Mexican stew for hob or slow cooker

As you know I've been a bit busy recently having spent 9 weeks in the UK. I'm now, well the kids are, in the middle of exams, the youngest is leaving for the UK to go to boarding school in just over a week so I've been extremely busy, what with packing, revision and of course getting my hair and nails done.

The slow cooker has been my saviour this week. The school run is at 7am and now the eldest drives, I find myself up at 6am, giving them a kick up the back side and in between drinking tea and barking orders, I start the dinner.

So far this week we've had a Thai Green Curry, Hungarian Goulash and Chicken in Mushroom. We've also had a take out and dinner out with friends.

But the favourite this week has been the Mexican Stew, served with plain rice and peas. If you don't have a slow cooker it also works well on the hob on a low heat for 2 hours.

Brown the beef in a table spoon of olive oil. Remove from the pan.
Gently cook the diced onion, finely chopped clove of garlic and chopped pepper for 5 mins.
Put the onion, pepper and beef in the slow cooker.
Add half a tea spoon of cumin, 1 finely chopped chilli, a tea spoon of brown sugar (removes the bitterness) 9 fluid ozs of beef stock, a tin of peeled and chopped tomatoes, a generous helping of tomato puree and a glass of red wine.

Set the slow cooker to low for the day.

And don't forget to make sure the dog is around to clean up all the floor scraps.

My slow cooker settings are ideal and I've yet to have a meal dry up, but you may need to check there is enough liquid in there and top up with stock or water if necessary.

I really should thank the following companies for their support, they didn't sponsor the post, but I think they should consider it for the future.

Kenwood
Global Knives
PicknPay

The 5 C's in a crisis

Last week I wrote about regaining my smile

Life has been going well, I've been really enjoying the volunteering at www.kwo.org.za a home for adults with learning and physical disabilities, I've established a routine, I'm committed to giving up smoking (even if I do require medical intervention to do so) I'm back swimming 1km daily at Virgin Active Gym. I'm spending my spare time, sewing bags and making bunting for KWO Christmas market. I'm busy emailing schools, local businesses and Embassies promoting www.santashoebox.co.za

So life is good and I'm also dealing with Hubby being away into his 3rd week on business in Europe and holiday in the UK to visit family and friends.

But today was crap, I put feeling better with the depression down to the fact I've not had to deal with a difficult situation recently and not the medication making it easier to deal with stuff.

I lost/misplaced/had stolen my bank card and I went into meltdown. Not out of panic/fear/worry, but out of annoyance at knowing how bloody complicated this will be to sort out.

I'm at PicknPay, no bank card, I'll be back. I retraced my steps to the petrol station where I know I last used my card, nearly 24 hours ago, it's not there. Youngest is searching the car, under the bed and friend is checking her house and driveway where I went last night. I check my balance online, all is good and then I cancel the card.

After cancelling my card I realised how isolated I am here, how little help and support actually exists for us as a family, thankfully my boys are 13 & 17 and in a medical emergency they'd cope/manage in hubbies absence.

It takes ages to find the number online as I'm signed in, if I'd signed out and just surfed the website, I'd have found it straight away.

Them: Hi how are you?, I'm fine (this happens all the time, I never had chance to answer and didn't ask a question.

Me: I'd like to report a lost card.

Them: Can I have your name and ID?.....no, not your account number, your ID

Me: That is my ID I'm British

Them: But there isn't enough digits

Me: I know, I'm not South African

Them: Can we have your account number?

Believe it or not, I don't actually know it. I get statements online, it's not written on the front of the card, like the UK, so I log back on to internet banking to locate it.

Them: When would you like your new card?

Me: ASAP as my hubby is away and I have no access to any money till he gets back next weekend

Them: How would you like to get your card?

Me: Please tell me what my options are and then tell me the quickest way to get access to my money please.

So I'm off to the bank tomorrow after my hospital appointment to be issued with a temporary card. The proper card will arrive at the bank in 5 working days.

I doubt things will go smoothly, they really do, here.

My friend is wonderful I called her. I had a cuppa, cake, cry, cuddle and most importantly....she gave me cash.




UPDATE
IT TOOK 22 MINUTES FROM ENTERING THE CARPARK, WALKING TO THE BANK, COLLECTING TEMPORARY CARD, WALKING TO CAR, PAYING FOR TICKET AND EXITING THE CARPARK....I'M STILL IN SHOCK

the power of a tweet

'Dear @picknpay why are you no longer selling Hellmans mayonnaise? Tis a sad day for us #expats'

What followed was a series of tweets from others with suggestions of where I could purchase Hellmans Mayonnaise and even a tweeter contacting her local store to ask if they had any in.

And then this morning the phone rang.

It was head office in Cape Town to explain that the Hellmans Mayonnaise had not been available to order in since March due to an issue with labelling. Hellmans is imported into South Africa, lots of other global brands are manufactured under licence here. Coca Cola, Lays (aka Walkers in the UK) and due to it being a global brand it needs to comply with the food regulation agency and therefore needs to be labelled 'contains egg' and 'produced in a factory that handels nuts'

Now all very well and good, but......I need my Hellmans Mayonnaise, so I added it to Hubbies shopping list for next month.

Then this pm I get a call from the manager at the local branch who has gone above and beyond in her mission to fulfill my needs, including calling local branches to see if they have any left in stock, sent out staff to rival stores to see if she could obtain any for me and then said she'll check out her local shops during the week and rest assured she will call me as soon as it comes back into stock.

So I feel a little foolish now, all that effort for me? one lowly customer, but it's the difference between writing a blog post and tweeting how fab @picknpay are and shopping elsewhere.

In the past when I've tweeted them about raw meat, poor hygiene or lack of education on storing products, they have always responded in this manner, with an explanation and what they are going to do to rectify the issue.

This is not service I've ever had from a UK supermarket.

Where we live

We live on a Golf Estate, sort of 'welcome to Beverly Hills.

The 18 hole golf course and the Hennops river meander through the estate. We rent and it's not cheap, but then we do have excellent security, well since they replaced the former group with Protea after an armed robbery at our neighbours http://chickenruby.blogspot.com/2011/06/living-in-utopiapart-two.html

The houses are all individually designed and it seems anything goes, there are several smaller estates inside walled areas with 4 houses all 3 bed and identical.

We live a mile from the main gate and these are some of the houses I pass on my way in and out of the estate.



We're fairly central, just over the road is a Post office, Spar shop, chemist, cafe, row of various takeaways, fuel station, Wimpy and dentisits. Not sure what goes on in the other shops as I don't use them.

Southdowns is a larger shopping area, out the main gate, turn left and 3 mins up the road, the Doctors, hairdressers, nail bar are located there as is Doppios the cafe with free internet.

A Woolworths that looks remarkably like M&S.

There are plenty of restaurants from the fish and chip shop, spurs steak house and fine dining. I love the individual boutiques and gift shops there also.

Centurion Mall takes about 10 minutes to reach, it has a selection of nearly every chain store in South Africa and a few independent ones.

The Mall offers secure parking and costs £1.50 for six hours parking.

It is all outdoors, open space, benches, cafes, cinema. Typical really of all the Malls here. It's lovely to be able to wander around without fear of crime, (bag snatches and shop lifting excluded, unfortunatley.)

I also use Centurion Lifestyle Mall, also outdoors, but no security this is where I had my GPS and camera stolen from the car while I was loading the shopping in the boot, approx 15 min drive away. They use travel time here, not actual distance, so probably about 4 miles. The Food Lovers Market is also a must for lunch.


There are many more places I use during the week, all within a 5 mile radius, safe routes and I can get everything I need/want (finances permitted)


I'll tell you about Irene, the dairy, Jan Smuts house and markets, the Cornish Kettle, the Mall, the boys school and the charity in another blog