Sophia Lindop - A Unique Food Experience

News travels fast!

I can add two successful functions to my list of achievements, but I must say, I am really tired.  Friday evening's cocktail party and Saturday evening's dinner was fun and went well, but today I found that everything took longer to do and to remember...  Especially the latter.

Because of this, and the fear that I might get up to something I might regret later, I choose to share some good news from afar...  See how fast news of Paddy's winning salad travelled??

Puzzle Heads

Bill Clinton is one.  Other heads of state and famous athletes are too.  I am one.

The cat's out the bag - those of us who are addicted to crosswords are called "Puzzle Heads", and we do crosswords to relax!  Yip.  I know it sounds upside down, but that's how it is.

 

Wet Wet Wet

If the truth is to be told, I am tired of this weather!  If it rains again (and it will), I am moving to the Namib desert - well that's how I feel!

However, 71% of the earth's surface is covered in water, 70% of our bodies is made up of water, and currently my garden is 96% water too!  Water!  Water!  Everywhere!

...and then I started thinking positive thoughts (You know?  The-glass-is-half-full thoughts...) - without water I cannot steam my  vegetables, without water I cannot make ice for my drinks, without water my dishwasher will go on strike, and (most importantly) no water means no coffee!  Boy did that make me look at things differently! 

OK, not too long now and the rainy season will be over, our dams will be full (last week's Cape Times said that they were already 105% full), and there will be lots of coffee going around.  One quick question, though, how can something be 105% full?  How full is full?

Can the REAL chef please stand up...

OK, so sometimes my husband puts me to shame!  His ability to create a culinary masterpiece is alive and kicking, and how lucky I am to be able to share my kitchen with this great dentist!  On the nights when I need to work or am tired, he happily slides into the role of chef, and 'wows' me with his innovation.  Like yesterday...

Not sixteen anymore!

Until yesterday morning, I felt sixteen years old - I now know that this was a complete impossibility!  After going to bed at around 03h00 (yes, in the morning!), I woke up looking and feeling like a ninety year old! 

We spent a wonderful evening with amazing friends, and after a few bottles of good wine and a wonderful meal, we began the discussion about the differences between men and women - we had to open a couple more bottles, and make a round of coffee, and still we had no solution!  We gave up and headed home in the wee hours of the morning. 

To highlight the differences between the sexes, and cement them into my conscious mind, Paddy woke three hours later looking great and rested, jumped up happy, dressed himself, saw to his patients, came home, sorted out the garden, and then played the perfect host to his sister and her husband who popped in for dinner, all without make-up, and there I was - crawled out of bed at 10h15, not because I wanted to, but because I needed coffee, my hair all standing up in one direction (the wrong one), black rings under my eyes, wondering who I was...  Yes, we are definitely different!

The first option...

I promised to share Sonia's first idea for breakfast with you.  But before I do, have you ever wondered what the weirdest things are that people have had for breakfast?  I'll put you out of your misery...  Yahoo ran a campaign a while ago to asses just this, and here is the winning answer:

"You can have a banana dog.  A banana dog is a banana in a hot dog bun with cinnamon and yogurt on top you put it in the microwave for 30 to 50 seconds."

I can just see it - you're all rushing for the fruit bowl and the bread tin right now!  Stop!  Here's a better idea...

Holiday + relaxed + eat = Yum!!

My sister-in-law, Sonia, treated us to brunch last Sunday.  Boy, was it a treat!  Here's her take on an original Jamie Oliver...

Holidays...

Take 2...!  Damn!  Technology!  I spent the last hour of my working day composing a post, only to be annihilated by the "Techno Monster".  Lost the entire thing.  I will attempt to recreate it, although it feels similar to going back to an old boyfriend and trying to recreate the passion...  Anyway, here goes -

Paddy and I decided to, true to form, take the road less travelled on our journey up to the Northern Cape last week - it always does make all the difference!  We veered off the N1 just before Touws River and took the road to Calvinia through the Tanqua Karoo (I am trying to find out what the word means...?)  The rain never let up, the gravel road turned to mud, and finally we slid (literally) into Calvinia around 20h00...

Child's play...

When you read this, Paddy and I will be in Douglas, where I grew up, visiting with my family, and spending precious moments with my brother's kids (whom we both adore!)  Richard is 4 years old now, and Natalie is 2.

Being back in the house where I grew up, will surely revive many a memory.  And one of those, is baking ginger biscuits with my Mother.  I am hoping for a chance to bake a batch with the kids, and will pack my gingerbread man cookie cutter just in case...

Eggs-ellent breakfast options!

Did you know?  Breakfast (as the word implies) means breaking a fast. Your metabolic rate drops overnight because of fasting.  So when you skip this morning meal, and eat a hearty lunch, the majority of the calories taken in are stored as fat, since your metabolism can't cope with the sudden load of calories.  Also, you tend to feel so hungry for lunch that your decision making in terms of proper food choices, is impaired. So lunch servings are mainly high fat less nutritious meal choices that can be harmful in the long run.