masterchef and other obsessions

I wish I was a more motivated cook, but man do I love watching cooking programmes...Masterchef (the Aussie version is my absolute favourite), Jamie's 30 minute meals, Great British menu, Sophie Dahl's one (a fantasy of boho-chic cooking if there is such a thing) and of course the First Lady of Chocolate and Butter Nigella.

I would love this kitchen from Sophie Dahl's show

There is something calming about watching other people cook and then nibble, I often wonder who eats all the delicious results? Cameramen? Sous chefs? Groupies?

So DO NOT spoil the current Masterchef Aus (season 3) for me! I very carefully did not google season 3 so the winner would NOT invariably come up. I am very much enjoying perving over Hayden - the blonde surfer who can cook pastry and is miraculously un-fat - and tearing up every time some poor soul goes home at the ends of a Heston Blumenthal burger and fries (that takes 3 hours to compile so fair enough) or a pressure test where they accidentally overcook a scallop. Man I love it. Although I have no desire to become a chef myself. More than happy to live vicariously through the show.

I am gunning for Kate in the show (will NOT link to her just in case) because obviously we share a name, and she seems so stable and nice. We could totally be friends.

Nigella's Italian Christmas pudding cake

Oh and Delia Smith is teaching people to cook via her Online Cooking School (you should have seen her on Graham Norton's Show she was livid that people in the UK live on tikka masala and kebabs), check it out here.

sweet times are here

Literally...the Hub and I have already eaten an entire box of marshmallow Easter eggs. It's the 18th. We ate them last week. Whoops.

From the book of love in the Bible: 

"Be alert, stand firm in the faith, 

be brave, be strong. 

Do all your work in love."

                       1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Thanks Pinterest. (the irony of this quote is that it's author Jack Kerouac died of complications from long standing alcohol abuse. Perhaps the lesson is, try to love your life despite it's problems. Turn to God.)

high tea at the oyster box

We went there as a group of girls from work because one lady is relocating to Cape Town. Sad face. But what an experience of Durban hospitality!

The Oyster Box is a iconic hotel in Umhlanga, with brass luggage trolleys, expensive jewellery in mahogany cases in the foyer, a man in a tux playing a baby grand piano...the works! We sat in the Palm Court for high tea and pretended we were ladies of leisure. Highly recommended for a blissful afternoon if you happen to be in Durbs.

This is where we sat (my favourites on that buffet table were the salmon pate' and mini red velvet cupcakes):

                             

This is the luxurious pool area with the iconic red lighthouse (only for hotel residents more's the pity):

                             

Next time I would love to go to the Chukka Bar, it's cosy inside with amazing seaviews.

They also have a resident cat called Skabenga (which means naughty, rascal, generally bad - so quite suitable for a cat) and a seriously stylish wedding venue.

Pics from Land of Legends and above from a wedding by Alexis Diack

autumn is coming

Oh no!

On the positive side, time to haul out my warmer clothes. Don't you find it awesome to discover (what feels like) a whole new wardrobe when winter comes around again? Especially because in Natal even a cardigan on a cool summer's evening happens....NEVER!

I love this cashmere jersey from shopbop.

food adventure: two ingredient cookies

I learnt about these on The Burlap Bag blog. Being inherently lazy and undomesticated (the audit firms from my previous life would call it a "developmental area"), I thought what could be better than just TWO ingredients? Yes you heard correctly...TWO! And one of them is not stiffened egg whites - yay!

The two ingredients are...drumroll...

1 cup uncooked oats and 2 mushy bananas.

Both of which I buy weekly so double yay! Then you can add extras like choc chips, honey, cocoa or nuts. You just moosh the bananas and oats together, pop them in the oven for 15 minutes and Bob's your auntie! I added cocoa, bashed walnuts and honey for some sweetness. They were surprisingly good considering they are sans the flour, eggs, sugar and oil that usually make cookies so delectable.

Have a go and let me know. Quite proud of my attempt.

emerald summer

I was thinking...can you wear beautiful emerald green in summer? 

Waiting for autumn to wear it in wool scarves and belted coats seems a shame. I'm going to wear this silk dress bought in the States a few years ago. I hardly ever wear it; being one of those dresses just too short for work and way too smart for the beach. Instead of wearing it with dark stockings and boots, perhaps flat black sandals like these?

this made me laugh

For days....

Best. Tumblr. Ever.

PS if my Howie were to be publically shamed:

I am a sock thief. I steal my Mom's socks just to carry
them around and cover them in Spaniel gob.