On the fly choc chip cookie recipe (gf style)

I made up this recipe yesterday from a few leftovers I had in the kitchen cupboard, and a giant bar of Cadbury's milk chocolate which was supposed to be a stand-by Christmas present for any unexpected extended family members on the day but didn't survive my sudden chocolate craving. :-)

I'm stoked that they turned out yum, since I haven't baked biscuits from scratch since my chef-fy years!

Ingredients:

• 100g unsalted butter;
• 250ml flour (I used 100ml rice flour + 100ml potato flour + 50ml soya flour);
• 200g Cadbury's milk chocolate (which I threw in the food processor to make choccie chips); and
• 3 Tbsp. water.
  

Method:

1. Put the processed choc chips (more like choc chunks) in a bowl.
2. Process the butter, flour and water in a food processor (I have one of those mini ones which come as an attachment to some brands of stick blenders).
3. Mix all ingredients together using a spoon.
4. Line a baking tray with baking paper (or just grease it well).
5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 12 - 15 mins.
6. Makes 18 biccies.
   

Photos:

The dough turns into...

...biscuits fresh from the oven...

...to be enjoyed with authentic Ceylon tea
(a lovely gift from two Sri Lankan sisters I tutored for English).

Flashback: Strawberries and Strawbs

Harvested from my fridge...

Harvested from my dad's music collection...

The Muppets sing Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody

Tibetan Teahouse

Simon's Town holds a little orange gem in the form of the Tibetan Teahouse.

With awesome views of the ocean; calming, milky chai served in little wooden cups; delicious vegetarian food; a friendly cat and an invitation to linger; you just don't find much better than this for a soulful afternoon hangout.

Just drive through the town's on it's main road till juuust before the golf course, and you'll see it on a corner on your right. Say hello to the penguins for me, please :-)

Johnny Clegg, quite simply, rocks!

I have always wanted to see Johnny Clegg live in concert, and one couldn't ask for a better setting than the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town. So I convinced hubby we absolutely had to arrange an entire holiday around the Johnny concert on 22 November.

We were eventually so blabbingly excited about seeing him live, that my parents got in on the action and flew down to Cape Town to see Johnny too - now that's dedication to music for you :-)

His show was, honestly, one of the most fantastic live shows I have ever been to. He had the crowds eating out the palm of his hand with just the right blend of old vs. new songs, background stories and jokes. It was awesome.

Johnny - RESPECT!

Weekend Tunes: Goldfish

Performing 12 December 2009 at Menlyn Park in Pretoria
Details at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=191180622728&index=1

Music to buy at http://www.goldfishlive.com.shopdirect.co.za/

Fort Knox by Goldfish

The Porter Estate Market

When: Saturdays from 9:00 to 13:00
Where: Tokai, on the Chrysalis Academy grounds (directions)
Entrance fee: R5
Website: http://www.pepmarket.co.za

Here are some photos from my trusty digi-cam (always tucked into my bag) from our many market visits, of which each was very special in its own way; if not for the food, then for the people/dogs/setting/company.

Breakfast is highly recommended in the form of grazing from stall to stall, all laid out on one of the rustic wooden benches or tree-trunk tables. Our faves include: moer koffie with condensed milk (served in tin cups), cherries/peaches/apricots/red peppers from the fruit and veg stall, chocolate macaroons (gluten-free) served in little pyramid packets, any pesto from Pesto Princess, raw honey from the honey guy, snoek pate from the fish guy, and goat's milk feta from the Imhoff table.

This outing is one of the things we miss most about living in Cape Town. So if you are in the environs, then please make the trip (often) to treasure this little unpretentious gem of a market...you wont be sorry!

Travel Diary: Hout Bay, Cape Town (at sunset)

Walking on the beach at Hout Bay during sunset is great for a couple of romanticised reasons:

1. holding your loved one's hand and chatting (thanks bu *kiss);
2. enjoying the view of the sun setting over the mountains (see pics);
3. the lighthouse beam from Kommetjie;
4. the fishing boats coming back into the harbour; and
5. the vast array of trotting, barking, playing dogs (as below) that see the beach as their personal playground which I, personally, find amusing to watch (obvious downside - owners that don't pick up their doggy's doo-doo leads to eewww).

Sometimes, one is lucky enough to catch some insight into other people's lives too. On just one random day we witnessed:

1. a wedding party taking pictures on the beach;
2. two sets of religious groups holding baptisms in the harbour waters; and
3. a wedding couple heading to the pier for pictures.

All in a good day's beach walk :-)

So feast your eyes on...

...the sunset (numero uno)...
...the sunset again(numero duo)...

...a little scruffy-do :-)

Travel Diary: Gordon's Bay, Western Cape

G-Bay is situated on the northeast corner of False Bay, about 30 mins drive from Cape Town. Not much goes on here from the view of a passer-througher, and even the "beach" is a little underwhelming BUT the views over False Bay when you get up high enough are pretty spectacular.

That being said, I highly recommend 20 Protea Place as a port-of-call should you be passing through this merry haven. What makes it special is that it is a 5-star self-catering "guest house", with each apartment lavishly decorated from the pages of some uber stylish, shee-shee-poo-poo decor mag. It is tres fab!

Feast your eyes on...

...the kitchen...
...the lounge...
...the dining room...
...le boudoir...
...the balcony with view included :-)

Travel Diary: Hermanus, Western Cape

Happy December everyone! I hope it is indeed a festive month which is sparkley and full-o'-fun :-)

Now, back to the travel-tales.

Herm-se-anus (as I like to call it) is about 90 minutes drive from Cape Town, and we were lucky to be there at the tale-end of the whale season (pun intended).

While the guest house wasn't that great, while still being on the pricey side (it was run by a European woman who talked like Edna from The Incredibles and oozed condescension out of every pore), there was a really cool little dachshund there called Max who made up for his owner's severe lack of gentility and charm.

Walking the cliff path into town is highly recommended, as is eating at the Ocean Basket during whale season. From our window table, we saw at least seven full leaps by a whale right out of the water, which was awesome!

Feast your eyes on...

...Max...

...the view along the cliff path...

...the whale-tale fountain :-)