Girly Girls And Cassis Macaroons

Posted: August 11, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Rambles, Restaurants | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I’ve never considered myself to be a ‘girly girl’. I didn’t really like the colour pink as a child and I never had Barbies.  At 5 years old I suppose I could have been mistaken for a boy…my hair was super short and I used to watch Power Rangers with my younger brother. So it surprises me now, that I have a growing fixation with things that are characteristically ‘girly’- dresses, rings, and ribbons

 

I love love love wearing dresses in summer. There is nothing more comfortable than slipping on a flow-y piece of fabric and heading out the door. I cannot wait until spring, when the weather is warmer and my beloved frocks get excavated from the deep recesses of my wardrobe!!!

I also have a small (but growing) collection of rings, most of which are either gifts or have been purchased throughout my travels, and always serve as a happy reminder of the places I’ve visited. 

This one is from Sedona, a town in the desert of Arizona, believed to be surrounded by very powerful spiritual vortexes. I’ve never actually understood all of that stuff but I definitely felt an ‘eeriness’ about the place when I passed through that day.

Ribbons.

Honestly, I have no idea where this obsession came from but again, I just think they are so darn purrrdy!!!!

Now, I have a friend who is the ultimate girly girl – and the other day I met her for coffee where she and her sister introduced me to Cassis’s macaroons. My, oh my!

 

It didn’t take me long to confirm that an afternoon spent sipping tea, nibbling sugary macaroons, wearing pretty dresses and ribbons in our hair, would definitely need to happen in our near future!!  Oh yes.

 

I hate to admit that it was the first time I had tasted their macaroons. But mark my words; it will not be the last! They were inexplicably delicious. My favourite are the chocolate ones made of a crisp outer shell- smooth and even in texture, with creamy and rich chocolate ganache carefully sandwiching the little morsels together.  I also tried the coconut flavour which are nearly as good…but not quite.

source

If you possess a sweet tooth and haven’t yet been to Cassis– please do yourself a favour and try some of their pastries and desserts. Even if you simply wander along the tremendously tempting glass display fridges in the store and allow your eyes to do the eating.  

But beware- you may leave with the urge to tie pink ribbons in your hair… and if you’re a 21 year old rugby playing male like my brother, that might not be such a good thing, u know?

Buchu Tea

Posted: July 29, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Tea, Wellness | Tags: , , , , | 5 Comments

Cape Moondance Buchu Tea

So I went to see the oral hygienist the other day, such a nice lady…except that she made me feel like I never take care of my teeth, which I do! I really do.

‘Do you drink a lot of coffee and red wine?’ she asked. What was I going to do? Lie to her? With her fists still deep inside my mouth I nodded slightly.

‘Hmmm, I can see a bit of staining here and there. Do you also drink tea?’

DO I DRINK TEA??!!! She clearly didn’t know who she was dealing with here. I mean, my second name might as well have been tea.

‘Yes, a lot.’ I answered. And before she could even continue I had already decided in my mind that whatever it was she was going to say to me, would not deter me from my tea (or chocolate).

Luckily she just told me to floss more…which I can live with. Now I can’t imagine that this tea would give your teeth stains but who cares, it’s so delicious! It’s called Buchu tea and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to try because I’m already fairly familiar with Buchulife sparkling water.

Made by Cape Moondance, a local company based in Stellenbosch, the tea is produced from the buchu plant, which is a traditional healing herb. The plant is protected and can be found growing naturally in the Western and Southern Cape of South Africa.

It is believed that the Koisan first used buchu to cure illnesses but also drank it during dances and rituals when the moon was full. So this product really is deeply rooted in South African soil. The health benefits (of which there are many) can be found on the Cape Moondance website, but just to mention a few:

-Good antiseptic and natural anti-inflammatory

-Detox agent, helping to rid the body of any excess water

-Aids digestion

-Helps in the prevention of cystitis as well as prostate and kidney problems

-Good for weight management

-Anti-spasmodic

-Used as general health tonic and to promote overall well-being

The tea itself is not bland and ghastly-tasting as one might imagine. The flavour is quite minty with a eucalyptus character. I find this refreshing and at the same time, soothing (My olfactory system is quite sensitive so it reminds me very much of the Issey Miyake fragrance, A Scent. Strange, I know!). The mouth feel is silky smooth with an aftertaste that leaves a feeling of cleanliness.

The tea is also free of any caffeine and is 100% natural. All the leaves are hand-picked and the tea is BRC certified (global standard for food safety). Now…are there any other reasons you need before you try this?! A box of Buchu tea leaves retails for around R26. It also comes in teabag form for your convenience.

xxx

Teatime Tuesday

Posted: April 26, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Tea, Wellness | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

What woke me this morning was not my alarm, but rather the gushing and wooshing sound of the icy wind that whipped its way through the Cape Town city bowl. Enveloped in my little cacoon of a duvet, I felt like Dorothy being carried off in a tornado. No,  really!  One thing I could be sure of-  I did NOT want to leave my bed!

Once I came around to the idea that I actually had no choice, I braved the kitchen and its terrifyingly ice cold tiles to switch the kettle on. Tea was what I needed. A hot, steaming cup of warmth.

Those that know me well, won’t deny the fact that I love Green tea, and I recently was given this Qi ginger one by my mom who knows that I enjoy making my own fresh ginger honey tea AND that I have a penchant for green tea- best of both worlds! (see where I’m going with this?)

So I decided it would be the perfect thing to warm me up on an icy morning like today. Although ginger is traditionally used to aid digestion, it also helps in warding off winter ailments.

This tea is made of 40% green tea with 39% ginger and then some apple and orange flavour.  What I enjoy about it is that the ginger doesn’t overpower and the sweet spiciness doesn’t burn your throat like it can do sometimes. It’s produced by Fairtrade  and is 100% organic.  You can get a box of 25 bags for around R29.00 at most health/wellness type places- and I know they stock it at Giovanni’s 🙂

On a different note- I’m feeling inspired today to bake something with coconut.  Actually I think I’m just coveting the smell of toasted coconut in my house on a cold day.  Is there anything better?!