Happy New Year!

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Gone Organic

My mom’s got serious green fingers and her little organic garden is coming along quite well.

She’s got a small herb square going just outside the kitchen. There’s also a budding a little orchard on the one side of the house with a lemon tree, peach trees with juicy mini peaches (one tree was knocked over by strong winds a couple of days ago), a fig tree (all I can think of is fig preserve) an apricot tree and a plum tree. The apricots got finished a week before I got back home :-(  My favourite section though is the strawberry patch just next to the herb square. Every morning, like a pre-set alarm, my mom reminds me “if you don’t go pick them now, you won’t have any by the end of the day, the birds are feasting as we speak” and right she is, damn birds must think they’re at Wimbledon snacking on my strawberries like that and worst of all they nibble on all the fat juicy ones! I’m trying to think of all the ways I can have my strawberries: strawberries and cream, strawberries with muesli and yoghurt for breakfast, strawberries smoothies or cinnamon french toast with strawberries….oh so yum.

Fluffy Pink - Garden to Vase

Besday Cake

One of my nieces turned four on the 20^th but the family was travelling so no birthday for her :–( As usual, she got lotsa prezzies and also had her gran and aunts sing for her but all the little smart alec said was “where’s the cake”? Saturday was my one aunt’s 55^th birthday and my cousins threw her a party and cause the little ones always want to blow out the candles, they get their own cakes made *I'm too jelly*. The one niece had her cake made with her gran’s at the bakery, so my sister had to bake the other niece’s (different gran) cake. Too cute.

After Christmas *sigh*

Christmas has passed and I’m only starting to get excited now *sigh*.

I’m also trying to stay sane: one of  my nieces is over at our house for the day and she is driving me starkers. My mom’s at an 80^th birthday and my sister is lying on the couch going through the CSI box set, reading and eating everthing she finds in front of her. She is quite skilled at diverting my niece in my direction, telling her to "go find Aunty Delirious", "go ask Aunty Delirious" *help me* so I’ve shut the door and am communicating through the keyhole. I’ve decided to do a Christmas Meme I found on Superficial Girls http://www.superficialgirls.com/2011/12/video-christmas-tag.html#more.

1.    What’s Your Favorite Holiday Movie?                                                                        

It’s between the “The Holiday” and “Love Actually”?

“The Holiday”, no, “Love Actually”                        

Both, can’t choose.

2.     What’s Your Favorite Christmas Color?

Gold. White, Red, Silver Why am I so damn indecisive?!

Silver

3.    Do You Like To Stay in Your PJs or Dress Up For Christmas?

I’d much rather stay in my PJs but we ALL know that’s never going to fly, my mom would make sure it never happens. Plus, I usually have to go to Christmas Mass and I guess the other congregants would not appreciate me rocking up in my PJs.

4.     If You Could Only Buy One Person a Present This Year Who Would It Be?

My mom of course.

5.     Do You Open Your Present Christmas Eve Or Christmas Morning?

Present? Lol!

When I was younger, my mom put the presents on at the bottom of the chimney on Christmas Eve and we obviously opened them first thing on Christmas Morning.

6.     Have You Ever Built a Ginger Bread House?

Really? *Blank stare* Why would I?? I’ll eat it, gorge myself, but build it…nope.

7.     What Do You Like To Do On Your Christmas Break?

Eat, sleep and read.

8.     Any Christmas Wishes?

Lots, they deserve their own post.

A Faberge Egg? A lion cub, my own little “Leo”?

9.     Favorite Christmas Smell?

Cinnamon Vanilla, my sister usually bakes but it’s usually so freakin hot.

10.  Favorite Christmas Meal or Treat?

Anything but Turkey.

Actually…Christmas pudding with custard.

P*'s Birthday

Last Sunday was such a great day out: good company, sun and heavenly views, what more could you ask for (we went to the Westcliff for P*'s birthday lunch)?

P* and I – ever the diehard adventurers – decided to try out the Molecular Mixology Menu and what a good decision it was. I had the Citric Flower Martini with blueberry and grape caviar *daaarling*.

Blue berry and grape caviar? Yep – expertly engineered little spherical balls that look exactly like the real thing *makes me wonder if caviar really is caviar these days*.

The skillful “Dr. of Mixology” *not quite a Dr. but might as well be *came and told us how he prepares these blissful molecular tipples; he even brought his apparatus to our table. Dexter’s laboratory sort of stuff I tell you.

P* decided to try the Deconstructed B52 – sounds a like a Mazda B2 50 or something along those lines or a post war van straight out of Russia (I’m thinking one made in Siberia). But let me tell you the only rough and tumble you’ll experience with this drink is with your taste buds, delightful rough and tumble.

There’s some Kahlua, Amarula (not sure) and a whole lot of other stuff in here.

Apparently the mambo-jumbo lab stuff needs to set for a couple of hours so ours might not look like the stuff’s supposed to but daaa-aaamn it was good. Now if only our science classes could have been like this :-)

Cocktails served on a plate, melikey too much.

My first drink the “Perfect Love” wasn’t so perfect – methinks they put in too much Vodka. I was sauced within minutes.

I had: the seared salmon niçoise (warm potato salad, olives, capers and vine tomatoes) * a moment of silence for good food*.

The rest of the crew had: beer battered hake fillet (french fries, tartar sauce and greens) or sirloin of grass fed prime beef 300g (pepper sauce, potato wedges and side salad).

To end: P* had two servings of the naartjie cheese cake with raspberry sauce *are you still wondering how good the cheesecake was? I’m not*. 

Slow in the City

Last Tuesday: PRY*, The G* and I left the office after 12pm and went to “work” at Slow in the City at the Radisson Hotel (Gautrain). It’s like a “work-spa” with super-fast Wi-Fi, inspired work spaces to regenerate and create, The Light Room for infusing your body with light, The Dark Room for a plush rest, hanging gardens and really nice food – The G* and I had the traditional high tea for two and PRY* had a Camembert and fig preserve toast of sorts which was devilishly divine.