The Devil’s In The Details

It was lovely to have Norm there when I woke last Sunday after being away. We had a slow morning as Norm was still tired from the flight. We finally headed out for lunch at noon. We decided for a change to try Deli Delish in Hout Bay. We used to go there often but it’s changed hands many times and it has lost what made it so appealing.

When we arrived there was an elderly man sitting outside peering at his phone and as we passed he shouted a greeting. When we left he was in the same spot and asked was everything ok. Apparently he is involved but that’s an odd way to attend to your restaurant, the original owner’s charm and personality is what made the restaurant so fabulous.

We hoped for the best. The staff outnumbered the patrons.

I ordered the chili poppers and the chicken and halloumi salad and Norm ordered the Spanish omelette, my own speciality!

I had seen chili poppers on the specials board rather than on the menu and so I didn’t see a description of the dish and didn’t expect the phyllo, but it was actually really nice.

The salad however wasn’t. As you see it is described as ‘sesame seed crusted’ but nary a seed was present.

The chicken tasted strongly of braai, which is barbecue meat. It was deeply smoky. The halloumi was cold and chewy. It wasn’t pleasant.

Norm was equally unimpressed by his meal.

His omelette was like rubber and the chorizo wasn’t cooked, just sliced up and put into the omelette. Norm asked why my omelettes are so much better. I whip milk or fromage frais into mine, the air makes them fluffy, not rubbery. I precook my chorizo with my pepper and onion before adding the egg and I let the egg ‘seal’ a bit before I laden with fillings. It’s the little things, that attention to detail. Something us Virgo’s thrive on.

Consultancy is the same, that attention to detail is the deciding factor between an adequate consultant and an excellent one. The ‘door opener’ to a client and what can distinguish between a resulting 6 week contract and a 2 year contract.

It is also the key difference between a mediocre restaurant and a successful one.

We finished up and decided on impulse to buy a coffee maker.

So we did.

I love Red!

We also bought a milk frother and all manner of pods to taste. We didn’t research and our attention to detail failed. We bought multiple types of pods. Oops. But work has the one with the short fat pods, so I will take some to work. When we got home we checked it out and realized we bought the wrong type machine, it takes only outdated pods.

Crap.

Later in the week Norm returned it and the guy at the shop said it was being discontinued.

Wtf? Why was it on the shelf??

We swapped it for this no name one at half the cost!

My reindeer cookie jar holds the pods. It may be odd in April but it does the job.

All this week we have been trying out a variety of new options for dog food. As I have mentioned, we only feed raw to our dogs. We normally buy from the breeder where we bought Navajo but it’s far away and the food is in very large bags, is messy and smelly and horrid to deal with. Our small dogs eat so little the bags last too long and start to pong. The doggy fridge is always covered in blood and smells horrid. Yes they have their own fridge and freezer! We need an alternative.

With Norm away I had to make a plan as I couldn’t drive to the breeder to collect stock. Last week I bought chicken necks and wings at Pic n Pay and they had that for a few days with veg and banana mixed in. Then I saw someone talking about how great Give A Dog A Bone was. I contacted them last week and found out for R77 they deliver to my door! Even better, the delivery day is a day Cordelia is here to accept delivery.

They had an extensive menu. It is organic and already minced up with veg and fruit. It is well balanced and easy to serve. We are thrilled! I have now put in a weekly order. No more mess, fuss or travel. The dogs love it!

After lunch at Deli Delish last Sunday we did a big grocery shop and I cooked a roast chicken for Sunday dinner.

I made caulimash, mushrooms, a cream sauce and baked cheesy aubergines. The Sunday film was Spy with Melissa McCarthy. It was hilarious.

Monday was another gorgeous day. I was up too late on Sunday night and struggled to get up so Mondaymorning and ended up in the huge 7am queue of traffic into town. The sun was just up over the sea. The horizon a lovely pink. This is me parked waiting for the shuffle of cars.

That night I made a spaghetti bolognaise sauce for Tuesday’s supper to serve over zucchini noodles.

Last Monday evening was quite warm so I kept dinner light. I made chicken and coriander meatballs. I added puréed onion and red pepper, 2 eggs, coconut flour, and coriander to minced chicken. It was too sticky to make nice round balls. It was like cooking a pyramid. But I eventually got them browned. I served with rosa tomatoes, avocado, crispy bacon, steamed asparagus and roasted crispy zucchini. All carb free 100%.

It filled a gap. 😉

The girls all met at Louise’s house this month for book club on Tuesday evening. We had a laugh at 3 of the girls’ stories of their adventures on the Whale Trail. They walked for hours every day for 5 days which is my idea of hell even when this is your view.

But they are all fit and sporty and have the time to spend training. The funniest story to me was that after the trip when they returned to Dawn’s Range Rover the monkeys or baboons had pulled bits off of the car trying to get in. That is a common occurrence but it is something unique to Africa I assume!

This week has been filled with even more sad passings, as if 2016 hasn’t claimed enough.

It was closer to home on Wednesday as my aunt Juanita passed away. She has been ill for a while but it is still tragic when someone leaves us. RIP Juanita, I hope you find peace.

Then on Thursday social media started posting about the death of Prince. No one believed it at first.

I loved Prince, he brought us such amazing music and was one of the first to challenge gender roles and stereotypes. He embraced sensuality at a time when men were not open about that side of themselves. He was both feminine and masculine. The world will be a dimmer place without his light.

Percy Sledge also passed on the 14th and I didn’t even see it on social media until days later. Another icon.

RIP to all the souls who passed over this year.

Wednesday evening I got home late and was rather knackered so I wanted something I could start cooking and leave a bit so I could relax. I pan fried some pork fillets in butter. Tossed pumpkin in olive oil and put in to roast and sat to rest for a few minutes to destress. Then I steamed the cauliflower and put in the blender and added an egg yolk and puréed it. Once I took the pork out to rest I added cream to the pan and made a sauce.

We have had months of turmoil on our campuses. The latest is a protest at Rhodes University where a list was published on social media announcing accused alleged rapists.

Photos were seen of Vice Chancellor Dr. Sizwe Mabizela asking police to stop their actions against the protesters‚ and yet police continue to shoot rubber bullets at protesters.

It turned into a naked protest. But there was no justification for shooting anyone.

It led to a shut down of the campus. I wonder how much education is happening during these times of unrest. But change is needed to deal with the remaining suppression and victimization which occurs in SA.

The weather turned again and on Thursday when I had to go to multiple client sites there was lots of rain. It was a long horrendously stressful day.

Friday was Earth Day and Mother Earth made her presence known.

South Africa was hit with a huge storm with 100km winds. Trees were whipped away, limbs flew through the air and landslides and rockslides occurred.

The sky was ominous.

There were trees down across the roads and even landing on top of houses.

A local suburb’s security hut was knocked over.

I cannot imagine how some of the shacks in the townships survived the storm.

Another item in SA news is the latest attacks on Policemen on duty, leading to several being murdered. There were 3 attacks and 1 had his phone stolen, but one of the victims had his revolver stolen. More senseless deaths.

I got home late on Friday and was so tired so Norm kindly offered to get a take away. I was craving Pasta so had a non-Banting meal. I ordered spaghetti bolognaise. It was so bland. I’m now used to the tasty food we have been having as fat adds flavour.

The dogs were desperate for a crumb.

We had a quiet night in, happy for our warm dry home. Norm spent a lot of time out with the Neigbourhood Watch guys as this crazy weather gives a lot of cover for criminal activity.