We went down the coast to Port Edward this weekend and visited my other half’s grans house today. The extended family is really rather large. There are 10 grandchildren and currently 7 great-grandchildren with another 2 on the way. These are just a few of the littlest that were around today as well as Roy and Rick at the end, who are 2 of the 10 grandchildren.
Archive | September, 2013
For The Love Of Ginger
This little kitty makes my heart melt every day, and she’s not even ours. Ginger is a cat who lives in a lovely Guest House on 9th Avenue, called Bon Ami. For some reason though, she chooses to make her way up the alleyway to our garden on 10th Avenue where she plays in the plants, chases birds and meows at the bottom of the stairs for us to fetch her. She seems to have decided that our flat is her second home, and loves to snooze on our couch, bed, floor or anywhere else really.
Once upon a time, we took a picture of her lying in a Yuppiechef box and mailed it in. You can see the blog post on Yuppiechef here. Then of course, there’s the video I uploaded to YouTube. Isn’t she just the most adorable little bundle of fluff? Now if only she’d stop losing her collars!
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
I found this recipe on mybakingaddiction.com and adapted it to suit my personal tastes. If you love chocolate as much as I do, then this will be perfect for you.
Ingredients
1 2/3 cups dark chocolate chips, divided use (I used 1 slab of milk and 1 slab of dark Lindt chocolate cut into pieces)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Stork baking margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 170º C. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 2/3 cup chocolate pieces (half milk, half dark) on medium power for 30 seconds; stir. Continue to microwave and stir in 15 second intervals until chocolate is just melted. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes. Add melted chocolate and mix until thoroughly combined. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until well blended, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture, mixing just until blended. Stir in remaining 1 cup of chocolate pieces. Using a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons) drop dough 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake for 12 – 14 minutes until tops have a cracked appearance. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
5. Eat!!
Heritage Day 2013
What did you do for Heritage Day yesterday? We had a braai (of course), ate far too much and then sat around wishing that today was Sunday instead of Wednesday. Heritage Day in South Africa is meant to be a time when we’re supposed to reflect on the cultural heritage of all the different cultures that make our country what it is today. Since 2005, however, we tend to mostly “Braai4Heritage” instead of visiting any cultural events. In any case, any excuse for a braai is fine by me.
As you can see, Rick and Ché’s cat, Pepper, was not super interested in anything that was going on but she’s adorable so I had to include her.
September Already?
Wow, what can I say? I’ve been super lax on the blogging front lately due to the seriously hectic schedule I’ve found myself caught up in. If it’s not work keeping me up at night, then it’s the copious amounts of food I’ve been mowing through on our numerous nights out. Life hasn’t been dull.
Below are a few pics of some of the people we’ve bumped into lately. I’m sure some of you know Fathima from Happiness is… Not only is she way better at updating her blog than me, but she’s also pretty handy with a paintbrush. Look her up for any illustrations or graphic design work you may be considering.
Another blogger below is Kirsty-Ann from Peg & Pencil. Kirsty is married to an old friend of mine from school and has recently moved back to SA from England. I think she must have missed our awesome Winters. In any case, their loss is definitely our gain. Kirsty makes super cute decorated pegs and other crafty stuff. You can find her on her blog or see her in person at the I Heart Market.
Ok, I’m out. Have a good weekend. xo
