My Cinnamon Buns...

... are just amazing. Herewith picture. I don't mean it in a full of myself or my capabilities way, but they are just so good. Better than my singing (very kind fiance I have!) at least! I meant to take a picture of the brunch table, but I think in the process of  needing to taste the fruits of my labour all my other thoughts flew out my head. In the risk of this sounding like a food blog, they were half plain plain cinnamon, half chocolate & pecan - with a cream cheese frosting. Mmmm! And in true Annabelle style, with just 4 people at said brunch, I made enough food for maybe 8 or even 10 people! Spiced Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel Topping, Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes, Breakfast Skewers of Cocktail Sausages, Bacon & Mushrooms, Scrambled Eggs & a huge fruit platter. Sparkling wine with OJ & good coffee. Who would want to begin a sunday any other way. I just can't believe how quickly another weekend has come and gone.

The day after the bday

Had a cool evening with Tanya and Leigh, although i confess i drank to much red wine.  All in the name of celebrating my Anni's Bday.  Durbs still really cold at the moment, currently at about 8 degrees, would like to go up to the Berg 2m to see if it snowed as forecast but my Dad and step-mother Marlene are coming over for brunch.  Anni in the kitchen now preparing for the feast and listening to the iPod.  I dont think she realises that she is singing out loud, i should film it and put it on here for all to see.  Lets just say it wont get her on to idols!

Enjoy your weekend people

My Birthday

Right, so didn't make a cake... But had the bestest (my own!) blueberry with cinnamon streusel muffin for breakfast this morning. Pity, didn't take a pic. But am having enough red wine tonight to make up for lack of said cake. My best friend and her hubby are over (see pic below right) - got our local amazing thai food for takeout, so didn't have to cook. (BTW - it's Wai Thai on Old Main Road in Hillcrest... lucky people whom live in Hillcrest for this awesome Thai restaurant)

Was on my way on planning a super cool Middle Eastern night. Have a sun-lounge, so am wanting on doing blankets & big cushions on the floor, lots of heaters (by the way, Durban gets really really cold. Yep it's true. People in Joburg & Grahamstown may try and argue this, but Durban has it's own special kind of coldness. Really!!) & fairy lights along the tops of the windows. With Jamie's Mad Moroccan Lamb, some frijolemole (pls pls google mole frijole!!! I was advised not to when googling recipe for frijolemole, so of course had to!) And lots of booze, and a few hubblies. And my most special special chocolate cake for afters. But haven't been feeling too good this past week, and our very good friends James & Charms are going to Kruger for 10 days (Kruger National Park) so will do it when they're back. So right now my fiance and best friend are out conspiring about something that he's planning on for our wedding. Am the most inquisitive person in the world, so am holding myself back to not go and inconspicuously eavesdrop. Though right now I'm so cold even with a heater in front of me and wrapped in a blanket I'm not going anywhere! And the wine that I may have mentioned I'm having is warming me up nicely. Was a Wolftrap, no two of them and now is a Nederburg Cab Sauv. My hubby to be proved he does listen more then I thought... he gave me an amazing huge light greyish silvery handbag and a beautiful recipe journal. Tan and Leigh also gave me a lovely deep purple leather bag. So yum both of them. The bags I mean. Love the bags.

My beautiful sister, Helga, just phoned me from London. Was so good to talk to her. My dad passed away at the end of 2009, so I always get a bit nostalgic for birthdays past, where family was all together.

A Self-Confessed Cupcake Lover

I do love cupcakes... they make me nearly as happy as Muffins do! I just find something so delicately exquisite in a pretty pompous way about them. The first has to be a lot of women's absolute favourite combination - peanut butter & chocolate. My chocolate cupcakes are dark, moist and rich. With a peanut butter frosting, melted chocolate drizzled over and crushed toasted salted peanuts. Aghhh! The second lot are cupcakes I made for my sister's (Storm) boyfriend's (Lloyd) 23rd birthday. They're nearly as much in love with their Blackberrys (Or is it Blackberries...?) with each other, so hence the faces! I must say, not having a Blackberry myself, I do feel I am strongly excluded from some sort of special social 

club!

Eeek!!

So... after days of searching, have finally got my hands on a Come Dine With Me application form. I've wanted to go on this show since I first saw it when we lived in London, and it would DEFINITELY help our wedding kitty. (Hereforth known as Wedding Kitty) It's new to SA, however it is still in the pending status. Apparently they are waiting to see the amount and the calibre of entries. App form is a gazillion pages long, with annoying questions like "Describe your Personality"... and they've left 3 short lines??? I know everyone will tellme to just be myself. But, I mean, I don't know about anyone else, but my personality has so many opposing facets to it, not that I need a padded cell or anything, but I'm giving myself a decent depthed furrow between my eyes in deciding which angle I need approach this with. Are they looking for a Nigella-esque oh so not pretentious with inner feline skills or a wild lover of hedonistic pleasure with no brain to mouth filter with impressive get foot out mouth abilities................. I'm so going to have a sleepless night over this! Anni x

Pressure

Come on guys,

Anni needs to get into gear and post some recipies, start asking!

Another day gone

Another day just finished, had a long hard day at work as usual. Anni and i just had a lovely chicken salad for dinner (were'nt in the mood to cook properly). Sitting and watching discovery channel, awesome.

Helga, yes you, i am sure you will be able to post comments now.

Have a wonderful evening all.

Some more venue pics

A few more shots of the Windmills. These shots have be taken in winter and we have been told how beautiful and green the surroundings are in April.

The Sillo Girls

Are these not the cutest little girls you ever did see!

Anni's nieces Isabella and Sophia

The Engagement Ring

Here is the picture of Anni's ring - We looked for ages for a ring that suited her taste but could not find anything or the price was just ridiculous! We eventually designed our own and had it custom made. Unfortunately our jeweller has emigrated to Australia so will have to look elsewhere for the wedding bands.

IMDB

Cool site, if you into movies and stuff.

The Wedding Chicks

Hey guys,  Rich here.

Please check out this cool site, if you are getting married and need ideas or some inspiration this is the place to look.
Also this site contains some cool freebies on the invites, save the date etc.

Check it out!

The wedding chicks

Marriage Meander

For all those people in KZN looking to get married, we suggest you guys contact the marriage meander guys and get on a meander trip.  Really cool, even i enjoyed it!

The Marriage Meander

The venue

Please check out the venue, most beautiful place we have seen.  Fits us perfectly and cant wait to do it all up.

Thanks to the Windmills for all their help and generosity thus far.  It's been great

www.thewindmills.co.za

The new age...

Hello the world!!  This is the first post on our blog.  I feel that this is the way the world is going so here i am starting my rise to fame.  I am sure the world of bloggers will be extatic that a person of my intellect and charisma has joined this blogging forum.

This is actually a running feed of our upcoming wedding in April 2012.  Hopefully friends and family will enjoy this...

Wish us luck!