It's a party! It's a PAR-TAY (and you get presents!!)

Insane looking picture of me originally found in this account.

Welcome! Welcome one and all!

This is my moment, this is my miracle (name that movie) for Lo! Behold!

'Tis a day of joy and gladness!

Today, I...MOI.. am featured by the venerable institution which is: The Secret Is in the Sauce In other words I am the featured SITS blogger. Which means that more people then usual will stop by my blog today. People we lovingly refer to as SITStahs!. The Sitstahs are IN THE HOUSE yo!

Or this is my hope. The fact that it is 2 days before Christmas Eve and the SITStahs might have more pressing things to do then stop by a stranger's blog has not escaped me, and it makes me doubly grateful to those of you that do. THANK YOU!! (Does that sound desperate or gracious? I'm on the fence.)

For the rest of you out there who are frantically scrubbing the bathroom floor with a toothbrush. or using my strategic organizational method of shoving piles of junk into grocery bags in preparation for your mother in law's impending visit, angrily asking yourself why you left it until now even though you promised yourself a month ago that you'd have everything gleaming with a week to spare, during which you'd give yourself a manicure and smile benignly at your family by the light of the Christmas tree....I send you my condolences. And my empathy. This too shall pass. Come back when it does.

Speaking of toothbrushes. You may want to read this cautionary tale


So hey, did you know it is 2 days before Christmas? Yes! Here's a Christmas card for you. Meet my sweet family. I do so love them. We have lots of fun traditions at this time of year. Most of which involve chocolate in some form. You can read about them here if you wish.



And we have guests? Which means this must be a party!

A party! A party! Please do come in, and keep your shoes on, by all means.



(I don't like it when I have to take off my shoes at people's houses for the following reasons:)
1)There is a good chance my socks are not matching or are in some type of disrepair.

2) If I take off my shoes my jeans will be too long and I will make a swishing sound wherever I go as they drag around on the floor. Not a glamourous swoosh, you understand, more a shoosh..shooosh. I have the shortest legs of any normal sized woman alive. Or at least any you know. I'm fairly confident of this. My legs are not much longer then those of my not yet eight year old daughter.

3)The shoes are part of the outfit. And one should never tamper with The Look.

(I don't like it when people take off their shoes at my house for the following reasons):
1) When they get home they will discover that their socks are black and it will be revealed that my hardwood floors are far dirtier then they look in the carefully orchestrated dirt-hiding dim "atmosphere lighting"

2. Number one was the only reason but I sensed there needed to be a list here.

Oh! Wait! My manners! Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Kirsty and I'll be your host today. Can I get you some hot-chocolate? Made in my long coveted new cocomotion?



What? Oh that. Yes, it's true. I have been involved in some scandal lately but I'm trying to move on. The paparazzi has been relentless though. I appreciate you respecting my privacy as I work through this.

If you want to know more about me before you eat my food, click here. Some of it is a little out of date but it's fascinating stuff people. FASCINATING. You really don't want to miss it. Trust me. Delusions of grandeur? I'm sure I don't know what you mean.

OK enough about all that. Who is hungry? Come! Sit. Isn't my table festive? Or Martha's table. Whatever.

Here! Try the most amazing dip ever. I got it from the piano teacher. It is So amazing that my gourmet cooking fancy friend Amy gave it the ultimate endorsement by giving it out as her friend and neighbour "treat plate" this year. With a side of lime chips. Upon tasting it I achieved nirvana. And now I share it with you. With love and complete disregard for calories.

The Nice Piano Teacher's "Mexicali Dip"

16 oz. sour cream

1/2 8 oz. package fine shredded cheese (usually cheddar or taco mix...something along those lines)

1/2 cup salsa

1 package dry vegetable soup mix

1/2 package taco mix

you can also mix in some dried onions and/or red pepper - whatever you want to use to spice it up.

It's best to make it at least a day in advance. That gives the the dry vegetables time to thicken the dip ...and it will be a little "juicy" at first. It takes a bit for it to thicken.

In the mood for something sweeter? Here's my mom's recipe for the manna from heaven which is

My Mom's Baie Lekker (literal interpretation from Afrikaans: Very Yummy)

And it is. My husband bitterly informed me this week that when he took it to a company party he did not even get a chance to taste any before it was all gone. It uses ingredients you always have in your house and is excellent comfort food. I will include my mom's original recipe but translate some parts into American for you. Now we are having a cultural experience together. And I think that is special.

Baie Lekker (Very Yummy)

2 cups flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tsps bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. syrup/apricot jam
Mix egg and milk into all dry ingredients. Mix well together.
Add syrup and vinegar and mix again.
Grease oven-proof dish. Do not fill higher then 2/3 from the top.
Bake at 180. (350F) for 30-45 mins depending on size of dish.
Sauce:
1 cup Ideal Milk (Evaporated milk)
2/3 cups of butter/margarine
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence.
Heat together and pour over pudding (it doesn't look like "pudding" we call any dessert pudding) as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Serve with cream, ice-cream or custard.

After all this food, I encourage you to consider joining the Momedy Throwdown. Starting 1-1-2010!! It's going to be fun.

And now for the... PRESENT part of the party. The very stylish April Kennedy from Funky Vintage Kitchen has kindly provided this beautiful pair of her handmade earrings for one lucky commenter to win today. Ruffled Roses in Charcoal. How pretty would they look with...well..pretty much everything. Visit Funky Vintage Kitchen for all manner of lovely funky, vintage prettiness.

And I will be providing one lucky and perhaps stressed out reader with a bubble bath . This was my signature scent for the year.

And another lucky reader who chose to remove their shoes after all with some warm fuzzy socks. Such as these. Infused with shea butter even. Because when your feet are shea buttered, it is better.

Thank you so much for visiting!

I hope that you will decide that my blog is one that you want to read again on the strength of its wit, wisdom, originality and the weird European way with which I spell "favourite" and "colour" which makes you feel a bit exotic. (I'm South African! This fact alone should give you enough reason to stick around.) Also? I tend to crack (and ramble) under pressure. I would like another shot at impressing you with my aforementioned wit, warmth, wisdom and weirdness. Also my modesty. (It's important that you know that I never brag. Even though I am quite remarkable in many ways. I remain a paragon of modesty.)

{But in case all these compelling motivations fail to win you over, I am prepared to bribe. If I may direct your attention to the "beautiful people" mosaic in the middle column. Bless them. Every one. I love and adore them. Each one. And soon they shall be rewarded. When we reach 210 followers one of them gets $50! Will it be you?} BTW: The seemingly arbitrary 210 is in honour of the upcoming new decade. Note I don't even demand 2010 followers, although maybe I should expect these things and they will happen. Not sure. I never read The Secret. Anyway..carry on.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! Have a wonderful holiday. Take time to enjoy all those wonderful things that give us reason to blog :)

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