Late Chooseday: So Serious

I haven't posted a real Chooseday piece as every time it's just too real. Stuff about victim blaming and rape culture and how I bought a knife. (Come at me bro') I want my reader to feel inspired and motivated. So I decided to tell you what I'm doing in my real life and where I want to take the blog in a few months.

So story wise you'll see a post of my sweet sweet dog that passed and dealing with that and the little dog that came into her place

Now I am probably moving in the next month and a half so you'll probably see some posts about that and I'll have a real office. Not one with a ironing board and a bunch of sh*t standing around because it doesn't have a place

The new place also has an awesome untouched garden so you'll probably see a few (a lot of) DIY's.

Photo credit~ the Estate Agent

Now there is a new series of posts I want to do every month before pay day: The R200 Challenge. I want to do a room makeover or a face of make up, a hair do over or a cool project for R200. I'll look for good deals or a cheap but expensive looking projects.

Now more regularly I post my favourites. I'm posting in a six topic format of:

Beauty ~ It includes make up products, lotions, nail polish or make up or nail polish techniques

Hair ~ Either style or products

Fashion ~ Clothes or shoes I liked to wear

Food ~ A place or specific food item

Recipe ~ This is usually an easy, quick recipe that I made a lot during the month

App ~ Usually a free download I used a lot

Free ~ A free is something you probably already have, an exercise or activity the will cost you R0.00

Next month Winter is upon the Southern Hemisphere, the house is coming, probably a new pet coming, new types of posts and new ways to beat the 'blains.

I will think of a better subjects to post about . . . then trying to not to get raped

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Post for a friend ~ Bunny chow for Zelda

I recently started Instagraming my dinner for family and friends in the evenings. I know there are people who get annoyed with it (It's called hide posts, okay) BUT most of my friends and family enjoyed my post. Recent weeks my meals were replays so I didn't really post but due to my private public demand #michellesdinner is going to make a come back.

Now this was a request from a friend who saw my bunny chow dinner and asked for a post. Here it is Zellie!

I use an awesome pre-packaged spice mix from Raaniep Spices. This works differently from a curry

spice mix from Rajah from Roberson Spice or Cartwrights as you build the flavour of the curry with the spices. As a child, I hated “Kerrie en rys” (curry and rice). Every church bazaar, school carnival and fund-raising festival has this and 'boere worsrolle' as a staple. Neither are that great as the tannies are heavy handed with the premix curry.

My mom made this curry and I sighed. But as you grow older you realise curry isn't about a burning mouth but about building flavour with spices. So delicious I decided to use the mix as a guide to an awesome bunny chow.

(I see according to my stats, I have few readers who would not know what a bunny chow is. This South African eat comes from Durban in KwaZulu Natal. We have a huge Indian population there. It's a half to quarter loaf of bread, inside scooped out, with a filling of usually beef. You do get chicken, mutton, even beans.)

Here is my chicken and prawn bunny:

Do exactly what the recipe on the back says except adding the prawns/shrimp. (I used 800g chicken breast as I had 200g prawns)

I feel though like there is a lot of leeway with some ingredients to make it your own like adding some frozen mixed vegetables or adding a carrot, broccoli or cauliflower.

Hollow out the bread. I serve it with the inside to soak up and eat with the filling. Think of it as a bread bowl. Don't hollow it out too much as you need the loaf to keep it's structure and keep the saucy meat mix.

When the potatoes are cooked add the prawns until cooked then thicken the sauce because prawns/ shrimp sometimes have a lot of residual moisture from defrosting. (I'm not Ina Garten. I buy the frozen stuff)

Fill the bread. Enjoy.

This is actually enough for 4 to 6 people depending on your loaf size. Here are some tips:

1. Curry too hot? Add some plain yoghurt or sour cream. That should mellow out the flavour.
2. Like it spicy? Serve immediately. The longer you cook the spices the milder it becomes.
3. Want it hotter? Chop a chilli and add it towards the end of the cooking time.
4. With this recipe you don't need to precook or boil and of the meat. All that flavour stays inside the sauce. (Pre-boiled chicken always tastes less appetizing ass all the flavour is in the water)
5. Instead of adding just water to your filling if it's cooking to dry, add some chicken stock. (I wanted to put a wine but no article I read was decisive. Most want beer. Another common one was pinot grigio. But I'm not going to a bottle store for that shit)
6. Eating some of the hollowed out bread also stops the filling from burning too much
7. Change the filling up as you wish. Try ostrich mince, cubed beef, or even veg out with some beans.

Raaniep Spices also have spice mixes for bobotie, pork and breyani. They can be found in most Spars and I once saw at Pick n Pay. Hope this assists you Zellie!

Ever had a bunny chow in KZN?

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Favourites: April 2015

I wanted to post more earlier but my dearest dog, Dory, passed away on the 30^th of April. I am still trying to deal with the loss. As soon as I can deal I will probably spam you with a bunch of pictures on a Chooseday post. Here goes my Faves:

Essence Lash Princess Volume Mascara

I saw this item on a display at my local Clicks for a while. But you know how it works. Michelle Phan used it in her video and I had to have it (Brainwashed by media much?) It's a similar formula to the Catrice All Round mascara and the cobra brush design help with a better application.

Johnson's Baby Powder

I have a formulation to write my 'favourite' blogs and this one is for hair. Yes baby powder for dry shampoo. Several times (I assume it's to do with hormones) my hair would get oily with in a day of washing, where I could always stretch washes to 3 days. I don't want to necessarily wash my hair every day. I would poof some powder on my hair and work it through.

Magic Art

I love creative apps. This app moves particles into different patterns and allows you to change background colours and the colours of the particles. I like the bright colours as well as the pastel. I would play around with this app before bed then I see particles when I close my eyes

Oyster Mushrooms

My husband and I usually go monthly grocery shopping together. We both like food. As we shopped by the fresh veg fridge (Say that three times fast!) he pointed out these alien mushrooms. The package claimed that it's the most harvested mushroom. IDK that's what the package said!?

This being something I never cooked I decided to take the simple approach. Melted a good chunk of butter with a bit of olive oil to prevent it from burning. As soon as it started bubbling I added my trusted Robertsons Mixed herbs (Can't remember with Food Network chef had that tip recently to drop in dry herbs to release the oils). Then I added the mushrooms, while boiling the fettuccine. When everything was cooked I combined and it was delicious!

Converse Classic Black and White

Now I didn't really fashion this month. Or for the home'd. But we are looking for a home, went to do things with my mother-in-law, bought clothes for my husband . . . a truly difficult customer. Meaning long hours through busy malls, walking through homes and complexes. I used my 'verse a lot. They are super comfortable and fit with most things in my closet.

Single serving pancakes

I have no images of me making this. I really felt like flap jacks or a pancakey something but I was one person on a week day afternoon. This was the first recipe that poppedup. So easy and delicious!

Something Free:

Taking photos.

With cellphones having cameras, photography has opened up to everyone. My phone's camera is so awesome I shot some of my blog pics with it and they edited very easy with Photoshop. Just go out there and take pictures. Flowers, animals, buildings, yourself. You don't have to share them on social media. Open a file just for images you took and like. This is my 'free' favourite.

Hope you try some of my favourites

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