The less in the fridge, the better the chef

This is not my fridge. I don't know what Mott's is, nor Krema nor Silk Light. And, my containers aren't see-through as depicted in the picture, nor do they have red lids. My containers are more like ice cream containers washed and reused (so I can never see what's in them, but it makes for a great guess-whats-in-it game.)

This fridge is just there to prove my point. This is a bare fridge. I stared in my own (similarly bare) fridge tonight.

Due to some arsehole not paying me, I have no money and no food in my fridge. Have no worry, spare no pity. When is comes to cooking - the less in the fridge, the better the chef I become.

I have a knack for creating a delicious - although wierd - meal from basically nothing. Using 'logical' ingredients in place of others I can still cook up a storm.

Good tips I've learnt
1. Use sugar when you don't have chutney
2. Use milk when you don't have cream (with a touch of flour to thicken)
3. Use spit instead of salt... only kidding
4. Use burger patties when you have no mince (I did that tonight. Not an optimal choice but it does work. Who said a 'burgery' taste isn't nice in a pasta?

Yes, it's always the case when you have a lack of ingredients and food supply, that you become really creative in cooking.

The one time I used fish and tomato puree when trying to make lasangue. IT DID NOT TASTE NICE (and my husband will agree) but it's only once in a while that you would make a disaster of a meal and rather eat pickles (that have been fermenting in your fridge for a year.)

Case in point, the less in the fridge, the better the chef and tonight I proved that yet again.
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Sorry, had to pardon myself for 10 minutes

Throwing different ingredients into a bowl and making it taste great is beneficial, however too many ingredients can play havok on the stomach.

Laytop losers and coffee convicts

Walking into News Cafe, is like walking into a portable office.

I don't know what it is about coffee shops, but they've become the newest work office location.

There's something nice however about getting out your laptop at a coffee shop, with a cuppa' coffee by your side.

I'm sitting at News Cafe and all I can see is laptop losers all around me. Most of them are in suits and look smart, and here's Stacey in her ug boots looking like she just rolled outta bed.

I wonder what those people are doing on their laptops? I bet some of them are just posing.

Nevertheless it beats working from home infront of the TV. Working here gives you some sort of pride. So even if you are just posing, you feel like you are doing something worthwhile.

Gotta love those laptop losers and coffee convicts.

Big fat question mark

I'm in one of the stages of life where everything seems to be a question mark.
My hubi, wrote off his car. The arsehole assessor came round, manipulated the fuck out of us and now there is a big fat question mark as to whether or not insurance will pay out.
I resigned from my job - although the status of the company is questionable (I may as well have been retrenched) - and now I am still waiting for my salary. Will my salary be paid in? This is questionable.
Career path. Big fat question mark. Where am I going? What do I want to do with my life? Question mark, question mark, question mark.
I need answers to these damn questions marks.
I'm not in a good place. Emotions are questionable.

Tree of Knowledge

We all get 'above' ourselves thinking that we know everything. As a 25 year old, I used to think I was 'above' my age. 'Used to' being the important word here.

I sat with a friend the other day over a glass of wine and I was humbled. Very humbled. A few years older then me, she is way above me on the career ladder and her expertise and knowledge showed. I admire her for that.

Although humbled and made to feel like I knew nothing (self-inflicted), it was a good humbling. It was like I was hit with the clarity stick. Something in me clicked. I felt like I knew the basics but needed to learn more. I needed to climb up the knowledge tree.

I've been unfocused lately, doing many things at once and wondering why I couldn't pin down what I wanted to do - what inspired me. But how can you really know what you want to do, when you have no idea or have no in-depth knowledge of the thing you think you want to do? I needed to target my interests and learn about them. The two main areas of career I am involved in are events and journalism. The key area I want to get involved in is copywriting.

So out comes the laptop and research begins. No wonder my brain has been bored stiff and stagnate. It's been subconsciously yearning to learn. And to learn something that I am interested in. So research begins on the short courses. I am going to sign up and do a short course. Wow, my brain feels energised already!

Thinking broader, I then sign up to branding/advertising/copywriting newsletters and websites to keep me up-to-date on what's happening. Then I sign up to freelance websites and sign up to receive work shop updates.

So climbing up the tree of knowledge will entail:
Reading through ENTIRE newsletters - from top to bottom - and following links
Attending work shops
Doing a short course
Being mentored by those more in-the-know

As I climb, I become more focused and gain knowledge. From humble roots come branches of knowledge. "I can see clearly now the rain has gone."

This is all so exciting... I can feel my brain growing already!

Labraboxer

You know the movie 'Marley and me' - where they own Marley the 'worst' (but best) dog in the world.

Well we have Dontay - I'm sure he is a replica of the labrador in the movie, although is of Boxer breed. With the way he is... we should have our own movie "Dontay and me".

Although we love him to death and our lives and home would never be the same without him, he really is a naughty fella'.

Jumping over 20 foot high fences (and having to repeatedly make them higher); doing his overly energetic springbuck jump in the back yard; jumping on me in the garden (I feel like he's attacking me, but he's not); never coming inside when called and having to drap him indoors constantly; not being able to walk on a lead, resisting always; and just being overly active. Yes, he's a marley in real life.

We got him neutered today. So this blog is dedicated to his balls. Let's hope they make him more calmer.

He is a great dog and is so loving, just want him to be calmer. So without his balls, let's see if he remains a Marley dog.

Wanderlust: A true reflection

I watched Wanderlust last night. Although a comedy, to me, it symbolised more than that.

It reflected the 2 ways people live in our society currently - the materialistic rich folk and the spiritual, unmaterialistic people. Today, some people are so driven by materialistic things and their lives so full with technology, technological devices and boring jobs. It becomes a 'show' to them... "look at how much money I have!" and "...this big house defines who I am." Where others, live a more simple life (yet society labels them hippies - a bad stereotype.)

I would say I am more on the hippie side of things. Material things aren't everything to me and having the simple things is just fine.

If we all lived a more 'Wanderlust' lifestyle, the world would be a better place. I wouldn't have to exhaust myself hearing your bullshit stories about your new material devices or how much money you make. And you wouldn't have to babbler on so much, and waste your breath, about how successful you are - whilst inside I know you're still unhappy.
Wow, if I could live off the land and enjoy the simpler things in life, I'd do it in a flash. Not that I'd drink that halucinating tea or have sex with numerous people as they did in the movie, but I'd not be bombarding my technology or live a fast-paced life like other people in the rate race. Although the movie depicts polar opposite lifestyles, there needs to be a balance between the two.

This movie really confirmed that being who I am, and having the bare essentials, is perfectly fine. I realised that I am living the better lifestyle, and it's comforting.
What a WANDERful movie to watch - definitely goes amongst the top of my favourite movies to watch.

Caffeine Conversion

I used to L.O.V.E Coke. Now I L.O.V.E Coffee.

Both equally tasty, both bad for you.

As I long time addict to Coca-Cola, I finally weened myself off and got onto coffee - not thinking that they both had caffeine in it (DUH!). I can't go a day without my coffee fix. Yup, in the morning - straight to the kitchen to make my coffee. (And can you believe I used to be a tea-lover!)

I have undergone a caffeine conversion.

Did you know that 335ml coke contains about 30-35mg of caffeine; whilst a generic instant coffee contains 240ml about 27-173mg of caffeine? Best be getting back to coke, although with Coca-Cola comes rotten teeth, sugar-sugar-sugar and if it can clean blood off tar roads, then imagine what it does to your body! But in the same breath (a coffee breath I might add) - with coffee comes 2 and half spoons of sugar per cup for me and if you're having at least 2 cups a day then that equates to 7 and a half sugars. That still beats a can of coke that has about 10 spoons of sugar in it. So when it comes to either coke or coffee - it's a no win situation.

I've GOT To give up coffee and caffeine and leave conversions to game of Rugby.