One of my favorite things in the history of ever is chai tea, and one of my favorite kitchen appliances at the moment is my Krups Ice Cream Maker, which my mom bought me for Christmas. So... it made sense to put the two together when I had some friends over for dinner a week or two back. Here's the recipe - sorry, I haven't taken any photos...
500ml cream
250ml milk
1 can condensed milk
3 egg yolks
4 star anise
some cinnamon bark
4 cloves
6 cardamom pods, crushed
One teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup sugar
Put all the spices in a pot along with the milk and cream. Bring to just below below boiling point, and let the dairy mixture infuse the flavors of the spices. In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Slowly add one cup of the milk mixture to the eggs, then add the egg and milk mixture back to the milk mixture - doing it this way to avoid the eggs scrambling.
Cook for a while longer, until the mixture starts to thicken a bit.
Take off the heat, and strain to get the lumpy bits out of the mixture.
Add the condensed milk, and mix well.
Chill overnight, and churn in your ice cream maker.
Serve with crushed Nuttikrust biscuits. Just because they're awesome.
PS I love Yuppiechef, so much, which is why I've linked there for you to see the ice cream machine. But you can buy it MUCH cheaper retail...
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Friday, 24 February 2012
X marks the spot
So, if I'm going to get this blogging thing going, it seems that the Right Thing To Do is to put up memes and lists and things. Am not great at those, but I came across this one via Angel (from whom I stole the title) - see her blog post to see where she got it from. Anyway, here goes... it's a list of things that you mark with an X if you've done them... (if you weren't able to figure that out... :p)
Shot a gun X
Gone on a blind date X
Skipped school X
Saw someone die
Visited America X
Visited Mauritius X
Visited Europe X
Visited Australia
Visited Sun City X
Visited Cape Town. X
Been to Victoria Falls X
Been to court.
Been lost X
Travelled to the opposite side of the country X
Visited Pretoria X
Swam in the Ocean X
Cried yourself to sleep X
Played cops and robbers X
Played cowboys and Indians X
Recently coloured with crayons
Travelled by train X
Sang Karaoke X
Sang a solo or duet in church
Paid for a meal with coins only
Made prank phone calls X
Laughed until some beverage came out of your nose X
Caught a snowflake on your tongue
Had children X
Had a pet X
Been skinny-dipping outdoors X
Been fishing X
Been boating X
Been downhill skiing & made it down the hill without falling
Been water skiing
Been camping in a trailer X
Been camping in a tent X
Flown in a small 4-seater airplane X
Flown in a helicopter
Flown in a hot air balloon
Walked on a glacier
Driven a motorcycle/been a passenger X
Been bungee-jumping
Gone to a drive-in movie X
Done something that could have killed you-but didn’t X (duh... I'm posting this, aren't I?)
Done something that you will regret for the rest of your life
Met Nelson Mandela
Visited Asia
Rode an elephant
Eaten biscuits or cake for dinner: X
And ice cream for breakfast. X
Been on TV X
Stolen any traffic signs
Stolen any traffic cones
Been in a car accident X
Donated blood X
Played bowls (old man’s marbles)
Thursday, 23 February 2012
I am (going to be) a Yoga Warrior
A few years ago I took a fancy to the notion of yoga, and went to some classes at the most exquisite studio in Atholl. I loved every minute of it, but kept on getting lost as the teacher moved through the poses, as everyone else was clearly very experienced, and I was novice. So I stopped going, because I felt a bit intimidated, and, I think, because there were Distractions...
Then Life happened – and 10 years later I find myself in a working environment where we are challenged to set goals for ourselves. I’ve been horribly unfit and revoltingly flabby for quite a while, and I also realised that I need some Me Time. In early January, I asked my best friend Google for some help, and it yielded a link to Yoga Warrior, a studio in Rosebank, Johannesburg. What was most appealing was the 5 week beginner course the site advertised (see reference to beginner above), starting the next week, and I grabbed the last spot.
The beginners’ teacher, Kanina, is possibly the most gentle and graceful person I have ever met, and she guided us gently through each week’s lessons, encouraging us to stretch ourselves (pun intended) further and further every week.
The course was also conveniently timed in the late evening, so that I could still have supper with my boys (big and small), and spend some time with them before heading out. On its completion, Clara, the studio’s owner, responded to requests for a similarly-timed ongoing beginner’s class, so now, Wednesday nights at 19h30, you’ll find me stretching myself (again, pun intended) at Yoga Warrior. Classes are in a studio with a wooden floor, and although it’s not a bikram studio, it’s pleasantly warm, which helps in moving through the poses. I tried a yoga class at the Old Ed’s Virgin Active, and I really struggled in the cool breezy room – having a warm environment really helps. That, and having a teacher who takes the time to make sure you’re doing things properly.
The lessons are also reasonably priced, but the best idea is to buy packages of lessons, depending on the time you can commit, and how much you can afford. Obviously, the more classes you buy at a time, the cheaper it gets, but I think that around R70 per 60 minute class is more than reasonable.
I’ve been amazed at what this nearly 40 year old body can do. I have loved learning the Sanskrit words for the poses – they’re so blunt but so poetic too. I’m loving the challenge of trying something different, every week. I’ve identified (again) that the weakest part of my body is my core, so I’m going to have to invest in some extra gym time to fix that, if only so that I can do chaturanga (don’t you love the name!), and a few of the other really challenging poses.For the first time in years and years, I don’t have back problems – I can actually get up from a chair without thinking carefully about how I should adjust myself as I rise. And then there’s the absolute spiritual peace and calm that comes with the end of every lesson.
This time round, my practice of yoga is not going to suffer from any Distractions... and if you’re looking to try something different, or to do a low-impact exercise, this is really something you should try too. FYI - although this sounds a lot like I've been paid to rave about Yoga Warrior - I haven't been. I pay for my lessons like everyone else... I just think that they're fantastic!
Friday, 3 February 2012
Get thee to the Phantom!
Last night I attended a performance of the Phantom of the Opera at the Teatro at Montecasino. I leapt at the chance to go, because I have always been a fan of big musicals – Chess is one of my favourites in the history of ever, and I remember my folks taking me to see the live performances of the likes of Barnum!, Hello Dolly, My Fair Lady and Mame when I was a child. We had the vinyl album of the soundtrack of Phantom as soon as it was released, and I listened to it over and over again – the drama that is such a part of the music keeps you going back for more.
I saw the London version of Phantom in 1999 and the Pretoria version in 2005, but you can never see too many live performances of this show, as far as I’m concerned!
The performance at the Teatro, with its local cast, did South Africa proud. The voices were soaring and magnificent, the dancing was exquisite (I’d forgotten how much ballet there is in the production), and the theatre itself handled the complicated set so well. The Phantom really does appear out of nowhere, and he disappears before your eyes too... and that one ton chandelier is as much a character in the cast as any of the performers.
For more facts and figures about the production, read an article that appeared in The Times, but the short version of that is that the show is tightly controlled from abroad – the costumes are identical wherever it is performed, the sets are identical (all 110 tons per set), and there is a support team of 120 people behind the 38 performers. This means that the local show is a veritable feast for the eyes – there’s nothing ‘Africanised’ or downsized about it at all – visually, it is true to what Andrew Lloyd Webber set it out to be originally. No detail has been spared in the interests of shortcuts or logistics.
I think one of the reasons Lloyd Webber wrote the musical was to try and keep opera alive – and those who really don’t like this style of singing may not enjoy the show so much – particularly Madame Carlotta, who really is a caricature of all things operatic. Don’t let this put you off though – the show is such a display of finely honed performing art that it’s worth going to see even if you’re not an opera fan.
The show runs at the Teatro until 22 April 2012, although my host last night said that there was talk of adding an extra 60 000 seats to the run (that translates into roughly another month I think– but that’s yet to be confirmed). Don’t wait to book though – go and see it. It’s a great introduction to the world of musical theatre if you haven’t seen a production like this before, and it’s an excellent portrayal of one of the genre’s greatest hits if you are a fan. Tickets range in price from R125 to R425.
Just so you know – I was hosted by Southern Sun for the evening. Even if I hadn't been - I would have been happy to pay to go. Monday, 12 December 2011
One Month of Gratitude
So, at the beginning of November, Melanie Minnaar - an in- and out-of-computer friend and fellow St David's mom, suggested that November be a month of gratitude, and that people should post up something on Facebook for which they are grateful each day of the month.
Sounds easy, right - particularly when you are so blessed and so lucky in so many ways? So I decided to take it on, hoping for more success than my attempt at 29 Gifts a year or two back.
I made it through the month, and posted something up every day. There were a couple of weekend days that I didn't post, but then I double posted in the days after to make up for it, so during November, I listed 30 things for which I am grateful. I really wanted to stay away from twee things like being grateful for chocolate (although, eventually I did concede that that is truly something to be grateful for!).
I learned a lot from this whole exercise, over and above the fact that I have so much to be so very grateful for. Quite a lot happened in the background during this month, and I'll admit that one or two posts had subtexts (I'm not going to say which ones though!)
It was a big month in news and politics - there was the drama about the Protection of Information Bill, and there was much ado about Julius Malema... and a few other bits and pieces including a horrific animal abuse case - some of which really taxed my glass-half-full view on life. It's still intact though. I think... :-)
But the overall result was that I emerged from November with none of the burden of anger that I'd had on entering the month. I emerged calm, peaceful and positive. I emerged from November proud of who I am and what I have achieved. I emerged from November with a new realisation about how extremely blessed I am, and with a renewed determination to protect and nurture my blessings.
There were a few people who supported me the whole month, 'liking' my posts each day or commenting on them - thanks so much Shelli, Sandi, my mom, Dori, Tanya and Cath (who is an in-computer friend I've yet to meet...) - some of them even started posting daily too. Cath sits down every night and writes down three things for which she was grateful each day - a commitment I truly admire.
Here's the list, if you missed it...
1 I am grateful for my parents and the solid foundations they gave me
2 I am grateful for my wonderful husband Brett Haggard who loves me so very much, in so many ways.
5 I am grateful for our warm home and our beautiful and bountiful garden
8 I am grateful for the support structures I have - it does indeed take a village to raise your children, and I am blessed to have my own village of support.
26 I am grateful that my boys have the opportunity to try different sports and activities, to give them the chance to grow in different ways.
Sounds easy, right - particularly when you are so blessed and so lucky in so many ways? So I decided to take it on, hoping for more success than my attempt at 29 Gifts a year or two back.
I made it through the month, and posted something up every day. There were a couple of weekend days that I didn't post, but then I double posted in the days after to make up for it, so during November, I listed 30 things for which I am grateful. I really wanted to stay away from twee things like being grateful for chocolate (although, eventually I did concede that that is truly something to be grateful for!).
I learned a lot from this whole exercise, over and above the fact that I have so much to be so very grateful for. Quite a lot happened in the background during this month, and I'll admit that one or two posts had subtexts (I'm not going to say which ones though!)
It was a big month in news and politics - there was the drama about the Protection of Information Bill, and there was much ado about Julius Malema... and a few other bits and pieces including a horrific animal abuse case - some of which really taxed my glass-half-full view on life. It's still intact though. I think... :-)
But the overall result was that I emerged from November with none of the burden of anger that I'd had on entering the month. I emerged calm, peaceful and positive. I emerged from November proud of who I am and what I have achieved. I emerged from November with a new realisation about how extremely blessed I am, and with a renewed determination to protect and nurture my blessings.
There were a few people who supported me the whole month, 'liking' my posts each day or commenting on them - thanks so much Shelli, Sandi, my mom, Dori, Tanya and Cath (who is an in-computer friend I've yet to meet...) - some of them even started posting daily too. Cath sits down every night and writes down three things for which she was grateful each day - a commitment I truly admire.
Here's the list, if you missed it...
1 I am grateful for my parents and the solid foundations they gave me
2 I am grateful for my wonderful husband Brett Haggard who loves me so very much, in so many ways.
3 I am grateful for my two amazing, astounding boys, who teach me new things every day.
4 I am grateful to have the freedom to speak my mind.
6 I am grateful for the diverse friends I have now and have had in the past, and for the lessons I have learned from them and with them.
7 I am grateful that I have skills that I can use to earn a living.
9 I am grateful for free and easy access to information and knowledge.
10 I am grateful for music, and how it can lift my mood in a bad moment, bring me joy, or make me remember a time or place or person with such clarity
11 I am grateful for the mentors I have had in my working life - I use the lessons I learned from them every day. I even use the lessons I learned from the Anti-Mentor I worked for way back when... everything and everyone for a reason, see?
12 I am grateful for my health, and the health of my family. With a grandmother of 95, longevity is in the family - let's hope that good health lasts!
13 I am grateful for the connectedness that social media enables. I am also grateful that I can switch it off from time to time (which is why I didn't post yesterday... :-)
14 I am grateful for peaceful, solitary moments, in which I can appreciate the joy of the loud, busy chaotic ones...
15 I am grateful for peaceful, solitary moments, in which I can appreciate the joy of the loud, busy chaotic ones...
16 I am grateful for South Africa. Even though it's a mighty complicated place to be, it's still home. And there simply is no place like home...
17 I am grateful for the people in my life who encourage and inspire me to be a better person.
18 I am grateful for all the literature I've read: the good, the bad and the ugly! I've read books that have made me laugh, that have made me cry, and that have provoked thought.
19 I'm grateful for my hounds who shadow me wherever I go. When I'm not home, they shadow my boys to make sure they're safe.
20 I am grateful for friends who still so close, even though they live so very far away.
21 I am grateful for my sense of humour. Even if it is sometimes a bit offsides...
22 I am grateful for free access to information, and I hope to be able to be grateful for that after today. #BlackTuesday
23 I'm grateful for life's little pleasures, including (and most certainly not limited to) chocolate, coffee, nougat, macarons, chocolate brownies, florentines, tender roast lamb, parma ham and mangoes.
24 I am grateful for the disciplines that this year has taught me.
25 I'm grateful that I'm past all the complicated social stuff that makes high school such a challenging time for everyone who's not a 'cool kid'.
26 I am grateful that my boys have the opportunity to try different sports and activities, to give them the chance to grow in different ways.
27 I am grateful for the honesty that there is between me and Brett Haggard, on every level.
28 I am grateful that I am in a position to provide employment to my housekeeper and gardener, and for how they make my lifestyle possible too.
29 I'm grateful for the people who put things in perspective for me, when I get worked up about something
30 I am grateful to Melanie Minnaar for suggesting the #OneMonthOfGratitude, and to everyone who 'liked' what I did, along the way, especially Tamarai Shantala Lekha Olckers, Dori van Loggerenbergand Catherine Jenkin. It's been an interesting exercise - apart from making me realise just how blessed I am, it's also changed my approach to a few things.
Friday, 11 November 2011
Photo fabulousness
I was lucky enough to attend a workshop hosted by Epson and Nikon last Friday. Called "Develop Yourself", it aimed to teach journos how to take awesome photos with compact digital cameras, and then how to print them out for maximum effect.
I leaped at the chance to go, because my photography efforts have been pretty limited to taking shots of the two most beautiful boys that ever there were in the last six years, and I was keen to haul out the creative side of me that took some pretty fantastic shots in the Middle East when I toured there (in another life, a long long time ago...)
The event was hosted at the Bioscope near the Arts on Main complex, and we wandered around the streets and interesting little nooks and crannies in the area to find interesting shots.
The three top tips I picked up on the day were:
Setting the white balance to manual, to give you control
The little bits of Nikon awesomeness that we were given to shoot on had a variable setting to contend with different lighting conditions - daylight, shadow, flourescent light etc - something that I wasn't aware could be adjusted in these small devices. The bonus part of this? Without spending a fortune on a a DSLR, you can adjust your camera to compensate for different lighting conditions, which means that your images will always be sharp and punchy.
The "but wait there's more..." part is that you can play with these settings to create arty images - something that used to be the preserve of graphic designers who paid fortunes for PhotoShop...
These photos aren't great - but they're of similar composition shot with different light settings - they give you an idea of what you can do just by changing a setting on your camera
Composition is what it's ALL about
I've always known about the rule of thirds, but it was good to have this reinforced. It was also interesting to find out that the top right intersection point is the most important one - although I guess I should have figured that from my years in magazines.
Make art from your photos
It's amazing how powerful an image can be when it's blown up to A3 and framed. This is the shot I chose to be blown up and framed on the day.
While I was happy with the composition of the shot when it came up on the camera's three-inch screen, and it looks pretty ordinary posted here, it looks way more impressive when given a little bit of beautiful printing and framing love. The art is not just in taking the photo, it's in printing it out and framing it...
So after a day of inspiration, I'm going to carry on taking photos of the two most beautiful boys that ever there were... but I shall be breaking that up with some arty shots too - I love taking interesting architecture shots, and now that I'm carrying around a little compact digital camera wherever I go, I'm going to make more of an effort to capture the world around me. I hope you do too...
Disclaimer: Epson is a client of my employer, TribecaPR. While I was their 'guest' for the day, the thoughts and opinions above are my own, and have not been suggested or approved by anyone else.
I leaped at the chance to go, because my photography efforts have been pretty limited to taking shots of the two most beautiful boys that ever there were in the last six years, and I was keen to haul out the creative side of me that took some pretty fantastic shots in the Middle East when I toured there (in another life, a long long time ago...)
The event was hosted at the Bioscope near the Arts on Main complex, and we wandered around the streets and interesting little nooks and crannies in the area to find interesting shots.
The three top tips I picked up on the day were:
Setting the white balance to manual, to give you control
The little bits of Nikon awesomeness that we were given to shoot on had a variable setting to contend with different lighting conditions - daylight, shadow, flourescent light etc - something that I wasn't aware could be adjusted in these small devices. The bonus part of this? Without spending a fortune on a a DSLR, you can adjust your camera to compensate for different lighting conditions, which means that your images will always be sharp and punchy.
The "but wait there's more..." part is that you can play with these settings to create arty images - something that used to be the preserve of graphic designers who paid fortunes for PhotoShop...
These photos aren't great - but they're of similar composition shot with different light settings - they give you an idea of what you can do just by changing a setting on your camera
Composition is what it's ALL about
I've always known about the rule of thirds, but it was good to have this reinforced. It was also interesting to find out that the top right intersection point is the most important one - although I guess I should have figured that from my years in magazines.
Make art from your photos
It's amazing how powerful an image can be when it's blown up to A3 and framed. This is the shot I chose to be blown up and framed on the day.
While I was happy with the composition of the shot when it came up on the camera's three-inch screen, and it looks pretty ordinary posted here, it looks way more impressive when given a little bit of beautiful printing and framing love. The art is not just in taking the photo, it's in printing it out and framing it...
So after a day of inspiration, I'm going to carry on taking photos of the two most beautiful boys that ever there were... but I shall be breaking that up with some arty shots too - I love taking interesting architecture shots, and now that I'm carrying around a little compact digital camera wherever I go, I'm going to make more of an effort to capture the world around me. I hope you do too...
Disclaimer: Epson is a client of my employer, TribecaPR. While I was their 'guest' for the day, the thoughts and opinions above are my own, and have not been suggested or approved by anyone else.
Sunday, 11 September 2011
My delicious garden
My garden has all of a sudden started looking like a garden, and not a rough collection of bits and pieces. Well, it is a rough collection of bits and pieces, but they're recovering from the winter now (with the help of a lot of water...).
I have grand goals of having a lush, fabulous garden that blooms with colour through every season, with expanses of lawn framed by banks of flowers of different shapes and sizes, all perfectly colour coded, but not too perfectly trimmed - I'm not a fan of topiaries. At all. I also dream of an abundant vegetable garden that will keep us feed without supplementing from the shops - all organically grown and flavoursome, of course.
Reality check: the soil on our property is not that fertile, and the garden is very shady - there are only a few spots that get full sun. But I've spent a lot of time and effort late last summer, and in the last few weeks, watering, composting, putting down manure etc, and I think things are starting to pay off.
And in the vein of gratitude that I started in my last post (and didn't continue very well with), I'd like to post that I'm grateful for my garden, for the sanctuary that it gives, the beauty that it promises, and the nutrition that it has the potential to offer us. I had the most fantastic crop of tomatoes the whole summer about four years ago, and I hope to beat that this year. To show you why I'm grateful, I thought I'd list some of the things I have in my vegetable garden...
Spinach ( lots of, and I have so many seedlings I don't where I'm going to put them all...)
Butter lettuce
Red lettuce
Iceberg lettuce
Parsely, sage, rosemary and thyme (really!)
Mint and spearmint
Pepperdews
Echinacea (pretty flowers, have no idea what to do with them.)
Elderflower tree (that I thought was going to be a bush. It's the fastest-growing thing in my garden)
Lavendar (French and Margaret Roberts. I never thought I'd be the one to make lavendar cupcakes)
Marjoram
Basil
Basil Mint
Pineapple Sage
Oreganum
Rocket
Celery
Artichoke plant
Asparagus plants
Lemon tree
Lime tree
Tomatoes - cherry and two kinds of normal
Texas sage
Carrots (tiny seedlings)
Fennel. (Beautiful plants, have no idea what to do with them)
Beetroom (tiny seedlings)
Baby marrows and custard squashes (seedlings to be planted out in the next week or two)
Chives
Shallots (only two - I bought them to see what would happen, will hopefully collect their seeds for more)
Spring onions
Peas
Broad/fava beans
See? I have so much to be grateful for. Now, much as I totally adore my new job at Tribeca PR, I would love more time to nurture them all, and to make fabulous food with them! ;-)
*No, no pic of my garden now - the images in this post are things I have grown in my garden in years gone by. I'm writing this in bed at 21h36 on a Sunday. Even though the moon is full, there aren't going to be any pictures... :-)
** Did you know that strawberries only bear fruit for one or two years? That's why you've got to let the runners take, to make new plants to bear fruit...
I have grand goals of having a lush, fabulous garden that blooms with colour through every season, with expanses of lawn framed by banks of flowers of different shapes and sizes, all perfectly colour coded, but not too perfectly trimmed - I'm not a fan of topiaries. At all. I also dream of an abundant vegetable garden that will keep us feed without supplementing from the shops - all organically grown and flavoursome, of course.
Reality check: the soil on our property is not that fertile, and the garden is very shady - there are only a few spots that get full sun. But I've spent a lot of time and effort late last summer, and in the last few weeks, watering, composting, putting down manure etc, and I think things are starting to pay off.
And in the vein of gratitude that I started in my last post (and didn't continue very well with), I'd like to post that I'm grateful for my garden, for the sanctuary that it gives, the beauty that it promises, and the nutrition that it has the potential to offer us. I had the most fantastic crop of tomatoes the whole summer about four years ago, and I hope to beat that this year. To show you why I'm grateful, I thought I'd list some of the things I have in my vegetable garden...
Spinach ( lots of, and I have so many seedlings I don't where I'm going to put them all...)
Butter lettuce
Red lettuce
Iceberg lettuce
Parsely, sage, rosemary and thyme (really!)
Mint and spearmint
Pepperdews
Echinacea (pretty flowers, have no idea what to do with them.)
Elderflower tree (that I thought was going to be a bush. It's the fastest-growing thing in my garden)
Lavendar (French and Margaret Roberts. I never thought I'd be the one to make lavendar cupcakes)
Marjoram
Basil
Basil Mint
Pineapple Sage
Oreganum
Rocket
Celery
Artichoke plant
Asparagus plants
Lemon tree
Lime tree
Tomatoes - cherry and two kinds of normal
Texas sage
Carrots (tiny seedlings)
Fennel. (Beautiful plants, have no idea what to do with them)
Beetroom (tiny seedlings)
Baby marrows and custard squashes (seedlings to be planted out in the next week or two)
Chives
Shallots (only two - I bought them to see what would happen, will hopefully collect their seeds for more)
Spring onions
Peas
Broad/fava beans
See? I have so much to be grateful for. Now, much as I totally adore my new job at Tribeca PR, I would love more time to nurture them all, and to make fabulous food with them! ;-)
*No, no pic of my garden now - the images in this post are things I have grown in my garden in years gone by. I'm writing this in bed at 21h36 on a Sunday. Even though the moon is full, there aren't going to be any pictures... :-)
** Did you know that strawberries only bear fruit for one or two years? That's why you've got to let the runners take, to make new plants to bear fruit...
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