A sad post

I have for a while now being following the blog of a truly awesome woman. Her name is Meredith Thomas and in my head we would be friends if we ever met. She is the type of person I really connect with. The big difference between her blog and yours or mine is that hers is on CaringBridge.

The point of her blog is to help her 5 year old daughter understand what her mother went through and the choices she made.

Meredith has stage IV breast cancer and has weeks left to live.

The basics of her story:

She found a lump in her breast at age 25. It was benign but as it was growing she chose to have a lumpectomy. Ten years later she found a large mass in her armpit and was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast Cancer. The Cancer had already spread to her liver, lymph nodes, spine and ribs. Her daughter was 20 months old.

She has bravely fought for three years but last week she made the choice that it was enough. There was nothing more Doctors could do to extend her life and fighting it would just cause more pain and sickness.

The Doctors gave her 3 - 4 weeks to live.  She is using all her energy decorating a new apartment for her husband and daughter. A home for after she is gone.

Meredith talks about her coming death with dark humour and I like that way of looking at the reality of life and death. She mentioned to friends that she hated that she would never now how her favourite series such as Greys Anatomy would end. People got in touch with the writers, producers and actors from a number of her favourite shows. She was sent details of plans for the show so she knows what will happen. A huge number of the actors personally contacted her. I think that is one of the sweetest things I have ever heard.

She is using her contacts with the celeb world and her blog to spread her message....

Meredith is angry that her Cancer wasn't found sooner. She is campigning for more stringent checks more often. She has the right to be angry. She will never see her daughter grow up. Meredith is now in her last weeks just saying her goodbyes but she truly believed in the Health for Women Study that has recently started and the contributions it can make to science.

Go and read her blog

Once you have been touched by her story go to the Health for Women Study.

Registration is quick and the survey took me about twenty minutes to fill out.

Please do this for Meredith and to help make a brighter future this Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Men in leather shorts and tiny hats

So last Friday was the school Bierfest. They are Germans and they take Bierfest very seriously. The weather did not play ball on Friday and a massive storm hit town. So we all had to struggle in our heels and fancy outfits through rain and wind to get to the hall. As you entered a large glass of beer was handed to each person. Fantastic when you are knocked up. Bex thought it was wonderful as she got an extra drink.

I am not a huge beer drinker but I would have happily killed  for a drink on Friday. Sitting with people getting noticebly drunker and listening to very loud German music. Sobriety was a bad thing.

The food was good but it was only served at 8 and by that stage the nausea was at full force. I managed to eat a bit but I have learnt to eat early to try and minimise it.

Anyway I managed to stay until 10:30 and then I was finished and to be honest bored and a little deaf.

The highlight of the evening was seeing my poor seven foot tall BIL wearing lederhosen and a green cap that did not in any way fit. He volunteered to work the bar all night instead of the standard 1 hour shift for fathers. He was just too embarrassed to be seen in his get up. I think Andrew is really hoping we move before its his turn.

The weekend was spent studying for my law exam on Monday and playing with Ewan. At least the poor kid is better now although he is still coughing a bit.

Today I am shattered tired as our neighbours dog sat next to our bedroom window and howled all night. I am starting to think living in a flat or townhouse might be a good idea next year. I just want a bit of peace away from great danes.

So how was your weeked?

The one with the news

Yes I have been very quite this week. I got some news on Sunday and I have been unsure about posting it. Well on my birthday at the start of this year I posted that this year I was hoping something would happen but I couldn't talk about it yet. Well guess what.....

So I decided last night that if things go wrong I will post about it anyway so you might as well know.

In the early hours of Sunday morning I woke up with a start. Some things that had been bugging me lately had come together in my head to form just one conclusion.

So Sunday morning while hubby was out running I peed on a stick and well two lines showed up.

Andrew was delighted and Ewan was confused by all the excitement.

We have been trying for a while so on day one of knowing I was all excited.

Monday not so much. Don't get me wrong I really want this baby but we are well and truly out of the baby phase with Ewan and the thought of starting again is just plain scary. I lie awake at night thinking of all the wierd changes that are coming my way. In just a few months I won't be able to see my feet anymore. I don't know why but that worries me.

Scarily I am only 6 weeks and showing a little already.

Trying for a baby is one thing but when the little person is on their way you start to worry about all the changes coming into your life.

Next year is already going to be a busy year but I guess baby x will just have to fit in.

The strangest part is the due date is my sons birthday. I am already joking that I am only fertile once a year.

This week has been a bit of a rollercoaster.

I have some major exams starting next week so I am trying to cram in studying. I am fighting the first waves of nausea. Ewan decided to get sick this week and when he gets a cold his airways start blocking up almost immediately. So sick kid and then I get the cold to aid to my yuckiness of the moment. Wednesday night found me at the Doctors office trying to open his airways with a fancy inhaled medicine that made him shake like a 90 year old man. The Doc wanted him in hospital but decided to try one night of 6 hour inhaler medication and strong antibiotics.

On Thursday morning normal cheerful little boy was back until I suggested we have a bath before going to the Doctor for a check on his breathing. He wanted to watch Disney Junior. Well he was playing with my brothers hiking stick so I got a wack on the side of my head. Hurt like a *^*$%&$^. The situation ended with the two of us sitting on the chair in the  bathroom crying. I just love pregnancy hormones. I also love how I have to comfort him but anyway.

The Doctor said he was breathing fine so luckily we avoided the hospital this time.

Today he is at work with his Dad so I can get some more studying done and a break from small person. Shame he really didn't want to go to school today. I don't think he is quite up to playing all day yet.

So yes what a hectic week. Hopefully next week will be all plain sailing.

I have a law exam on Monday which the legal side of the environment in this country just gets me pissed off so lets hope it goes well. Friday is my first scan with the lovely Dr Candice Roberts in Ballito and then a nice relaxing weekend at the beach.

Joy of joys tonight I have to go to a Bierfest at my sons school. Fun times when you are the designated driver thanks to recent developments.

Enjoy your weekend.

Awareness blah-blah

Ok so we are all aware of breast cancer. Being aware of it does nothing for anybody. So rather then posting on your Facebook page or wearing a startling shade of pink all month how about getting involved in a project that could actually help find a cure.

The Health of Women Study is a twenty year long international study. It's easy to sign up for and the questionaires they send you every so often contribute to the database of medical knowledge.

So this October lets be active and help to find a cure.

Just go to this web page and sign up.

https://www.healthofwomenstudy.org

Please try to get as many people as posssible involved.

Weekend Fun

On Saturday we went to the Drakensberg Old Collegians day with Andrew. Yes my husband went to Maritzburg College as did my father and my brother. Generally the functions are old boys only but on Saturday we all went to a farm for a braai and family day. I packed my camera but forgot to take it out. Anyway Ewan loved the day and spent lots of time chasing chickens and watching the cows and sheep. He certainly amused the other old boys by running after the rooster yelling for it to stop so he could put it on the braai. The only downside was the food should have been ready at 2 but because the poor guy was given frozen chickens to spit braai the food was only ready after 4 and we had an hour's drive home. Oh well.

It did mean we got KFC for dinner which made Ewan happy.

Yesterday Philip came round for a braai and I found a new salad recipe to try. So here it is with some pictures.

Ingredients

2xcans of cannellini beans - drained

1x 200g packet black olives - pitted

125 g mini italian tomatoes - halved

50g flaked almonds

Dressing

60ml olive oil

30ml white balsamic vinegar

30ml chopped parsley

1 garlic clove - crushed

salt and pepper

 

Method

Toss together the beans,olives and tomatoes in a salad bowl.

Whisk the dressing ingredients and pour over the bean mixture.

Stir to combine

Top with flaked almonds

 

The end result.

Okay so the Pros

1. Well its incredibly easy to make

2. It tastes pretty good

3. It goes very well with steak and garlic bread.

Cons

1. It is a bit bland. This was improved hugely by adding a few homemade pickled onions.

2. The dressing could be sweeter for the style of salad. I would add a few drops of honey to the mix.

All in all a very light nice summer salad.

Rating

3 wine bottles out of 5.

Phil, Ewan and Andrew about to start lunch.

Ewan enjoying a mini magnum after lunch.

Ewan's t-shirt says I may be small but I am the boss. Very true.

We are well and truly in the throes of potty training at the moment. It would be easier if he didn't make such a fuss about going. Still yesterday we had the whole day without an accident so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

So how was your weekend?

Friday funnies

Yes just in time for the weekend here is my favourite pic sent to me this week.

Have a great weekend everybody.

USA all the way.

So guess where we are going again?

Yep its off to the land of the brave and the home of the free for us. This will be my third visit which to be honest is a little strange as I really don't like travelling to the States that much. The reason for this trip is that my brother got engaged to his long time girlfriend on their last trip to South Africa. They are having a wedding ceremony here in April but for numerous reasons it's actually easier for them to get married in the USA.

I ummed and ahhed about it for a while but then my darling husband pointed out that I would probably regret it if I wasn't there for my brothers actual wedding. We can afford to go so it would be stupid not to. I guess Mauritus can wait for the end of next year.

So lucky little bugger that my son is he will be heading to Walt Disney World again. The kid is only three and the Feb trip to the USA will be his third overseas trip. People ask how we afford this kind of thing and I point to the roof that needs repainting, the bathroom that is still pink despite us living in this house for ten years and the awful falling apart lounge suite. We have always found the money to travel. One day I would like a nice lounge suite but I would like to see Japan more. In the end travel always wins.

I always organise all trips for family and friends so I have decided to let you follow along as I plan this trip. I will share my tips for getting the best deals out of flights, hotels and car rentals.

So we are vaguely planning at this stage to leave on the 20 Feb and arrive back on the 18 March.

I will also be getting my butt in gear over the next few weeks and I will post the details about our March this year trip around South Africa.

Till then..:)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I love red velvet cupcakes but they are impossible to find in the small town I live in. So.... I found a recipe on taste.co.au a few months ago but it looked a bit complicated so I never bothered. It just had to be the first recipe I tried. WARNING: these are not in any way diet friendly. Sometimes you need to live on the edge.

Ingredients

• 300g  plain flour


• 30g  cocoa powder


• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda


• 250g caster sugar


• 250ml (1 cup) buttermilk


• 200g unsalted butter, melted


• 2 eggs, lightly whisked


• 1 tbs white vinegar


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 1-2 tsp red food colouring


• 2 x 250g pkts cream cheese, at room temperature


• 300g (2 cups) pure icing sugar


• 120g butter, extra, at room temperature


• 1 tsp vanilla essence, extra

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line eighteen 80ml (1/3 cup) capacity muffin pans with paper cases. Sift flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Stir through the sugar. Whisk the buttermilk, butter, eggs, vinegar and vanilla in a large jug until combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir in the food colouring.


2. Step 2Divide the mixture among the lined pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


3. Step 3Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, extra butter and extra vanilla until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.

Positives of recipe

Ewan loved it in fact he ate a whole large cupcake.

Okay actually we all loved it the cupcake tastes fantastic and icing is very yummy.

The recipe is fairly easy to follow.

Negatives

Don't make the full amount of icing. In fact halve it as I still have mountains of icing in the fridge.

Add two or three tsp of food colouring. Mine looked red in the bowl but came out closer to brown.

If you have a thermofan oven check the cupcakes at 15 min. Mine were already cooked at that point.

 

On the pics... I need to work on my photography a bit but it has been years so give me a chance. Apparently I also need to work on my cupcake decorating.

My baking pan with silicone cupcake holders. I got it from Mr Price Home for R40. Very useful.

A lovely red colour. The mixture should be thick and gooey.

Finished product. Yes I really need to work on my decorating skills.

I made some mini ones for Ewan. They are finished already.

So recipe rating.

4 wine bottles out 5

Ratings guide

1 bottle - skip it this is just nasty

2 bottles- possibly worth your time if you really like the idea

3 bottles- nice but the recipe has issues or is difficult to follow

4 bottles- you should try this if you have the time

5 bottles- do not skip this. You need to eat this.

The Food Diaries

So I am getting a bit bored with the food I make at home. I tend not to make the same thing every night but I do make similar food. The time has come to start putting all those recipe books and magazines that I hoard to use. To make myself stick to it I am also going to use it as a way to play with my photography skills. I used to love taking pictures. In high school I belonged to a photography club and until my early twenties it was such a huge passion I thought I would make a career from it. Well life happened and it was another thing I loved that I just let go of. It's time to bring back some of the things I used to love. So photography and food here we come. I will try to post at least three recipes a week with pictures and a ratings guide. Some of the ratings will be bad as I plan to post all the recipes I try out. So this is becoming another foodie blog but I promise the travel tips, reviews and occasional rants about life will still be here. This is just something I am excited to try. First recipe post will be tomorrow:)

Till then...