Worth a watch

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This is about Nelson Mandela Bay (Gqeberha), but there’s no shortage of poachers around Cape Agulhas and Cape Town. Robben Island is a huge hotspot.

They are very well funded, and treat the coastline and the law with complete impunity. And, because of SA’s issues with poverty, even when a poacher pops his clogs and joins the choir invisible – which they do on a fairly regular basis: this isn’t a low risk occupation – there are many, many others ready to step in and take their place.

No quick fix?
More like no fix at all for this right now.

Hot stuff – an early report

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I’m not sponsored by this guy. Hey, I’m not sponsored by anyone, but if you want to give me some money, please just let me know.

But…

I did get this advent calendar, and I have now opened 4 (four) boxes.

So how’s it gone so far?

Pretty well.

Day 1: Chimichurri – I’m new to the smokiness of these products, but this was exactly what it said on the tin: a smoky Argentinian-style chimichurri. Strong flavours. Lovely. But not as good as it would have been after 6:45am. I chose to open the boxes in the evenings from now on.
7/10 before breakfast. 9/10 in the evening.

Day 2: “Brinjal” – brinjal = aubergine = egg-plant, depending on where you are in the world. This was a mild relish, which allowed for a lot of smoke without too much chili. Very flavoursome, and impressive to make brinjal taste of… well, anything really.
7/10.

Day 3: “Hot Sauce” – described on their website as “Medium/Hot”, but…

And yes, that is actual footage. Eina fok! This was a warm one. I’ve learned in my time on this earth to take it easy with things of unknown spiciness, but even with a tiny amount (neat, to be fair) this was right up there for HEAT! I think it may well have been the acidity of the lime that added to the effect, but either way, treat this one with caution.
Still absolutely amazing on a cheese sandwich this lunchtime though.
8/10.

Day 4: Smoky Barbeque Sauce – oh wow! A flavour explosion. All the smoke, all the herbs and spices, and a real tomato/onion kick. Also not hugely hot, but just a hint of kick. It’s got everything.
Definitely my favourite so far. And it’s going to be hard to beat.
10/10.

I’m not promising to review ALL 25 of the products, but I’ll try to keep you up to date with at least the best ones.

Good run

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Managing expectations is an important skill in any business.

Always aim to under promise and over deliver. Get that the wrong way around (and I’m constantly fighting with companies that do), and no-one is going to be very impressed.

Me. I’m one of those people.

So this was ostensibly just a comeback run after some niggly injuries.

“Don’t expect too much. It will be good to just have him back out on the track.
Let’s see how things go and take it from there.”

I’m paraphrasing, but things went well.

A strong 3rd place finish when really, we just wanted to see him run again.
More than we ever expected.

And, given that number 6 was never ever going to lose this one, it probably actually counts as a second place. I’m not sure if that’s quite how things work.
But look at the height, the effort, the enthusiasm (he’s flying far right with the white blaze).

Back where he belongs after a lengthy layoff, and building towards bigger and better things.

A very decent afternoon out.

Apologies

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There were plans for a nice big blog post today.

But then suddenly, there was some impromptu horseriding (not me), and then I accidently lit a braai and opened a bottle of red wine.

And suddenly it’s 9 o’clock. And now I want to settle down and watch some Premier League footy.

So, let’s try again tomorrow, shall we?

Sorry about that.

Best deal?

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I think we did ok on Black Friday.

It was fortunate timing for replacing items after this.

But we don’t splurge. We select the deals which work for us, and we use the opportunity of a discount to purchase things we were going to get anyway.

Except, well… There was this on Simonsig’s Instagram:

We’re pricing like it’s 1969. ?
For today only, the first 50 customers who purchase our Sunbird Sauvignon Blanc 2024 can take home a case for ONLY R90 (that’s R15 a bottle).

We chose Sunbird for a reason – that 1969 invoice listed three white wines, a reminder that our story began with white. And in summer, nothing beats a crisp Sunbird Sauvignon Blanc.

One day. One deal. It’s our way of tipping the hat to where it all started.

Bullsh…. Nonsense, I thought. No-one sells R750 worth of wine for R90.

But obviously, I clicked through anyway, and there it was.
So I tried to buy some. And then I did buy some.

Because it was a genuine deal. (T&Cs meant one case per customer.)

And the money went off my account, and then the wine arrived this morning:

I’m not a white wine expert, but:

A perfect aperitif on a warm summer day, this wine also works very well with rich and fatty foods. Try it with salads, goat’s milk cheese, lemon-garnished fish dishes and Thai foods.

sounds pretty good, but it sounds even better when it comes in a R15 a bottle.

That case also looks good when stacked on top of the other… “several”… cases that also arrived today from other places, stocking up ahead of Ke Dezemba.