i think i need a holiday now

although i have been keeping it mum for a while (please note for no other reason than pure slothery), i have been doing an internship in the GQ magazine copy editing department for the past two weeks. well. what this has taught me is that i definitely don't want to do copy editing someday. geez. you read every article in the magazine, about 6 times over, three months in advance, checking for errors. now i know i'm an anal spelling freak but there is a line one needs to draw in order to preserve one's sanity. if i ever do foray in to copy editing, it would be for a shitty magazine that i don't actually ever read in real life - this way, i can maintain the child-like excitement on the 21st of every month when new reading material hits the shelves.

another thing i learnt is that i actually don't want to work at all one day. my dream of becoming a journalist/ fashiony person has (once again) been replaced by the dream of being a lady of leisure.  decadence trumps success every time. 

why? 

after a day of work, i am SO TIRED. like go to bed at 8pm tired, even though my working day only starts between 9 and 10 am every day. exhaustion of such nature means the time i get to spend with the bird after he comes home from work is all a bit of a blur/am i dreaming? vibes. honestly, most of the time i can't remember our conversations at all.

another con of being a bread winner (not that i was earning any bread, just eating it) is that your eating habits have to conform with the rest of society/your office. you see, my eating routine is non existent. i eat when i am hungry. i never eat breakfast (although dossing till 11 makes this easier) and my lunch is usually spread out throughout the afternoon. THIS WORKED FOR ME!! now, getting up at the crack of morning traffic (i live in a busy street, okay), one has to eat breakfast or you'll surely die before you find parking. 

lunch is from 1 to 2, and i learned very quickly (although this donkey made the same mistake thrice) that the coffee shop across the street is a TRICK and will steal all your money - in short, eating out is expensive. so i learned to pack lunch. meaning i never left my desk. which is like the first thing any magazine will tell you to NOT do if you want to lose weight. office chair shapes make all the food go straight to your butt. they should teach us this in pre-primary.

the third con is not being able to do anything in office hours. which is the fatal flaw of life i suppose. everthing is only open/available/willing n office hours. you work in office hours though, as do most people. thus; most people, in the world, can't get anything done.ever. proof, as i've experienced this firsthand!

and now i've been asked to stay another week. in the fashion department!!!! and honestly, i'm overjoyed. maybe i shall become a working woman after all.

crouton, crouton, crunchy friends in a liquid broth

so this post is about soup, soup, a tasty soup, soup.

excuse the constant mighty boosh paraphrasing. i. just. can't. help. it. maybe i should provide the lyrics just to get us all on the same page. mother, as my only reader, i feel i must do this for you. being older and all.

The Soup Song - The Mighty Boosh

Soup, soup, a tasty soup, soup, a spicy carrot and coriander.

Chili chowder!

Crouton, crouton, crunchy friends in a liquid broth. I am gazpacho, oh, I am a summer soup, oh! Miso, miso! Fighting in the dojo, miso, miso! Oriental prince in the land of soup!

AAAND... the link to the video ----->HERE

 (you're welcome)

now, to get back to what i actually was going to talk about. the other night i made THE MOST AMAZING potato and leek soup. i ate it all in a day and a half. which is quite a lot. it is honestly the most wholesome, hearty, and comforting bowl of liquid you will ever consume. even those of you who are domestically incapable and kitchen retarded cannot mess this up, and it will be a very rewarding experience, both in the sense of creating and enjoying.

potato and leek soup FOR DUMMIES  

• take about four or five medium sized leeks, chop of the top bit where its very muddy, then slice finely and chuck in a bowl of water to rinse out all the dirt and grit. (removal of dirt and grit very important!!) 

• meanwhile, chop up an onion or two, and heat up a largeish pot with a knob of butter and a glug of oil.

• muddle the leek rings around to wash well, drain, and add to the (now melted) butter in pot along with the onion.  strip in a few stalks of thyme (this is a herb) and cook over a medium heat until the onions and leeks are all soft and yellowy and yummy.

• add about a glass and a half of white wine, you may drink the rest. while this is cooking off, peel and cube (this means cut into blocks - about 2,5cm x 2,5cm if you want specifics) around about 4 or 5 potatoes. 

• add potatoes to the pot, cook for a bit to allow the potatoes to absorb the winey-buttery-oniony goodness. add about a litre of chicken stock - instant is fine - and simmer over a gentle heat for about one to one and a half hours, or until the potatoes are tender. 

• now, if you are lucky and own a hand blender or liquidiser, apply that to lumpy mixture in pot. if, like me, you only possess a potato masher, apply that. it's okay if it's not perfectly velvety smooth - the lumps actually make it more filling and rustic. 

• when your soup is smoothish, stir in one cup of cream and one cup of milk, a good sprinkling (about a tablespoon) of nutmeg, and if you'd like (and i do like, very much), a handful of strong grated cheese, like pecorino or gruyere.

NOW (and only now) may you season with salt and pepper.

• if you're not going to eat the soup all at once, rather sprinkle the cheese onto individual portions, as it tends to form a skin once the soup has cooled. add less salt, in that case, as the cheese is quite salty.

• this soup is delicious on its own, but to 'soup' it up (i had to, sorry), serve with some oven toasted ciabbatta slices that have been rubbed with a clove of garlic and some olive oil before toasting - delish! also nice with some crispy bacon bits on top, or a dollop of sour cream.

serves one very hungry jenna or about eight normal people.  

tonight i'm making butternut soup - stay tuned!

love makes the world go round

love is a word that is said much too easily and far too little

when you've had a shitty day, and it feels like everything is irritating you, you sometimes take it all out on the person who deserves it the least. however, this person is blessed with the patience and the love that allows him to listen to your rants and raves, tell you to relax, and bring you tissues. he then makes it all better with a cup of tea, a kiss on the forehead and an 'i love you'.

for me, this person is the boy i love. for others, it can be a friend or family member. whoever this person may be, he (or she) loves you, and you love him (or her) enough to listen to their advice, however harsh it may be, and see the situation from a better perspective.

without love, we would be selfish, ugly people, narcissistic and ego-centric. without love, the world on't go round.

happy anniversary baby.

even stars die eventually

whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it's very important that you do it - mahatma ghandi

life is what happens in between the kodak moments, the certificates and the prize givings. life is what happens when you are not paying attention.  life is what happens when you are too busy trying to create movie moments, the ugly bits, the outtakes lying on the editing room floor. 


i have spent a great portion of my life waiting for it to begin. "goodness i can't wait for highschool to start - we are going to have the times of our lives". same for varsity. same for graduating. same for living away from home. FINALLY going into the direction i want to go. not only does one wish past most of every year, but you wish past the bits that you were looking forward to  in the first place.  the irony in this is painful, yet we are all oblivious. the sacredness of the hic et nunc, or the sacredness of the here and now, a concept much loved by phenomenological philosophers,  says

 don't spend too much time worrying about the future, or you will become unable to enjoy the only genuine reality we have - namely the moment of our existence we have right here and now.

 this is it.   the future is a collection of hopes. the past is a collection of memories. all we have, is the present. we must stop trying to perfect life. life is in the imperfections. in the end, nothing will really matter. no one is going to comment at your funeral on how your life seemed to be a hollywood screenplay. they're going to remember the impact you had on their lives, and the lives of others. only a nihilist will try to live life in an aesthetic way as to appear happier.

in some way, a blog, with idealistic pictures and preachy messages or excerpts of beautiful moments is exactly the opposite of what we are supposed to do. by trying to capture it, we lose it.  no pictures on this post.

rings on her fingers and bells on her toes

i have several fatal flaws, i must admit. one is a champagne taste on a lemonade budget. the other is a crippling weakness for jewelry, especially rings. one would never think i had only 10 fingers when looking through my jewelery box, and the aforementioned financial crisis means most of my rings have now turned from gold to silver to bronze/copper and my poor 10, over-accessorized fingers, a sickly green.trawling the interwebs and blogs, i discovered THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RINGS IN THE WORLD and would like to share them with you in case anyone is feeling generous during the festive season. yes, this is a blatant skimp.

these are actually supposed to be wedding rings. i want them now. and more for my wedding one day, because, you see, they STACK. these lovelies are from andrea bonelli.

now this little beaut is hand casted, so everyone looks different. i think it's lovely. i've always had a thing for wolves. it is from odette new york. dream on little girl, it costs a few hundred dollars... one day

landscape

i have been waiting for this video to premiere for ages... besides it being one of the catchiest songs in a long time (you have been warned), it features amazing west coast scenery and the beaut running of  ryan sandes - he runs these extreme desert marathon vibes. enjoy!

Thieve ft Die Heuwels Fantasties -- Way to Go

(click it. you know you want to)

i am excited to go to the beach for summer...lazy sunsets, braais, warm juice and sunscreen...glowy skin, freckles and curly curly hair! i'm planning big reads, big sun, big spf and big relaxation.

thieve is an awesome local boerewors belt band that has a great sound. here is a link to the anthem of my summer vacation last year - this song will have you singing at the top of your lungs in no time!     Thieve -- Last Day December

go look them up on facebook to hear some more of their choons ...

supper

so the other night the baby bird cooked the rabbit some supper. dating a chef has some pro's and con's. on the downside, his hours are long and the waist level proximity to ovens and micro waves might be potentially hazardous to my picket fence dreams. on the plus side though, i can be spoiled with home made bearnaise and hollandaise sauce, perfectly cooked meat and everything delicious. here are some pics of our beautiful evening - i wont post the finished product to prevent jealousy!