Philosophical fail...

Product Review - Pore Strips

You know... I'm going to toot my own horn here for a bit, and start by saying that, for my age, I have pretty good skin. And one of the reasons I have good skin is that I don't experiment with just any old product.
All ANYONE needs is:
a good foaming cleanser
a good moisturiser with sunblock
a good night cream
That's it, seriously! At least, that's all I need.
Of course I use other "cosmetic" stuff, but as far as skin CARE goes, that rather short list has done me proud.
That is until I started getting irritated with my pores. They're not too dodgy; I just think they could be better. So going against everything I've ever believed in, I trudged off to my local Clicks to get my paws (not pores) on a pack of pore strips to try out.
Well!
I bought them a month ago and it took me a whole month to try them, because I had visions of them permanently bonding to my nose. Followed closely by visions of me yanking off chunks of nose along with the strips.
Not ideal.
So anyway... I decided to brave up last night and go for it, and MAN am I glad I did? Sure, there was a scary moment when I hadn't realised how HARD the dry strip is when it's glued to your nose, doing it's thing. But, once I got over my mild panic, and saw past the tears welling up in my eyes, I gently peeled the strip away and... wow!
I'm a convert!
I will do this once a week at least!
What a great product. My pores look great. The process was quick and relatively effortless.
Pore strips! Do it, girls. Just do it!!

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland - A review

Let me start by thanking my cousins, Jarrod and Nadia, for getting me off my ass and off to the movies to see the new 3D phenomenon that everyone's talking about, Alice in Wonderland, directed by none other than Tim Burton of Titanic fame. I've just seen Avatar in 3D, so it's important to note that my expectations were ridiculously high for this one.
I'm going to start with the bad and end with the good...
As far as the story goes, you could pretty much sum it up in a sentence or two. And then Tim Burton took 2 sentences and spread them over ±1.5hours. It was draggy. Super draggy. Draggier than Ru Paul, draggy. Long, loooooooooooooooong. If you're expecting non-stop action and 3D mayhem with stuff flying at your head for the entire time, don't watch this movie. You will be disappointed. And now that I've had my bitch, onto the good stuff.
The landscapes and art direction were absolutely breathtaking! Quintessential Tim Burton at his absolute best. My eyes didn't know where to look; as every inch of it just oozed style and wonderfulness. Wowzer.



The acting was outstanding. Mr Depp was incredible as always, even though the writing didn't give him much to work with. There was a crappy dance at the end that had me cringing, but I'll forgive him for that as long as he replies to my marriage proposal promptly. Helena Bonham Carter was just FANTASTIC as the Red Queen, even though they didn't give her much to work with either. Fabbo!
And the best bit...
OMG, the costumes!



Or can you even call them "costumes"? Maybe the stuff that they had the regular characters in might be classified as "costume". But the dresses that they draped over that lucky bitch who played Alice were nothing short of sensational! There was a real Vivienne Westwood / Alexander McQueen vibe that blew me away. I LOVED Alice's dresses, especially the one that the Red Queen had made especially for her. Check it out:





These pics really don't do it any justice. It was structured, but feminine. It was MAD but completely made sense. OMG, I would wear that on my wedding day if I ever found a man rich enough to buy it for me! *swoon*
I need to stop gushing about this dress now, so... *sigh*
As far as the characters went, my favourite was the Cheshire cat. He was BEAUTIFUL and feline, and flowy and funny... Love, love, LOVE!

So jealous, I could scream!

Check out my mom's curry leaf plant...



My dad pruned it down a few months ago and it looks like that was the best move EVER. The leaves are huge, lush and green, and the plant is thriving. The great thing about curry leaves is that they also dry and store well. What my mom does, is she pulls a few sprigs off the tree, washes and towel dries them thoroughly. Then she stores them in the same little glass jar that she keeps her curry powder / masala. The leaves will stay good for AGES, kind of like bay leaves. I have a puny tree that's struggling for dear life. *sigh*
But! Not to be undone...



The basil leaves in my lunch the other day, came from my very own basil trees, served here with a tomato/feta salad and two vegetarian bean patties.

And the countdown begins!

So we have just 100 days to the start of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, hosted right here in sunny South Africa... And I couldn't be more excited.
I unfortunately couldn't tickets. I woke up far too late and the only ones that are left for Durban are for the N/Korea VS Nigeria match. I've got nothing against those two; it's just that they're not particularly wow. And at ±R500 a ticket for the only seats left, I'm not sure I'm THAT big a fan.
BUT!



Public Address is proudly flying the SA flag today, to mark the start of one of the most exciting times our country will ever see...
VIVA SOUTH AFRICA, VIVA!!

Happy 60th Birthday, mom!

Here I am with my precious mom at the local seafood joint.
We decided to treat her and a bunch of her closest, dearest friends to a yummy seafood dinner and LOTS of booze. I'm doing the Lent thing at the moment so I felt very much like the chaperone for the evening, making sure that all my precise birthday arrangements ran according to schedule.
Invites, check.
Restaurant booking, check.
Taira and candles, check.
Bake surprise birthday cake, decorate and deliver ahead of time... Check. Check. Check!



She loved it. And even though she hates surprises and insisted on being involved with the inviting etc, she was totally blown away when they brought the surprise cake out and the entire restaurant sang for her!
Happy Birthday, mom! Here's to a million more.

I think I might have to agree...

A friend of mine sent me this spoof cover of the Twilight books the other day, after hearing be bitch and moan and whine about how I can't wait to get to the end of the series... Not because I'm dying to know what happens, but really because I'm dying to get them out the way so I can read something worthwhile.
Apart from book four, Breaking Dawn, which was given to me by my prison bitch, Gail, I have to say that I was bored to TEARS by the rest of the books. At least some stuff HAPPENS in book four! Nothing happens in the others. I can't remember where I heard someone say that this is officially the series about nothing! And I have to agree. It's like the Seinfeld of books. (That Seinfeld thing was my addition.)
I don't know if Gail knew that she as giving me the best one in the series, but thank goodness she did! It has partially restored my faith in humanity.
But as for those Twi-hards who carry worn copies around with them in their handbags, and for all my friends and book clubbers who have pledged their undying/undead love for the series, I say: I have lost all respect for you as a reader / intellectual / book lover / critic. And to the masses who've made this series the pop culture phenomenon that it is, I say: Bugger off! You're retarded. Get out my face with your mouth-breathing stupidity.
Harsh? Yes. The world needs to hear the truth.

It's SO GOOD to be loved!

Yesterday, after a long, hot day of ups and downs, it was like Little Astin was reading my mind and knew instinctively that I was in need of some care.
When I pulled up into the driveway, I saw her out the corner of my eye RACING off into the house to fetch the little gift she'd made for me...
The cover, complete with silver, sparkly stars:

And a beautiful message inside:

I had fortunately been saving 2 little heart-shaped chocolates for her since Valentine's Day, and handed them over in exchange. Beena thanked her by hissing and yowling and dashing under the bed... *sigh*
That cat really is "wered" (weird).
:)

Looking back...

As my parents and I tucked into our fancy seafood dinner at my place last night, I pulled out some old pictures and came across these. After my letter to my gran yesterday, I thought I should share them, so you could see for yourself what an amazing lady she was. Here I am at ±1 year old with my dad's parents, my Grandpa Joe and Grandma Rosa Gabriel...



And just because I can... Here I am with my mom on my first birthday. Don't be deceived by the frilly dress and crocheted socks. I apparently kicked my butterfly birthday cake on the day, and proceeded to sit on the table and lick the icing off my shoes. There are also a few pics of my mom laughing and holding her hand over my mouth. I think I might have dropped a swear word or two just for good measure. Ghetto!

"Pancakes can go f@*& themselves" - An open letter to my late grandmother...

Dear Ma...
When I realised this weekend that tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, of course the first person I thought of was you, and of course (again), the STACK of pancakes you would make for all the grandchildren on Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Tuesday. God alone knows how you kept your cool while making like, a hundred pancakes or something, seeing as there was a million of us rugrats to feed. Bless you, Ma.
And seeing as I'm officially A Traditional Old Fart, I decided to keep the tradition alive and make a stack of pancakes for my family-away-from-home, The People At The Office.
Well, Ma... I'm sure you had a good chuckle watching me from heaven, as I went through THREE different frying pans, trying to find one that wouldn't stick. I'm pretty sure you giggled at the clump of stodgy dough I scraped out of the first 2 and had to chuck in the bin. I'm fairly confident that you were rolling on the floor with laughter, when I put a tiny piece of pancake on the kitchen floor for Beena The Cat to turn her nose up at, and then stepped in it, and smooshed it all over my kitchen floor, after paying my cleaning lady to do a good clean up just yesterday.
Every.
Single.
Pancake.
Stuck.
To the pan.
Why, Ma?! WHY????
I followed the instructions. To the letter! But still, it was a nightmare.
You can see from the pic, I managed to get ±30 lacy pancakes out of the giant bowl of batter, but only through the mercy of God.
Ma? Unless you manage to whisper in the ear of mom/dad/Brendan/Donovan to buy me one of those fancy non-stick Bauer pans, I have to say that this is the last time I put myself through this...
Please forgive the swear word in the title of this letter, but I was really cross when I wrote it.
Say HI to Grandpa for me?
Love always,
Carmen.
PS. You're a legend!

What is it with little girls and shells?

I spent yesterday wishing I was in a air-conditioned fancy restaurant sipping on expensive champagne. Instead I was getting my skin fried off at the beach, taking my little cousins on long walks to look for shells to make crappy necklaces out of.
Okay... I'll admit it. It was awesome and I loved every humid / blazing / blinding / sweaty / sandy / salty / burny minute of it...

Happy Chinese New Year for yesterday!

Hey, folks!
In case you missed it yesterday, 14 Feb 2010, apart from being a particularly heinous day for singeltons everywhere, was also Chinese New Year... YAY!
And to make things even more exciting, it turns out that this Chinese lunar year, is The Year of the Tiger... THAT'S ME! So this year is officially my year, and in preparation I checked out a forecast of the year ahead and what I should be expecting. Here's my interesting "some-good-some-bad" Tiger forecast for 2010:

Your year has arrived, and you are likely to find it more comfortable than most. That does not mean, however, it will be more successful. This could be a case of too much of a good thing. Yes, you are lucky. Yes, you enjoy taking a risk. You can bet the year's ambiance will encourage extremes even beyond your natural inclinations. In other words, you are vulnerable to suffer from overdoing it, from living on the edge and falling off it. You are going to have a few splendid successes in 2010. On the other hand, do not be surprised if your failures are even more spectacular. Self control wins the day.
Career:
Tiger's natural leadership and charisma are enhanced this year, and you may find your ideas and initiatives get more traction than usual. It feels great to be listened to and treated like the boss. The only downside could come if you let this deference go to your head and fail to seek out others' expertise and experiential wisdom. Coworkers are not likely to reign you in, so you need to be extra vigilant to make wise, considered decisions and go out of your way to consult with respected peers and mentors. This year will present opportunities of your wildest imaginings, but you will need abundant self-discipline in order to make them realities. Success is within your reach, but beware of pride and overconfidence; it is not a foregone conclusion.
Relationships:
Personal relationships are likely to be Tiger's strongest suit this year. Your active and rewarding social agenda could be the envy of most others; expect to have fun in 2010. But even this pales in light of your prospects for love. Romantic passion is likely to be at its highest mid-year, which is also a very lucky time for a Tiger to marry. Domesticity could hold much of your attention this year. You may get special satisfaction in 2010 from time spent on homefront matters and family relationships. If you are single, important friendships should develop pleasingly over the course of the year and become a central focus of your life. In the spring you could meet someone who will play a key role in your life, possibly as part of a celebratory event.
Health:
Tigers could suffer the effects of exhaustion this year without even realizing they have overexerted themelves. It is in your best interest to take extra precautions to ensure you get enough sleep, and to practice healthful exercise and good nutrition habits to allow your body to recover from overindulgences, of which there may be many. Intensity and high stakes in almost every area of your life make you feel alive, but place stress on your overall health, something with which you may have to cope later. Let 2010 be the year you learn to love green foods. If you have experienced mental setbacks in recent years, you should benefit psychologically from new beginnings now.
Wealth:
This year is likely to bring an increase in the Tiger's wealth. Money could flow from unanticipated sources, and income is likely to increase. You will be best served financially by setting aside windfalls as savings. The temptation and, possibly, social pressure to consume your new profits could be strong. However, it would be a mistake to assume money will be here to stay. Maximixe your financial opportunities, but don't lose your head. Consider making large purchases at a discount and hunt for bargains, even if you can afford retail markups. Wisely shore up your position for the long term.

So freakin' yummy I had to blog it: Breakfast 11.02.2010

Super soft, just-set scrambled eggs, with herby feta cheese and chopped parsley just picked from my garden...
That's what was on the menu at Chez Carmen this morning. So simple, yet so delicious. In fact, I'd go so far as to call it sublime.
I think I might have the same tomorrow. YUM!

Nigella could learn a thing or two...

Well, people!
You'll be happy to know that since the Big Brown Moth cake from a few posts back, things have gone from strength to strength for me in the kitchen. Here's the same recipe, done in a round cake tin, with the same chocolate ganache and real black cherries:


I had originally planned on using marachino cherries, but when I saw these, I simply had to use them. The dark cherries against the ooey-gooey chocolate... Heaven!
Having Best Boy around on the weekends means that I now have a willing and hungry lab mouse to test my cooking and baking on. And I really couldn't be happier!
So far I've mastered a choc-pud for two... (Aaaaaaaaaw!) The look on Best Boy's face when I served it up was absolutely priceless. I'd whipped it up in no time at all and it was scrumptious! And then last week I wowed him with a warm banana tart-tartin (served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream) that had him in dreamland.
And as far as the savoury dishes go, I'm having loads of fun cooking things like:
Various kinds of roast chicken (Moroccan; peri-peri; BBQ spice)
Red Thai Chicken Curry and Basmati Rice
Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta
Oven Braised Guinness Beef Stew
Egg Fried Rice
... And much, much more!
I've even made some home made pies using the left over Guinness Beef Stew as filling. That was a really winner, especially if you keep them in the freezer and then pop them in the oven with some potato wedges for a simple, hearty, no-fuss dinner.
I made a tuna / rice casserole that I wasn't too keen on... I'm not sure if that's because it wasn't good, or because I'm BATTLING to find ways to get cheap / high-protein tuna into my body without GAGGING. When it comes to fish, it appears that I unfortunately have very expensive taste! Unless it's sushi or SUPER fresh fish done in a restaurant by a professional chef, I really. Can't. Do it.
I have tried just about everything. The only frozen / convenience fish that I like is crumbed and that flies against EVERYTHING I believe in, as well as my "no-major-carbs-after-five" rule. Oh well. I'm still trying and experimenting. I made some divine fish cakes a while back, but they did take time and I think I was too tired from work to enjoy the messy experience. Maybe if I make them and freeze them over the weekend I'll feel better about it. I make mine with mashed potato and egg (to bind), so they're completely gluten and fat free which is GREAT. It's just that they take time.
Oh! And Best Boy LOVES my heart shaped breakfast muffins on a Sunday morning. Oops. I just realised how naughty that sounded. *wink*
Here I am cooking up a storm in my mom's kitchen last Sunday, being extra silly when my friend Trysten pointed the camera at me!


(And thanks Gail for the pic of the cake... Stunning!)

Like OMG, you guys!

I have finally joined the world of... ONLINE SHOPPING!
And my very first purchase was this outstanding cook book by my all time hero, Nigella Lawson. I've been hooked on the "Nigella Express" show for ages now, feverishly typing the recipes onto my cell phone (where I won't lose them) while Nigella deliciously (and effortlessly) shares all her time-saving, flavour making kitchen secrets. So when my best mate Noodle told me that she'd seen the book on an online shopping spot called Take2 I decided to go for it, and make the culinary investment of a life time. Now... Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Jamie Oliver. He's one of my heroes too. His recipes are also quite quick, fuss-free and, of course, packed with flavour. But there's something about Nigella's less-than-10-ingredients, ready-in-10-minutes, but still unbelievably decadent approach that speaks to the "Domestic Goddess" in me. She's the original, no doubt. But, dammit! I'm on my way to being a close second!
And yes... I can feel you from way over here, - feel you wondering WHY it's taken me so very long to join the wicked-convenient world of online shopping. Well, let me first share that I have only JUST started doing the online banking thing. Uh-huh... I have always felt the need to see the FACE of the person that I'm handing my hard earned moolah too, just in case! It's a been a long, winding road that has tested my determination with many a trust-issue inducing speed bump along the way, but I've finally made it. I ordered last week and a week later, the book was on my desk.
If that's not wicked awesome, I don't know what the fuck is!
And I know what you're thinking... This rush that I'm feeling is really just the start of yet another downward spiral into dept and financial ruin. It might be. But, knowing me (and as much as I've always had a weakness for nice things) I've always somehow managed to stick to my means.
Oh my gosh. It feels like Christmas!

Conversations: Coffee Shop

A boy and girl sit close together at a coffee shop. While she sips on her chocolate milkshake and he munches on a burger, she notices the stares they're getting from passersby observing the couple's intimacy.
Girl: ... I don't think these people have ever seen a couple in love before...
Boy: Well. We're not in love.
Girl: We're not??!!
Boy: Nope... We're past that now. We ARE love.
Girl: :D

Older. Wiser. Fitter.

Kinda like: Simpler, better, faster...
That's the way I feel at 35.
Yes people, Carmen has officially had yet another birthday and turned another year older... and she feels just fine, thank you very much!
Now that I'm hitting the gym pretty hard and feeling slimmer/fitter, I find that I'm sleeping better and feeling good. Those hard-to-hear old cliches about how good exercise is for you are all true, I'm afraid. There really are no short cuts to feeling good. One of the lessons I've learned in my grand old age is that you just have to get off your ass and DO IT ALREADY!
And... after the year I've had, I think I needed the extra surge of endorphins and adrenaline to lift my spirits and clear my head. It's been a year of fresh starts (moving into my own place), adventure (spending Christmas and New Year with good friends in Canada) and sad endings. For a while, I closed the door on a relationship that I thought would be forever, opening myself to a new level of sadness that I'd never experienced before. On the one hand I made wonderful new friends, and on the other extreme I watched a devastated family bury one of those new friends after he decided he couldn't go on any longer and ended it all. His passing opened my mind to thoughts I'd never had before. I wondered just how sad one would have to feel to take one's own life. I wondered how sad I would have to be, and I marveled at the inner strength and spirituality I managed to find, deep down inside, to pull myself through my own sadness. I thought about how, in our modern day quest for independence and privacy we've somehow opened ourselves up to a lonelier, more isolated existence. In my folks' day, by the time you were 35 you were having the 3rd kid, moving into your second (bigger) home and had at least 2 cars in the driveway. Those plurals seems to elude us at 35 today... I was reminded of the wonderful people and things I have in my life, and how I should thank God everyday for letting me know them and have them around. I realised how vain and arrogant we are to think that all the brilliant opportunities that God gives us will just keep coming forever; that we can turn our noses up at those opportunities, thinking they'll never dry up.
After a year of putting on a brave face, this has been a birthday FILLED will spoiling, love and attention and, I must be honest, I reveled in every second of it. I took a few days off, planned one little activity for each day and pretty much soaked up the peace and quiet of my place, my book and my state of mind. Oh! And I got my hair done... YAY.
Two of my favourite kids in the whole wide world treated me to a surprise party in the front yard, as I was leaving for work.



Declan and Astin, thank you so much for my precious card, pretty flowers, mini chocolate muffin birthday cake (with twirly candle), hugs and kisses. The best part was watching the two of you in a MAD scramble, trying to get the surprise ready without me finding out. *pfft*
My folks and brothers spoiled me rotten with gifts and calls from far, far away.
And my cell phone/facebook/email didn't stop with all the messages from friends and family, near and far.
After not having seen each other for ages, Best Boy treated me to a wonderful seafood lunch, showing me that the door hadn't closed, but opened onto a new level of grown up stuff. Thanks, Best Boy. Or should I call you "Mushashi" now? I can't wait to taste some of the Japanese food you're learning to make.
I've even started baking again. It's been the biggest dream of mine to bake up a storm for my loved ones every Sunday, but for some reason in this year of change, I'd never gotten around to breaking in my new oven with one of the thousands of recipes I've been collecting over the years. Somehow, this weekend, it all felt right and I baked a chocolate butterfly cake. Here it is straight out the oven.



And here it is after I'd smothered it in chocolate sauce and Flake.



My mom and I had a good chuckle that it looked more like a MOTH than a butterfly (seeing as it was all brown and stuff), but it was delicious anyway. Chocolate, brandy and coffee: a winning combination. I'll be making another one for book club next week so look out, girls!
Yeah... It's a new year for me. A new beginning. My Chinese sign is Tiger, and next year (2010) is the Year of the Tiger so I'm looking forward to adventure, prosperity, love, happiness, new beginnings... All that good stuff.
Thanks for joining me on this crazy rollercoaster we call Life.
I'm looking forward to the next 35 with an open heart and open mind.

HaikuNunu's "Sunrise"

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Insightful Graph: 1

HaikuNunu's "Dreaming"