love love love

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

I love weddings!
Every detail of the day is so satisfying and lovely.  We attended such a gorgeous love filled wedding this weekend.  Beautiful couple ... love spread through the whole day like wild fire.

Hubby & I got married in May this year & quite honestly I could do it all over again, that was how amazing the day was for me and the love between Hubby & I was explosive.... and still is :)


Cheers All!

La Cucina Di Ciro - Parktown North

Thursday, September 23, 2010

So here I sit with a huge smile on my face.  I had the most amazing dinner with Hubby last night.  We went to La Cucina Di Ciro for dinner and the experience was beyond expected. 


We shared a bottle of Bouchard Finlayson Chardonnay & devoured our food, chatting, laughing  & staring lovingly into each other’s eyes.... an unforgettable evening.  Chef, Ciro Molinaro, philosophy is simple - "always use natural and seasonal foods, organic food may be more expensive, but all we need to do is eat less and waste not."  His passion reflects in the preparation and taste of his dishes, absolutely YUMMY!



Whatever you are up to this weekend I hope you have your loved ones by your side & your favourite bottle of wine even closer.

Enjoy your long weekend.
Cheers All!



Wine tasting results!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010


What an amazing evening with great friends, here are my "judge's" thoughts on each wine:

 (original cartoon by George Aldridge)

  • First course: trout pate, fresh tomatoes (marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar with fresh ground salt & pepper and freshly chopped basil), olives, fresh ciabata, fresh sliced avocado and steamed asparagus with crushed fried cashew nuts)

De Grendel Chardonnay

Football Engineer
Smooth, easy going, not to complex – enjoyed it with fresh tomatoes, steamed asparagus with cashew nuts.  Too sharp with the trout pate.

Whiskey Eyes
Before food - all I get is green with a smooth, buttery finish.
After food - tastes smoother now, but honestly most white wines taste the same to me.

Hubby
First sip - green
Finish – oily/buttery
Without food – very unremarkable
With food – better, more fruity

Me
Before food – soft fruit extracts
After food – still soft smooth fruity extracts but accompanied by a grassy smell

  • Second course:  Steamed whole artichokes with blue cheese sauce and lemon butter sauce.

Ataraxia Chardonnay 2008

Football Engineer
More complex, but still smooth

Whiskey Eyes
Before food – green peppercorns & et wood that doesn’t burn good

Hubby
Flowery nose, strong flavors
Needs more decadent food like pasta, selection of cheeses, etc.
Very acidic with artichokes.
This wine is amazing by itself, no food needed – vanilla/melon tastes appear now.

Me
Before food – soft fruity bouquet
With food – robust fruity, soft gooseberries can be tasted now.


I agree, artichokes does not compliment this wine…. When we took a breather between bottles and food we realized that this wine is actually amazing.  It was so beautiful and all these different flavors started appearing.  I need to work on a dish to go with this, maybe rather a soft steamed yellowtail with veggies, nothing to over powering.

  • Final course:  Slivers of Parma Ham, duck foi grass, fresh sliced avocado, tomato, cucumber & basil, wild olive boursin cheese, melted brie cheese with sweet chili, fresh ciabata accompanied with Spanish Olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Red wines
High Constantia 2004
Final selection course:  Slivers of Parma Ham, duck foi grass, fresh sliced avocado, tomato, cucumber & basil, boursin cheese, melted brie cheese with sweet chili, fresh ciabata accompanied with Spanish Olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Football Engineer
Dry, wooded, earthy.  Olives bring out the sweetness.  Boursin cheese matches well with the wine, particularly the pepper.

Whiskey Eyes
Before food – tastes woody, like I poured wine on to my wooden staircase & then licked it up. Yum

Hubby
Heavy oak, forest floor.  Wonderful finish with olive oil and bread.

Me
Before food - Fruity smell with and old wine barrel finish.  Sweet berries can be picked up. 
With food – still fruity with a very old wine barrel smell and a gorgeous soft berry aftertaste.

Le Bonheur Cabernet Sauvignon 1994

Football Engineer
Sour apple, mulberry.  Delicious with the duck pate and fantastic with the Parma ham

Whiskey Eyes
GUMMY BERRIES!

Hubby
Fruity wooden pieces of heaven – dry, but you can drink it.

Me
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Oh goodness – I can not read what I wrote, ha ha, like it’s a big secret and I wanted to be the only one to decipher it??!!! Whoopsie :)

All in all it was a gorgeous evening and we had two amazing red wines that stood to the test of time.  I have to admit the Ataraxia stayed in my mind and was the most memorable wine that evening.

So if any of you out there are hosting your own unpretentious wine tasting, with your friends or loved ones, I would love to hear about it & pictures would be a bonus ;)

Cheers all!



Run Run Run

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

I decided to start running, eish!
Yeah, my philosophy used to be: "I will only run if someone is chasing me," but with Summer rapidly knocking on our door & the whaling scale in the bathroom (Seriously, who came out with this mechanism), I decided to run...

To give our extremely active Ridgeback, Kasha, some more exercise, I decided it would be a good idea to take her with me.

Adorable right?!
Don't be fooled, she is Pierre Spies reincarnated! For you who don't know - He is one of South Africa's most athletic rugby players, & ladies, quite sweet on the eye.
Kasha is so strong & athletic and clearly needs no training in running - I lasted 15 minutes!  Short from hitting a tree face first, scaring the whole neighborhood & being totally breathless - I was stiff this morning.  Yay!  Something must have worked in that short run down the street.
I think me going down into squat runs, just so that she won't run off with me, did the job.
So here is to Ridgeback training.

Football Engineer & Whiskey eye's - Spring wine Tasting


Tonight we are hosting our first Spring wine tasting and  Football Engineer & Whiskey eye’s will be joining.  To say the least anything to do with wine or food sends me into a crazy twirl.  I went shopping for two new white wines and the boys are each bringing an amazing red from their cellar.

While in Spain we fell totally in love with the food, so as a little dedication to romance in Spain I will be serving varieties of dishes we came to love: parma ham, duck pate, olives, artichokes, selection of cheeses & add some of our own: trout terrine, creamy basil chicken and much much more ... a feast for Bacchus himself.

See you tomorrow with the low down on the evening’s events, that is if I can see straight enough to type.

Cheers!

I saw this wino, he was eating grapes. I was like, "Dude, you have to wait.
- Mitch Hedberg

Dinner with Princess & The Man's Man

Saturday, September 11, 2010


We had an absolute blast with Princess & The Man’s Man last night.  I decided to be the designated driver, for once, and I have to admit I really enjoyed watching my 3 companions get wasted, they were extremely entertaining & hilarious.

After a delicious dinner that The Man’s Man made, Princess decided that it was a good idea to go on a cigarette run - mini road trip.

With wine glass in tow Princess had me in stitches by the time we reached the petrol station (6 min).  She is one funny lady.  Arriving at the petrol station she ran into the little shop nervously smiling because she needs a cigarette Now! Coming back almost wetting herself with laughter, she explained:

Princess:  may I please have 2 packs of Marlboro & 2 packs of Marlboro menthol?

Cashier gentleman:  eish, you smoke allot?

Princess:  hahahah, no we having a dinner at home and we drinking so much and …..

Cashier gentleman:  you having a party?  Bunch of girls? (staring into my car)

Princess: well (to tipsy to actually explain & needs a cigarette now) yes yes 

Cashier gentleman:  you lesbians?

Princess: (shocked) whahahah, no!

Cashier gentleman:  can I join?

Princess:  :) no no - like we said just a bunch of girls. 


Thee thee, by the end of the night it did feel like I was surrounded by only girls ;)

Apart from the amazing dinner, dancing until the wee hours of the morning and the greatest selection of 80’s music I have heard in years, my personal little highlight was my one amazing glass of wine: 

My first sip was like taking a bite out of a guava, followed with a hand full of gooseberries. Soft succulent tropical aftertaste.  You would think it would be a sweet wine with all the fruit combination's, but definitely not.  Well balanced and well rounded.
Soos Nektar op die Tong.

Hope you all have a gorgeous weekend.
Our next stop today is our friend Busy Bee’s 30th Birthday garden bash.

Cheers!


SOBER is actually an acronym that stands for: Son Of a Bitch, Everything's Real


Twice 30

Friday, September 10, 2010

Thank goodness it's Friday.
I love weekends & I am hungover, sigh, again.
Busy Bee came over last night to come and borrow some pretty decorations for her Big 30th Birthday party on Saturday & we decided it was a great idea drinking Dooswyn like water while packing the car. At the stroke of midnight the two of us were sitting in her candle lit garden, on a bench, singing drunkenly Happy Birthday to her, yes she was also singing Happy Birthday to herself.   We started at my house & ended in her garden?  Weird!

Tonight Hubby and myself will join our friend Princess at her lovely house for dinner to celebrate her 30th Birthday. We decided that there is no better gift to fit a princess but to buy her a nice selection of White wines, she LOVES her white wine.

I think I should invite Fat Bastard

I feel like this today:
picture via I cant see you

*box wine is not worth a tasting note right now I am too nauseous. Jig!

Have a gorgeous weekend all & here is to all the beautiful ladies in our life turning 30!  Happy Birthday!

Cheers!


An alcoholic is someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do.
- Dylan Thomas

The 'Groot Dors' & my "little" friend Fat Bastard

Saturday, September 4, 2010


So I woke up this morning with the Groot Dors!
It’s a Afrikaans saying; You know that feeling when you wake up with such a uncontrollable thirst and down liters of water thinking this will make it all better just to realize that the thirst is still there and the uncontrollable nausea enters your stomach?
Yes, that my dear wine lovers is the Groot Dors.
I felt that this might be the only answer to my thirst: 
picture via Wonder cafe

but the thought of the immense pleasure my hubby would go through assisting would just bruise my already tender ego.
So Friday Afternoon I went on my hunt for a good bottle of White and I stumbled on to …. EEEKKK… A BIG bottle of Fat Bastard Chardonnay! 1.5 liters of Delight & only R84.00? Sounds like a winner.
With my big bottle in tow I headed home. Entering the kitchen I was welcomed by gorgeous smells of fresh chopped basil, garlic, chili, parsley… mmm (stomach grumble) life is good.  Hubby’s preparation for dinner was coming along nicely.
All ingredients were fresh & no Butter! I know! No Butter? Seriously?!!
I did not want to meddle so I just let it go, sipped on my glass of Chardonnay & pulled our take away menu closer.

So dinner went smoothly with Love Tailor and The Dude.
Fresh, light steamed Salmon with herb crust, grilled prawns, also with fresh herbs, still no butter, and steamed veggies with a big crispy salad to match.  We were definitely prepared for Love Tailor’s diet requirements. By the end of the meal I was licking my fingers, yeah you heard me right, dinner was delicious & no butter needed (blush)

My little friend - Fat Bastard was good to me.  I over catered a bit thinking everyone will have some, but only myself and hubby ended up drinking… no wait … finishing the whole bottle. He he he, explaining the next mornings Groot Dors.

The Dude brought a bottle of Red, which he finished by himself,  and Love Tailor declined politely, because of the diet, which suited the crazy lady in me quite happily, more for me, I mean us.
I ended up getting my taste of butter after all. Yay! 
Full-bodied Chardonnay & with the first big mouthful it had a beautiful buttery complexity with a toasty finish. Gorgeous.
Summer is arriving and this brings forth my hubby’s love for entertaining and he comes up with invites to celebrate a specific day in history, just so that he can have a Braai. 
Hubby:  “but Tipsy, it’s the celebration of the first monkey that went into space, we have to braai” hahha, oh goodness.
I have to admit, I love his silly invites, spending long summer day’s with friends & loved ones and indulging in a good glass of Vino …  from now on Fat Bastard will be added to the guest list.

Cheers all.

 I've taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.
- Sir Winston Churchill

Dinner with Love Tailor & The Dude

Friday, September 3, 2010

We are having some friends over for dinner tonight & it's going to be a challenge, which we love, cough cough ;)

By the sounds of it Love Tailor is on a very specific healthy diet (which I probably should be on), and she can only have a small piece of fish (i think) & some steamed veg ...
and The Dude is suffering from some; "i can't drink alcohol or my limbs swell" disease which I hope is not contagious! eeeeek! However, in great spirit, as only The Dude can pull off,  he is getting an INJECTION so he can drink tonight.  I feel special (teary eyed), proud, amazed, & worried all at once.

We have prawns & fish on the menu & by the sounds of it hubby & I will be the only two tipsy drinkers ;) Hey, more for us, not complaining... or I could be a good hostess and serve non alcoholic wine?????!!!!! Does this even exist?  JA NEE ;)

Tune in tomorrow for the low down on the evenings events....
Happy Friday all!
Cheers!

 I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.
- Frank Sinatra

Spring dinner & a gorgeous bottle of Rooiberg Chardonnay Reserve 2008

Thursday, September 2, 2010

So I am a romantic, straight down to my core.  I love candle lit bubble baths, followed by a candle lit dinner surrounded by roses, a gorgeous bottle of wine, Ella Fitzgerald playing in the back ground, and snuggling close to my gorgeous hubby like it's a first date.

To celebrate the birth of Spring, I decided to do a delightful "Welcome Spring" dinner for hubby and me.  I chose a recipe out of Marie Claire: real + simple (a must have cookbook)

And this was the result: Chicken leg quarters with herby stuffing - I know I know, these are not quarters, but don't count your chickens...   The Afrikaner in me changes recipes sometimes & this time I added a not so healthy finish (which was not part of the recipe); a creamy basil & Dijon mushroom sauce.  That, on top of the fresh basil and cashew nuts in the stuffing (also not in the recipe) made this meal delicious... if i do say so myself :-)

Our wine for the evening was a gorgeous bottle of Rooiberg Chardonnay Reserve 2008 I have never tried this before and it complimented our food perfectly, pat on the back ;)
It was a beautiful full bodied Chardonnay which went very well with the chicken. The taste that was most interesting for me... You know when you suck on those caramel sweets?  Now that initial flavor was in this wine mixed with a bit of vanilla and also beautifully matured & rounded for a 2008, not being the least bit green or young.

A Gorgeous Reserve wine which, at a low price of R52, from Pick & Pay was an awesome deal. Honestly I would have thought this wine was an older bottle it was so well balanced,  I can only day dream of how amazing their 2006 must be... drooool.
Unless something goes dramatically wrong with their soil or winemaker, this is definitely going on my list of "must always have a bottle in the fridge" white wine & one of my next farms to visit when we are in Cape Town.

Thee, blush, the hangover on this was delightful, not that painful "please put me out of my misery" headache that you get from most young/cheap white wines, but instead more of a "i need a hug" headache that did not last long.
Do yourself a favor and go get this for one of your Spring events this weekend & I would love to know what you think?

So here is to a gorgeous week & weekend & good luck to all you poor snotty nosed people out there that is suffering because of all the blooming blossoms around you. :(  my husband is one.
Keep your chin up, your tissue close and drink your sorrows away. ;)
Cheers all!

I am a drinker with a writing problem.
- Brendan Behan

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Well, it's official now! It's Spring! I do love the spring, that beautiful time of the year when everything around me blooms & with that my spirit blooms and I can't help myself but feel that we need to eat, drink & be tipsy.
Our garden is in full bloom with jasmine & lavender and Oh that smell... Oh oh oh.
I am totally obsessed with lavender and one day, when we own our dream farm,  we will have fields of lavender, like this:

and I will run around feeling like a little girl again, GA GA with happiness, like this:

Happy Spring everyone!
Here is to showing skin, light dishes, plenty of wine and good friends that will grow old with us!
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