Bouf's fab kitchen must have's

Bouf's Bonsai Zen inspiration of awesome kitchen things

I love to cook and have come to appreciate a few of my utensils that I just cannot go a single meal without!

First and foremost, my Samsung Galaxy S2, with its shocking pink metallic hard cover - The most important piece of technology that I need in my life all of hours of the day. I do everything with my phone from taking pics, Google searching, editing pics, to messaging and then blogging on the PC.

My stainless pan with a few of my favourite things!

My giant tweezer from Kuchenprofi. I mean a giant tweezer! I never thought there are so many uses for it - Taking out toast from the toaster, frying prawns or potatoes and come to think of it I use it now to cook any type of meat. I even use it for my stir fries! All my favourite utensils work perfectly with my stainless steal pan - I love my clamps from Chef 'n (I use it for all noodle or pasta dishes), my Chopula from Dreamfarm (it's a spatula that chops stuff while they're cooking in the pan: "Oh my soul!"), my Maxwell Williams bamboo wooden spoon, and a really loooong plastic spoon in bright orange is always handy.


Other utensils I use is an espresso cup - to measure with! What can I say I just love espresso so much!

Just 1 Espresso cup measurement makes the medicine go down...

My Tupperware strainer (I have used for 7 years now), my kitchen shears and cheese slicer always a winner. I only use Victoronix knives as they last the longest for me than all other branded knives I have used before.  My bright green Anzo oven mittens keeps me hands heat safe and I use clips to clip the shizzz out of all opened packets and it comes with a magnet as well. It rocks my world!

Tupperware is still the best!

Kitchen shears, cheese slicer and Victoronix knife

Oven mittens and clip with magnet - look, the mitten has little rubber fishies!!

And to season...my salt and pepper grinder set from Peugeot brings so much of enjoyment to a dish.

Peugeot S & P grinder set

As you should know I love and appreciate the vino and cannot go without my Vacu-vin set. It sucks the air right out of your bottle to keep your wine from lasting longer (and not taste like really expensive vinegar the next day). I have still my Delheim freebie bottle opener and it still works the best for me :)

Vino utensils

I hope you have a few kitchen favourites of your own that make your cooking and baking adventures a  pleasure!

Bon appetit!

Bouf
xx

My favourite magazines

My two favourite magazines that I enjoy reading, is Taste magazine from Woolworths (available monthly) and The Coffee Magazine (available quarterly). They contain my two keen interests, which is cooking and coffee...and are jam packed with recipes, ideas and interesting (travel) articles. I use to enjoy Fashion magazines but nowadays they are mostly filled with celebrity gossip instead of trends and I feel that you can go online or visit fashion houses' websites or go to the shops or just chat and observe what people are wearing to see what's trending.

Coffee Magazine

Taste magazine

As we are staying in a lot more these days where I love to do home cooking and experimenting. I enjoy two magazines that are available on a yearly basis:  The 2012 issue of the Eatin magazine is a great shopping guide that gives tips, lists and recommends where to find for instance the best bakeries, fishmongers, markets, butchers, etc. We discovered a few places through this guide in the Free State and Gauteng already. I cannot wait to get the 2013 issue...and explore more new places. I also enjoy the Eatout magazine that gives reviews, average price and advice on restaurants to go to in your area. It is great to reference and I keep these magazines in the car permanently for when we are in the mood for a little rendezvous...

Great shopping guide in Eatin  magazine

Great restaurant guide in Eatout magazine

My sweetheart enjoys his Popular Mechanics, such a little engineer. So cute! And then he brings home the Sasol Techvoice for me so I can get the know who's who and what research is being done at the R&D... in the latest issue there was an article of his group's research project on concentrated solar power technology to provide renewable electricity for their company.  So proud!

Popular Mechanics and Techvoice magazines

Wishing you a fantabulous weekend, enjoy reading your favourite magazines :)

'Till next time,
Bouf
xx

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is no different in Sasolburg than anywhere else. As my sweetheart and I were apart for so many months, I wanted to make this one a special one. Any excuse I can get to spoil and make him feel special....So it was going to be the whole works: A music playin' card, chocolate, cap classique, a rororomantic Valentine's dinner for two of note and the lacy undies... It was pink all the way...

The card:

Two cute little lovin' bears, glitter and hearts (in 3D)!

The card plays a song and has a light that says: "I love you!"

The chocolate:

A dark chocolate bunny - Because it's his favourite!

The setting:

A page full of kisses

The table setting - roses were my gift - went with decor perfectly!

My gorgeous gift:

My beautiful roses I got and two books! Yay!

The menu:

Starter: Spicy prawn salad

Main: Norwegian salmon, asparagus, fine beans and pink fur potatoes

Dessert: Dark chocolate raspberry and blueberry cheesecake yogurt

The lovely cappuccino made by my sweetheart with latte art! 

The cap classique:

Ice cold pink sparklies!

The lacy undies....

Lacy undies in pink going with the theme

We didn't get there though - we were too full after our three course meal :)

The evening was really about just being together, making it special, having a few laughs and fun!



Hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day and weekend!

Bouf
xx

I love pugs!

Pugs....how I love pug puppies...little puggies....chubby puggies and even old puggies! One day I will my own pug puppy and send you a pic. In the meantime, here is a few cute pics that will make you love them too!

Yes please one mocha dark with two cute pug puppies! Many Thanks

So sad yet so cute puggie!

So confused and still so cute! Cute and confused at the same time

My neighbour's puggie called Jeannie, old and cute puggie

Yes Sasolburg has pugs and they're chubby and cute!

So hot right now with aviators and puggin' out!

All over pug print - gotta love it!

Pug lovin' bag!

Amy WInehouse Pug: Pssshhh...I'm still dang cuter than you!

So what's your favourite puppy? It's pugs right?!

Have a fabulous Valentine's Day on Thursday! May there be lots of flowers, chocolates, lovin', cheesy cards and well just plain 'ol puggin out!

Little love pug

Bouf
xx

In Sasolburg it's supersized or nada!

The dawgs in the Sasburg have their own unique way of rollin' in the Vaal hood, the code they live by is - it's either you go large (as in supersized M@t#erf$&ers) or go home! When we have steak it's a thick cut monster steaks, when we have beer it's a draught on tap (in man sized glass), we do competitive spinning at gym (like staring each other down releasing the fear) and everything I mean everything must be value for money - double dawg style.

When we dine we even have thick cut sashimi, like steaks and a man's man sized mezze platter!
Though the size portions are big, the best sushi that you will find in the Vaal Triangle is Sushi @ Gary's. The fish is fresh and it's value for money, if you are ever in the area you must try it. The mezze platter is from Feast in Parys not Paris with healthy sized portions on the menu and a nice atmosphere. I can highly recommend them if you do drive through Parys as in the States, Free State (they are on the main road you cannot miss them).

Sushi @ Gary's thick cut salmon sashimi (the size of small steaks)

Man size mezze platter at Feast

We shop here only at the best mall, and that is the Vaal Mall where we get double the value bananas - double dawgs! We are big on security as you can buy barbed wire by the meter next to the roadside as well as re-gas your car's aircon next to the road right outside the mall on your way to the R42 (Parys).

Vaal Mall

Two for one priced bananas

Barbed wire is sold next to the road not the mall

Local transport is something else here...we got limo's, bakkies kitted out with helluva sound systems, we like to ride our bicycles and harley's that would make you want to weep. All on Vaal baby! The only problem is the size of the potholes - they are enormous and boy do they grind my gears. Some of them are patched up like the one below but others are the size of man holes. Next the roads for your viewing pleasure you will find cattle, everywhere, even next to the highway. There are even stalker ice cream vans lurking in the streets, scaring the children with there signature creepy tune that they play over and over for hours. I can still hear it playing in my head, it haunts me. Close the curtains and switch of the lights the orange ice cream van is lurking in the street! Quick kids hide! 

My music's so loud - B!@tc#es are so jealous right now!

Peeps want to be heard in the Burg. Word!

Harley on Vaal: Players wanna be me...

Patched up sucker: Potholes grind my gears uuurrgggh

Roadside livestock

Beware of orange stalker ice cream van in a street near you!

We love our bicycles - even grandpa over here does!

In Sasolburg everything is larger than life, from Christmas lights on houses to local marketing initiatives, to offering Chinese massages (hopefully without a happy ending). 

Over the top Christmas lights - definitely a crowd puller

Yes that is a giant toilet roll on those block of flats

Clever advertising: "Milk on the Mooove". How cute?

Even our rainbows are quite spectacular - Sasburg spectacular...see we also have here. So pretty.

Rainbow on the way to Parys

Until next time...players are gonna be hatin' yo!

Bouf

xx