Facebook gets a bad rap for being a massive time-wasting device, a vehicle for voyeurism and flaunting one's private life on the internet, and a cesspool of exhibitionists and gossip. With all its flaws, it also brings a lot of good things. It's a wikipedia of sorts but your sources are actual people that you can converse with to follow up on your queries. It's great for starting forums or debates and getting a little intellectual exercise. If you live in another country to that of your loved ones, it's a virtual bridge that allows you to stay connected. In short, it ain't all bad people.
Good 'ole FB also introduces one to new things-blogs, shops, eateries, music, artists, etc. I've known Inara George's music for a while-since it was used on "Grey's Anatomy". But I had no idea she formed one half of The Bird And The Bee. Thanks to FB, I stumbled upon the video for "Again & Again" and swiftly proceeded to buy the album. It's a very, very cool outfit and record.
I am back in South Africa for a holiday, a chance to fuel up on really wholesome food, an opportunity to get my fix of family, and perhaps I'll get a bit of a tan (darn you Jewish-genes-boasting-sallow-undertones). I haven't been back a full week yet and I've already plunged into ice cream mania thanks to my sister's amazing new business venture, The Creamery. I visited them at the Freeworld Design Center's Artisan Market (two days in a row y'all!), kept my sister company while she did some weekend catch-up churning, helped move shelves in the factory on sunday, and attended a private tasting session yesterday.
Top, L to R: Apricot, Blackberry, Lemon
Bottom, L to R: Chocolate, Peanut butter, Coffee
What makes The Creamery's ice cream special is that, most importantly, it's ridiculously delicious. Unbiasedly superb ice cream. It also promotes an awareness of the whole farm to food flow-i.e. knowing where your food comes from. If one thinks about how much children love ice cream, feeding them ice cream that doubles as a valuable educational tool is awesome. The Creamery's icy fare consists of cream and milk (from Langrietvlei on the West Coast, which boasts 200 cows), eggs (from Homegrown Eggs in Stellenbosch) and all-natural add-ins from locally sourced merchants (peanut butter from Komati Foods, apricots, plums and nectarines from Tierhoek Farm, etc.). It is such a rarity nowadays that you can identify the ingredients that you're eating and, even more rare, that you know who created said ingredients. Think about it . I do, very often, and my mind opens up and marvels at the logic of it all. Wow. Shazam. And other onomatopoeic expletives.
So, if you find yourself in Cape Town any time today, next month, or next year (basically, at all) do yourself, and your food baby, a favour and find out where The Creamery is selling their yummy frozen magic. You can get all their information (ingredients, partners, blog, where to find them at which markets, ice cream club, etc.) on their website.
The last food pics I took were pre-flight-it's a 16 hour flight, more or less, from NYC to Cape Town. Yes, I can be a slightly anxious person in general (have you ever attended a free-seating event with me? The anxiety that my seat will be sub par is all-consuming), but knowing that I'm going to be on a plane for a full 14 hours with limited entertainment, limited space and activity, sets off red warning signals that buzz around my brain like unfocused laser beams. I know myself. I know that when I get bored, I get hungry and will ingest anything (including an entire jar of raw honey) in a matter of minutes. I attempt to quench the boredom with food-stupid, but true story. So, in preparation for the long flight I try to pack healthy snacks to keep me going. On past flights I've either forgotten to pack anything or have attempted to be "normal" (i.e. to be like the other passengers on the plane who seem to survive eating two meals in the space of 14 hours) and the result is never good. If I'm hungry I get tetchy and can't sleep. And, I'm sorry, but you're not supposed to eat only two meals over a 14 hour stretch! Blood sugar droppage anyone??
So, I have become pretty good at stocking up on things to nibble. Because I get the vegetarian meal on the plane, which is usually pasta and devoid of nutrients or protein, I make sure I have a bag of sugar snap peas on hand for my "something green" craving. I also took baby carrots on the last trip but didn't really make a dent. Berries are also great-strawberries, raspberries, blackberries in a container.
I branched out a little and packed slices of apple which I ate with a sachet of "Justin's Almond/Honey Butter". This was such a good addition.
I also crave sugar when I'm tired and lacking sleep. So, to prevent eating the unappetizing dessert that comes with the airplane meal, I packed some of my favourite vegan chocolate-"Antidote" Chocolate in banana/cayenne flavour. Soooooooo faboosh-and some "Kind Bars" (I found most of them too sweet-who'da thunk? But the coconut/almond one was v nice. I just adore coconut).
My flight left in the morning so I packed breakfast to eat at the airport-I know, I know. I'm such a girl. But, again, trying to predict what I'd eat on the plane, what kind of shoddy mood I'd be in as I tried to curl up like a preztel, I wanted to eliminate reasons to be hungry and unhappy later on. Armed with oats I set off for the airport-they made me pretty happy as I sat at the Peet's Coffee counter and gobbled them down. Smugness is surely the most delicious thing ever.
Bircher muesli sans dairy, topped with chia seeds, flaked coconut, pecans, & apple/pear jam.
I'm really looking forward to the rest of this holiday. What's in store? Summer popsicles courtesy of my genius big sister:
More strawberry ice cream before the seasons finished (did I mention her ice cream flavours are seasonal?):
And a summer Christmas (many of my USA friends find it tricky to wrap their heads around this concept). Our turkey will be cooked on the braai (barbecue). We'll be swimming in the river and sitting outside on the grass turning various shades of tanned. We'll eat plums from the orchard. We'll celebrate additions to the family (a brand new baby cousin once removed) and dear friemily from way back when. Happy festive season wonderful readers (and Mum)!
