Spring cleaning. Pesach cleaning. Just all the cleaning.
So far since last Friday we have done the following:
Cleaned Aaron’s room.
Cleaned Faith’s room.
Sorted out Aaron’s cupboard.
Sorted out Faith’s cupboard.
Cleaned out both pantry cupboards.
Swept, vacuumed and steam mopped all the floors (which will have to be redone on Friday).
Deep cleaned my oven and stove top (which caused me heart failure when the gas hobs stopped working because they got wet, they now work just fine).
De-calking the kettle.
I’ve done at least 8 loads of laundry since last weekend including, blankets, duvets, linen, clothes, towels and kitchen cloths & mop cloths.
Still to be done this afternoon and tomorrow morning:
Cleaning the fridge and freezer.
Cleaning all the kitchen surfaces.
Cleaning the microwave.
Deep cleaning the bathrooms.
Dusting.
Sorting out my cupboard.
Sweeping, vacuuming and steam mopping all the floors again.
And after all the cleaning is done, I have to pack away all my day to day crockery and cutlery and kitchen things and unpack all the Pesach things and wash what needs washing before it can be used.
This last week has been a little hectic. It’s been Pesach and the kids have been on holiday and I’ve been home with them. I’ve done some work, we’ve gone to the park, we went shopping and as one does on a Jewish holiday, I’ve cooked. A lot!
And I’ve cheated on this blog with my other blog, You Cooked What.
Take a look at some of the recipes I’ve made this week over here:
Im going to be added lots more recipes going forward, I feel like I’ve neglected my little food blog and thats going to change. I hope you enjoy the recipes and please let me know how they turn out if you try them.
Red wine (I used a merlot that had been given to us as a gift)
Spices, whatever you have in the rack (I used a shishkebab seasoning, since its all I had that was pesadich)
Tomato paste
Hot water
Instructions
In a roasting dish place your turkey breast and sprinkle with the spice(s). Use as much or as little as you like, this is to your taste.
Drizzle a little bit of oil over the top of the breast.
Splash a little of the wine over the breast.
Cover with foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes at 180°C.
While the turkey is in the oven, mix the tomato paste, a bit more wine and some hot water in a bowl to make a sauce. The more sauce you make the more sauce you will have when its done cooking.
After 20 minutes remove the roasting dish from the oven and uncover the turkey.
Pour the sauce over the turkey and return the roasting dish to the oven, uncovered.
Baste the turkey with the sauce every 10 minutes or so for another 40 minutes.
The hour of cooking time above is perfect for a 1kg breast. Add 5 – 10 minutes cooking time per 100g over 1kg.
Remove from the oven and cover loosely with tin foil. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Remove the turkey from the roasting dish and carve like you would a meat roast. Return the slices to the sauce and keep warm until you are ready to serve.
Serve with rice or quinoa. I used black quinoa and it was delicious
Notes
This amount of turkey served with grains and a salad was enough to feed 8 people.
We had leftovers and ate them warmed up the next day for lunch, it was even better than the night before!
We were very lucky to be invited to stay with my brother in law and his girlfriend in Cape Town over Pesach/Easter, so we packed our things (I seriously over packed mine and the kids things, could have cut all of it by half!) and off we went.
View from the house we stayed in.
We flew Kulula and they were running about an hour late so we arrived in CT just after 1pm.
Cold front rolling in
Paul spent a few days working and meeting some of his CT contacts while I chilled at the house with the kids.
Cold front hits
On Friday morning we met up with Tertia, Heather, Sally, Tanya, Candice, Amanda, Tania (did I leave anyone out??) and a few non tweeps and most of the spouses and kids at Nitida Wine Estate. I of course brought my camera and then totally forgot to take any pictures! It was so awesome meeting all these people in real life.
Next time we will definitely spend more time with all you crazy and fabulous CT tweeps!
Franschhoek again
Saturday was spent in Franschhoek and Boschendal, just the four of us and ended up on Camps Bay beach with my mom, my uncle and his two kids, my moms boyfriend, his daughter and son in law and their three kids.
Boschendal
Aaron wasnt too sure about the beach or the sea but before we knew it he was nekkid, building sand castles, jumping in the ‘pool’ they had built and having a grand time.
Everything goes in her mouth!My boys
So grand in fact that he did not want to leave, nor did he want to get under the shower to wash off all the sand. Needless to say an #AaronTantrum ensued and if you were in Camps Bay on Saturday afternoon and witnessed a small nekkid boy scream his little lungs out for his mommy and daddy to ‘Just leave me alonnnnnnnnnne!!!!’ I apologise, truly, I do, no one should have to witness an #AaronTantrum, ever!
Sunday was spent at the Two Oceans Aquarium with Ash and Meg then on to lunch and then to the airport.
Kulula was actually on time and we got home just after 7pm.
Lions head
Both kids were amazing on the flights, sleeping for most of the way and generally behaving themselves and charming the air stewards. Aaron even got to see inside the cockpit as we were disembarking at OR Thambo.
Possibly the only decent picture I took at the aquariumTired penguin
Other notable occurrences would be the two falls I managed to take.
On Thursday I managed to slip on the last of three steps, I was carrying two cups of coffee, the step was dry, I was bare foot, I landed on my arse and spilt most of the coffee on the floor, none on me and I didnt break the coffee cups!
On Saturday I slipped off a teeny tiny ledge outside the Boschendal gift shop, landing on my left butt cheek and my right knee (have no idea how) and I seem to have pulled a hamstring. I also managed not to break my BB which landed face down on the ground, yay me!
Brevity Street is literally one house long!
All in all a good trip, wish it could have been longer though, but Im happy to be home.
The chicken soup is simmering on the stove as I type. Its the first time I have made ‘real’ chicken soup and I am hoping it is up to my moms standard. Once the soup is done I will let it cool and freeze it only to be defrosted on Wednesday morning.
Tomorrow I will be making this pot roast. Sounds sooooo yummy I cant wait for Wednesday night.
In addition to the soup and roast, in great Jewish tradition, we are having a very full menu.
