June 2015 favourites

The first month of winter and so far it hasn't been really cold though there were 3 days that were an exception. I know because I don't have 'blains as yet *knocking on wood*. Now Last month I stared editing my favourites too late so it didn't make the cut for being relevant. I nearly forgot this month so here it is!:

Japanese style Under eye Blush:

It's a trend called 'me no shita chiiku' and I enjoy doing my blush like that. Cream, tint or powder blushes all work well.

Sock Bun:

 

Chances are you've seen this somewhere before. Instead of wearing a hat on bad hair days I bun it up with old tired socks. Just cut off the toes and roll up the sock. I bun up after washing my hair for no heat curls the next day. When my hair is too clean and I want to have a bun, I tie it into a pony so it's neat and secure, spray it with some dry shampoo or hair spray for it to have some texture. (You can tie it with your hair slicked back or usually I roughly pony my hair with bumps). Put the hair through the middle of the sock doughnut and wrap your hair around the sock pushing it back through the hole in the bottom. Make sure the sock is covered with hair.

Scarves:

Knitted, bright or neutral. I love them all. I like even wearing sarongs as huge scarves.

Fitbit:

 

I like this bit of tech. It's not really my own. It's my sister's. It really makes you concious of your movement or lack there of. I've found that in the end of day I’m shorting a few steps to make a round number I'll be dancing around or marching in place to get numbers.

Roasted Butternut

Set oven to 180°C. Slice the butternut in half and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes. For something extra, after taking it out, put a few spoons of sweet corn in the cavity and add some cheese and pop back into the oven for 5-6 minutes just to heat up the corn and melt the cheese.

Chocolate with things in it.

Not a cheap exercise for your (insert fat body part) or your wallet but it's delicious. My two favourites are Lindt's Crème Brulee and Cadbury's Marvellous Creations' Popping jelly candy. MMM...

Taking stock of your food and make a weekly meal plan.

Tedious yes but necessary. Every month there is a special on meat, fish, vegetables. You portion it up, freeze and forget it. Is it still a good deal if you have to throw away the food 6-12 months down the line after you bought even more. I have a tiny freezer and even I have that problem.

Now we have Pasta Monday and steak Friday. I also bought less this month to try to finish the freezer stockpile. It forces you to be a bit more creative.

That's my stuff for the month. Have a good weekend!

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7 Ways to Drink (more) Water

The first tip in weight loss and being healthy is always drinking water. I have mentioned it a lot of times in my posts. A lot of people just don't drink water. I know people who just don't. The only liquid they would consume is coffee and the odd time they would eat soup. Funny that the easiest way to start getting healthy is drinking water.

Now I could go on about how your brain needs water and how much water your body is made up of. How water is an appetite suppressant and helps with detoxifying your whole body But I'm sure there are plenty of other blogs that can tell you about that in detail with numbers. You can read it like your interested, pin it and forget about it. I want to give you physical tools to drink more of the good stuff.

Here are some awesome ways to start drinking:

1. Get a filter. A potable bottle one is better.
   
   
   

That means you can fill it up any where and have fresh clean water. You could buy a whole pallet of bottle water but I think it's super waste full because let's be honest, you aren't going to recycle that sh!t. That way you can also monitor how much you drink easier. Here at Takealot is a Brita filter water bottle or here at Dischem is an Addis Bobble.

2. Spice your water
   
   
   

That is the most annoying thing that people say: I don't like the taste of water. WTF kind of water are you drinking? Water by nature doesn't taste of anything. Literally spice up your water. Add a pinch of ginger or cinnamon. Some or other time you probably got a post on FB or scrolled across a pin about the heath properties of both spices

3. Add some lemon or lime
   
   
   

Again a Facebook and Pinterest favourite. Those weird listy blogs (the ones that you can see are just for Google Adsense money with stock photos.) There are huge testimonials about drinking hot lemon water in the morning. It was claimed to be the next kale. Beyonce probably does it as well. I'm not going to announce that I'm vegan but I like the way it tastes. It's also super cheap. Cheaper that berries and stuff

4. Get appy
   
   
   

Punny. Get an easy app to measure your intake. I've been using Aqualert. You put in your info like height, weight and activity level and it works out the amount you have to drink. I like to set the notification to remind me to drink. I also like that there are badges that you get for reaching targets.

5. Buy a water bottle
   
   
   

Have a cool container to drink out of is more motivation. It also means you don't have to get up as often to get water. When it's with you on your desk or work area you would drink more often. Make sure it is BPA free. Don't use an old juice bottle or soda bottle. It tends to have a gross taste after a while and is probably NOT BPA free.

6. Bubble water
   
   
   

Chia seeds are one of the new very old things (Other new old thing: Oats, Apple Cider Vinegar, Cocoa powder) It's been used by ancients and now its cool again. I read about it a lot and bought a (Very expensive. Like R40 for 100g) pack the other day. I love bubble tea so this was awesome. Here's the recipeI started with. I didn't want is to drink that much because then it would finish sooner so I take 2 teaspoons of seeds mix it with one small glass of water. Mix it up with a chop stick. Leave it for 10 minutes. Mix it up again with a squeeze of lemon juice and a small drizzle of honey. Leave for 5 minutes, mix it up again (the seeds get a little clumpy) and BOOM, Chia water bugs.

7. Drinking certain times will make drinking more water easier.

Drink when you wake up, before eating, before and after a bath/ shower and before bed. That is already 2 litres of water

That is my ways to drink water. I know some people like their water frozen and surrounded by alcohol or like drinking water to surprise their liver. Be kind to your body.

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Chooseday: Don't put yourself down because you are not Beyonce

I wanted to write about how annoying cellphones have become in social settings. I'm seeing an alarming amount of people out with friends or family, all sitting there with their backs hunched typing on their phones. I just imagine the child crying by the father's grave “I never even knew my father!” Maybe you would have IF BOTH OF YOU talked to each other at Wimpy instead of you playing clash of clans and your dad on Whatsapp.

Instead I chose this:

You have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyonce. . . This Esty listing notes it as a motivational. For a business, it's cool but most people pin this as motivation to use as a human being. Don't.

Don't use this as a benchmark for a life of a human being. Let's bring what you do and beyonce does in 24h.

Okay it's Bey's job to look good. So let's say she starts her day at the gym by the time for an hour(?). When she gets back her breakfast is ready.(That is if she's not drinking that cayenne pepper honey nonsense) Her chef made her a vegan whatever that her nutritionist/ dietician said. If she has an appearance, her stylist gives her her (probably free) gown/ outfit. Her hair person and make-up person fixes her up and in-between she has her vegan lunch/ “detox” drink. Her assistant takes like 50 pics of which she picks to post on Instagram. Because she woke up like dis. Then she goes out to an awards show/ interview/ basketball game. When she gets home the chef prepared dinner.

Or maybe it's one of those days where she does normal people work day of meetings and rehearsal/ recording. She still doesn't have to cook for herself (do you think she would still be vegan if she had to feed herself, her husband and her small child?). When last did Beyonce do laundry or had to stay at home from work to take her small child to the doctor? Does Beyonce even know where the lappie is if Blue spilt her juice on the floor? How much does Bey actually see of Blue?

You may not have the body or money but you can count yourself successful my Non-yonce. You may not gym but you cope with commuting to work. You may not eat vegan but you are buying and preparing your own meals. You have to buy and care for your own clothes, do your hair and make-up. That idiot running and cleaning after your child is you.

Bey can learn form you. ***Flawless

Beyonce, if you ever see this. Drop a comment. Would you ever be able to be a Non-yonce?

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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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Flower arranging

When I started this blog I want to teach you cheap, easy life tricks some make impossible or make it seem like you need a life time of knowledge to perfect. Decor, style, cooking, make up and other nitty gritty things people are afraid of because there are professionals in the field. I'm not saying you should learn how to rewire your house or bend and weld your car a new exhaust. Some stuff needs a pro.

Flower arranging is one of those things I feel that, if using your logical human brain, is easy. Here is my way of arranging a bunch of flowers:

My supplies are

Flowers

A Vase

Scissors

Bleach

Sugar

You can use any flowers in this arrangement I used roses. In the other picture I used a mixture of flowers in a standard bouquet. Now I know a lot of things like doing a minor service on my car and how to work my complicated tumble drier (I physically had to read how to use it. And friends who also bought one also told me how they battled) but I don't in general know flower names. I know like roses and lilies and stuff but I go for colours I like or what fits the room. Mostly the colour I like. You also don't necessarily have to use flowers. Some stems with leaves or even herbs can look fresh and chic.

Now vase sounds fancy. Like you should spend R200 on a container to arrange your flowers. I don't have money or time for that. Really? Like for real? I use a simple washed mayonnaise bottle. Ina Garten doesn't have time for that. She uses drinking glasses (See easy tips #50). Put that R200 or more back into your pocket.

To stretch the life of the flowers you can add one teaspoon bleach and 2 teaspoons of sugar to about 1 litre (4 cups) water. I mix it in with a chop stick.

Measure your flowers to your container. Remove all leaves from the stem that would be under the water line

Cut the stem to an angle for more surface area to absorb water. 

To arrange just use your natural mind of symmetry. We all have that. It works on the concept of 'If it looks right, it is right'. Use what looks right to your eye. With the height and colour. If the colour and size of the bloom does not look right, like if there is too much yellow or what, just move it until it looks right. Use what your eye tells you because it's a thing your mind does naturally everyday. Probably without you even noticing.

Place and Instagram that shit.

É tips:

• Check water regularly. The purple roses lasted a good week and a half so I had to refill the water a bit
• Buy yourself flowers. Fo' real. On a budget? There are some bunches for R35. You don't have to buy every week/ day or even month. But just do it.
• Don't stress too much about the arrangement or knowing the names. We use lipstick for blush. Blankets for throws. Linens for table cloths. Martini glasses for pudding bowls and bananas for eggs baking a cake.
• If you have extra leaves from a standard bouquet, layer it around the edge of the flowers.
• Remember to remove all leaves that would be under the water line. They could rot and become all weird and slimy in the water

Hope this let's you start having more flowers in your living areas. What's your favorite flowers?

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