Be safe out there people!

Cos you're a star..

Oh Nicki and Em how do I love thee - let me count the ways

"MEEEE-LLLEEEEESSSSS"

As a South African, you must have ONCE in your lifetime heard the call from a lady-with-a-powerful-voice shouting MIIEEELLIIIIEEESSSSSSS! Now yes I am generalising when I say that only South Africans have had the pleasure of experiencing this, I could be wrong?

My little sister was actually scared of the ladies who sold mielies...well it wasn't them that she scared of...it was the mieeeliiiieeesss chant that scared her..for some reason she thought they were calling her! hahaha poor child

Yesterday I had another nostalgic moment - seems to be happening often lately..This time however, the women wasn't shouting out mielies but rather sitting on the side of the road quietly with her produce on display..it was cold..and raining..and I was lazy to cook!

~hmmm this pic is making my mouth water all over again!!~

So we had mielies for dinner...Cost me R12 for 2 mielies...cheapest dinner T and I have had in a longgggg time!
Dont know when last we had them..oh it was divine!! So simple yet so...sustaining..I had to add some salted butter though...just to gve it that extra oomph...*licklipsdelisch*

PB and J S...;)

....aka Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich

My simple pleasure..and oh my simple treasure..

This used to be my moms FAVOURITE meal (she thinks she’s allergic to peanut butter now)! And yes it was a meal...if she had this, there would be no need for dinner or “real” food. If not had as a meal, it would be out late night ‘snack’ while we discussed everything from school, to our futures to life to boys to love to happiness, sadness– basically everything and anything.

So from a young age we got to appreciate the pleasure a simple peanut butter and jam sandwich brings...but oh don’t be fooled, this simple treat can go from hero to zero if not made properly. Of course the word properly is a relative term here!

• My fave way of making it is with a good thick spread of salted butter (the unsalted version doesn’t do much for me)
• A thick layering or BLACK CAT PEANUT BUTTER (I unfortunately or fortunately am a sucker for Black cat and refuse to eat any other brand of peanut butter)
• And finally...a good dollop of jam! My favourites wander between apricot jam and rasberry jam..I don’t do the likes of mixed fruit and marmalade (unless the marmalade is served with figs and good cheese) J

This, was my simple indulgent treat on Sunday morning..enjoyed with a good cuppa coffee, sitting on the floor, with legs crossed....I was 12 again ;)

Some history on peanut butter and jam or rather peanut butter and jelly (as some people refer to it).
For those who care, the calorie count in a PB and J sandwich - everything within moderation I say!!

Side note : I just realised that if I rearranged the letters in the title of my post, they would "spell" out two acroynms that are "commonly" used hahahahahahaha ROTFL

Chocolate Caramel Slice of Heaven

I’m  currently in the middle of writing my 2nd Semester exams and trying to organise 5 events at work while still dealing with my marketing plan for 2011 - PHEW. Needless to say things are rather hectic on my side...;) ;)

Last Friday while on study leave I decided that I needed a  break...and my idea of relaxing, is to make something. So instead of baking a cake -which I know myself and T would not finish- I opted to try out a recipe for Chocolate Caramel Slice. I tasted these pieces of “take one bite and add 5kgs to your waistline” @ work and boy was I impressed. I swore that when I made it at home, I would only have one slice...sherdam that never happened. These slices are SOOO good that you will be forced to share!

I resorted to calling friends and family and offering them caramel slices because I found myself opening my fridge every 2^nd hour to “check on them”...while reading about the economic strategies of our time, all I saw in my head, were the “take one bite and add 5kgs to your waistline” pieces of sweet sticky yummy goodness.

 

Chocolate Caramel Recipe
250ml (1cup)self raising flour
125ml (1/2 cup) caramel brown sugar – I used white and turned out fine
250ml (1cup) dessicated coconut
125g (1/2 cup) butter or margarine, melted
1 can (380g) NESTLE Caramel Treat
150g Dark Chocolate
50g (2Tbl)butter or margarine
1.       Preheat oven to 180 °C
2.       Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and mix well
3.       Press evenly into a greased 18cm x 28cm lamington pan – I used a brownie tin
4.       Bake for 15mins, then allow too cool
5.       Spread Caramel Treat over the base – go wild and add the whole tin
6.       Combine dark chocolate and butter over double boiler on low heat
7.       When chocolate mixture is melted and at a smooth consistency, spread over caramel base
8.       Refrigerate until set
9.       Cut into squares before serving

~Don’t you want to swim in that chocolate~

As hard as it might be to not let it set, trust me that it will be worth your while to have it set properly before eating. It took about an 1 ½ to set in the fridge..gave me time to study ;)

~So I tried to take a pic of TWO pieces of choc caramel slices but I struggled to contain myself and kept biting into the one piece~

If I had kids and I was throwing a party for them I would definitely make these again! Hell I’m going to make them again just for the sake of making them ;)- I will invite friends over again and we shall accompany the goodness with some Patron (a friend who came by on Fri night to collect some slices suggested we have it with a shot of Patron and I couldn’t say no – trust me...they work well together!!!)

Feel Good Pick Me Up

I've just been so franctic lately! Sure we all know that feeling of almost drowning and how hard it can be to breathe sometimes...

took sometime out this morning to visit a friends blog, littlemissconceptions, and she had posted the following video..




UBER cool!!

Take 2minutes out of ur day to watch it......

Can't think of a better word to describe how COOL it is..My old english teacher would murder me for abusing this word hahaha

You like presents?!?!

I LOVEEE receiving presents...It doesnt matter what's on the inside but there is just something exhilerating about opening a present..

maybe its the excitement to find out what's inside..but for me the excitement is all about the wrapping and pretty brght bows..and the slow way in which you untie the bow or the fast way you rip off the paper...

either way

we all love receiving presents ;) ;)

It's my uncles birthday this coming weekend and he stays in Swaziland..I can't DHL a cake to him, nor can I get my mom to take one down with her (she is going this weekend and the chocolate would melt ruining my pretty designs) so the next best thing ,,,is biscuits..but these..are not ur ordinary biscuits...these are super melt in your mouth balls of goodness (that sounds so wrong but get ur mind out of the gutter hahaha)

Affectionately know as KOURAMBIETHES or as I call them (seriously) "melt in your mouth balls"! Its the young crazy chick in me...



So I stayed up until 1 last night making these...I hope they get to Swaziland safely...
- I hope they don't get devoured on the way there...
- I hope my uncle enjoys opening this box of goodies as much as I love receiving pressies...
- I hope the family all enjoy them!