tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231052542024-03-07T11:39:52.981-08:00Carmen's WorldCarmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.comBlogger236125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-70171222297393337042017-07-21T01:58:00.000-07:002017-07-21T01:58:21.596-07:00All-In-One Chocolate & Pear Pudding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I absolutely had to save and share this delicious recipe from the SPAR Savour online magazine (July 2017). The thing I love most about it, is it's all done in the food processor and tossed in the oven to bake. Super easy peasy. My kinda baking!<br />
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<b>ALL-IN-ONE FOOD PROCESSOR CHOCOLATE & PEAR PUDDING</b><br /><i>From SPAR SAVOUR MAGAZINE, July 2017.</i><br /><br />SERVES:6 <br />PREP TIME:15 MINUTES <br />COOKING TIME:20-25 MINUTES<br /><br />INGREDIENTS:<br /> 1 cup (250 ml) cake flour<br /> ¼ cup (60 ml) cocoa powder<br /> 125 g SPAR Castor Sugar<br /> 150 g SPAR Salted Butter, cut into small blocks<br /> 1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder<br /> ½ tsp (2.5 ml) bicarbonate of soda<br /> 2 large eggs<br /> 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla essence<br /> 3 Tbs (45 ml) milk<br /> 2 x 415 g cans SPAR Pear Halves, drained <br /><br /><br />TO SERVE:<br /> SPAR Crème Fraiche or vanilla ice-cream<br /><br />METHOD<br />
Preheat the oven to 180°C.<br />
Place all the ingredients, except the pear halves, in a food processor and blitz until you have a smooth, thick batter.<br />
Spread the batter evenly over the base of a greased 24 cm baking dish.<br />
Arrange the pear halves cut-side down and push them into the batter, allowing the batter to bulge around them.<br />
Bake for 20-25 minutes. (Check at 20 minutes.)<br />
Serve warm, dolloped with crème fraiche or a scoop of ice cream.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-25888545034792624772014-12-12T03:32:00.000-08:002014-12-12T03:32:08.306-08:00#003: Open Letter to a Dying House PlantDear, Stupid Plant.<br /><br />Here’s the thing… Living or dying is not really a choice for you to make.<br />
I chose you. I paid for you. I own you.<br />And after years of shitty plant stuff involving regularly scheduled watering, moving you around to find the perfect sunny spot in the apartment, extensively researching your type online for vital information and so on and so forth, I think you pretty much owe it to me to live.<br />I’ve done my bit and quite frankly, I’m done with your shit.<br />You waltzed into my home covered in beautiful white flowers. You flowered once more… and that was IT! Not a single flower three years later.<br />Essentially, I’ve been robbed.<br />Let’s not even talk about the time I picked you up to give you some love, and a dirty, giant worm crawled out of your holder, very nearly scaring me to death and causing me to fling you clean across the room. You watched in silence as I swept up the potting sand in the living room, not ONCE offering an apology or a helping hand. Branch. Leaf… you know what I mean!<br />You’re supposed to be purifying the air with your fancy green leaves, but I don’t know how that’s physically possible, when I seem to spend half my life dusting them. Each. One. Individually. How are you sucking air in through all that dust? I call bullshit.<br />I don’t think you quite realise just how busy I am - running a full time job, running a home on my own, running on the treadmill every day. Running, running, running. Sometimes I feel like all I ever do is run, with little or no support from anyone. The LEAST you can do is stay alive, flower and look pretty. Those, by the way, are your basic biological functions. I’m not asking you to do anything out of the ordinary for a plant. I don’t expect you to start balancing the cheque book at the end of each month, but hey, I also don’t expect you to be ungrateful and die on me.<br />If this letter comes off sounding a little hostile, it’s because I’m officially at breaking point.<br />I’m done taking crap from you, in my own house.<br /><br />I trust that you will action all requests timeously. <br />Should you require any further information, you know where to find me. <br /><br />Regards.<br />Me.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-75086640459367228832014-11-27T23:01:00.000-08:002014-11-27T23:01:14.125-08:00#002: The worst Thanksgiving dish I've ever hadYappy Kathy has been spayed.<br />At least, that's how it feels. <br />She'd been charmed into the car with the promise of long, romantic walks on the beach, and instead, has had her most important bits unceremoniously ripped out - the bits that make you like boys. And now, boys can't seem to understand why she can't muster up a little enthusiasm when they dangle the lead in her face, wanting to play. <br />Dangle away, you big fake. You won't fool me again. <br />Perhaps you shouldn't even call her Yappy Kathy anymore. Now she's Sedate Susan, occupying a seat at the table, passing the gravy, smiling on cue, barely tuning in to the buzz of inane conversation around her. <br />Thanksgiving used to be her favourite time of year, but once you've been spayed, just about everything loses its sparkle. Lumpy gravy. Lump in throat. It's excruciating.<br />Harder still, sitting next to the one who'd had her spayed. He's in his element, chuckling away at the inside jokes he shares with his people. They're with His People this Thanksgiving - another nail in the coffin for this holiday. <br />She's dressed in the traditional colours. No-one else has made the effort, and it makes her feel even more out of place - some sort of Thanksgiving joke. They're all thinking it, but nobody's saying anything. Talking but saying nothing.<br />She should never have come. What was she thinking?<br />She could have been with Her People, doing the things they do. Instead, she's doing everything backwards. It's all wrong. The time they serve their big dinner. The things they're putting on the table. The traditions are off. They're off.<br />She takes another bite of Lonely Pie with a side of mashed dreams. <br />Yes, she thinks. This really is the worst Thanksgiving dish I've ever had.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-85390233054682533902014-11-21T04:17:00.001-08:002014-11-21T04:17:25.786-08:00My Summer 2014 Jam<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sOJvZOofEaI" width="459"></iframe>Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-81076830409586978612014-11-20T05:58:00.002-08:002014-11-20T05:58:41.269-08:00#001: What could happen in a second
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It could happen in a second.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Love.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But, everyone knows that… Predictable.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It’s the falling out of love that happens just as fast. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The single epiphanic moment when you know it’s broken, forever. The Ol’
Mare has had a few in her time time – moments that stand proud in my often
foggy memory. After forty years of flexing the Dreamer muscles in my brain, I
sometimes can’t tell what was real, and what I’d imagined. Did I really go
there? Do that? Was that really me, or something I dreamt up?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But those moments, like lighthouses in the storm, will forever remind me
when and why those tempestuous loves ended. So, that was why. Ah, I remember now.
Don’t let nostalgia cloud your judgement, girl. Stay on course. Head steadily toward
the lighthouse. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There was the one who sobbed into his pillow, little girl noises from The
Tough Guy, begging me not to end it. Another, that night at the club when his
best friend, pupils pulsing, slurred out the name of The Other Girl. And another still, his
broke ass standing on my veranda, smoking my cigarettes, drinking my scotch
telling me how “marriage is a big word” – the same word he’d used to win me
back just days before.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Guess he didn’t know there’d be no more “winning back” after the second I
finally clicked. None of them did. The Second broke it.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Love. Trust. Loyalty… all gone in just one little second. </span></div>
Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-10174748301047739022013-01-21T04:50:00.000-08:002013-01-21T04:50:03.537-08:00EASY Hot & Sour Dumpling Soup<br />
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This simple dumpling soup is PERFECT for rainy days and is made up from basic store cupboard / pantry ingredients. I always hate it when celebrity chefs use the words "store cupboard" and "pantry basics" because, let's face it, normal folks like you and me don't keep our cupboards stocked with the hundreds of exotic ingredients that they use. But! This is my own recipe and I really DO keep these ingredients in my kitchen all the time. You'll see that i've used bottled lime juice. You're welcome use freshly squeezed, but in the effort to always have lime juice around, I do keep the bottled stuff in the fridge for emergencies. I also often buy a pack of frozen dumplings from the Chinese grocer and keep them in the freezer for unexpected guests. I boil them up, drain and then zap them for a few minutes in a greased medium-heat pan to make potstickers, served with a soy dipping sauce (soy sauce, chopped chill & garlic and a few drops of sesame oil). Delicious!</div>
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TOP TIP: Buy fresh chilies, wash and towel dry them thoroughly, then freeze in a sealed plastic container. As you need a hit of chill in your dishes, chop as much as you need with a sharp knife while still frozen. Do the same with washed, unpeeled fingers of ginger root.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFabUs05Y2-8I-kIj6WfXssBIHtSzq0T6qEYyrAbgzFMB1r-Xvj1qYNVsnszZnu7G-G5uuhGjUmb2dNUPZ9UWSCwEXg-jWme9XYbadSzfVqhJCefIyI_NHb-ruQKK8OYphfOJ/s1600/dumpling_soup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFabUs05Y2-8I-kIj6WfXssBIHtSzq0T6qEYyrAbgzFMB1r-Xvj1qYNVsnszZnu7G-G5uuhGjUmb2dNUPZ9UWSCwEXg-jWme9XYbadSzfVqhJCefIyI_NHb-ruQKK8OYphfOJ/s320/dumpling_soup.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>HOT AND SOUR DUMPLING SOUP</b></div>
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<i>(Serves 2)</i></div>
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Place the following in a small saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes:</div>
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<ul>
<li>1 chicken stock cube</li>
<li>3 cups boiling water</li>
<li>1 thick slice ginger root</li>
<li>2 tsp bottled lime juice</li>
<li>1 TBSP soy sauce</li>
<li>salt & pepper to taste</li>
<li>1 green chill, sliced in half lengthways (keep it whole for less heat)</li>
</ul>
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Strain out the bits and pieces and place the clear broth in a bigger pot with:</div>
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<li>12 frozen pork and leek dumplings (6 per person; use whichever flavour / filling you like)</li>
</ul>
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Bring to the boil and then GENTLY simmer for 5 minutes.</div>
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Divide the dumplings and broth between 2 big soup bowls along with:</div>
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<li>1 cup steamed broccoli per bowl</li>
<li>a few drops of sesame oil and slices of red chill in each as a garnish</li>
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Enjoy!</div>
Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-47056395715923562742012-10-09T01:02:00.000-07:002012-10-09T01:02:08.699-07:00Complete Projects: Brendan's ThrowFINALLY!!<br />
It's done and dusted. After Brendan (my baby brother) dragging his lip, feeling ever-so sorry for himself that I've made throws and baby blankies for loads of people, except him, I decided to take on my biggest crochet project to date - a throw for Brendan's new home. It would have gone a lot faster if I wasn't taking time off to buy a home and start a new job etc etc etc, but finally - here it is!<br />
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It's taken roughly 18months when I really could have done it in ±6. But as you can see, it's been a real labour of love! Even though the pattern's called a "granny square", I didn't want it to look "granny", especially since it's for a boy, so I went with quite bold, masculine colors.<br />
I've done granny square blankies before but there were a few "firsts" that make this one a little special. This is the first time that I've successfully joined squares, using an unbelievably simple technique that you can find <a href="http://carinascraftblog.wardi.dk/2009/06/granny-square-joining-tutorial.html" target="_blank">here</a>. It's also the first time that I've done a "shell" edge, which turned out quite nicely - if I say so myself.<br />
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I watched a simple shell edge tutorial on YouTube and then pretty much did my own thing.<br />
I'm sure Beena cat will be happy that it's done now so she can climb back into my lap again. She wasn't happy at all with this cosy looking blanket sitting in my super cosy looking lap and she couldn't get a piece of the cosy action. She did manage to get a few cat hairs on it, but nothing that Brendan will really notice. (Sh! Don't tell him.) In fact, now might be a good time to ask if you know of any good cleaning tips for great big granny square / ripple blankets? If he needs to give it a wash, should he just take it to the professionals?<br />
Anyway! I'm happy that he's got something to throw over his knees / feet on those cold Johannesburg nights when he's relaxing in front of the tv. And soon I'll be starting a blanket for Donovan - my other brother. I'm thinking shades of blue and grey for Don's.<br />
But first, I've got to turn my bedroom around, from drab to fab! I've bought the readymade curtains, but I need to buy the patterned border for the bottom. I have very high ceilings so standard curtain drops aren't long enough. Then I need to paint the back wall, put up a shelf and sew the great big cushion covers for the bed. I've bought the accessories, so once I get going it shouldn't take to long.<br />
I just need to actually START. Oops.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-5273562963556338052012-06-21T04:31:00.000-07:002012-06-21T04:31:21.968-07:00Completed Projects: Rice bag cushion coversA little something that I made for Noodle, one of my best mates!<br />
For some time now I've been toying with the idea of turning food sacks into cool cushions, so when Noodle's birthday came around, I thought it would be a good opportunity to try it out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-KqwmUAj5XeMn1Q66wWamX9DiMMji2HkOCRb6WMI_pUVQGPZJKa4fugFcLax45iTnVRicxPLgdXy2j006M510gm27vorrU7GzaPVTjYcFEmt-c4iFWYl6r-8C7WcAHW5TFL2/s1600/cushions_may_2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-KqwmUAj5XeMn1Q66wWamX9DiMMji2HkOCRb6WMI_pUVQGPZJKa4fugFcLax45iTnVRicxPLgdXy2j006M510gm27vorrU7GzaPVTjYcFEmt-c4iFWYl6r-8C7WcAHW5TFL2/s320/cushions_may_2012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I didn't have any empty food sacks, so I bought 2 bags of basmati rice from Gorima's, emptied them, washed them and then sewed them into cushion covers. The rice itself I donated on Noodle's behalf to the John Palmer Residence for the Blind, which is were my grandmother lives. They're always grateful for any donations that they receive... Win win!Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-45412677743154788362012-02-16T03:14:00.001-08:002012-02-16T03:15:54.210-08:00When the world is going crazy around you...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemqI0239FNuv-AoFA52kK8z89-2tk7bNszydxH8F6S0hpCbVG-sg9bJMQYF_tPAPcKeprmnKvwySKW7gaik2cRJDfBPOprYwz-h_UePaUUZYIps_zu5Q-H36ncVGbhuE-9Q59/s1600/keep_calm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemqI0239FNuv-AoFA52kK8z89-2tk7bNszydxH8F6S0hpCbVG-sg9bJMQYF_tPAPcKeprmnKvwySKW7gaik2cRJDfBPOprYwz-h_UePaUUZYIps_zu5Q-H36ncVGbhuE-9Q59/s400/keep_calm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709690576828853874" /></a>Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-56384135634419144742012-01-21T07:49:00.001-08:002012-01-21T07:49:49.774-08:00Lazy SaturdaysSo I'm chilling in the sofa messing around with the apps on my iPhone and I see that there's a Blogger app. Could it be possible that I can blog directly from my phone if the inspiration hits me?!? Well, this is the first attempt. Let's see if this thing works...Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-65868585030242789922012-01-04T22:14:00.001-08:002012-01-04T22:26:02.224-08:00Happy New Year!!Hey, everyone!<br />Happy New Year! I hope you had an absolute BLAST over the holidays. I'm happy to report that I had one of those holidays where I did absolutely nothing. There were a few little parties and outings here and there, but after the hectic year I've had, it was wonderful to spend quiet time in my new home, enjoying the space and spending quality time with my family and friends.<br />I thought I'd start the year of with something off my Wish List - chunky knit bed throws.<br />Oh my!<br />Could anything be more cosy, comfortable and sexy... in a weird, Wintery, I'm-staying-in-bed-with-my-man-all-day kinda way?<br />Here's one I've seen on 1kinddesign.com:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgjZOjOCMdRVOlm2Nob2xMhQPKrnwtVKbuRwq6gagAdNrxAWKgt7D2VYTtjJZI0h6Qh3nMTFsYlYDLjP0qFL60KTnDEmnjxp8N-eON0Ieyll2qKiVXpmIziGHBG_tdfQJ9DFW/s1600/1Kind-Design_dot_com.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgjZOjOCMdRVOlm2Nob2xMhQPKrnwtVKbuRwq6gagAdNrxAWKgt7D2VYTtjJZI0h6Qh3nMTFsYlYDLjP0qFL60KTnDEmnjxp8N-eON0Ieyll2qKiVXpmIziGHBG_tdfQJ9DFW/s400/1Kind-Design_dot_com.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694029681522291586" /></a><br /><br />And this one's from whatnomints,com:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQVUS5Ei5crY9k5mnNlfGARBrKI2432RmhIrp0515sNjwYNWFOD2j80F9fEo5e-XkPPVSXHrC33BO9d-h_AooPGSbvAPcchbpzeghE7qV_DVpZY84d9zrz5nnc4GAKLgGlq8L/s1600/what_no_mints_wordpress_dot_com.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQVUS5Ei5crY9k5mnNlfGARBrKI2432RmhIrp0515sNjwYNWFOD2j80F9fEo5e-XkPPVSXHrC33BO9d-h_AooPGSbvAPcchbpzeghE7qV_DVpZY84d9zrz5nnc4GAKLgGlq8L/s400/what_no_mints_wordpress_dot_com.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694029868204510594" /></a><br /><br />Beautiful!Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-54231210872315391352011-12-22T06:06:00.000-08:002011-12-22T06:10:10.109-08:00Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjPtoF3Mn3hJgLVAm2WDCJtZWyvK0xbgSDiyAEPtmY7CC_x_TA8pDGUf9x0lM6b5-2jT2LQ1RH4ZiwgxAIGm2sefcxKN3nAcAu_duVLTMUkPyKwI5lMWg9OQfbBLHL4fQzDs7/s1600/1373889_31835257.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjPtoF3Mn3hJgLVAm2WDCJtZWyvK0xbgSDiyAEPtmY7CC_x_TA8pDGUf9x0lM6b5-2jT2LQ1RH4ZiwgxAIGm2sefcxKN3nAcAu_duVLTMUkPyKwI5lMWg9OQfbBLHL4fQzDs7/s400/1373889_31835257.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688954499203675122" /></a><br /><br />So tomorrow's my last morning at work before we shut down and go on our Christmas break.<br />And I just wanted to take the opportunity to wish you a peaceful, blessed Christmas and a sparkly New Year.<br /><br />May it be everything you dreamed it would be!<br /><br />xoxCarmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-27788521355697691412011-12-19T06:32:00.000-08:002011-12-19T06:35:37.426-08:00Nifty Idea!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKcs-RlWzGTnB7w_4lECe9xvoLx77FzY_z-rJit6eOdP9P0Jdm64ZU-mOXBv6JfOV5Ni3L-00N6i6buGqcHK-zXuchVesuyflxADddiz07dnANyKN6ZlkgEcFRf6oquunZX5B/s1600/cell_phone_holder.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKcs-RlWzGTnB7w_4lECe9xvoLx77FzY_z-rJit6eOdP9P0Jdm64ZU-mOXBv6JfOV5Ni3L-00N6i6buGqcHK-zXuchVesuyflxADddiz07dnANyKN6ZlkgEcFRf6oquunZX5B/s400/cell_phone_holder.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687847953410985938" /></a><br /><br />Check out this awesome cell phone holder made from an empty lotion bottle.<br />Brilliant!<br />I'm always stepping on my cell phone / charger on the way to the loo in the middle of the night.<br />I'd love to make one of these, but I don't think I'll get it as neatly finished.<br />But you can try.<br />FInd out how <a href="http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/12/holder-for-charging-cell-phone-made-from-lotion-bottle.html">here</a>.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-75824874626480731542011-12-12T06:16:00.000-08:002011-12-12T06:45:37.610-08:00I don't know if I'll be making these again...Don't get me wrong! They were sinfully delicious, but that was about the only PRO in a gargantuan series of CONS.<br /><br />But I'm getting ahead of myself! Let me start from the beginning.<br /><br />Some of you may know that every Christmas my book club has a little tradition of making 8 little homemade Christmas gifts to pass around the table at our year-end dinner. It's fabulous! You get to make a few simple, cost-effective little gifts and in return, you get back SEVEN awesome homemade gifts from the girls sitting around the table. The whole idea is to be as creative, fun and frugal as you can, while completely dazzling your girls with your awesomeness. <br /><br />This year I took home:<br />A cute little basil plant in a lace / bead decorated tin (from Maria)<br />A bottle of homnemade, eco-friendly detergent and desk calendar (from Vanessa)<br />A silver sequined bag (from Lorraine)<br />A jar of homemade mango cordial (from Gail)<br />A jar of cookie mix (from Kate)<br />And a jar of pickled chilies (from Terri)<br /><br />Sacha sadly wasn't there this time, so there were 6 gifts instead of the usual, rocking seven! Still! As you can see, we were spoilt rotten.<br /><br />For my contribution to the gifts story, I decided to bake some chocolate cookies and bung them into a pretty duck-egg-blue coffee mug for each of the girls. Lovely idea, but in my laziness to find a "quick and easy" recipe, I accidentally ended up spending way more than I should have and it took absolute ages to make. The recipe was alarmingly finicky for one that involved a ready-mixed box cake mix. *wtf*<br /><br />I wanted to call them "Carmen's Kitchen Sink Cookies" seeing as there was a load of chocolate in them in various forms, but a quick Google search revealed that that name was already taken. So I made up something silly on the day, that I now simply can't remember. They turned out like Baby Elephant Turds, so maybe I should call them that? Or Angel Turds, seeing as they look revolting but taste like absolute heaven. <br />*quick google search*<br />Argh! Also not good.<br /><br />Let's just call them "Carmen's Never-Again Cookies"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4Fc43ng7DgOMmCuEPVb9orct7QRr8Zgk0qYq16ToZdxsxxtsBgClVxIAjlErWHHYwl-ZBK-tNLzpOGosOh0eXvR8cFngW1DcJDKnp1UKyKRoMHU2CPSYITdRifN60D9XAkGi/s1600/biscuits1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4Fc43ng7DgOMmCuEPVb9orct7QRr8Zgk0qYq16ToZdxsxxtsBgClVxIAjlErWHHYwl-ZBK-tNLzpOGosOh0eXvR8cFngW1DcJDKnp1UKyKRoMHU2CPSYITdRifN60D9XAkGi/s400/biscuits1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685249485707950610" /></a><br /><br />Preheat the oven to 350F.<br /><br />Mix together:<br />1 box of chocolate cake mix<br />125g melted butter<br />1 large egg<br />1 cup white choc chips<br />1 cup brown choc chips<br />5 Snickers bars chopped into ±1cm cubes.<br /><br />Using a 1TBSP scoop, place slightly flattened balls of the mix ±5cm apart on a baking tray lined with a silicone cookie sheet and bake for 15mins. Makes ±4 dozen.<br /><br />And this is what you end up with:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXYJrjZ1EXGApOvJ5NgPAqqpHpIvO_R1n5HEuDdRzP2n-5_0Xe-fUT0f-rAqRAFom_VoT272BWYC9PgGVQS97TMGGzjl9DdpbO3fFry6BH8h71VFeAJ4lhkSQetEeQYrELYpc/s1600/biscuits2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXYJrjZ1EXGApOvJ5NgPAqqpHpIvO_R1n5HEuDdRzP2n-5_0Xe-fUT0f-rAqRAFom_VoT272BWYC9PgGVQS97TMGGzjl9DdpbO3fFry6BH8h71VFeAJ4lhkSQetEeQYrELYpc/s400/biscuits2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685251596899030594" /></a><br /><br />A box of turds. <br />Fucking delicious, but expensive, time-consuming turds.<br />Not for me thanks. Pass.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-47665257367508257722011-12-02T06:04:00.000-08:002011-12-05T00:26:00.899-08:00Look what's in the window at Dionwired this Christmas!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UrpcrgL4jE2ZZK2q4tE1Gzdexz9DHRsea0NW7L88vxwWG4j175uof-odriMqaokF9Y-7bJRCWuhnvzONu37xZkT9Xgpom9bwWHd7UrRP68J9o9mkhRdrqwTJ3I6p-ipfoowQ/s1600/smeg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UrpcrgL4jE2ZZK2q4tE1Gzdexz9DHRsea0NW7L88vxwWG4j175uof-odriMqaokF9Y-7bJRCWuhnvzONu37xZkT9Xgpom9bwWHd7UrRP68J9o9mkhRdrqwTJ3I6p-ipfoowQ/s400/smeg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682557552114156194" /></a><br /><br />If anyone's wondering what to get me, that lime green smeg in the middle will do just nicely, thanks!<br />Any takers?<br />...<br />...<br />Anyone?!<br />...<br />...<br />I'll just wait to be surprised and find it under the tree on Christmas morning, m'kay? Yay!Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-57291335025982938182011-11-25T04:35:00.000-08:002011-11-25T04:40:51.227-08:00HAH-zit! Goon-JAR-nee!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3V37YsT-_jt_SoOWM-Ni1Zy8xrUis1m0AGkF0j1GA6tc3ZyZVaFZh3mBjb2MB4CI-jle3EIXHjN7htfaMUjnpuXBbFAAUnTWH-wIaztfLp3WZFRj4B9yxS6GXxxYrod7IDNM/s1600/accent.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3V37YsT-_jt_SoOWM-Ni1Zy8xrUis1m0AGkF0j1GA6tc3ZyZVaFZh3mBjb2MB4CI-jle3EIXHjN7htfaMUjnpuXBbFAAUnTWH-wIaztfLp3WZFRj4B9yxS6GXxxYrod7IDNM/s400/accent.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678912315042581010" /></a><br /><br />The South African ad that has me in STITCHES every time I see it!<br />How larny is your <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ePt0zJpljU">accent</a>?Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-61021487628261799952011-11-18T03:45:00.000-08:002011-11-18T03:54:33.081-08:00Wish List: Dreamy, airy bedroom<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVndvQE6_AV5eYwSIgLLdcFKmB7pQP0djAD7IGVEFsVR_PMw3dqsH7BgSRzf4pO6kXnwgoOs0MTOQLk82TFnZmez7RcTR8Tv_RZHesB4YY9wTLfHkCxQu9hEfKfv82VVRzQRsL/s1600/bedroom-from-architizer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVndvQE6_AV5eYwSIgLLdcFKmB7pQP0djAD7IGVEFsVR_PMw3dqsH7BgSRzf4pO6kXnwgoOs0MTOQLk82TFnZmez7RcTR8Tv_RZHesB4YY9wTLfHkCxQu9hEfKfv82VVRzQRsL/s400/bedroom-from-architizer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676302428679092194" /></a><br /><br />I'm not quite there yet... But I'm close!<br />This bedroom from <a href="http://www.architizer.com/en_us/projects/pictures/attic-apartment/22853/193913/">Architizer</a> captures the clean, minimalist yumminess I'd love to create in my bedroom. <br />I've got the wood floors and tons of white stuff. I've even got the weird angles, but I think what's missing is some light, white, gauzy curtains.<br />Soon! Budget permitting.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-70405252486914895152011-10-28T05:14:00.000-07:002011-10-28T05:49:18.766-07:00My handsome godchildThree weeks ago my best friends Rachel and Nestor Martinez from Canada made my dream come true by bringing their son, my godchild Delwyn, to South Africa to meet me. This first pic is how he looked when he got off the plane. And the second one is how he looked three weeks later.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjGl1o5n6C89UbHgVqcCtkcPxbInRxp58xXq4NuOh9fVnOjzLeeVgNJxIcwpfe7EKxXUF26OFFj7v20pN0jtfPT252L0iwBuPvFGmClaC-gvqvvT4F1FH83J2jc9fqndpxOdn/s1600/delwyn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjGl1o5n6C89UbHgVqcCtkcPxbInRxp58xXq4NuOh9fVnOjzLeeVgNJxIcwpfe7EKxXUF26OFFj7v20pN0jtfPT252L0iwBuPvFGmClaC-gvqvvT4F1FH83J2jc9fqndpxOdn/s400/delwyn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668524011584093906" /></a><br /><br />Is it just me or did he suddenly grow up from a little baby into a big boy in the space of 3 weeks?!<br />The best part of our holiday (apart from catching up and spending quality time together) was getting to see my country through the eyes of 2 foreigners. They had a good chuckle over a few things. We call traffic lights "robots". The Hyper By The Sea conjured up images of some kid going mad on the beach. Car guards...<br />When will I see them again?<br />Another 2 or 3 years from now? <br />I wonder what my godchild will be like when I meet him again.<br />In the meantime I made a little recording of the song that he played over and over on his baby laptop, so that I'll have something real to remember him by... Until we meet again.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-1629954734596437702011-10-27T07:34:00.000-07:002011-10-27T07:52:40.050-07:00You've guided me home, Umhlanga lighthouse!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxYDBiADwsw_MNivZzZLaylBPEwMja5mnoWAFR9uf4H37R2i3DFaCE8SWQdOBMUUk69h3naQlaqeTNu0Hi0sfocE4jW4flkE3WO4R7USspCOdfVhhe-jCbrNf625CRH9Xzt06/s1600/lighthouse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxYDBiADwsw_MNivZzZLaylBPEwMja5mnoWAFR9uf4H37R2i3DFaCE8SWQdOBMUUk69h3naQlaqeTNu0Hi0sfocE4jW4flkE3WO4R7USspCOdfVhhe-jCbrNf625CRH9Xzt06/s400/lighthouse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668184734454405266" /></a><br />If you're wondering where I been, fellow bloggers, let me just tell you that my life has been a whirlwind of change and adventure. I've done it! I've FINALLY done it.<br />Carmen Gabriel has finally bought her first home. A snazzy little 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment in Durban's Umhlanga Rocks. Ninety seven square meters of concrete, glass and wood that belongs to me... Finally.<br />It's been a long journey getting here. More than 6 years of dreaming and hoping, not to mention the frantic search since the beginning of this year, when my landlords announced that they'd be selling. <br />Nothing went as smoothly as I thought it would:<br />- I sold my stove and wardrobes too soon, leaving me with tv dinners and clothing on the floor for 2 months<br />- Everything cost way more money than I'd budgeted on... maybe I just can't count good, doh!<br />- I STILL have boxes to unpack after 2 whole months of being in my new place<br />Argh...<br />But I wouldn't change it for the world!<br />It's a great feeling knowing I've accomplished this thing that I've worked so hard for. Sure, the bank owns me for the next couple of decades, but who cares?! This is what happiness feels like!Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-2387699968477850702011-06-14T06:04:00.001-07:002011-06-14T06:08:52.445-07:00winter loves soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IEKBIG0a5hqQV4FpH1Gt8IOWDpReRcB9iXZHqo-TDwHdE7oL4d1WgRBzKbjESH4Jewc_xBgVbvYgDprUFU-pwAJvoEArBFCmo8CmWJYrTRiu7BIWlUll1r5w8py5meZqyMy3/s1600/soup.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 326px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IEKBIG0a5hqQV4FpH1Gt8IOWDpReRcB9iXZHqo-TDwHdE7oL4d1WgRBzKbjESH4Jewc_xBgVbvYgDprUFU-pwAJvoEArBFCmo8CmWJYrTRiu7BIWlUll1r5w8py5meZqyMy3/s400/soup.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618061500687197250" /></a>Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-5349899135979928552011-03-22T23:15:00.000-07:002011-03-22T23:16:55.405-07:00Open letter to Clinique South AfricaSent on 17 March. Still waiting for a response.<br /><br />Clinique, SA:<br />I am writing to report a very disturbing incident at the Clinique counter at Gateway, Durban.<br />Several months ago (during the last Free Gift offer) I went into Truworths to purchase my Clinique moisturiser and face wash as I always do. While I was there I decided to ask the Clinique sales person to recommend a night cream for me so that I could start using one regularly. I am 36 years old and currently using the Super Defense range because I don't have any lines or blemishes whatsoever. The Clinique woman told me that Clinique did not make a night cream in the Super Defense age group and urged me to buy the Repair Wear night cream for much older wrinkled skin.<br />I went home and tried to use the product for over a month. But every time I put it on my skin it would burn and feel very painful and uncomfortable. I eventually stopped using it because I was worried that I was damaging my skin. My R450 was wasted and I had no idea of what damage I had possibly done to my face during the course of that month.<br />Imagine my HORROR today when I went into Truworths to buy my Clinique supplies and asked them if there WAS in fact a night cream in the Super Defense group. The Clinique woman handed me the tube telling me that there was one all along. Truworths had obviously been out of stock of the one I wanted last time so the Clinique woman deliberately sold me a damaging product so that she could make her sale and reach her target for the month.<br />IS THIS THE WAY CLINIQUE TREATS THEIR CUSTOMER OF ±15 YEARS???!!<br />Not only have I lost R450 on a product that I cannot use, but I have been steadily burning and damaging my skin for more than a month because of the damaging advice of a Clinique sales person. <br />I trust that you will contact me at your soonest regarding this report and will notify me of the action being taken to rectify the matter.<br />Carmen GabrielCarmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-22186774605724933082011-02-15T01:21:00.000-08:002011-02-15T01:48:15.913-08:00New Obsession<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyGefqJGDqgcbzTgIYYY0RoM3LYM-MS7SYSlQXOn5etBW5CtBBALIbydYeqQgYEe3tE3i-oEEhjssMFi-uYAwFCdS-YmN2TkNxEKDINZu-IoaCYvN27MQRn6eU78KcmR084Wa/s1600/100_0069.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyGefqJGDqgcbzTgIYYY0RoM3LYM-MS7SYSlQXOn5etBW5CtBBALIbydYeqQgYEe3tE3i-oEEhjssMFi-uYAwFCdS-YmN2TkNxEKDINZu-IoaCYvN27MQRn6eU78KcmR084Wa/s400/100_0069.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573849462921350674" /></a><br /><br />So, I've never really been one for gardening...<br />I've pretty sure that I've written once or three times about how my poor father used to beg / bribe / bully me and my brothers into helping him with our garden at The Old House. (I call it The Old House now because my parents have just bought a stunning new apartment in Umhlanga and will be moving in a few months.) <br />He never got it right... No matter how hard he tried, we would sit inside the cool, air conditioned living room, and watch him suffer through the glass patio doors. It just wasn't for us... All that dirt and sun, not the mention the threat of bugs and the odd garden snake. No thanks.<br />So imagine my surprise to find that, as I grow older, I suddenly seem to be craving plant life in my world. First the herb garden outside my kitchen window which, I must sadly add, I've kind of lost interest in. I have a few long-suffering curry leaf plants that refuse to give up, but the other herbs have pretty much kicked it for one reason or the other. Not all my fault, I swear.<br />Then came the micro-greens or linseed sprouts that I started to grow on my living room windowsill. All very cute and sweet until I grew tired of the taste of them in my salads and promptly stopped growing them. I might start again with some different seeds this time, maybe mung beans. I saw an interesting method of growing them in a glass jar on the net the other day that kind of interests me... It's part food, part science. I can dig that.<br />But now my new plant obsession is Peace Lilies or Spathiphyllum. My friend Noodle bought one for her desk a couple of months ago and I was hooked. It was love at first sight. Here's why:<br />- They have pretty white lilies that I find really cute.<br />- They are completely indoor plants that require no direct light.<br />- They let you know when they need to be watered... Bonus!<br />- They somehow absorb the negative rays that fly off your tv and computer monitor.<br />- And they pretty much do their own thing while you get on with your life.<br />I bought one for my desk that had just a single pretty lily on it. The lily is long gone and I've only since discovered that there are flowering types and foliage types. I think my desk one is a foliage Spathiphyllum. It's okay. At first I was a little bummed, but now I realise how lovely it is, even without the flowers and I've resigned myself to loving her regardless. I don't want her to develop some sort of inferiority complex because she can't deliver on my unrealistic expectations...<br />And the second one I've bought is this one for my home:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGiB4VL8apzRzuk69ycvCnCixjnue1j2L2lM4qlFQ8YDHBq1RNW7A4O6cHmq4ysAfzlHT2DKgKBrHylN8DGTFj5VKEfM45V9EPYPYfL6K-kDPa-d7Y54XrnWMyTLnqgc5n6AQ/s1600/100_0068.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGiB4VL8apzRzuk69ycvCnCixjnue1j2L2lM4qlFQ8YDHBq1RNW7A4O6cHmq4ysAfzlHT2DKgKBrHylN8DGTFj5VKEfM45V9EPYPYfL6K-kDPa-d7Y54XrnWMyTLnqgc5n6AQ/s400/100_0068.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573849461460639362" /></a><br /><br />She arrived with tons of flowers on, some of which have gone now, but she still looks beautiful. I suspect that she may be more of the flowering variety, but again, I'll be happy with whatever happens. I've read somewhere that unscrupulous store people often pump the plants full of chemicals to make them flower and ultimately move off shelf. Once home, the plants start jonesing for more chemicals and then stop flowering unless you give them their fix. If anyone's going to be doing drugs at my place, it's going to be me... So there goes that idea Spathiphyllum!<br />We're just getting to know each other, my Peace Lilies and me, and I'm feeling really good about it.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-86921525751076584492011-01-17T06:50:00.000-08:002011-01-20T01:33:39.327-08:00NostalgiaI have a small confession to make. One of the main reasons I've been DYING to cook dinner for my cousin Jarrod and his wife Nadia, is that I've been looking for a good excuse to cook up and share some of the Taiwanese / Chinese dishes I learned to make in my year there teaching English. See, Jarrod's ouma was Chinese, so I've been threatening to cook something authentic in honour of his heritage for AGES.<br />This Saturday, we finally got our shit together and had our little dinner party. Just the three of us.<br />Sadly, I wasn't quick enough to get a good picture of the potstickers and dipping sauce I made for our main course, but earlier in the day, while going about my business, I'd made this for myself:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2d_ALJsjKeudqCv0TMzxb-wk8UZoQuNHUZybMd7fDRya9Ckna9WCiVSZb2zJz4RLytEDEhYtKzSrLCGU-00LBImL0QbO3ESiBilUYYbBfTjyt6bFQkpo8WJOqeKrguoynXP7T/s1600/100_0065.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2d_ALJsjKeudqCv0TMzxb-wk8UZoQuNHUZybMd7fDRya9Ckna9WCiVSZb2zJz4RLytEDEhYtKzSrLCGU-00LBImL0QbO3ESiBilUYYbBfTjyt6bFQkpo8WJOqeKrguoynXP7T/s400/100_0065.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564197833191499938" /></a><br /><br />A bowl of spicy beef noodle soup.<br />It's not the one that you simmer on the stove for hours and hours. Nope... This is just a simple instant noodle version with a few fresh ingredients thrown in. I had made a special trip to the Chinese grocer down the road to pick up a few things for our dinner, and when I saw these on the shelf, the nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks and I had to have them! <br />It's 40degree heart in Durban right now, but nothing was going to stop me from slurping on these spicy noodles... Nothing. No way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinv18LAhYk8jwQwSBEkCOD0fjlyXRooYTOCxGoz8PTEf9EPb1agfb7hLnvx1bsVr6nZZZUkn0x7HVCTJudDzsSOLGi2k_70blWt7DzQthTXiBHg8O51lsSn8lwC2UfsSZC9olY/s1600/100_0066.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinv18LAhYk8jwQwSBEkCOD0fjlyXRooYTOCxGoz8PTEf9EPb1agfb7hLnvx1bsVr6nZZZUkn0x7HVCTJudDzsSOLGi2k_70blWt7DzQthTXiBHg8O51lsSn8lwC2UfsSZC9olY/s400/100_0066.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564198372210254610" /></a><br /><br />I almost feel like I need to make a very important point here about instant noodles. These are something that we've really misinterpreted and gotten horribly wrong here in "The West". To us, instant noodles are a shameful, gross, cheap thing that starving students pour down their throats to keep themselves alive while they're literally on the bones of their asses. <br />But in the East, instant noodles are something completely different.<br />Yes, they're still cheap, easy and the first choice of starving students... But in the East they have loads more flavour and there's a bunch of fresh stuff that's added to them to make them utterly mouthwatering. There, instant noodles are fun, flavoursome and always fashionable because the manufacturers are always looking for ways to innovate.<br />When it comes to the fresh "additions" there are fresh vegetables... I used a crisp bunch of bok choy but corn on the cob cut into big chunks is divine.<br />There's the meat. I used the most incredibly marbled piece of ribeye steak. The little globs of melting fat were like finding the most delicious jewels of bone marrow from time to time.<br />Then there are other things that I didn't bother with, because I didn't feel I needed them, like chewy little dumplings that you could bounce like a rubber ball, or those tiny dried fish with the eyeballs still on. They look like white noodles, until you bring them closer to your face on your chopsticks and discover that there are two beady black eyes on one end. They're salty and fishy... and at first I didn't "get it" but now I do. Yum.<br />I also know now, that you should never buy the cheapest instant noodles around. They're really not "all the same"! Invest in a pack of noodles that's a little more expensive than the rest, and you'll find that the seasonings inside are way better and more authentic and they taste less "synthetic".<br />I added even more flavour to the broth by searing my steak, removing from the pan, resting and slicing. Then using the juices in the resting plate and the water that I used to deglaze the pan to rehydrate the noodles in the bowl. So here it is...<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Carmen's Spicy Beef Noodle Soup Made with Instant Noodles... Believe it!</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Serves 2; Preparation time ±15 minutes.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidqzF31HREnuACaG4SF_4sgO1BJhpUogfvDwlGVA2f3efUgydWf-6Mi6XGAgFlMX1lkWqKq2drRaqPpMTxP4GSlQgVwnCFKzOv5s_e6UuzLw6RQ74CJmuJhvJ6JuBb_Ul-U3a/s1600/100_0067.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidqzF31HREnuACaG4SF_4sgO1BJhpUogfvDwlGVA2f3efUgydWf-6Mi6XGAgFlMX1lkWqKq2drRaqPpMTxP4GSlQgVwnCFKzOv5s_e6UuzLw6RQ74CJmuJhvJ6JuBb_Ul-U3a/s400/100_0067.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564197460945744930" /></a><br /><br />2 Ribeye steaks (±2cm thick; brushed with a mixture of melted butter and sunflower oil on both sides)<br />1 pack of your favourite instant Chili Beef Noodles<br />2 Baby bok choys<br />Water to rehydrate<br /><br />Heat a dry frying pan until smoking and sear the 2 steaks on either side for ±2minutes per side. <br />Season and remove the steaks from the frying pan and place on a plate to rest for ±6mins.<br />While the steaks are resting, break the block of noodles into 2 bowls, and carefully divide all the seasonings equally between the 2.<br />Wash and steam the bok choy and place on top of the dry noodles.<br />Once the steaks are rested, slice and place on top of the bok choy, deglaze the pan with some water, add the resting juices and pour into the bowls until everything is covered, - just peaking out of the broth.<br />In 3-4 minutes (after the noodles have fully rehydrated) you'll have the best soup... EVER!<br />Enjoy.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-76803242864137004232010-12-23T13:51:00.003-08:002010-12-23T14:15:59.835-08:00I can honestly say...I have never been so in love before!<br />This, dear friends, is my very first post from my brand new MacBook Air.<br />I bought it! Yes, I did!<br />I could try to be all modest and coy about it but, quite frankly, what would be the point of that?<br />It's so sleek and sexy and beautifully AppleMac that you simply cannot try to be all modest about it.<br />It's the Ferrari of laptops... And I own it. Along with more than enough 3G internetty-goodness than I will EVER be able to use up from month to month.<br />This is the point where I "get real" with myself and give myself a quick, stiff kick in the pants.<br />For bloody AGES now I've been whining on and on about the fact that this was supposed to be my Big Tiger Year. As usual, I was totally up my own arse about shit that was so stupid and small and insignificant. Yet, AS USUAL, I failed to take into consideration that The Big Guy In The Sky (TBGITS) RARELY gives us things the way WE ask for them... I THOUGHT I wanted a certain thing... But my Goodness. I could not have been more WRONG about what I needed/wanted, or thought I loved.<br />Over this year TBGITS has cleared from my path all of the stumbling blocks that were put in my way and has blessed me with the life/things/people that I never dreamed I needed but now I know I could NEVER live without.<br />True friends who never forget every detail, even when I choose to block those pesky details out. Family bonds so rich and diverse, I don't have the brain capacity to take it all in. Things. THINGS like this new laptop and my new car and my new amazing career opportunity... We're always taught not to love THINGS because you may never have the ones you really want. The good ol' Christian "oh well, I guess it wasn't in God's plan for me to have this stuff..." story. But, my word, things are so nice and sometimes TBGITS actually WANTS to give them to you. Call me superficial... But then. You'd have to call yourself superficial too, because you know you want them too.<br />So now I'm finally off to bed after spending AGES messing around on my Mac.<br />It's Christmas Eve tomorrow and we'll be shutting down early and coming home to our families. But I won't be out of touch. If there's anything special I'd like to say, I'll do it immediately. I can now. The slick new love of my life will be here waiting to beam my stories directly to you.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23105254.post-45282755461085408882010-12-07T22:54:00.000-08:002010-12-08T01:10:47.369-08:00WHA'? HEY?! Where am I??!So... I've been at Paton Tupper for a week now and if you haven't heard from me, dear bloggers, it's because I've been busy APPLYING MYSELF! Finally... :)<br />I joke. I always apply myself, dummies.<br />I've just been putting my head down and getting into the vibe... Learning new ways of doing things. <br />I'm not gonna lie: It's been a long, tough year. November was just insane, trying to get as much done as possible at Public Address. And now we're in December, and Paton Tupper is still COOKING when it comes to the work flow. So, yeah. no rest for the wicked, as they say. I'm quite desperate for the holidays to get here.<br />To top things off, I've offered to help the kiddies at church with the Nativity play... WHAT WAS I THINKING? <br />Just to put you in the picture, this is how rehearsals went down a week ago: The Three Wise Men ripped the head off Baby Jesus and pulled all his stuffing out. And Angel Gabriel (who kindly sponsored her dolly to play Baby Jesus) had a total meltdown. There was one little girl who just ran, TOP SPEED and screaming on top of her voice, from one side of the stage to the other and back again. For 20 minutes. <br />Just running. <br />And screaming.<br />I never thought I'd want to punch a child before, but now that I know what I'm capable of feeling, maybe it's a good thing I haven't had kids. Yet. <br />We practiced for less than 15minutes and it was GAME OVER! I went home to my parents’ place, swallowed 2 painkillers and 2 tranquilizers, slept for 3 hours, got up and got dressed and went straight to the office to put in ±5hours worth of much needed overtime.<br />This week's rehearsals went better. Nobody got the stuffing kicked out of them this time, but we did discover that one of the shepherds is a farter and now the other kids won't sit next to him. *sigh*<br />ANYWAY!<br />That's what I've been preoccupied with for the past few weeks, so please be patient with me if I don't update the ol' bloggeroo as often as I'd like to. I'll get better at it, promise.<br /><br />On my last day at Public Address, I was so teary and emotional, that I knew I wouldn't be able to deliver a sob-free farewell speech, so I decided to put it all into a loooooooooooooooong email that I sent out to the staff as I exited the building. I thought I'd share it with you, in case you were interested. There are some nice historical bits about how we got started as an agency, as well as some guru-like advice on how to be the best you can be in the hectic world of advertising. Now that I'm reading it again after a whole long week, I can't help but have a chuckle at how freakin' sanctimonious it is in parts. But, hey! I guess along with the good times came a lot of tough times, and I obviously had a message to deliver to those that just weren't / aren't delivering. I suppose I just got really tired of the stress of running a business, of "paddling my own canoe", especially when not all or us were steering the canoe in the same direction. Not to mention the lazy ones that weren’t paddling at all, happy to just catch a free boat ride to who-knows-where? And others still, who were sneakily drilling holes in the canoe while the rest of us were paddling for our lives! So, here it is, my Jerry Maguire Manifesto. Enjoy: <br /><br />So... I guess this is the part where I write my big farewell letter.<br />I’ve been composing it in my brain for weeks now, trying to think of what to say, and then I burst into tears, drink a bottle of wine and watch the National Geographic channel ‘til 2am, hoping it will all just disappear.<br />Here goes.<br />It started with Malibu-and-cokes at the Riverside Hotel on one of the most surreal Saturday’s of my life.<br />When the agency I’d been busting my butt for decided to kick me in the butt, Nic and Wayne said: “Fuck ‘em! You deserve better. Join us.”<br />It was an offer I, quite frankly, couldn’t refuse: The opportunity to work with Durban’s hottest advertising powerhouse duo (Wayne and Nic) as well as one of the most talented designers I’ve ever met (Reino).<br />From humble beginnings, trekking from Reino’s home office to Nic’s home office and back again, not even having enough office chairs to sit on so we could work together comfortably, we’ve grown to be the amazing advertising agency that we are.<br /><br />I guess I should really start by thanking the people who’ve believed in us and help us make it happen...<br />Starting with Our Folks.<br /><br />Poor Paul and Bev Potterton (Wayne’s folks) kindly rented us a part of their home to set up our first office. To thank them, we:<br /><br /> * Cursed and swore loudly amongst ourselves while they held their church meetings a mere 4meters away<br /> * Ran over one dog<br /> * Left the gate open so another dog could run away<br /> * Fed yet another dog the “treat” of a bone that could have shattered in his tummy and put him in an early grave<br /> * Constantly left our dirty dishes in their sink<br /> * Steadily bored a series of holes in their new wooden floors with our designer heels<br /> * Pissed off all the neighbours by RACING up and down the street (late for our meetings as always) to the point that Paul was getting death threats from some grumpy old dude down the street<br /> * Invaded their privacy to the point that they could no longer take a romantic skinny dip in their own swimming pool for fear of us charging in at the most arb/obscure hours to work on something<br /> * Played our “devil music” so loud, the devil himself could hear it clearly in the fiery pits of hell<br /><br /><br />The dogs farted.<br />Our clients farted.<br />Our suppliers fainted...<br />It was a circus!<br /><br />We were really sad to leave Timavo, but I’m sure I heard champagne and celebration from inside Paul and Bev’s room.<br />All they got out of the deal was a huge amount owing on the rent and great big clumps of double-sided tape on the floors where we had tried to glue our fancy rug to the floor.<br />(WTF? Why did we try to glue the rug to the floor? What were we THINKING???!!)<br /><br />Anyway!<br />So then we moved into the offices we’re in now.<br /><br />I’ll never forget that first proud night, after we’d swept and dusted and arranged the desks and put all the new groceries into the kitchen cupboards...<br />Slowly everyone started to go home, and eventually it just Eric (my dad), Geraldine (my mom), Wayne and myself left behind.<br />And we got BLIND drunk. Blackout drunk. “Pee-in-your-pants-’cos-you-can’t-get-them-off-fast-enough” drunk.<br />The last thing I remember was curling up on the cold concrete floor in the middle of the studio (there were no chairs yet), trying to get some sleep. Eish.<br />The four of us refused to go home. We just kept talking and planning and dreaming about how AMAZING our agency was going to be...<br />Good times.<br /><br />And I guess now would be a good time to thank my own folks for supporting and believing in the four partners, even though they’ve seen my ass in diapers, seen Reino and Wayne’s drunk asses at parties and... Hey! I guess Nic’s the only one who’s managed to maintain his dignity on the ass-bearing front. Or was I just not there that day?<br /><br />Mom and dad:<br />Thanks for leaving your long-standing jobs at Ogilvy and TBWA (“That-Place-From-Whence-We-Ran-Screaming”) and taking a huge risk on us.<br />Thanks for dipping into your hard-earned retirement stash to help us pay salaries in the tough months.<br />Thanks for the leftover curries and for being the un-official Entertainment Committee, spoiling us CONSTANTLY, much to the detriment of my ever-expanding waistline.<br />Thanks for the expertise, knowledge and experience you’ve brought to our young agency.<br /><br />In fact, now that I think about it... We’d been steadily bringing in new accounts and growing, but one of our earliest big breaks came from you, Mom. Remember?<br />My cousin phoned mom when she was still at Ogilvy to ask if she could recommend a good agency who could pitch on his business. She told him that I had just joined an incredible company called Public Address and gave him our number. We went on to win the ICESA pitch and the rest, as they say, is history.<br />It was a tough account. (Honestly? What account ISN’T?) But it was one of the big ones that helped us grow... Exponentially!<br />Thanks, Mom. Keep counting those beans. Every one of them matters in today’s tough economic climate!<br /><br />A great, big thanks goes to each and every one of you who’s been on this journey with us. With me.<br />God help us, it’s been tough at times.<br />But we’ve never lost our sense of humour, our love of music, our determination, and we’ve never missed an opportunity to make fun of each other and ourselves!<br /><br />I suppose this opportunity also calls for some “sage-like” advice from me to you, to make sure that our little agency continues to grow from strength to strength to become “The Biggest Ad Agency In Durban” as we’d drunkenly vowed that night we moved into Holwood Park. And to impart some of the wisdom I’ve acquired during my years so far in this ugly, cut-throat industry.<br /><br />So, let me channel Mike Myers in The Guru and help you with some stuff, “you can’t face”:<br /><br />1. Keep your eye on the prize and keep the silly games for the playground.<br />Far too many people in the agencies I’ve worked at have wasted valuable brain-space on plotting their next sneaky corporate move. You’ll find it gets you nowhere in the long run because everyone sees through you and the games eventually. Use that brain-space to think up new, innovative ways to make more money for the agency and, in turn, yourself.<br /><br />2. Just be a good guy, for fucksake! It’s not hard to do.<br />Be honest and upfront with everyone you deal with. That way, you don’t have to waste valuable time trying to remember which lie goes where.<br />Have integrity. There’s a powerful saying that goes: “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”<br /><br />3. If it’s a CAREER you’re after, use what’s between your ears and not what’s between your legs.<br />People who try to sleep their way to the top unfortunately never get further than the middle. Every single job (NOT blow jobs!) that lands on your desk, no matter how small, provides a valuable opportunity to prove your worth and to flex your brainpower. If you’re a writer, there’s ALWAYS a better word/phrase/way-to-say-it. So, take the time to craft your work. That goes for designers too. And for crying out loud, designers – LEARN HOW TO SPELL! (Just kidding! You know I love you. xox) Client Service team, remember that every brief you send out is not just an instruction to the studio; it’s a reflection of how YOU see YOURSELF as a professional. A brief that’s typed up poorly and simply “shat out”, sends the message that you don’t have the confidence or know-how to do better.<br />I believe in all of you... MAKE ME PROUD!<br /><br />4. Never forget that your reputation precedes you in everything that you do!<br />This next bit might sound like I’m tooting my own horn a bit, but every word is true: I have never applied for a job. Ever.<br />Every job I’ve had in my career has been because somebody, somewhere needed a writer, heard about me and called me in to “have a chat”. Nobody’s perfect... EXPECIALLY NOT LITTLE OLD ME! But, just be the best you can be and people will see spot your passion from miles away.<br /><br />5. Never forget to smile. It’s weird, but people seem to like that...<br />I’ll never forget when I was working in Taiwan we were told that the Chinese are big on “saving-face”. They never show negative emotions in public, and will often smile even when they’re telling you to go fuck yourself. It’s strange, but somehow you felt better going off to fuck yourself knowing that the instruction was delivered with a smile. *shrug*<br /><br />6. Read more books... Seriously!<br /><br />I guess all that’s left, is for me to say goodbye to my three boys. My brothers. My partners in all sorts of crime!<br />Wayne, Nic and Rein, I wrote this stuff in my letter of resignation to you a month ago but I think it’s worth reiterating:<br /><br />Wayne - Your entrepreneurial spirit and courage have inspired me to take more risks in life, and to stop waiting in the shadows for something to fall my way. While my two brothers are off in Jhb chasing fame and fortune, you have been a true brother to me. I cannot imagine my days without our chats...<br />Reino - People come to work to make a living. It’s a rare bonus for one to come to work and to still make real friends along the way. You have become a friend that I will take along my life’s journey, no matter what.<br />And Nic - How do I begin to say goodbye? Your integrity is one of the cornerstones that this company had been built on. It’s no empty compliment when I say that, of every Creative Director I’ve ever worked with, none have come close to your creative and strategic mind. I have learnt so much from you, and I know that you still have so much more to teach that I will be missing out on. Even though I will be able to pay my bills now, my life will be poorer for not having you in the office next door every day.<br /><br />My years at Public Address have been the best of my career. I’ve learnt so much. I’ve grown as a professional, a creative, copywriter and leader. I’ve learned to finally take ownership of the jobs that land on my desk and to work, to the best of my ability, to deliver creative that is relevant, quirky and that cuts through the clutter. <br />Please send me regular updates with pics of the kids... I will miss my little family so much. It kills me that I’m not going to see the little ones as often as I’d like. They’re my babies too!<br /><br />So cheers, Lords of Roxtown...<br /><br />See you on the dance floor!<br /><br />All my love,<br />Carmen.Carmen Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03464679506608465475noreply@blogger.com0