Charity!

Ok, so yesterday I was all jokey about the charity ball - but today jokes aside it's time to get serious! I declare September the month to kick start your generous spirit, it's time to get going and start giving!
The ball was an annual JDI (Just do it) event. JDI is a fantastic charity that helps support different projects. They want people to know exactly how their money donated is helping people. For more information go to www.jdi.org.com The ball this year was for the project SAEP (South African Education and Environment Project) which is the most fantastic organisation go to www.saep.org to see what they do.
So, Darling and I are always talking about how we can help, what we can do. The days and weeks go by in our busy lives and we never get around to achieving our good intentions. The saying 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions' is so true. Then, we were told about this book called 'how 2 help' It is basically for people like us who want to do something but are not sure how to start. It lists 46 charities in and around Cape Town. It has a grid to work out which projects fit your interests and a table that enables you to match what you can offer in terms of time to the projects that would benefit. It is basically 'spoon feeding' people on how 2 help.
I am so excited abut it. We all say "I really want to do something" so, I am substituting a book club for a charity club! We will sit and go through the book and mark out our favorite causes and how we can help as a group of friends. It is going to be so fun.
I will let you know how it goes, but in the mean time go out and buy the book. (Oh, forgot to say that all h2h profits from the sale of the book will go to the projects featured in the book)

p.s. Don't you think this book is a wonderful present to give for Christmas and Birthdays.

So on Saturday night Darling and I attended a charity ball. As with all these things there was the
inescapable auction (not that I'm complaining it - it was for charity after all) All I know is that we woke up on Sunday morning with a pile of white envelopes next to Darling's head - all our 'winnings' !!! We are an auctioneers dream come true. We love a bit of a frenzy, a bit of excitement, a bit of competition and above all obviously think that money grows on trees!! Hooray!! (It's like auctions are pretend, I always feel like you don't actually pay. As long as you win) I must never go near an auction again!
We acquired some pretty diverse things:

• Not one but two weekends away (neither places we've ever heard of)
• A two hour Dr Hauschka facial.
• The ex chef of the Mount Nelson is coming to our house to cook for one of our dinner parties (AMAZING) Who will be the lucky guests? mmmmmmm.
• A signed cricket bat by the Cape Cobras (I must admit I had never heard of them) And when we got the bat it was only a half bat - a mini one. Although actually probably better.
• And then the piece de resistance was the three day rock climbing course!!!! What was I thinking? I must be mad. Although we all know I cannot resist a fad.

We even got given a free case of wine. They didn't say it, but I think it's for drowning our sorrows when we realise we will be living off tinned tuna for months! Well, at least we'll know how to rock climb.

This is more or less how I imiagine the rock climbing will turn out.

*A note from Mr Manners.

Try not to get caught up in the frenzy of auctions.

It will do you no good and you will bid for things that you neither

want nor can afford. You should try to ignore your competitive streak.

Don't bid against your friends. Let them have it, chances are auction karma will reward you. Don't drink and bid! For obvious reasons. Memory loss at an auction is by no means an ideal situation. Don't do a victory dance - you paid for the item! Never gloat, someone will know better and you might have brought a dud.

In fact, unless you know what you are doing, an auction is a scenario rife with imminent disaster! The exception is of course charity. You can put your foolishness down to charity and is therefore a win win situation.

So much to do!

Well, once again I have been a very naughty blogger! I never realised that any one read my blog apart from my mother and my brother. Not even Darling, who constantly features reads it!

So on Friday when I went to my own blog for fun - my heart nearly jumped when I saw TWO comments - neither one from my mother or my brother! Oh the fright I got, and now the guilt. To anonymous that said 'where are the posts?' I am SO sorry. I hope you give me another chance and check on my blog again to see that I am back. (I know I've promised this before - again to my mother and brother, but now I know there are two more people! Well, I think I'm here for good)



Enough about that! Lets get on with it.....

I am still in a fashion frenzy. Clothes are still my fad for the time being.

I could not believe my luck when I found this website. http://www.psimadethis.com/ In case you don't get it - it's 'p.s. I made this'

It is the best funnest website of all time. I LOVE her inspiration pages. It is worth going to the website just for that alone.

I can't wait to get the crafty sisters onto a few of these fun things. Thank heavens the website has instructions. There is even a book!

So much to do!!!!!!!

Little Lady Pancakes

Well, like most weekends I hear Darling say 'what's for breakfast?' I must say in Darling's defence this is always after I have been given my daily coffee in bed. But somehow, even after the caffeine has been absorbed, this question can make me feel quite furious. Aaaaargh. Honestly, I am immersed in an article on Philippe Starck's quirky day to day life at his holiday house in the Balearic islands, and now I must come crashing back to the planet of domestic chores - so un-Philippe Starcky! Anyway, resisting in ones own mind just makes things worse. Darling has already leapt out of bed and is sawing,digging,drilling away (chores are his hobby) so you see I really ought to make breakfast.
The thing is, as you would have seen in my previous post -the clothes are coming next week! Oh the clothes, how can I cheat on you with food! If I carry on with Darling's British approach to breakfasts the clothes won't be loving me! What to do. I can't make separate meals for us at every meal - my will power is just a figment of my imagination. I must be clever, yes very clever.

This is what I made. I call it 'Little Lady Pancakes'

They were delicious! AND they took about ten mins.

Makes 4 large pancakes.
For the Pancakes
100g Buckwheat Flour (Buckwheat flour is not part of the wheat family, buckwheat is often used in gluten free baking. Buckwheat is a good source of potassium, phosphorous, calcium, vitamin E and B vitamins. Substitute for wheat flour according to a recipe)
35g Xylitol (Xylitol powder is derived from birch bark. It can be used as a spoon replacement for sugar but has low glycemic index)
210ml Skimmed Milk
2 1/2 tbsp Water
1 Medium Egg
4 tsp Coconut Oil for Frying (1 tsp per pancake)
For the Topping
Low Fat Bulgarian Yoghurt
Berries and Fruit

1. Make the pancakes by blending all the pancake ingredients together. (Except the coconut oil)
2. Melt one teaspoon of the coconut oil in a frying pan and tip to coat the whole pan surface. Spoon in half a ladleful of the batter and tip the pan to spread it evenly in a circle around the base.
3. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds on each side.
4. Spoon a tablesoon of the yoghurt on top (a good substitute for cream) and cover with berries and other fruit.
5. Drizzle a bit of raw honey or agave nectar over the top.


I sadly did not have any blueberries or strawberries. I had gooseberries and was a bit naughty and used banana. You should always make the presentation exciting.

I also did the classic trick of serving the pancakes on a smaller plate. This tricks your brain into thinking your plate is piled high with food and therefore sees more food than there actually is! Or something like that.

* A note from Mrs Married:

I read an article once in the Tatler where the author compared being married to being extremely similar to a waitress - both serving three meals a day.

We all feel like this at some point, lets be honest. The only thing is, that unlike a waitress, you get to choose what you serve. So, be a bit imaginative and make it delicious, healthy and very easy.

There is no reason today for labour intensive meals, nor is there an excuse for anything vastly unhealthy. With all the health shops today there is a substitute for everything. You just have to do your initial homework and you're set for good!