The Kitchen and Andy

This is my boyfriend Andy.  We have been together for three and a half years. Ever since I started this blog, Andy has asked why he has not featured.- Although he says this is a jokey way, I know he secretly wants to be championed for his dress sense.  One of the things I love about Ands is how he looks after himself. He dresses well and he takes care of his body: this only results in a very polished good looking guy ... in my opinion anyway. 

So a few weeks ago Andy and I trotted along to my favourite eatery called The Kitchen in Woodstock, Cape Town. The Kitchen is a beautiful little cafe/ restaurant which prides itself in beautiful salad platters and 'the Love Sandwich'.  The cool and quirky people of Cape Town come here for a quick lunch time plate of different salads and meats, (take away optional) or a Love Sandwich. Just to explain quickly- the love sandwich was dubbed its name because it is made with love- they take some of the doughy bread filly out and replace it with their homemade red pestos marinated meats and fresh fresh greenery. As sarnies go they are cracking. 

Andy and I came for breakfast.  So whilst we sat there drinking our coffee from vintage mugs, I told Andy that today was his day: I was going to take a few photos to share on my blog. 

Andy in front of the Kitchen.  Andy wears: 

Top: Topman

Shorts: Country Road

Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren

Watch: Hugo Boss

Shoes: Converse

Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren

Vintage ceramic flower ornament at The Kitchen

Shoes under the table: Andy's high top grey converse; my metallic and leather Kurt Geiger Lucca Plimsoles. 

The Kitchen Breakfast: Scrambeled egg with chives on top, sliced avocado, rye toast, bacon, and a mini salad with gherkins and homemade dressing. 

The Kitchen's menu board. 

If you are visiting Cape Town be sure to visit this little place.  It won't disappoint. The lovely thing about this cafe is the people who run it. It was created by a woman called Karen Dudley who is passionate about her food.  Every time I have been in the Kitchen, she personally greets you and even remembers your name. Her staff obvious love her and it has a real sense of family and friendship.  I had a lovely breakfast and a delicious coffee whilst sitting next to my stylish boyfriend.  A girl cant ask for much more in a morning can they?

Style File: Harry

Hello Harry! This is the second post I have done on H (my brother). I made him pose for this style file just before he was driving himself to the station to head up to London. 

 You know when people say 'he/ she was just born cool'? I dont think anyone is born cool.  From my twenty two years of life experience and always looking up to those 'naturally cool' people, (and also through being friends with them), I have learnt that looking cool takes a lot of effort and money. You have to know how to put clothes together and also keep your wardrobe up to date with the latest.... generally speaking anyway.  I would argue that people who argue against me on this one, think that they are cool and dont want to be labelled a try hard.  

Im not saying H is a try-hard or that he looks too put together, but I know, when he put this outfit on, it wasn't just chucked on- it was carefully styled. And who cares- he looks great. Style down to the T. The effort paid off H.

Top: Jack Wills

Jacket: Urban Outfitters

Hankie: Vintage

Hat: Go Ahead

Skinny skinny Jeans: Topman

Shoes: Converse

Bracelet: Links

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to one and all! Ho ho ho ho . . . .

I know this deer isnt santa but he's sweet- and slightly like rudolf- no? Off to try and digest the eating marathon now...

My New Roots: Superfood Haute Hot Chocolate

I am a huge fan of Sarah Britton's blog My New Roots. As a subscriber to her emails, I am constantly reading her recipes and finding serious foodie inspiration on her beautiful blog. I love Sarah's recipes because at the centre of her delicious recipes is health and nutrition. In each post she explains why each recipe is beneficial for your health. I was sent this recipe this morning and found it seriously interesting so I thought I woud share it:

Is it just me, or do the holidays sometimes feel more stressful than joyful? Tons of running around, last-minute gift making, endless social events, and no time for much else! I catch myself skipping meals and losing sleep just to keep up. Not very relaxing. This year I am making a concerted effort to book time for treating myself, because all this holiday time should feel like a holiday after all.

As an act of indulgence, but also to keep my energy high and stress levels down, I’m drinking hot chocolate. Yes, you read that correctly. And because this is My New Roots, you know that this isn’t just any kind of hot cocoa – we’re talking all-raw and all-superfood-packed deliciousness to satisfy your sweet tooth and your healthy tooth (you do have one of those, I promise).

A while back in Lisbon, I was teaching cooking classes at an Ashtanga yoga shala, Casa Vinyasa where the instructors were drinking “Macacino” constantly. I finally asked what this fragrant, chocolate-y drink was, and they told me it was like hot chocolate, but with maca. It helped them keep their stamina up, and maintain that otherworldly calmness even after teaching 9 hours a day. After making a cup for myself I realized that they were really onto something, and so I set out to create a similar treat at home in Copenhagen.

This hot chocolate is not only super luscious, it contains a whole host of superfoods to make you feel amazing all season long.

Raw Cacao: one of the best sources of magnesium found in nature, in addition to containing high amounts calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulfur, and potassium. Cacao contains many chemicals that enhance physical and mental well-being, including alkaloids, proteins, magnesium, and beta-carotene.

Ginger: aids digestion; decreases arthritic swelling; destroys bacteria and viruses; lowers blood pressure; aids circulation.

Cinnamon: aids digestion, relieves nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; has antiseptic properties; beneficial for the heart, lungs, and kidneys; aids insulin’s ability to metabolize blood sugar.

Cayenne: reduces inflammation, relives pain, reduce blood cholesterol, clears congestion, boosts the immune system, prevents stomach ulcers, lowers risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

And of course, there is the maca…

Get your Maca on!

Maca is a root that has been grown for over 2,500 years high in the Peruvian Andes – it is in fact the highest-altitude crop on earth. The conditions in which maca grows are extremely harsh, and the plant needs to be incredibly resilient to survive and thrive. Although it resembles a large radish, maca is a member of the cruciferous family of plants (just like broccoli, cabbage, kale etc).

Maca is an “adaptogen” meaning it has the ability to balance and stabilize the body’s hormonal, nervous and cardiovascular systems. For this reason it is particularly effective for improving libido. Maca also has the ability to help us cope with stress, and stabilize our moods and energy. Boasting 31 minerals and trace elements, maca is a nutritional powerhouse and a stress-relieving, healthy addition to many foods.

The flavour of maca is kind of malty and sweet. Some people taste vanilla and butterscotch as well, but most would agree that it is quite strong and can be overpowering if used frivolously. I find taking maca in creamy foods like smoothies, or with yogurt and muesli most appealing. Start with small quantities, like one teaspoon, and work your way up to more. Remember that taking a little maca every day is better than taking a lot at one time once in a while.

Look for maca at health food stores and gourmet grocers, sold as the dried, powdered root. Make sure that the product you are purchasing is 100% root – not other parts of the plant. Store in a cool dry place.

If you do not like spiced hot chocolate, just use the first four listed ingredients, plus milk or water. If you do not have or cannot find coconut sugar, leave this ingredient out of the mix and sweeten the finished beverage with honey or maple syrup. 

You could also mix up a large batch of this and give it away as a gift! A wonderful superfood present for anyone on your list.

Superfood Haute Chocolate 

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. raw cacao powder

2 tsp. maca powder

1 Tbsp. coconut sugar

pinch sea salt

pinch cinnamon powder

pinch cayenne pepper

pinch ginger powder

small piece vanilla bean, scraped (optional)

1 ½ cups milk of your choice or water

Directions:

1. Boil water or warm milk on the stove and let cool slightly. If using raw nut milk, do not heat above 118°F/42°C.

2. Whisk in dry ingredients. Serve immediately with a cinnamon stick, if desired.

Santa Baby....

Santa Baby, 

Slip this handbag under the treee for meeeee:

I've been an awful good girl,

Santa baby,

So hurry down the chimney toniiighhht

Casio Watch

£35.00

Cash Ca Eye patches

£20.00

Topshop Short Brim Fedora Hat

£25.00

Topshop Leather T-Shirt Dress

£120.00

3.1 Philip Lim Lips Jumper

£400.00

Sea NY Contast-Trim Tank Top

£145.00

Cutler and Gross Round Two-Tone Sunglasses

£350.00

Style File: Ginny

This post is long over due.  My long time fun chum Ginny came over for a slightly festive Halloween dinner just before I left for South Africa.  With her kooky English eccecentric attitude to life, Gin came dressed to dinner with a fluffy halo on her head.  You gotta admire that spunk. – I certainly do.

This is Gin.

Ginny wears:

Scarf: Vintage

Rings: A few from Thailand, the gold family signat ring, an other pretty gifts. Gin doesnt leave the house without her silver rings.  She says she feels naked without them.  

Boots: Topshop

Denim jacket: Wrangler

Necklace: Thomas Sabo

Shirt: Her brothers

T-shirt:Vintage

Whistles Leather Trousers

After getting back from Mozambique, I downloaded my 218 emails that were waiting for me.  I am not trying to boast that I have a lot of friends emailing me because I sincerely do not (damn).  As a blogger, fashion fanatic and lover of the Internet, I am a subscriber to many a designer, blog, shop and news platform.  I would say that 98% of my emails are from these subscriptions.

I love these subcriptions.  They keep me in the loop of what is going on.  I wanted to share one element of one of my subcriptions – The leather pants from Whistles. Whistles is one of my favourite clothing brands at home (England).  Although I can’t really afford their clothes on my student budget, I love looking at their new items.  Their leather trousers really caught my eye. 

Four years ago if you said leather trousers would be the trouser of the a/w 12 season I think I would have laughed in your face. After Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were seen sporting their own superior leather trousers from The Row, and many a label following suite, the leather trouser is the pant with attitude. Even though I am sitting in sweltering in Stellenbosch South Africa, I want to be wearing a pair.

This Whitsles pair are perfect.  They are super skinny, fitted and have the zips to add that extra sexy biker look. With fashion being almost non-existent here in South Africa, I am itching to get home and try on some leather trousers to keep my pins warm in the English winter. Jane Sheperton, if in the 0.000001% chance you read this post, please save me a pair?

Mozambique

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have just got back from Mozambique. I can only describe Mozambique as the epitome of rural Africa. The beaches are untouched: white sands, crystal blue waters, perfect waves, with the backdrop of thick green tropical forestry and blue skies. We went to the beach every day. It was here where we sunbathed, drank, swam, played boule, paddle skiied and surfed. As a huge fan of the film Blue Crush, I tried my hand at being that cool surfer girl that Kate Bosworth so effortlessly played in that film. I managed to surf about two waves (whilst kneeling on the board), but after getting pulled and pushed by the strong current and dunked by a few waves I decided I preferred not to have salt water flying in every crevice of my face.

The thing that shocked me most about Mozam is the roads. The roads are sand tracks- nothing more. Only 4x4 cars are allowed into Mozambique from the South African boarder (or any boarder I presume). There is no such thing asa tar road. As a result car journeys are very slow and extremely bumpy.

Although we took all of our food with us to Mozambique, we did have to visit the shops a few times to to stock up on fresh produce or pow (bread). Shops are wood and tin huts filled with suspicious home-made chillie sauce, onions, tomatoes, and the odd coconut (the one in the picture above was one of the more substantial ones). Everything is very basic. Bread is bread- you can forget your wholemeal, or your rye if you are coming to Mozam. Food here was more pricey than Tesco's. After asking a local what they paid for their bag of tomatoes, they assured me that they pay the same price. Luckily we didn't have to buy much from these little huts. 

Sunsets in Mozam are a beautiful daily occurrence.

The bars are funded by South African students on their Summer breaks. The particular drinking shack we went to had their customer's cards nailed to the bar. The popular drink served in Mozambique is the Rum and Raspberry 'cocktail'. I can't say I was a fan of this drink. It tasted like a raspberry cough syrup- sickly sweet and dangerously alcoholic  My holiday companions took to this cough syrup. This only resulted in many an embarrassing story, dancing on the wooden tabels and making friends with the Africaaners on their Summer camping trip.

My trip to Mozambique was one of the best holidays I've ever had. It was the perfect place to let loose, relax to the max and get to know a group of my boyfriends friends, who all know how to have a good time.

Would I go back? Yes. But Mozambique is not for those who are seeking luxury. It is basic. But going back to basics is refreshing. Whilst you are there, material things are trivial. I'm sure the majority of people living in Mozambique would think the stock market is a place where you sell food, the 'Internet' is a large spider web or the word 'fashion' is another way of saying clothes. The way of life is slow, but slow is healthy. How many times have you heard how the western fast pace of life is eating into our well being? So thank you Mozam- it was a pleasure.

Im back!

I have been an extremely lazy blogger.  After arriving in South Africa,  I have managed to post two blog posts. I have two excuses; my first being my lack of free time since working for Brenaissance Wine and Stud Estate in Stellenbosch and taking a cheeky holiday to Mozambique; the second being the extremely slow and limited South African Internet connection (the Little Black Jacket Chanel blog post took me about 12 hours to upload the photos).

Now that I am back in Stellenbosch, with lesser work on my plate and a stronger Internet connection, I feel there is no reason why I shouldn't give my blog a bit more TLC...