Santa is back in the goodbooks #blogsecretsanta
Its no lie, as a kid I thought Santa was a total weirdo. This guy you don’t know comes into your house while you’re sleeping and you go to the mall to go sit on his lap. All this while your parents warn you on the dangers of creepy men you don’t know. I just didn’t get it.
Things changed after my gran died. My family stopped doing the traditional things and I realised, despite creepy Santa, we desperately needed cling to traditions. Its what gives a family spirit. Now that I have my daughter, I can start our own family traditions. Some are based on past traditions and some are new but most of all, we’re going to be consistent. So Santa is in my good books for now.
Well, a favourite of mine is Secret Santa, and this year I get to participate in #blogsecretsanta which is being run this year by The Stilleto Mum.
So… to my Secret Santa, here are a few things I like:
- Chalk Board anything.
- Anything from Yuppie Chef (I’m more backing than cooking inclined).
- Tattoos by Ryan Bell
- You know that little pink piggy you see being sold on the side of the road made of pink plastic packets? That.
- Christmas crackers – bonkers for them (and buttons), would pop them all year long if I could.
- I’m a Google Geek and an SEO by trade – not sure what this means for my Secret Santa, but there it is.
- Chartiy, do something crazy for charity
- Trinkets of any kind. What I would love best, is a box of trinkets that you have put together. Something that shows me a bit about you, and bit about me.
To learn a bit more about me, check out my Pinterest Boards.
The perfect pap ‘n sous (phutu pap & sheba) – recipe
Pap ‘n sous has got to be one of the recipes I can count as part of my ‘heritage recipes’. My father taught me this recipe and he learnt it from his mother so we’re all stywer (tight) pap fans. Every time I make pap I remember my childhood maid/nannie Maria. Sometimes she would babysit my sister and I and make pap and boerewors for dinner. The thing is she would boil the boerewors in milk and make pap with a more porridge consistency which I thought was just awful. So those nights I would go hungry.
Anyhow, see below for my family’s recipe for the perfect pap ‘n sous.
- 1 can chopped tomato (2 if you want to make more)
- 1 medium sized onion, chopped
- 15 ml olive oil
- 30 ml Worcester sauce
- your choice of spices or herbs – e.g. garlic, chilies, rosemary, pepper
- maizena or any thickener of you choice if needed
- Fry chopped onion in a pot till softened.
- Turn down the heat and add 1 (or 2) tin/s of chopped tomato and Worcester sauce and simmer.
- Add your choice of herbs and/or spices to your taste.
- If the sous looks too thin, add a little thickener like maizena.
- 750ml water
- 500g maize meal
- 15ml olive oil
- 5ml salt
- Add water, oil and salt to a pot and boil on high.
- Once the water is boiling add the maize meal to the water slowly while stirring with a wooden spoon.
- When all is combined and lump free, turn off the heat and cover pot with a lid. Allow the pap to steam in the pot. Don’t worry if a little sticks to bottom, that usually happens, just make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove from stove if it does start to burn.
My new favourite – Toya Delazy
After watching #IdolsSA last night I’m now an big Toya Delazy fan. The top 10 girls performed with Toya Delazy her song ‘Heart’ and I fell in love with the song right away. Her music is fun and makes you want to sing out loud See the cute music video below. If you want to here some more from her latest album ‘Due Drop’, visit her site for samples http://www.toyadelazy.com/
A day at the aquarium
The aquarium is one of my favorite places to go and I’ve been eager to share this with my daughter. This last weekend was the second time we’ve taken her to the Two Oceans Aquarium and we had a blast. The first time she went, she was way to interested in the other kids to care about the fish. This time she dashed from tank to tank absolutely enthralled in the swimming and sliding creatures.
The only problem is that it’s a rather expensive outing, R112 for an adult ticket (R100 online price), parking and lunch/snacks. This is why my husband and I got annual passes at R243 each, in 3 trips to the aquarium you are already saving money… baring what you’ve already shelled out. So if you enjoy going Two Oceans Aquarium, save a bit of money by either getting an annual pass or by purchasing you tickets online. Kids under four go free and nannies, students and old folk tickets are a bit cheaper.
I must say the “restaurant” – read cafeteria – was ok, but the food itself was a little disappointing. The only fish dish they had only came deep fried and costR65 for the adult portion. The play area was nice and had puzzles, 3 different types of slides and Dora on the TV but the toys were a bit unkept. High chairs were available when asked for and were a much better quality than what you find at Spur.
Munching on fish and chips
Loving the rays
Sand pit in the kiddies area
Trying to climb into the kelp forest
Absa made me cry
I’ve been with Absa for over 10 years and have used a number of their products. Never have I had an issue with them, but now I just can’t wait to switch everything to another bank. I have to FICA my accounts and its been such a