Memories: B'Day 2011

B'Day 2012

Last year for my birthday, I invited my girlfriends over and prepared a meal for them. Everyone kept asking if I was sure i wanted to be in the kitchen, cooking on my birthday, the answer was yes. I love to try new recipes and I love to entertain small, intimate groups of people.

I remember that days so well. I had gotten up early because for some reason I had a lot of errands to run (which seems strange now, because I would never want to have a hassle of a day on my B'day). Anyhow, I had a lot to do, which included going to the hair dresser and getting home in time to prepare the meal.

Needless to say, the day was crazy and I barely made it home in time to cook. But it was a great day none the less, I cooked, my friends came, we eat and drank, reminisced and made a new memory.

I had a lot of fun hanging with my girls at home last year, and I plan to have even more fun with them this year. However we would not be staying at home. You'll know the saying 'what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas'? Well, we're not going to Vegas, but we are to have a Vegas moment....what happens in.....

Below is the link to the main dish I made. I found this recipe on a blog about food, the person is from South Africa, but sadly that's all I remember, I don't even remember the name of the blog. But the great thing is this recipe is great and we truly enjoyed it.

Greek Pastitisio

How do you prefer to spend your birthday?

Much love,

Greek Pastitisio

I made this dish last year for my B'Day lime with my girls. I found this recipe on a blog about food, the person is from South Africa, but sadly that's all I remember, I don't even remember the name of the blog. But the great thing is this recipe is great and we truly enjoyed it.

Greek Pastitisio (Baked Pasta with Ground Beef)

Makes about 8 large servings

For meat sauce

• 2lbs beef mince (ground beef)
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tins Hunts fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 Beef maggi cubes
• 1tsp dried mint
• 1tbsp dried oregano
• 1tsp ground nutmeg
• 1tsp ground cloves
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 2tbsp brown sugar
• 2tbsp flour
• salt & pepper to taste

 For the Béchamel sauce (white sauce) 

• 4tbsp butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 ¾ cups milk, heated
• 1tsp ground nutmeg
• 1tsp paprika
• 1 cup Gouda cheese, grated
• salt & black pepper to taste
• 1 pk penne pasta, cooked

1. Start by making the meat sauce. In a large pot, fry the minced beef until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. In the same pot, fry the onions, carrots, celery and garlic until soft and fragrant. Add the bay leaves. Add the minced beef back into the pot and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, herbs, flour and sugar. Allow to come to simmering point and turn the heat down.
3. Place the lid on the pot to simmer gently and allow thickening for 30 minutes.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 180°c and grease an oven proof dish (make sure it’s big enough).
5. To make the bechamel, gently melt the butter in a saucepan ensuring it doesn’t change colour. Stir in the flour until a glossy paste is formed.
6. Slowly pour in the warm milk. Only pour in a few tablespoons at a time and make sure that it’s well incorporated before adding again. When half of the milk has been incorporated, switch to a balloon whisk and add larger amount of the milk whilst whisking. The sauce should be thick and smooth.
7. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the spices and cheese. Season to taste. At this point, also check the seasoning of the meat sauce and adjust.
8. To assemble the Pastitsio, combine the cooked pasta with just over half of the Béchamel sauce.
9. Pour all of the meat sauce into a prepared oven dish and smooth out. Follow with the pasta and finally the remaining of the Béchamel sauce.

10.  Place the assembled Pastitsio into the pre-heated oven and allow baking for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

11.  Remove the Pastitsio from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed it.


Much love,

iRant

This would be my first rant post. Why am I ranting you may ask? Simply because it threatens the fun packed weekend I have planned.

It all started on a dark and rainy night....lol....I kid, I kid (is it weird that horror stories always start that way). It was actually midday on a cloudy, cool Friday.

Anyhow, me being in preparation mode for the highly anticipated weekend, and wanting to look my best (after all, it's 'my big three O'). I decide to pay a visit to the beauty spa, this is a place I frequent almost every month to get a facial and some minor waxing done. 

STOP!!!

Hold on, wait a minute. Let me start by saying upfront, the service I recieved here has always been good, and on that day, the actual facial was the BEST I have ever had at this spa. The young lady was very pleasant, gentle and she took her time with me.

Ok...back to the RANT

So there I am lying on the bed with my eyes closed. The beautician comes in ever so quietly that I didn't even realize she was in the room till she started coughing. We exchanged some pleasantries (how are you,  which type of facial, when was the last facial etc), then the facial started (she has the most gentle hands). 

Cough, cough, cough....cough, cough, cough. Me, "are you alright?" to which she replied "yes". Me: *raised eyebrow* Ok, she said she's OK, probably she just has that annoying, non-contagious, non-infectious, nothing to worry about cough, that cough everyone was left with after the flu has left them. However, as the facial progressed, the cough persisted. That coughing spell lasted the entire appointment, the ENTIRE appointment!!! 

So the appointment is over now, I thank her, told her she did such a wonderful job. I get up, and looked at the her and realizes she looks ill, so I ask her again, " are you sure you're OK? do you have the flu?" to which she then replies "yes". 

YES??? WHAT!!!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!! Y'ALL HAVE TO BE JOKING!!!!

If you are providing a service, especially one that involves personal hygiene, and your employee has the flu (the very contagious flu). Send them to F home until they feel better. So as to not risk paying customers such as myself being infected with the flu. And in my case being infected with the flu days before 'my big three O'. What the hell are you trying to do? Ruin my celebration?

I am very disappointed with the spa, VERY disappointed. It's Sunday, I'm on work, tired, weak, feverish, congested, I have a headache,  my nose and eyes are runny, my throat is sore; and i'm guzzling down Nyquil, Panadol and Chloraseptic lozenges hoping to get over the flu before the weekend. This is not how I envisioned my week. I'm supposed to be bursting with energy and excitement. 

Places such as these establishments need to be better business people and human beings and look out for the well being of there customers and fellow human beings.

I now wish I had noticed she was ill before the start of the appointment. I would have requested someone else do the facial.

END OF RANT

Have you ever experienced this, or a similar situation? Do you think places such as these establishments should be held accountable for public health?

Much Love,