Month: June 2013

Posted on

Chocolate fudge cake

Holy moly!

This is the second time I have made this cake and it is phenomonawesome!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup margerine, softened
  • 2 cups sugar (I used a sugar replacement so this is supposedly diabetic friendly)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup cocoa
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 box chocolate chips (the original recipe didnt have this but I thought, what the hell, I have them, lets see what happens)

Method

  • Heat oven to 180°C.
  • Cream marge and sugar.
  • Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
  • Add cocoa and baking powder and salt, mix.
  • Add half a cup of water, mix.
  • Add 1 cup flour, mix.
  • Add half a cup water, mix.
  • Add 1 cup flour, mix.
  • Add remaining water and flour and mix well.
  • Add in the choc chips and combine gently.
  • Pour into a greased large springform tin.
  • Bake for 30 – 40 minutes.  The longer you bake the less gooey the middle will be.

 

IMG_2012

 

Posted on

Project: Get Fit – June (end of)

*First published on the {Virgin Active Blog}

Remember my baseline fitness test I did in {May}?

I did a follow up test last night.  Here are my results.

  • 3km run – 21m40s
  • Pull ups – 3
  • Sit ups (1 minute) – 31
  • Push ups (1 minute) – 20
  • 400m sprint – 1m42s

Im a bit disappointed in my 3km time.  I really thought I would shave off at least a minute, instead I added just over a minute.  Im not sure how though, I ran more than I walked this time and my lung capacity was definitely better than before.  I guess I just have to keep trying.

On the other hand, everything else is an improvement!

I guess the lesson here is to keep trying, keep training, keep on keeping on!

Posted on

I love it when a plan comes together!

What a privilege to be a part of the #StarlightExpressSA journey.  I cannot tell you how amazing its been to see this production come together.

Yesterday I attended a rehearsal on the main stage.  A stage that has been especially designed and built for the production by James Macnamara.  From ‘on-stage’ seating, to ramps and revolving parts.  Everything is brand spanking new and clearly a labour of love.

Lights, Stage, Action
Lights, Stage, Action

Yesterday was also the lighting designers turn to start making magic.  And Declan Randall is truly a magician.  The lights are almost their own character.  It was so special to watch this part of the production happen.

Lighting
Lighting

Apart from all the technical wizardry happening yesterday, the cast and crew were making last minute changes to choreography and direction.  I love getting this behind the scenes look.  The cast has truly become a family.

David Schlachter aka Rusty, contemplating one of the ramps
David Schlachter aka Rusty, contemplating one of the ramps

The highlight of my visit yesterday was seeing the two boys playing Control interact with each other.  Joshua Moreira and Ziya Devar are 10 years old and the youngest cast members.  It was fun watching them just be kids together in between scenes.  Thats not to say they are not serious actors.  These kids will blow your minds.  Two more confident and talented youngsters you wont find very easily!

Josh and Ziya
Josh and Ziya

Watching rehearsal yesterday, I realised just how close we are to opening a 9 week run of this MEGA musical.  If you havent already, I suggest you give the Joburg Theatre a call (0861 670 670) or hop on over to their {website} to book your tickets.  This production is pure magic for the whole family.  I cant wait to take Aaron to see it.

Dinah, Buffy, Duvet and Pearl
Dinah, Buffy, Duvet and Pearl
Posted on

There are 4 of them! And I ran away!

4 kids in my house!

My 2 each have a friend today.  I didnt plan it that way, it just happened.

And I have never been as grateful that it is my full day at work as I am right now.

All the kids are amazing.  Polite, sweet, friendly.

But, OMG! Loud and active and shouty and wild!

I apologised to my nanny for leaving her with all 4 kids.  She laughed and told me to go back to work and they would be fine. As I was leaving she was herding them outside to play on the jungle gym.

Hopefully my 2 are all tuckered out and go to sleep early tonight!

Posted on

A mini competition! #StarlightExpressSA

*This competition is only open to bloggers with a twitter account TWEETERS in Johannesburg, South Africa*

So, I have been given the go ahead to invite a blogger who also tweets TWEETER to come with me this Wednesday (26th June) to a #StarlightExpressSA rehearsal!

I just cant choose between all you lovely people so here is the deal…

You MUST be an active blogger and you MUST be an active Tweeter! (You must also be available from 13:45 sharp on Wednesday at The Joburg Theatre)

Leave a comment below with your blog address and Twitter handle and I will do a random draw on Tuesday 25th at noon.

iphone pics 330

On a personal note if you all enter then I will, hopefully, now have a whole bunch of new blogs and Twitter account to follow!

Posted on

#GraceFactorySocial

{Tanya} and {Sharon} have initiated a wonderful project, the #GraceFactorySocial

{The Grace Factory} collects and distributes new and used baby goods to orphanages around Gauteng.

On Saturday 13th July, come and join them at Jump n Play in Northlands.

All you have to bring is a donation of your old (decent condition) baby clothes/toys/bedding etc and a pack of nappies or a tin of formula.

Join the Facebook event over {here}

GraceFactorySocial_Final2

Posted on

A bit about running…

Part of my training is running.  I have never been a big runner.

I remember a sports day in primary school, where I got drafted to run the 800 m (someone really wasn’t thinking clearly) and I told them it just wasn’t going to happen, they insisted and said that everyone must run, everyone must complete their race, even if they have to walk or crawl.  I ran for about 50 m before I felt like my lungs wanted to explode from my chest, so then I walked, for 750 m and because the rules stated EVERYONE had to finish, they couldn’t pull me off the track, they had to watch and wait for me to finish, they couldn’t do any other races, they had to wait for me.  They never asked me to run again!

Back to the present and the fact that I have to run.  3 km!

I bought myself a new pair of running shoes (the first new pair in over 15 years!) and I am running.  Sometimes I walk, but I always complete the run.  Yesterday morning we did the 3 km route and I ran 1 block, walked 1 block for most of it, the last 6 or so blocks I walked 1, ran 2.

running

I think I am getting better and I must admit, its not my legs that are the problem, its my lungs.  I cannot breathe.  Also my shins hurt with the impact of my feet on the road.

If anyone has any exercises or ideas on how to increase my lung capacity and how to avoid shin injury, I am all ears!

Posted on

How do you ambulate?

{Ambulatation!}

The staff at work laugh at me all the time.  I never, ever, ever walk slowly.

I don’t amble, I don’t stroll, I don’t meander. I don’t plod.

I stride, I march, I practically run!

Even if I have all the time in the world, I walk fast.

I have no patience for people that walk slowly in front of me.  Especially when they take up the entire passage space.  I always pass them and carry on.  I look like I’m rushing somewhere but I’m really not.  I just don’t see the point in walking slowly.

i-like-to-move-it-move-it_848

How do you move?  Fast?  Slow? Somewhere in the middle?

Posted on

Project: Get Fit – June

*First published on the Virgin Active blog!

So, I have joined a fitness group outside of gym, we meet 2 or 3 times a week.

Last night we did a 3 km run in about 28 minutes. 8 minutes longer than the last 3 km.  To be fair though, we ran as a group (so our pace was an average of the group) and we stopped four times in order to drop and do 25 sit ups PUSH-UPS, I meant push ups.  Half way through we also did a piggyback carry for one block – I didn’t carry anyone as I was the only girl and the guys outweighed me by a fair chunk.  That being said I was in high demand to be the piggyback-ee 😉

This morning we met at 5:30.  AM!!  I will state here and now that I am NOT a morning person!  I usually gym in the afternoons with the exception being a weekend, but then its not before 9:30.

This morning we did a 2 km run of which I managed 1 km.

Then we did chin ups, I managed 5! That’s 4 more than the first time I did chin ups.  The difference this time was that my hands were facing me on the bar.  I think that made it easier.

Then we did push ups with a medicine ball across the mat and then leopard crawled the ball back to the start.

We followed that with a little {Krav Maga} body conditioning.  This is where I learned something new this morning.  In Krav Maga, body conditioning is NOTHING like {Pilates}.  It involves being punched (not so gently) in the abdomen.  Ouch!

We followed that up with sparring.  Sparring is easy.  When you are not wearing protective headgear, body padding, groin protection and gloves.  With all that extra weight and padding, sparring gets a little harder.  My arms are now like jelly.

All in all I am super proud of myself.  I feel like I’ve been run over by a bus but I also feel good, like I have accomplished something and I am really motivated for our next session!