couched +in secrecy+

your face...it's nice

I saw the loveliest (ultra-feminine) floral couch the other day at this new second-hand furniture store, Resell It, which recently opened on Grant Avenue in Norwood. I've never wanted an (ultra-feminine) floral couch, I'm not ultra-feminine or particularly floral but oh-damn-oh-man I really wanted that couch.

Alas, Ric ended up talking me out of it, given that we're trying to impose "stringent austerity measures" on ourselves to pay off our debts. Ric was Germany, I was Greece. Indeed, notwithstanding the fact that my ancestors were of Scandinavian/German/Dutch persuasion, I managed to summon some latent mediterranean passion within me and had a vociferous shit-fit about not being able to get the couch. Two (highly demonstrative and gesticulative) hours later, I finally resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't be able to get the couch.

But, you see, my mediterranean boyfriend is super sneaky and surprisingly calculating. As I arrived home the other afternoon, I was ambushed by the lovely (ultra-feminine) floral couch sitting in my sitting room together with a beautiful ceramic strawberry (fields-forever) ornament.

I'm still surprised by just how damn sneaky Ric was (and still slightly embarassed about what a dramatic ass I was) but, notwithstanding this, I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present...or a better boyfriend. He treats me nice, he puts up with my drama and he doesn't mind living with a lovely (ultra-feminine) floral couch. He's a keeper fo sho.

Faux chicken-mushroom pie + creamed courgette

One of the happiest discoveries I've made since becoming vegan is that I can still eat puff-pastry...which means that I can still bake PIES! However, to be honest, the creamed courgette (which doesn't even have cream in it) was the highlight of this meal. It tastes like creamed spinach, only weh-hey better.

Ingredients for Faux Chicken Pie

• 2 rolls vegan puff pastry
• 1 packet Fry's chicken strips
• vegetable oil for frying
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 cup leeks
• 2-3 cups mushrooms
• 0.5 cups soya cream (Alpro / Orley)
• 1 pepper (yellow or red)
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 cups white or red wine or cider (depending on your preference)
• 2tbsp maizina or cake flour (to thicken the stew) 

Preheat the oven to about 180 degrees celsius.

Fry the onion, garlic and leeks in a pan until soft. Add the maizina, mushrooms, pepper, chicken strips and herbs and gently fry while slowly adding the wine/cider. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

While the chicken stew is simmering, unroll the puff pastry and spread one sheet over the bottom of an oven proof dish (or cut and size to individual ramekins if you have more time and want to personalise the meal a bit more). 

Add the cream to the chicken stew and simmer for a further 10 minutes (if the stew is still very runny, add a bit more maizina to thicken the stew). Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Stir in the cream and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Dish the chicken stew onto the puff pastry until the stew is just below the top of the dish. Spread the second sheet of puff pastry over the stew and gently press the sides of the top and bottom layers of puff pastry together to seal. 

Insert dish into the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Ingredients for creamed courgette

• 3-4 cups grated courgettes
• 0.5 cups vegan parmesan cheese (grated/powdered)
• 2 eggs-worth equivalent of egg replacer (available from most local health shops)
• 4 tbsp flour
• vegetable oil for frying
• salt and pepper to taste

Grate the courgettes, drain any excess liquid from the bowl and gently pat with kitchen towling to remove further excess liquid.

Add the remaining ingredients to the courgettes and mix together well.

Pour mixture into an oven proof tray and bake on 180 degrees celcius for 30-40 minutes ensuring that you stir the mixture at half time. Alternatively, heat oil in a pan, dish tablespoon-sized servings onto the pan and fry each "courgette-cake" on each side for about 3-4 minutes (this can get a bit messy and might end-up becoming courgette scramble- which is fine and tastes just as good).

*YUM*

creepy.cool.rude.boy(s)

Whilst driving back from CLAW the other day, I discovered this random little shop just off Main Reef Road in (of all the random places), Roodepoort. It was crammed full of shit-shit but amongst all of that was some cool-shit(!)



I was so excited when I discovered these creepy-cool-rude-boys ("CCRB"), which now provide company to our Santa-Tokoloshi.


somnambulist bébé



anon. Manneken Pis

Yep, I'm slowly building up a CCRB army...and one day they'll discover it just like they did the Qin Dynasty's Terracotta Army. 

ice-cream kek.

Topped with vegan cookie and turkish delight

As I've previously mentioned, Ric is a sucker for all things sweet and dessert is his area of expertise. It's great because he puts all the labour into the sweet-treats and I get to pawn them off as (not-quite-but-almost) my own on the blog *ahem*.

This was supposed to be home-made "Unforgettable Chocolate Ice-Cream" courtesy of the Vegetarian Kitchen* but its consistency was a bit more "ice" than "cream" so we cut it into cake pieces instead.

It's super rich and has a Kahlua-like flavour to it. What's fun is that you can literally chuck anything into the base mixture...jelly-tots, jelly-bellies, chocolate-chips, chilli etc.

Ingredients

• 1 can coconut cream
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 cup soya milk
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp coffee granules (or coffee liquer)
• 0.5 - 1 cup crushed nuts (or jelly-tots, jelly-bellies, chocolate etc)

Note- the mixture has to set for about 5-6 hours so prepare it a long time before serving. Although, if you don't, then it comes out a bit like a mousse so this is not really a "note" that needs to be stringently followed.

Combine all the ingredients, but for the crushed nuts, in a blender...and blend.

Stir in the nuts, pour the mixture into a freezer-proof container and leave to set for about 5-6 hours depending on your desired consistency.

* Thanks again Mellissa Bushby.

~BRAIN-FREEZE~

mamma.dog.mamma.love

We recently travelled with Cora, the founder of Community Led Animal Welfare, to Rietvallei Township on the Westrand. She received a call towards midday on the Saturday about a mommy-dog who had been hit by a Taxi (muthafukka) the previous Thursday. Since then, the mommy-dog had been lying paralysed in a tiny makeshift tin kennel nursing her five (surviving) puppies.

This incident came just after the weekend of intense cold that we experienced in Johannesburg and the poor girl must have been excruciating pain and discomfort. She wasn't aggressive at all and it seemed as if she knew that we were trying to help her. While Cora dosed her up with pain medication, there were fears that her pelvis had been shattered or her spine crushed. After being taken for x-rays and tests it turned out that she had a fractured femur (better-case-scenario than spine or pelvis)and Bilary. Mommy-dog and her puppies are busy recuperating after which, hopefully all of them will be rehomed (which is a constant battle at the shelters as supply always exceeds demand).   

It's super tough seeing the extreme poverty and suffering (human and animal) in these areas. It takes me out of my comfort zone completely. However, everytime I return from a day out with Cora I feel grateful. Grateful for being able to make (a really small) difference, grateful for being able to spend time with one of the most inspiring people I've ever known, grateful for the life I have. I think I benefit more from these trips than anything I could ever hope to give back.    

Control on the Road

I'm super excited for On the Road (based on Jack Kerouac's novel of the same title) to hit the cinemas. I've read mixed reviews on the film but I'm nonetheless interested to see how the film depicts the novel and the Beat Generation to which Kerouac was so intergral.  

When I saw that Sam Riley was in the film, well, that made me really (REALLY) happy. He stars in one of my all-time favourite films, Control, based on the life and untimely death (by suicide) of Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division. Sam Riley is Ian Curtis in this film. Even if you aren't familiar with the band, the film is definitely worth a watch. It is beautiful, painful cinematic magic. 

And to bring it back home, Spoek Mathambo recently released a cover of Joy Division's song Control which I think is an awesome interpretation of the song and a damned-tight music video.

coconut corn chowder

This recipe (once again) comes courtesy of the Vegetarian Kitchen by Mellissa Bushby (barring slight variations I've inserted in  case you don't have the exact ingredients at home in your cupboard). The reason I cook from her recipe book so often is, well, because it’s awesome and because it's awash with lovely pictures which make me want to crawl inside of the book, nestle my head on a freshly baked-loaf of corn bread and fall asleep.

This soup is surprisingly filling and (unsurprisingly) easy to make. I served it with Melba toast and lentil pâté, the latter of which was gifted to us by a friend. The pâté is quite possibly, more-than-probably, the best I’ve ever tasted and we're in the midst of trying to convince our friend to start selling it {watch this space}.

Ingredients:  

• 1 tbsp vegetable/sunflower oil
• 1 can coconut cream
• 2 cups soya milk
• 2 cans corn
• 1 onion
• 1 red or yellow pepper
• 4-5 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 chopped chili (or a sprinkle of chili, cayenne or paprika powder)
• 1 can beans (borlotti/pinto/haricot)
• 1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Add the onion and garlic to the oil in a pan and heat gently for about 10 minutes until soft. 

Add the remaining ingredients barring the coconut cream and the parsley. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15-20 minutes. 

Add the coconut cream and parsley and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes.   

*YUM*

Chansons du jour (!)

Toddy you Hottie

I found the most amazing tea at Dischem the other day. It contains almost all of my favourite ingredients (for anything) ever or atleast variants of my favourite ingredients i.e. olive leaf as opposed to olives...sort of the same thing right?  

I find it really difficult to drink enough fluids during the cold (mean-ass) winter and my skin tends to suffer as a result. So now I sip on this tea, with tonnes of extra lemon slices in it, the whole day long.

For an old-school hot toddy (as opposed to a homeopathic hippie tea-bag hot toddy) soak some grated ginger and lemon slices in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Strain (or don't, if you so prefer) and add about a teaspoon of honey and a sprinkle of ginger and cinnamon powder.

For an added *yum* (after working-hours) perk, pour a swig of Brandy into the mixture and add some (more) fresh lemon slices.

*SLURP*

{secret}ceremonials

*aw*(k)*word*

When you take your crazy-hoochie-bitch (dog) to the park,

and she rolls in poop (human).

aw-man.

Mr Cummings

J'adore ca!

~ Oh YUM ~

Garlanded Bokkie

I dream of the day when I can cover my whole house with awesome wallpaper but, since we're renting the place we're in, this is still only a dream for the distant future (although I'm hoping I can ultimately just buy this house because I'm way too lazy to move again. Unless it's to a farm in the Karoo).

These wall stickers, courtesy of Builder's Express, go some way towards satisfying my obsence craving for wall decor without my having to break the bank in the process. Moreover they're re-usable so, in the event that I do end up moving, I can take them with me.

I think bokkie looks lovely in between the blossoms and its a double score for me (and my non-existent horticulture skills) because, not only does it look awesome, these flowers don't need to be watered. ever.

The Adventures of Tom & Atticus

This is one of my favourite blogs. Every post touches me.

The blog is about the bond between human and animal which I always (obviously) find uplifting but more than that, Tom Ryan writes beautifully and I particularly love how conscious he is of the life he is living and the choices he makes to orientate his life in the direction he wants it to go.

I would love to live this kind of life so this serves as a great reminder of what I ultimately want when urban life becomes overwhelming and I start losing perspective.  

Check this lovely blog out at: http://tomandatticus.blogspot.com/

Happiness is...Rainbow Bright Cake

This cake made my day. It was as if a my little pony pooped a rainbow onto my plate and it tasted like almonds! This cake was Ric's lovely creation and it was so much fun to make- sort of like when you're a kid and you get a huge box of brightly coloured crayons and you get to go ape-shit with them (and then eat them!)

Ingredients

• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cups vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond essence
• 2 tsp distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups cold water
• red, yellow, blue and green food colouring

Pre-heat the oven to about 120 degrees Celsius.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vanilla, almond and water. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and mix. Add the vinegar and then pour equal measures of the batter into four separate bowls.

Add a few drops (or more depending on the strength of the colour you desire) of the various food colourants into each bowl and mix.

Lightly grease a cake baking tin and then proceed to pour each of the different coloured batters into the tin. Once all of the batter has been poured, place the tin in the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes. 

The cake was super sweet and moist so we didn't do icing but, if desired, let the cake cool off and then ice for a sickly decadent old-school, Rainbow Bright treat.

+NOM+ 

Vegetable Tarte Tatin

I made this tarte for my dad today when he and my mom came over for Father's Day. It turned out to be a bit of a pain to make because it took so long (but I think that's also because I forgot that I had to cook the rice before baking the tarte in the oven. Hence, a delay of about 40 minutes). Anyway, the recipe involves quite a few steps but is definitely worth a try when you have a bit of spare time (and patience) to cook.

Ingredients:

• 3.5 tbsp olive / vegetable oil
• 3 large courgettes / 6 small courgettes
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded
• 1 pack asparagus
• 8 medium sized tomatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1-2 tsp crushed garlic
• 2/3 cups red or white wine
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 2 cups brown / wild rice
• 1/2 pitted black / kalamata olives
• 1 roll vegan puff pastry
• salt, pepper to taste

Add 2 cups rice to 4 cups water and salt to taste. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat and simmer the rice for about 20-30 minutes. Remove and set aside.

While the rice is cooking, slice the courgettes, bell peppers and asparagus. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the courgettes until browned on both sides. Once fried, drain the courgettes on kitchen paper to absorb as much of the excess oil as possible. Add the asparagas and the peppers to the remaining oil in the pan, cover the pan with a lid and sweat the peppers and asparagus over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the aforementioned ingredients and place to the side.

Slice 2 tomatoes into rings and set aside. Roughly chop the remainder of the tomatoes (if you're pedantic and not a fan of curly tomatoe skins, you can place the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds, remove and peel off the skin). Chop the onions and the olives.

Pre-heat the oven to about 140 degrees Celsius.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the onions and garlic until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes as well as the wine, oregano as well as salt and pepper to taste. Add the olive and rice to the tomatoe mixture.

Arrange the tomatoe slices, courgettes, peppers and asparagus in a single layer over the base of an large, oven-proof dish. Spread the rice mixture on top of the vegetables.

Roll out the puff pastry so that it is large enough to cover the top of the oven-proof dish and place it on top of the rice mixure. Pat the pastry onto the rice mixture and cut off any excess pastry peeling over the sides of the dish.

Insert the dish into the oven and bake for about 20-40 minutes (until the pastry is golden brown). Remove and leave to cool for about 10 minutes and then invert the tarte onto a serving plate.

*YUM*

MarcandAngel

Whenever I need a pick-me-up or need things placed in a better perspective I visit Marc and Angel Hack Life- Practical Tips for Productive Living. I found these "12 Things You Should be Able to Say About Yourself" to be a good "note to self". 

1.  I am following my heart and intuition.

Don’t be pushed by your problems.  Be led by your dreams.  Live the life you want to live.  Be the person you want to remember years from now.  Make decisions and act on them.  Make mistakes, fall and try again.  Even if you fall a thousand times, at least you won’t have to wonder what could have been.  At least you will know in your heart that you gave your dreams your best shot.

Each of us has a fire in our hearts burning for something.  It’s our responsibility in life to find it and keep it lit.  This is your life, and it’s a short one.  Don’t let others extinguish your flame.  Try what you want to try.  Go where you want to go.  Follow your own intuition.  Dream with your eyes open until you know exactly what it looks like.  Then do at least one thing every day to make it a reality.

And as you strive to achieve your goals, you can count on there being some fairly substantial disappointments along the way.  Don’t get discouraged, the road to your dreams may not be an easy one.  Think of these disappointments as challenges – tests of persistence and courage.  At the end of the road, more often than not, we regret what we didn’t do far more than what we did.  Read Quitter.

2.  I am proud of myself.

You are your own best friend and your own biggest critic.  Regardless of the opinions of others, at the end of the day the only reflection staring back at you in the mirror is your own.  Accept everything about yourself – EVERYTHING!  You are you and that is the beginning and the end – no apologies, no regrets.

People who are proud of themselves tend to have passions in life, feel content and set good examples for others.  It requires envisioning the person you would like to become and making your best efforts to grow.

Being proud isn’t bragging about how great you are; it’s more like quietly knowing that you’re worth a lot.  It’s not about thinking you’re perfect – because nobody is – but knowing that you’re worthy of being loved and accepted.  All you have to do is be yourself and live the story that no one else can live – the story of your own unique life.  Be proud, be confident, you never know who has been looking at you wishing they were you.

3.  I am making a difference.

Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does.

Is it true that we all live to serve?  That by helping others we fulfill our own destiny?  The answer is a simple ‘yes.’  When you make a positive impact in someone else’s life, you also make a positive impact in your own life.  Do something that’s greater than you – something that helps someone else to be happy or to suffer less.

You are only one, but you are one.  You cannot do everything, but you can do something.  Smile and enjoy the fact that you made a difference – one you’ll likely remember forever.

4.  I am happy and grateful.

Happiness is within you, in your way of thinking.  How you view yourself and your world are mindful choices and habits.  The lens you choose to view everything through determines how you feel about yourself and everything that happens around you.

Being grateful will always make you happy.  If you’re finding it hard to be grateful for anything, sit down close your eyes and take a long slow breath and be grateful for oxygen.  Every breath you take is in sync with someone’s last.

5.  I am growing in to the best version of me.

Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else.”  Live by this statement.  There is no such thing as living in someone else’s shoes.  The only shoes you can occupy are your own.  If you aren’t being yourself, you aren’t truly living – you’re merely existing.

Remember, trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are.  Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else.  Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on your terms.  Improve continuously, take care of your body and health, and surround yourself with positivity.  Become the best version of you.

6.  I am making my time count.

Time is the most valuable constituent of life.  Make the time for what does matter today.  Really being in the moment, finding passion in your life, seeing the world and traveling, or just seeing the world that’s around you right now, being with great people, doing amazing things, eating amazing food and savoring life’s little pleasures.

Remember, your time is priceless, but it’s free. You can’t own it, but you can use it.  You can spend it, but you can’t keep it.  Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.  You really do only have a short period to live.  So let your dreams be bigger than your fears and your actions louder than your words.  Make your time count!

7.  I am honest with myself.

Be honest about what’s right, as well as what needs to be changed.  Be honest about what you want to achieve and who you want to become.  Be honest with every aspect of your life, always.  Because you are the one person you can forever count on.

Search your soul, for the truth, so that you truly know who you are.  Once you do, you’ll have a better understanding of where you are now and how you got here, and you’ll be better equipped to identify where you want to go and how to get there.  Read The Four Agreements.

8.  I am good to those I care about.

In human relationships distance is not measured in miles, but in affection.  Two people can be right next to each other, yet miles apart.  So don’t ignore someone you care about, because lack of concern hurts more than angry words.  Stay in touch with those who matter to you.  Not because it’s convenient, but because they’re worth the extra effort.

When was the last time you told your family and close personal friends that you loved them?  Just spending a little time with someone shows that you care, shows that they are important enough that you’ve chosen — out of all the things to do on your busy schedule — to find the time for them.  Talk to them.  Listen to them.  Understand them.

Many times it’s our actions, not just our words that really speak what our heart feels for another.

9.  I know what unconditional love feels like.

Whether your love is towards a child, a lover, or another family member, know the feeling of giving love and not expecting anything in return – this is what lies at the heart of unconditional love.  Life through unconditional love is a wondrous adventure that excites the very core of our being and lights our path with delight.  This love is a dynamic and powerful energy that lifts us through the most difficult times.

Love is beautiful and unpredictable.  It begins with ourselves, for without self-love, we cannot know what true love can be.  In loving ourselves, we allow the feeling to generate within us and then we can share it to everyone and everything around us.  When you love unconditionally, it isn’t because the person you love is perfect, it’s because you learn to see an imperfect person perfectly.

10.  I have forgiven those who once hurt me.

We’ve all been hurt by another person at some point or another – we were treated badly, trust was broken, hearts were hurt.  And while this pain is normal, sometimes that pain lingers for too long.  We relive the pain over and over, letting them live rent-free in our head and we have a hard time letting go.

Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness, it causes us to miss out on the beauty of life as it happens.  To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.

11.  I take full accountability for my life.

Own your choices and mistakes, and be willing to take the necessary steps to improve upon them.  Either you take accountability for your life or someone else will.  And when they do, you’ll become a slave to their ideas and dreams instead of a pioneer of your own.

You are the only one who can directly control the outcome of your life.  And no, it won’t always be easy.  Every person has a stack of obstacles in front of them.  But you must take accountability for your situation and overcome these obstacles.  Choosing not to is choosing a lifetime of mere existence.  Read The Road Less Traveled.

12.  I have no regrets.

This one is simply a culmination of the previous eleven…

Follow your heart.  Be true to yourself.  Do what makes you happy.  Be with who makes you smile.  Laugh as much as you breathe.  Love as long as you live.  Say what you need to say.  Offer a helping hand when you’re able.  Appreciate all the things you do have.  Smile.  Celebrate your small victories.  Learn from your mistakes.  Realize that everything is a lesson in disguise.  Forgive.  And let go of the things you can’t control.

pajamas

lulaloo

camera-shy wal-albie.

cassidy canine.



bug-eyed-squeezy-toy-killer-hoochie bitch.



confidence builder

I've been wanting to start a vegetable and herb garden for ages. However, to say that I'm lacking a green thumb would be an understatement. The only plant I have and manage to "care" for is a cactus.

I was so excited to discover these 'ready-made' vegetable and herb kits in, of all places, Builder's Express (my new favourite shopping haunt. yes, seriously).

They're idiot proof(ed) kits and are "guaranteed" to grow. I've bought a number of my friends these little kits as presents and they seem to be a hit. 

I planted the seeds this past weekend and I'm holding thumbs that the seeds don't revolt and refuse to grow in my proximity. Once I've got these little babies up and running I'll dare to brave to start thinking about moving out into the garden.