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A New Home and Choc Chip Cookies

May 4, 2012 in Cookies, Food Photography, Home-made, Pastries and Sweets, Sweets

This is more of a catch-up post on what I have been up to. But I will add some foodie stuff in…I can’t resist it.
Last year my husband and I decided that we had had enough of the rat race and merely existing instead of living was not an option for us. We made a decision that Cape Town was going to be our new home. Things just started falling into place and everything that was meant to happen, happened. It just felt so right – even though the two or three months leading up to the “Big Move” were stressful, it was worth the wait. I guess we are extremely lucky and very blessed.

We drove down over five days with the kids and doggies in two cars, stopping along little towns and places we never knew existed.  What a great trip!
The booking of places to sleep overnight was very last minute so we often found ourselves booking into what was available in the nearest town. There are some strange places out there!!! We were very fortunate in our choice of accommodation though. When we eventually got to Cape Town it was already rather late and I just could not find an affordable pet friendly place to stay. Luckily my husband had packed the tent in the car ‘in case’. Thank goodness for that – we camped out for the night at the Noordhoek Caravan Park very unprepared. Pouring rain, hole in the tent…. ( advise to parents: check tents after teens have taken it out for the weekend). Anyway, it was all very exciting and certainly not the worst experience we’ve had. The next day the removal van was on time, waiting for us to arrive. The move went rather smoothly which I am grateful for. So, here we are ready to take on the ‘Mother City’.

That was two months ago and it has been hectic settling into the day to day routine. Don’t know about you but I detest having to fill out forms. And after filling out many of them we finally have internet access, phone lines and all those ‘techie’ things that we rely on.   We just need to change our pace slightly. There is just so much to see and do in Cape Town and we are enjoying every minute – with cameras around our ‘Vaalie’ necks. I am still trying to find where to buy my favourite ‘foodie goodies’ but discovering new things is part of the plan.

So now, it’s me and my blog. I have so much to catch up on and share with you.

With a big move comes insecurity. Especially for kids. Lots of hugs and comforting food makes it all feel like home.
Here is my family’s favourite comfort food at the moment. Good Old Choc Chip Cookies.

These have certainly earned the title of “comfort food’. After all, if there’s chocolate in them, there is comfort.
I baked a big batch of these before the trip, hoping it would last….NOT!  So now, I bake two batches at a time and store them in the cookie jars. Still doesn’t last.
What makes your Choc Chip Cookies different? A special ingredient or a specific method you use? I am always keen to try new Choc Chip Cookie recipes.




Notice, my cookie jar is still full! That’s because the kids were still asleep when these were baked.

 

Breakfast at Gameal’s

July 3, 2011 in Bistro, Coffee Shop, Food Photography, Pastries and Sweets, Photography, Recipes, Restaurants, Reviews, Travel

Little treasures tucked out of the way are the best.

 

A reflection of the warm ambience at Gameal's Cedar Cafe.

 

Gameal’s Santa Julia Cedar Cafe and Gameal’s Cedar Cafe are owned by Jane and Craig Woods. They are selling Gameal’s Santa Julia Cedar Cafe and Paulet Coetzee is soon taking ownership of this warm little place in the Doringkloof Mall in Centurion. I walk past it often when visiting the center and I have been wanting to photograph it for months now.

There are 5 things I look for in a restaurant.
1. It must be clean.
2. The food of course – should be tasty and fresh.
3. Value for money. I don’t mind paying if the food is worth it.
4. I love privacy. There should be a little spot where I can sit, enjoy the meal with whoever I am with and still feel the ambience of the surroundings.
5. I do not like to be overly pampered by waiters. Staff should be friendly and still respect your space.
Having said all that, I am a very fussy eater. I like things on the side, a little of this, less of that….

My husband (Mr. D) and I had a really tasty breakfast there some time back. He fell in love with the way the eggs were served – with melted cheese on top and of course the size of the portion. Size does count I guess…
Mr. D had the Big Paulie – two eggs, three rashers of bacon, grilled tomato, bockwurst sausage, grilled mushrooms, cheddar cheese and toast. I had the Picolla breakfast – one egg, grilled tomato, bacon and toast. Plain and simple!
I am not much of a big breakfast person, but I do love my coffee! They serve a great Italian coffee.

Size counts...

 

Gameal’s cooks are Shepard, Zandla and Christian. Zandla was intent on showing me his pride and joy. He likes to experiment with ‘Crunchies’. The day I visited he was making ginger scented crunchies. I must say I’ve never tried ginger crunchies and they were actually quite good. I always make the traditional crunchies for the kids, but this got me thinking. In my next post I make Dark Chocolate Dipped Almond Crunchies.

Gameal’s serve light meals and cater for vegetarians.
No reservation is necessary.
The staff is friendly and efficient.
Children are welcome.
Prices are very reasonable.
Recommended dishes are
- the Mezze Platter for about R170 – serves 2.
- Couscous  Vegetable Salad for R58
- Gameal’s Pita Pocket for R44.

Lusito Land – aromas and sounds of Portugal part1

May 11, 2011 in Beverages, Events, Family, Festivals, food, Pastries and Sweets, Photography, Reviews, Spices, Traditional

Get ready for a sensory overload!

The Lusito Land Festival is the primary fundraiser for the Lusito Portuguese Association for the Challenged. 100% of all funds raised from the Lusito Land Festival go directly into the maintenance and building of the Lusito School for the Challenged in the south of Johannesburg. Currently, the school cares for individuals with Cerebral Palsy, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injury and Down’s Syndrome.
For more information, please visit the Lusito Association website at www.lusitoassociation.org.za.

The Lusito Land Festival takes place every year during the Easter period and runs for about a week.
I went to this festival for the first time about 8 years ago and I have wanted to go back every year since. Something else always came up, but this year we happened to stay home for Easter and thought we would go and indulge. When I say indulge, I mean – we feel like stuffed pigs when we return home. This year because of all the rain, the grounds were like a ‘mud pit’. So we were literally as happy as pigs in …well, MUD. I remember making comments about the fashion trends when we parked the car and everyone walking past was wearing their rain boots. When we approached the gate…I could see why. I wish I had a brought a pair of my own. Nonetheless, it didn’t stop anybody from joining the festivities.

The aroma of grilled sardines and piri-piri chicken wafted through the air and as if hypnotised by it, we followed the aroma straight into the heart of fine Portuguese ‘street food’ so to speak.

The variety of dishes was vast: from the infamous Portuguese “prego” steak roll (see my recipe for marinade here)to a mix of popular Brazilian dishes.
Where to start?

The Espetadas looked so succulent and inviting! For those who are not familiar with these….they are barbequed mega-sized beef skewers.


The sardines were beckoning…
I love freshly grilled sardines with bread.

The prawns….no words!

Also worth a mention is the Piri-Piri Chicken of Mocambiquan origin, also known as Galinha a Cafreal. The simplicity of the marinades is what makes it so special, allowing the natural flavours of the meat to be the stars.
Speaking of stars…while all this delirium of intoxicating aromas was going on, the centrally located stage was graced with non-stop entertainment; Portuguese folk dancing, singers, Latin ballroom dancing and popular South African band, Prime Circle were some of the highlights of the day. I also enjoyed The Muses – an all female rock string quartet. Nothing like good music and good food to add to the memory collection!

Read more… in part 2

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