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| AnnieGoose vs. Blogger’s Block: The Three-Minute Cure |  | Why The Three-Minute Cure for Blogger’s Block? Every blogger (or writer) knows this moment… You sit down to write…Open a blank page…And immediately think: “I have nothing to say.”“Nobody cares.”“This topic is stupid.” Meanwhile, you’ve just spent twenty minutes talking about it... to your suffering other-half. That’s exactly what happened to Annie. She insisted: “I’m not blogging today.” But the conversation continued… for twenty minutes. Which proves a simple point: If you can argue for twenty minutes, you can blog for three. The Biggest Blogging Myth Annie’s main objection was this: “The subject matter is stupid.” Many bloggers think that … | 2026/03/10 | 2026-03-10 06:18:59 |
| Sole Survivors: How a Lighter and Some Glue Saved My Favourite Shoes 💪 |  | 👟 How I Fix My Shoes With Fire (And Don’t Burn the House Down) A beginner’s guide to the most dramatic home repair you’ll ever attempt Let me paint you a picture. You’re running late, you grab your favourite pair of shoes, slip them on – and squelch. The sole is flapping open like a fish out of water. 🐟 You look down. The shoe looks up at you. It’s a betrayal of the highest order. You could, of course, take them to a cobbler. Like a normal person. But where’s the fun in that? 🔥 Enter: The Fire Method … | 2026/03/06 | 2026-03-06 02:22:31 |
| Silky Pan-Poached Hake with a Subtle Curry, Ginger & Cream Sauce |  | This Poached Hake is Quick & Easy… and special! This is one of those quietly special dishes that I come back to again and again. It’s not flashy, it doesn’t rely on heavy seasoning, and it doesn’t try to impress with complexity – instead, it lets good ingredients and gentle technique do the work. A thin, delicate hake fillet is pan-poached slowly in a creamy, aromatic sauce until it’s just opaque and beautifully tender, almost melting under the fork. The flavour is built in soft layers. Fresh ginger adds warmth and fragrance, a very restrained touch of curry powder brings … | 2026/03/05 | 2026-03-05 07:11:30 |
| Two Household Staples, One Brilliant Mechanic, and Headlights That Look Brand New 🚗✨ |  | Toothpaste and Vaseline There are moments in life that challenge everything you thought you knew. The fall of the Berlin Wall. The invention of the internet. And the evening Greg and I were in his workshop, cracking a beer 🍺 and tinkering with Annie’s car, when he produced a teaspoon of Colgate and a teaspoon of Vaseline, announcing with great confidence that he was about to “restore” the headlights. Annie’s headlights had been looking sad for years – that familiar yellowy-foggy look that makes your vehicle resemble an elderly tortoise peering through cataracts. 🐢 Modern car headlights aren’t glass, you … | 2026/03/04 | 2026-03-04 23:47:52 |
| Calculator for Teddy’s Fast Fermenting Vodka |  | Click here to skip straight to the calculator… Teddysad’s Fast Fermenting Vodka: A Wash That Earned Its Reputation Among home distillers, a few wash recipes have achieved almost mythic status – and Teddy’s Fast Fermenting Vodka (FFV) is one of them. It’s been discussed, replicated, tweaked, enjoyed, criticised, and celebrated across distilling forums around the world. What makes this simple sugar wash so enduring isn’t hype – it’s performance. What the Recipe Actually Is At first glance, Ted’s wash seems deceptively simple: Sugar – the fermentable base Wheat bran – a source of nutrients Multivitamin tablet – micro-nutrients for yeast A pinch … | 2026/03/04 | 2026-03-04 20:08:44 |
| A Powder Keg Ignites: Iran, Israel, and the Battle for Global Power |  | A Powder Keg in the Middle EastTwo leaders, their personal crises, and a war the world didn’t vote for In his 2026 State of the Union, Donald Trump boasted: “My first ten months, I ended eight wars.” Four days later, he started another. On February 28, 2026, the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury – a coordinated assault dropping over 1,200 munitions across 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces, killing Supreme Leader Khamenei, 48 senior officials, and at least 555 civilians, including 158 children in a girls’ school. Trump announced it not in Congress, but in an eight-minute Truth Social … | 2026/03/03 | 2026-03-03 06:00:34 |
| Understanding the Iran Crisis and the Global Ripple Effects |  | How Trump and Netanyahu’s political calculations dragged the world into a war nobody voted for… and what happens next! Note: If you’re short of time and reading on your phone, you might prefer a 3-minute summary of this article: A Powder Keg Ignites: Iran, Israel, and the Battle for Global Power The Man Who Ends Wars Starts One: Trump’s Iran Gamble In his 2026 State of the Union, delivered just days before the bombs fell, Donald Trump boasted: “My first ten months, I ended eight wars.” Four days later, he started another. On February 28, 2026, Trump announced “major combat operations” against … | 2026/03/02 | 2026-03-02 06:02:05 |
| Nothing to Write About? Three Minutes a Week. No Excuses. |  | I Have Nothing to Write About (And Other Lies I Tell Myself) Every blogger hits the wall. You stare at a blank screen and think: I have absolutely nothing interesting to say. Nobody would want to read this anyway. Welcome to the club. It’s enormous. And most of the members quit. The Problem With “I Have Nothing to Say” Here’s the thing – it’s not actually true. What you really mean is: I haven’t been paying attention. You’ve been coasting, head down, not engaging with the world around you. No wonder the well feels dry. The fix is almost embarrassingly … | 2026/02/28 | 2026-02-28 05:43:04 |
| Puff Pastry Pinwheels – Spicy Cheese Bolognese Spirals |  | Spicy Cheese Bolognese Spirals (Puff Pastry Pinwheels) – The Ultimate Party Appetiser 🧀🌶️ If you’ve ever found yourself hovering near the oven at a dinner party, “just checking” on the snacks for the fifth time, these Spicy Cheese Bolognese Spirals are absolutely for you. 😏 Also known as puff pastry pinwheels, these irresistible little bites disappear from the platter faster than you can say, “I only made them as a starter.” With crispy, flaky puff pastry, rich and savoury bolognese filling, plenty of melted cheese, and a pop of heat from jalapeños, this recipe hits every craving at once. They’re … | 2026/02/23 | 2026-02-23 19:41:54 |
| Inverted Sugar Explained: Maximising Fermentation Efficiency and ABV (Proof) |  | Inverted Sugar When you’re producing a sugar wash – especially a carefully structured recipe like the famous Birdwatchers TPW – every cup of sugar carries a defined alcohol potential. The difference between theoretical yield and actual yield comes down to fermentation efficiency. If yeasts under-perform, some of that potential is never realised – which means lower ABV, reduced proof, and less alcohol recovered from the still. This is where inverted sugar stops being a minor technical tweak and becomes a strategic advantage. By improving how efficiently yeasts convert sugar into ethanol, it helps you move closer to the maximum alcohol … | 2026/02/16 | 2026-02-16 05:42:09 |
| A Small Study in Stupidity |  | There are days when running a bar feels like hosting a mildly chaotic dinner party. And then there are stupid nights that remind you humanity is, at heart, a poorly supervised experiment. 😐 Wednesday night was one of those reminders. A young man arrived in a state best described as ambitious intoxication – loud, unstable, and buoyed by the kind of confidence only extreme drunkenness can manufacture. He drifted from group to group, needling people, inserting himself where he wasn’t wanted, radiating that peculiar blend of bravado and social tone-deafness that almost guarantees a messy ending. Eventually, his behaviour provoked … | 2026/02/09 | 2026-02-09 03:27:15 |
| Creamy Baked Kingklip Mornay with Cheese Sauce and Crispy Shoestring Fries |  | A Creamy Baked Kingklip That Works for Everyone at the Table There’s a particular kind of dinner that feels like a small win. Fish Mornay feels like that.Not flashy, not complicated – just something that lands well with everyone sitting down to eat. This baked Kingklip in a gentle creamy cheese sauce is exactly that sort of meal. It’s creamy without being heavy, familiar without being boring, and designed for the reality of mixed tables: adults who want something properly cooked, and a small child who mainly has eyes for chips. The sauce itself originated in France, however this dish … | 2026/02/08 | 2026-02-08 15:26:51 |
| Quick & Easy: The Interjamie Killergalactic “Roundgood” Munchie |  | A Quick One-Pan, No-Brainer Roundgood Toastie Munchie for the Party Survivors This Interjamie Killergalactic Roundgood is not a breakfast – although it has sometimes been mistaken for one, by people waking up confused and feeling slightly ashamed. It is, in truth, a late-night or early-morning survival meal, designed for the sozzled, the sleepless, and the triumphant survivors of an all-night party. A Roundgood isn’t a flavour so much as a sense of things being good, all-round!. Nothing in the bite is showing off. The egg is soft and comforting, the cheese melts without fuss, the salami brings salt, the pineapple … | 2026/02/03 | 2026-02-03 06:14:35 |
| ICE, Immigration, and Losing the Sense of Proportion |  | When Common Sense Slips Away… on ICE! ⚖️ ICE immigration enforcement, family life, and the moment politics turns personal Immigration has always been a hard issue. Borders matter. Laws matter. Countries get to decide who stays. Most people understand that – even people who are deeply uncomfortable with how enforcement is playing out right now. But something has shifted. When immigration enforcement begins to look less like administration and more like intimidation, the questions stop being political and start being moral. This isn’t about slogans or party loyalty anymore. It’s about proportion. Two people are dead. That fact alone should … | 2026/02/03 | 2026-02-03 05:05:28 |
| Improved Birdwatchers TPW Calculator |  | Click here to skip straight to the calculator… About The Famous Birdwatchers Sugar Wash Recipe Birdwatchers TPW (Tomato Paste Wash) is one of the most popular sugar wash recipes in home distilling – and for good reason. Originally developed by a famous mystery person called “G”, it uses simple, inexpensive ingredients (sugar, tomato paste, yeast, water, and a small amount of household acid) to create a clean, reliable fermentation. What makes TPW great is the balance. The tomato paste provides nutrients without adding flavour, allowing the yeast to ferment efficiently while producing a neutral wash that’s ideal for Vodka or … | 2026/01/29 | 2026-01-29 21:58:02 |
| From Oil to Ice: Trump’s Wandering Attention Span |  | This week’s biggest topic of conversation – again – has been Trump and whatever outrageous thing he’s done, said, hinted at, or loudly imagined next. 🌍🔥 Honestly, the state of the world has become the default pub discussion. Forget sport. Forget the weather. Global chaos has the floor. Trump is a fascinating specimen. Not in a David Attenborough way – more in a “how is this actually happening?” kind of way. One minute he’s posturing about Venezuela and its oil, the next he’s eyeing Greenland like it’s a spare bar stool no one’s sitting on. Greenland. An actual country. 🧊The … | 2026/01/22 | 2026-01-22 01:26:36 |
| Trump, Greenland, and the Arctic Power Shift Everyone Laughed At |  | Everyone Laughed When Trump Mentioned Greenland. That Laughter Was the Point. When Donald Trump floated the idea of buying Greenland, the world laughed on cue. Pundits rolled their eyes, comedians sharpened their jokes, and diplomats dismissed it as another bout of Trumpian absurdity. It was treated as a meme, not a message – a punchline, not a policy. And so, almost everyone missed what mattered. Because while the laughter echoed, NATO moved troops, Russia accelerated Arctic militarisation, and China quietly tightened its grip on polar access. Greenland didn’t become important overnight – it became impossible to ignore. Trump didn’t need … | 2026/01/21 | 2026-01-21 23:11:22 |
| In Loving Memory of Jothene “Jo” Carosin |  | Quiet Strength, Lasting Warmth It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Jothene Carosin, lovingly known to many as “Jo”, and best known alongside her husband Dominic (“Dom”) Carosin as “Dom and Jo” to us locals. To those who knew them well, Dom and Jo were inseparable — a warm, welcoming presence whose easy connection and genuine hospitality left a lasting impression. Jo was kind, gracious, and quietly attentive, with a warmth that made people feel instantly at ease. She had a way of making conversations linger and moments feel unhurried. Prev 1of29 Next Jo was an … | 2026/01/08 | 2026-01-08 19:58:47 |
| A Cozy Swiss Cheese Fondue for Two: Gruyère and Emmentaler |  | There’s something irresistibly magical about a bubbling pot of cheese fondue. It’s more than just a meal – it’s a ritual, a mini celebration, and a guaranteed way to make any evening feel special. Picture this: a glossy, creamy pot of Gruyère and Emmentaler, melting together in perfect harmony, with just a whisper of Chilli Sherry to give it a subtle, warming kick. The aroma alone is enough to make your kitchen feel like a cozy Swiss chalet tucked in the Alps. Fondue is one of those dishes that turns even the simplest ingredients into something spectacular. Cubes of crusty … | 2025/12/29 | 2025-12-29 20:22:53 |
| Buttery Spanakopita Parcels with Herb-Infused Spinach and Cheese |  | There’s something timelessly comforting about the smell of buttery phyllo pastry baking in the oven. For me, Spanakopita is of those dishes that turns an ordinary afternoon into something warm, welcoming, and just a little bit indulgent. Whether you’re hosting friends, preparing a snack platter, or stocking the freezer for future cravings, these spinach and cheese parcels never disappoint. What I love most about Spanakopita is its balance. The filling is rich but never heavy – bright spinach, salty feta, a touch of cream cheese for smoothness, and a fragrant mix of herbs and spices that make every bite taste … | 2025/12/27 | 2025-12-27 05:21:25 |
| The Christmas Keyboard Concert (Featuring One Very Excited Four-Year-Old) |  | It’s Christmas Day and the wind is howling like it’s auditioning for a horror movie. I’ve closed the bar for a few days, so we’re hunkered down at home, bravely preparing a cheese fondue. Nothing stitches a mood back together quite like molten cheese… or so I’m hoping. Swiss Cheese Fondue (see recipe here) But the truth is, this time of year always sits a bit heavy. Too many good people have gone – mostly passed on – and their absence rings louder during the holidays. The loss of my sister is still the hardest. Christmas at her house was … | 2025/12/25 | 2025-12-25 21:16:29 |
| Our Favourite Recipes: Comfort, Spice & Weeknight Classics |  | Some meals feel like home: comforting, satisfying, simple enough for any night – and wonderful enough for weekends or friends around the table. These are our absolute favourite recipes. After decades of catering experience, we only cook the best for ourselves, and here’s what we love! 🥥 Lamb Korma – a Creamy, Fragrant, Mild Comfort Curry Lamb Korma This isn’t a fiery curry – it’s gentle, fragrant, and deeply comforting. Tender lamb simmers slowly in a sauce built on yogurt, ground cashew nuts, and carefully balanced spices that bring gorgeous flavours without overwhelming the palate. How we serve it: Ideally … | 2025/12/24 | 2025-12-24 21:14:23 |
| Fog, Fear & Micropur Tablets: Inca Trail to Machu Picchu |  | When Words Send You Back to Peru Someone mentioned Machu Picchu the other night, and just like that, I was mentally yanked back to Peru – no airfare required. Suddenly, I was reliving the moment we decided, after surviving Brazil and Bolivia, that hiking the Inca Trail for seven days sounded like a completely reasonable idea. We checked into a cheap hotel in Cuzco, reorganised our lives, and prepared to hike from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu. We packed “only the essentials,” which apparently meant half of Outdoor Warehouse: food for a week, tent, sleeping bags, gas cooker, and the all-important … | 2025/12/23 | 2025-12-23 06:15:27 |
| The Nightly Parade of the Unusual |  | Hi guys. Hope all is well. We’ve had a relatively uneventful week – just a few amusing (and slightly heartbreaking) anecdotes from behind the bar. We have a darling old man who comes in every night with his driver. He orders two drinks – two brandies, one for each of them. Then the driver disappears for about an hour to fetch his kid. In the meantime, the old darling drinks both brandies. But the truly entertaining part is how he does it. He clinks the two glasses together, toasts himself, and then takes a sip from each glass. It’s ridiculously … | 2025/12/16 | 2025-12-16 05:13:35 |
| Bad Uber Drivers: Brain Not Responding. Driving Skills Loading. Courtesy Not Included. |  | There is a very specific kind of frustration that sits right behind your eyes and slowly tightens your jaw – and for me, it arrives the moment I get behind the wheel in Cape Town. It’s not just irritation; it’s a steady build-up of disbelief, disbelief that so many bad Uber drivers are licensed to operate heavy machinery in public spaces. Driving in Cape Town can be an absolute nightmare. Sometimes I wonder where people buy their licences… because they definitely couldn’t have passed the test! Indicating to change lanes? They Never heard of it, apparently. They drift between left … | 2025/12/09 | 2025-12-09 06:54:06 |
| The Secret to Juicy Butter Burgers: Chopped Mushrooms! |  | This butter burger recipe began as a love letter to butter. We’ve always been fans of a good butter burger – that glorious Midwestern classic – but this version takes things several notches higher. Here, finely chopped Portobellini mushrooms and caramelised onions bring an earthy sweetness and deep umami, while grated frozen garlic-herb butter melts through the beef as it cooks, keeping every bite tender and full of flavour. Instead of thick pub-style patties, we prefer ours thin – pressed neatly into shape using a homemade yogurt-tub ring. Thin patties cook quickly, brown beautifully, and are perfect for stacking into … | 2025/11/27 | 2025-11-27 20:41:24 |
| Buttery Bliss: A Beautifully Simple Scottish Shortbread Recipe |  | Scottish shortbread is one of the simplest and most satisfying biscuits you can make. With just flour, butter, and sugar, you get a beautifully tender crumb and a rich, buttery flavour that feels timeless. This recipe follows the old-fashioned fingertip-rubbing method that creates fine flakes of butter throughout the dough – key to that melt-in-the-mouth texture. It’s wonderfully easy, dependable, and ideal for both everyday treats and special occasions. My Scottish Grandmother always made this for us. My Mom learned to make it from Gran-Nan. As a child, I’d do my share of work to help make the shortbread, and … | 2025/11/25 | 2025-11-25 03:19:13 |
| What Happens When Decency Takes the Night Off |  | Howdy Guys, This past week has been a rough one. The moon must have been working overtime, because the lunatics were out in full force. Take the genius who ordered drinks for nearly the entire bar and then didn’t pay – the same charming specimen who’d already done a runner twice before. On Saturday night he was back, rude, aggressive, and acting like he owned the place. Decency is clearly not a word in his vocabulary. 🫤 So this time, I stopped him the second he walked in. He arrived with a lovely woman who looked absolutely mortified by his … | 2025/11/25 | 2025-11-25 00:04:38 |
| Velvety Comfort: Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta |  | This Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta dish is really quick and easy to prepare. The recipe brings together tender chicken, golden sautéed mushrooms, and a velvety tomato-cream sauce enriched with a splash of red wine for depth and warmth. It’s hearty enough for a family dinner, elegant enough for guests, and blissfully simple to prepare on a weeknight. Tossed with perfectly al dente penne and finished with plenty of parmesan, it’s the kind of dish that invites people back for seconds – and maybe even thirds. Bon appétit! What makes this recipe especially irresistible is the balance of textures and … | 2025/11/19 | 2025-11-19 20:51:22 |
| Sunday Dinner Ideas |  | Sunday Dinner Without the Stress: A Few Ideas from AnnieGoose I was thinking the other day about how Sunday dinner feels like its own little ritual – you’re winding down from the week, but there’s still something special about cooking a “proper” meal. If that resonates with you, here are some Sunday dinner thoughts inspired by AnnieGoose’s recipe collection – plus links to the recipe posts you can cook from. A Hug-On-A-Plate: Rustic Italian Chicken Chicken Cacciatore Imagine this: chicken drumsticks seared at first, then gently simmered in tomato sauce with olives, mushrooms, garlic, and herbs. It’s Rustic Italian Comfort: … | 2025/11/19 | 2025-11-19 19:17:20 |
| Hake Fish Fillets in a Creamy White Wine & Star Anise Sauce |  | Hake Fillet with Star Anise Cream and Wine is a gently luxurious fish dish that transforms simple ingredients into a fragrant, restaurant-worthy experience. Of course, you could use almost any fish In this recipe, tender hake fillets are bathed in a velvety white wine and cream sauce, subtly perfumed with star anise, garlic, and finely chopped onions. A splash of fish stock and fish sauce adds a delicate depth of umami, perfectly balancing the light, flaky texture of the fish. Drawing inspiration from classic French Provençal techniques – and modern flavour twists – this elegant dish is surprisingly simple to … | 2025/11/17 | 2025-11-17 18:09:23 |
| Before the Internet: How a Band of FidoNet Amateurs Connected South Africa to the World |  | The People of FidoNet Long before South Africa had Internet access, long before Google or your web-browser, a small band of enthusiasts were quietly building the country’s first digital gateways – with little more than modems, home PCs and sheer ingenuity. This article is inspired by How a few tech mavericks started the Internet in South Africa. That article describes a similar period in history to this one. Having known most of the people mentioned there, and having worked closely with many, I decided to add my own contributions to that wonderful story. A Night-Time Network of Modems By the … | 2025/11/13 | 2025-11-13 17:33:29 |
| Garlic-Herb Compound Butter: A Simple Upgrade That Makes Everything Taste Better |  | If you’ve ever wondered how restaurants magically finish a steak with a glossy pat of butter that melts into a pool of aromatic deliciousness… here’s the secret: compound butter. It sounds fancy, but it’s simply softened butter mixed with herbs, garlic and other flavour boosters. And once you make it at home, you’ll wonder how you ever cooked without it. This garlic-herb version is my favourite “all-purpose” blend – fresh, bright, savoury and just the right amount of indulgent. It draws inspiration from several expert approaches, including techniques used by CJ Eats Recipes, Pantry to Table, and Spend With Pennies, … | 2025/11/13 | 2025-11-13 16:01:47 |
| Gourmet Shoestring Fries: A Golden Crunchy Treat for People Who Refuse to Eat ‘Just Chips’ |  | There comes a moment in every self-respecting cook’s life when the humble potato chip simply will not suffice. Thick-cut wedges? Peasant food. Crinkle-cut? Please. Today, we ascend to a higher plane of potato enlightenment: shoestring fries – impossibly thin, unapologetically crisp, and the only fry delicate enough to pass as haute cuisine while still being, well… fried potatoes. They can either be air-fried in olive oil for a lighter, healthier result or deep-fried (for maximum crispiness). They’re delicious either way! If you’ve ever wanted to serve something that whispers “Yes, I do casually julienne my potatoes to within a millimetre … | 2025/11/13 | 2025-11-13 13:41:00 |
| RIP Johnny Ward |  | Update: Johnny Ward’s wake will take place on Monday 17th November at 16h00 / 4pm . Address (touch for map): “The Toad”, False Bay Rugby & Football Club, Constantia Sports Complex, Constantia Main Rd, Constantia, Cape Town, 7700 It is with heartfelt sadness that we share the news of the passing of Johnny Ward, a familiar face in our community over the years. Johnny died on the afternoon of Friday, 7 November 2025, leaving many of us stunned and deeply saddened. His passing was sudden and entirely unexpected; in fact, several friends had spoken with him only the day before … | 2025/11/07 | 2025-11-07 19:22:00 |
| Irresistibly Crispy Camembert Wedges with Cranberry Sauce – Contagious Recipe! |  | Few things in life are as satisfying as the moment your fork breaks through a golden crust to reveal creamy, molten cheese beneath. Air-fried or Deep-fried Camembert is pure comfort wrapped in a crisp shell – simple to make, utterly indulgent, and guaranteed to impress. These crunchy wedges are perfectly balanced by a teaspoonful of tangy cranberry sauce, creating that irresistible mix of salty, creamy, and sweet. Serve them as an elegant appetiser, a snack for sharing, or a little treat with a glass of wine. Crispy Deep-Fried (or Air-Fried) Camembert Wedges with Cranberry Sauce 195kcal 4.6 from 10 votes … | 2025/11/07 | 2025-11-07 06:53:18 |
| Caipirinhas and Copacabana Capers |  | Hello, I’m writing this while thinking of sipping a Caipirinha on the Copacabana. It’s Brazil’s national cocktail, made from lime, sugar, and something that tastes like rum but is actually the distilled sweat of sugarcane workers. Delicious! (think of it as a mojito’s wilder cousin that didn’t go to college)! It’s the sort of drink that convinces you that you’re twenty again, even when your knees and back strongly disagree. Anyway, tonight there’s a Brazilian bloke at the bar, which reminded me of the time I actually went to Brazil, instead of just drinking from there. Back then, I was … | 2025/11/03 | 2025-11-03 20:10:00 |
| Easy Spinach and Cream Cheese Phyllo Triangles (Make-Ahead Appetiser) |  | Délices d’Épinards These elegant little triangles are a timeless favourite – crisp layers of buttery phyllo wrapped around a creamy spinach and cheese filling. They’re delightfully light yet satisfying, perfect for serving with drinks or as part of a festive buffet. Even better, they can be prepared ahead, frozen, and baked straight from the freezer – making them a true entertainer’s secret weapon. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or looking for an easy make-ahead snack, Délices d’Épinards deliver sophistication with very little fuss. 💛 Why You’ll Love This Recipe Effortless elegance: Golden, flaky pastry with a rich spinach-cream cheese … | 2025/11/03 | 2025-11-03 03:12:03 |
| Creamy Mushroom Pork Medallions – Comfort Food Done Right |  | This creamy pork medallions recipe has been a long-time favourite – and for good reason. I first created it years ago, and it’s remained one of the most popular dishes I’ve shared. Quick to prepare, rich in flavour, and beautifully comforting, it’s the kind of recipe that turns a simple weeknight dinner into something special. Pork Medallions in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce 725kcal 4.7 from 10 votes Print 💬 Ask ChatGPT Prep 30 minutes mins Cook 30 minutes mins This rich and comforting dish combines tender pork medallions with a silky mushroom and red wine cream sauce. It's perfect for … | 2025/11/02 | 2025-11-02 22:36:40 |
| Air Fried Potato Samoosas in Buttery Phyllo with Sweetcorn, Jalapeño & Fresh Coriander |  | Think of a traditional samoosa… and these are hardly like that! Imagine a French Gourmet chef travelling to India… then returning home and creating something like the samoosas he’d discovered there… but tastier and healthier. These Spicy Indian Potato Samoosas in Crispy Phyllo Pastry are not for the faint-hearted! Packed with loads of fresh jalapeños, butter-caramelised onion and sweetcorn, finely cubed potatoes, and a touch of cream cheese for just enough creaminess, each triangular samoosa bursts with fiery, aromatic Indian flavours. Air-fried to golden, delicate crispness, they deliver the perfect balance of heat, texture, and fragrance in every bite. Perfect … | 2025/11/02 | 2025-11-02 04:19:07 |
| A Taste of the Sea: Mussels in Creamed Noodles Revived from a 1978 Classic |  | There’s something special about rediscovering recipes from decades past – those elegant yet hearty dishes that graced family tables and dinner parties alike. This Mussels in Creamed Noodles recipe, originally shared by Libby du Toit in 1978, captures that classic sophistication perfectly. With buttery noodles, briny fresh mussels, and a luxurious cream sauce enriched with egg yolks and Parmesan, this dish offers a taste of coastal indulgence that never goes out of style. It’s a simple recipe that transforms humble ingredients into something beautifully refined – the kind of meal that feels equally at home in a seaside restaurant or … | 2025/11/01 | 2025-11-01 02:53:00 |
| Meet Your New AI Kitchen Assistant: ChatGPT on AnnieGoose makes Recipes Interactive – Amazing! |  | Cooking just got way more fun. Every recipe on AnnieGoose.com now has an “Ask ChatGPT” button, turning each dish into a personalised, interactive guide. Whether you’re whipping up a weeknight dinner or experimenting with something fancy, ChatGPT is your smart kitchen companion. Scale it. Swap it. Tweak it to your dietary needs. Want to cook for two instead of four? Need to convert grams to cups? Out of an ingredient? ChatGPT has you covered. Scale servings instantly for any number of people. Switch units between metric and imperial with no math stress. Substitute ingredients smartly, including for dietary tweaks. Make … | 2025/10/30 | 2025-10-30 20:02:08 |
| Herb-Garlic Bread with Compound Butter |  | Garlic bread — the warm, buttery, aromatic side that instantly makes any meal more comforting. In this post, we’re bringing you a foolproof version from AnnieGoose: a crispy, flavour-packed Herb-Garlic Bread made with a homemade compound butter. Whether you’re serving pasta, soup or a cosy weeknight dinner, this recipe delivers garlic goodness baked to golden perfection. Let’s dive in! Why Compound Butter Works So Well for Garlic Bread: The fresh herbs brighten the bread. Lemon zest adds a subtle lift that keeps it from tasting heavy. The butter melts evenly into every nook and cranny. It has better flavour distribution … | 2025/10/27 | 2025-10-27 21:12:00 |
| Creamy-Spicy-Cheesy Chicken, Pineapple & Jalapeno Wrap with Avo and Fresh Coriander |  | Some dishes just happen by happy accident – and this one is pure culinary serendipity. What began as a craving for something quick and creamy turned into a wrap that feels both comforting and exotic. Sweet caramelised onions mingle with juicy pineapple and fiery jalapeños, all folded through a silky cheddar béchamel. Add tender chicken, buttery avocado, and a burst of fresh coriander, and you’ve got a flavour story that’s warm, tropical, and just a little bit daring. Served in a soft wrap with a squeeze of lemon, it’s the kind of meal that blurs the line between indulgent and … | 2025/10/27 | 2025-10-27 02:02:30 |
| Osso Bucco – Italian Marrow Bone Speciality |  | Slow-braised beef shin releases its rich, silky marrow into a deeply flavoured sauce of wine, tomato, and herbs – the hallmark of a true Osso Bucco. Each bite is luxuriously tender, infused with the essence of the bone, while a scatter of gremolata – fresh parsley, garlic, and lemon zest – cuts through the richness with a bright, fragrant lift. It’s a perfect balance of indulgence and freshness, capturing the heart of Italian home cooking. Classic Osso Bucco with Fresh Gremolata 4.3 from 10 votes Print 💬 Ask ChatGPT Prep 30 minutes mins Cook 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins … | 2025/10/23 | 2025-10-23 01:24:06 |
| Hungarian Goulash with Austrian Krautsalat 🇦🇹 |  | A Taste of Tradition Hungarian Goulash has its roots in the rustic kitchens of Central Europe, where herdsmen cooked hearty stews over open fires. It’s a dish that celebrates simplicity and patience, rewarding you with layers of flavour that only time can create. Serve it to family or friends, and watch it become a firm favourite at your table. In Austria, AnnieGoose learned to serve it with Krautsalat, which is how she serves it to this day. Hungarian Goulash 560kcal 4.3 from 11 votes Print 💬 Ask ChatGPT Prep 30 minutes mins Cook 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins Total … | 2025/10/21 | 2025-10-21 19:27:27 |
| Rustic Italian Comfort: Chicken Cacciatore Made Easy |  | Rich, rustic, and full of Italian charm, this Chicken Cacciatore brings the warmth of a traditional countryside kitchen to your table. Tender drumsticks are gently simmered in a fragrant tomato and white wine sauce, layered with earthy mushrooms, briny olives, and fresh herbs. Served alongside fluffy rice, it’s a comforting, flavourful dish that feels both homely and refined – perfect for a cosy family meal or an elegant dinner with friends. Chicken Cacciatore 350kcal 4.3 from 11 votes Print 💬 Ask ChatGPT Prep 20 minutes mins Cook 1 hour hr An Italian chicken dish, with olives and mushrooms in a … | 2025/10/21 | 2025-10-21 01:03:43 |
| Creamy, Cheesy Lasagne with Silky Bolognese Sauce |  | There’s nothing quite like the aroma of a bubbling lasagne coming out of the oven — layers of silky pasta, rich homemade Ragù alla Bolognese, and a creamy, cheesy sauce melting together into pure comfort. This version keeps things simple: dried lasagne sheets, a luscious béchamel, and a slow-simmered meat sauce that tastes like it’s been handed down through generations. It’s hearty, satisfying, and perfect for a relaxed family meal or a cozy Sunday lunch. A Hug in a Dish: Cheesy Lasagne with Homemade Sauce 760kcal 4.8 from 13 votes Print 💬 Ask ChatGPT Prep 30 minutes mins Cook 50 … | 2025/10/20 | 2025-10-20 05:12:45 |
| Beyond the Barstools: Stories of Community Spirit |  | Howdy guys! Here we go again, another tale from your favourite small drinking village with a fishing problem. You know how it goes – never a dull night in my little bar. So last night we had a slightly problematic bloke who was getting aggressive with people, particularly with one dude who is calm, mostly – BUT when he’s annoyed, he fights. Properly. Everyone in the room knew this. So before chaos could break out, the whole bar turned into a rugby scrum of peacekeepers. People were leaping up, spreading arms, gently steering the aggressor away from the target who, … | 2025/10/15 | 2025-10-15 06:18:00 |
| Golden Spud Stough – A Tangy, Buttery Potato Bake |  | Do you have leftover potatoes? Baked or boiled – either is fine. This flavoursome vegetarian potato bake is the best way to use them! If you don’t have leftover potatoes, simply put some raw spuds into cold water then boil for 20 minutes (until soft when pricked with a fork) while you prepare the other ingredients. Spud Stough is similar to the Chicken & Leek Supreme Casserole with Jalapeños and Garlic Hollandaise recipe. Feel free to borrow ideas that you like from both recipes, to make it your own. Golden Spud Stough 815kcal 4.7 from 11 votes Print 💬 Ask … | 2025/10/08 | 2025-10-08 19:00:03 |
| Hookups, Heartbreaks and Hangovers |  | Hi – me again! Everyone has problems, and for some reason, they all think that the best place to unload them is while I’m pouring them their fifth double brandy. The boys have issues with their women, and vice-versa. Shame, poor darlings! One of my lovely young boys has a girlfriend who goes overseas to work from time-to-time. A little while ago when she was away, he strayed. Whoops! He told me – he really felt bad. He was extremely drunk when it happened and his judgement was clearly impaired. The chick he slept with is really quite a number, … | 2025/10/07 | 2025-10-07 01:44:46 |
| Chicken & Leek Supreme Casserole with Jalapeños and Garlic Hollandaise |  | There’s something deeply comforting about a bubbling casserole that emerges golden and fragrant from the oven, carrying the promise of warmth and indulgence. This version takes its inspiration from a classic Chicken Supreme, but lightens the meat and lets the vegetables shine. Sweet, slow-caramelised onions form the base, while leeks and jalapeños bring a gentle kick and earthy depth. Instead of a ready-made mayonnaise, the whole dish is bound together with a quick, garlicky hollandaise – rich, tangy, and unapologetically full of flavour. Topped with a thick layer of buttery crumbs and melted cheese, this casserole balances homely comfort with … | 2025/10/05 | 2025-10-05 07:09:21 |
| Slow-Cooked Ragù alla Bolognese (spaghetti bolognaise) – A Hearty Italian Classic |  | Few dishes embody comfort quite like a rich, slow-cooked Ragù alla Bolognese. This recipe takes the Italian classic and adds depth with thoughtful layers of flavor: smoky bacon, a lot of red wine, fragrant herbs, and even a splash of Shilly Sherry for that subtle, warming note you can’t quite place. The base begins with the Italian “holy trinity” of carrot, onion, and celery – slowly sautéed until sweet and golden – alongside diced bacon for richness. Lean beef mince is then gently fried in batches, just enough to lose its pinkness without over-browning, ensuring tender meat in the final … | 2025/10/03 | 2025-10-03 04:06:52 |
| Very Shilly: Homemade Chilli Sherry |  | Some recipes feel like secrets waiting to be whispered, and Shilly Chilli Sherry is one of them. Imagine the warmth of ginger, the fiery kick of chillies, and the mellow sweetness of old brown sherry, all infused together over a few patient weeks. The result is a bold, versatile elixir that can spark up your cooking or, when softened with a splash more sherry, slip into your glass as a daring drink. Here’s how to make it, and why you’ll want a bottle on hand. Potent, Fiery, Versatile: Shilly – Homemade Chilli Sherry Recipe 4.9 from 12 votes Print 💬 … | 2025/10/02 | 2025-10-02 04:52:10 |
| Slow-Simmered Comfort: The French Onion Soup Experience |  | Few dishes capture the essence of cozy French cooking quite like a bowl of French Onion Soup. It’s the kind of meal that feels like a hug in a bowl — onions slowly caramelized until golden and sweet, a splash of brandy for richness, and that irresistible crown of bubbling, melted cheese. This recipe takes you through each step of the slow-simmered magic, resulting in a restaurant-worthy soup you’ll want to savor with every spoonful. Classic French Onion Soup Recipe (Rich, Golden, and Comforting) 305kcal 4.4 from 8 votes Print 💬 Ask ChatGPT Prep 15 minutes mins Cook 2 hours … | 2025/09/30 | 2025-09-30 01:28:00 |
| Tropical Twist Risotto: Pineapple, Sausage & Coconut Cream |  | Rich, creamy risotto might be the ultimate comfort food, but this version takes a bold detour to the tropics. With juicy pineapple for a sweet bite, smoky sausage for depth, and silky coconut cream to bind it all together, this dish is a playful fusion of classic Italian technique and island-inspired flavors. The result is a risotto that feels both familiar and adventurous – a spoonful of sunshine that’s perfect for when you’re craving something different yet deeply satisfying. Tropical Twist Risotto 1000kcal 4.6 from 12 votes Print 💬 Ask ChatGPT Prep 30 minutes mins Cook 40 minutes mins A … | 2025/09/28 | 2025-09-28 03:31:48 |
| Mombi’s Lamb Korma Recipe: So 😋 Good |  | If you’re looking for a curry that delivers comfort, fragrance, and just the right amount of indulgence, Lamb Korma is the dish to try. Unlike fiery-hot curries, this North Indian classic is all about subtlety: tender pieces of lamb simmered slowly in a sauce of yogurt, creaminess from cashews, and the warm embrace of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. The result is a velvety, aromatic curry that feels both luxurious and deeply satisfying. What makes Korma special is its balance – gentle heat from green chilies, a touch of saffron for colour and fragrance, and the richness of ghee … | 2025/09/25 | 2025-09-25 02:08:49 |
| Hearty and Cheesy Chilli Con Carne Tortillas: Ultimate Comfort Dish |  | Over the years, this Chilli Con Carne recipe has been one of AnnieGoose’s most popular meals at her establishment (she cooks a huge batch, then freezes individual portions for later use). Here’s how to make it: Hearty and Cheesy Chilli Con Carne Tortillas: Ultimate Comfort Dish 580kcal 4.7 from 13 votes Print 💬 Ask ChatGPT Prep 20 minutes mins Cook 40 minutes mins Craving something warm and filling that’s packed with flavour? This Chilli Con Carne is a crowd-pleaser, perfect for cozy nights in. Whether you’re serving it with bread, tortillas, or simply on its own, this recipe offers a … | 2025/09/21 | 2025-09-21 04:01:00 |
| Spicy Jalapeño, Mushroom & Blue Cheese Potato-Base Quiche |  | There are quiches and bakes, and then there’s this one – rich, savoury, and unapologetically full of bold flavour. This is not your average quiche. There’s no pastry crust to be found – just thin slices of buttery golden potatoes forming a rustic, flavour-packed base. This Spicy Jalapeño, Mushroom & Blue Cheese Potato-Base Quiche starts with buttery thin-sliced potatoes, layers in deeply caramelised onions, meaty sautéed mushrooms, mellow heat from mildly-hot deseeded jalapeños, and the creamy tang of blue cheese – all brought together with a luscious egg and cream custard. This recipe is about taking your time where it … | 2025/09/20 | 2025-09-20 07:48:08 |
| Quick Garlic Hollandaise Sauce |  | This Quick Garlic Hollandaise Sauce recipe is so easy! Make it in just 10 minutes. Serve it over eggs, or broccoli, or steak or fish. Or anything – it is delicious! We use it in our Golden Spud Stough (A Tangy, Buttery Potato Bake) and in Chicken & Leek Supreme Casserole (with Jalapeños and Garlic Hollandaise). Quick Garlic Hollandaise Sauce 4.6 from 11 votes Print 💬 Ask ChatGPT Prep 10 minutes mins Quick Garlic Hollandaise is a silky sauce with a rich, buttery base and a subtle kick of fresh garlic. It balances creamy smoothness with a bright hint of … | 2025/09/08 | 2025-09-08 23:04:31 |
| Musings of the Goose: Sadness and Romantic Rollercoasters |  | Every week I sit down to write this blog, and every week I wonder why I agreed to do this to myself. The pressure is mounting, friends. If you think that trying to please a packed bar on a Friday night is tough, try wrangling your own thoughts into something cheerful while the world around you seems as though it is collapsing. This week has been especially heavy. One of my dearest, most faithful customers went and died. Just like that. Quick, sudden, no fuss. Which, if you think about it, is actually the best way to go. But that … | 2025/09/08 | 2025-09-08 01:13:44 |
| Easy Veal Scaloppini Recipe with Creamy Mushroom Sauce |  | There’s a certain charm to the dishes that once defined dinner parties – the kind that arrived on gleaming platters, bathed in cream sauce, and carried the unmistakable scent of sherry and butter. Veal Scaloppini is one of those timeless classics, a recipe that evokes candlelight, linen napkins, and a touch of old-fashioned glamour. This version, adapted from the vintage In Club Style collection (circa 1982), is a beautiful reminder that elegant food doesn’t need to be complicated. Thin veal escalopes cook in moments, soaking up a sauce of mushrooms, sherry, and cream that feels both luxurious and comforting. It’s … | 2025/08/31 | 2025-08-31 17:50:00 |
| Bar Stories: The Good, the Bad, and the Utterly Ridiculous |  | Hey there, my lovely regulars! It’s your crazy bar-lady here, spilling the beans on some of the most ridiculous stories from behind the counter. Firstly, we have the “I’m-not-responsible-for-my-own-bad-decisions” dude. He is a guy who managed to lose his job and then had the audacity to tell me that his ex-girlfriend owes me the money for their joint bar tab! Get real, sunshine. 🤪 NEWSFLASH: When you order drinks, you are responsible for the bill. I mean, seriously! But what really took the cake was when I confronted him about it, and he got all stroppy with me! Like, hello? … | 2025/08/29 | 2025-08-29 02:26:59 |
| The Great Pizza Debacle: A Story of Forgiveness, Fury, and Forgotten Food |  | You won’t believe the drama that went down at my humble establishment yesterday evening. Some muppet forgot his half-eaten pizza 🍕 on Saturday night. And let me tell you, it was no ordinary pizza – this one had been sitting for three whole days. A gourmet delight which would attract cockroaches! He had left his pizza in my kitchen, beside the dishwasher, where the water made it soggy. He forgot all about it, and when I saw it at the end of the night, I basically thought it belonged in the bin. However, as I dislike waste, I decided instead … | 2025/08/27 | 2025-08-27 01:13:36 |
| Roger Toms: Requiescat In Pace (RIP) |  | It is with sadness that we share the passing of our dear friend, Roger Toms, an accomplished engineer and a kind soul who left us suddenly on the afternoon of Monday, 25 August 2025. Roger was well into his later years, but he carried himself with the energy and curiosity of someone much younger. He had a sharp mind, a quick wit, and a warm spirit that endeared him to those around him. Even in his final hours, he was in good spirits — walking to the pharmacy, sharing a laugh, and joking with the people he met on the … | 2025/08/25 | 2025-08-25 20:18:34 |
| Slow-Cooked Moroccan Lamb Tagine |  | This Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Apricots & Almonds is a fragrant, slow-cooked stew that brings a touch of North African warmth to your table. Tender lamb is simmered with aromatic spices, sweet apricots, and honey for a rich, gently spiced sauce, then finished with toasted almonds and fresh herbs. It’s a comforting yet exotic dish – perfect for serving with fluffy couscous or warm flatbread on a cosy evening. Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Apricots & Almonds 530kcal 4.5 from 9 votes Print 💬 Ask ChatGPT Prep 25 minutes mins Cook 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins A fragrant North African-style … | 2025/08/22 | 2025-08-22 05:35:00 |
| Béchamel White Sauce: Endless Saucy Possibilities |  | If there’s one sauce that deserves a standing ovation, it’s Béchamel sauce. Silky, comforting, and endlessly adaptable, this humble white sauce is the quiet hero behind creamy lasagnes, cheesy pasta bakes, and rich pepper or mushroom sauces. Master it once, and you’ll unlock a whole world of classic dishes – all starting from the same simple base. The first recipe of a sauce similar to béchamel was found in the book Le cuisinier françois by François Pierre de La Varenne in 1651, made with a roux (also known as Willagrease paste), like in modern recipes. The name of the sauce was given in honour of Louis de Béchameil, … | 2025/08/15 | 2025-08-15 06:51:00 |
| People Fighting in the Bar – My Thoughts |  | A few nights ago, we had another fight in the bar. It always seems to be the “usual suspects”… 🤪 Invariably, a girl is the root cause of fighting in the bar. In this case it’s a girl who kisses nearly every guy in the bar (tongue and all!) and has been known to open her legs in her never-ending quest to beguile the boys. I have to say I find this behaviour quite dreadful, but also extremely sad. When sober, she’s actually a lovely girl. So this is how it usually goes down: She flirts with some dude and … | 2025/08/13 | 2025-08-13 04:34:42 |
| Conversational Chaos: A Kaleidoscope of Thoughts on Learning to Blog |  | It hasn’t been easy teaching AnnieGoose how to blog! Today, she thought that she had nothing of interest to say. She always seems to think that, but was especially belligerent this time. She was tired and irritable. Previously she’d committed to writing one blog post per week, so today I had to remind and push her. I myself am learning as I go, so that I can teach… so I spend a lot of time preparing before I show her how to do something. When she doesn’t seem interested, I get cross with her. Blogging can seem like hard work… … | 2025/08/12 | 2025-08-12 14:21:57 |
| The Reluctant Blogger Takes the Leap!! |  | Last Sunday, my boyfriend (who created this blog for me ) decided it was high time I joined the blogging world, as I had told him, some time ago, that I’d intended to write a book.. And by “high time,” I mean he almost dragged me kicking and screaming 😱 into this digital adventure! As the proud owner of a teeny-tiny bar (in Cape Town, South Africa) for the past 15 years, I’ve accumulated a treasure trove of stories that might leave you agog with wonder. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration – but trust me, some wild stuff goes down … | 2025/08/11 | 2025-08-11 15:13:36 |
| IBM x3650 M4 IPMI Quadratic Fan-Control (Quiet!) |  | I acquired a secondhand IBM x3650 M4 server. Despite being old, this is still a very powerful machine with dual Xeon processors and 384GB of RAM. But it was extremely noisy! The CPU fans sound similar to a vacuum-cleaner. For simplicity and readability, I will assume that you are using a Debian Linux-based distribution such as Ubuntu or Mint. But with small changes to the commands, the same has been tested to work on Arch-based distros including CachyOS. This can also work under MS-Windows if you install the needed tools. After some online research, I learned that the fans can … | 2025/08/02 | 2025-08-02 20:34:49 |
| Host Your Own Website/Blog (for Free!) |  | Introduction This article describes and motivates the best method that I’ve found for hosting your own website from home. It should work over any type of Internet connection, and… it costs nothing! You could do this yourself, today, over the same Internet connection that you’re using right now. You don’t even need a server… you could securely (safely!) run this off any normal everyday PC. Perhaps even the one you are using now? That’s what I’m doing! If you wished to host your own website, one would normally rent a server from a hosting provider. Otherwise, if you wished to … | 2025/08/01 | 2025-08-01 08:18:18 |
| Homemade Crispy Poppadoms |  | Crispy, golden poppadoms are a true labour of love—delicate, time-intensive, and incredibly rewarding to make at home. While it’s tempting to reach for the ready-made version, there’s something special about crafting them yourself: the careful mixing, rolling, and drying that transforms a few humble ingredients into light, crackling wafers. Each batch carries the satisfaction of tradition and patience, making these poppadoms not just a snack or side dish, but a celebration of the craft of cooking itself. Homemade Crispy Poppadoms 4.3 from 8 votes Print 💬 Ask ChatGPT Servings 12 poppadoms Ingredients 1x2x3x? servings ▢ 1 cup urad dal flour (white lentil … | 2024/01/25 | 2024-01-25 06:13:00 |
| Tenderpreneurs better-off than Educated Public |  | As kids, our parents sent us to school to get an education so we could have a better life than them. Our parents fostered education, hard work and general respect of life and humanity. I grew up thinking that education was a passport to a better life for me and my family; when I grew up, all my role models were educated people. I looked up to the teachers, especially my school principal at junior secondary school, he was my hero and I wanted to be an upstanding and educated member of the community like him. I must say that … | 2018/08/28 | 2018-08-28 04:55:00 |
| Why ESKOM is wrong |  | The Eskom letter (Business Report of March 9) refers. One is very tempted to ignore such racist vomit and not dignify it with a reply, but we evidently have Eskom’s attention: possibly, someone is at home at Megawatt Park. It was surprising that the letter came from the Eskom board, a body of low esteem, what with the chairperson’s dubious track record (unfortunately, quite undeniable), a whole brood of Gupta cuckoos in the nest, and an ex-chief executive still searching for a Saxonwold shebeen. As for its ability to properly guide Eskom to a brighter future, anyone with a modicum … | 2017/05/04 | 2017-05-04 06:08:00 |
| Will the Great Coal Scam now continue at Eskom? |  | WITH the release of the PwC report on Tegeta coal contracts, and the reinstatement of Brian Molefe as chief executive, it is very difficult to keep up with Eskom happenings. Some of the following may appear dated, but is still very relevant. On April 26, Business Report headlined sharp Treasury officials querying Eskom’s increase in the contract price of coal from Tegeta Resources, from R13.50/GJ to around R20/GJ, a simple increase of 50percent. Not surprising as Tegeta is a Zupta investment vehicle; the surprising aspect was the units (GJ or gigajoule; 1 GJ = 0.0341 tons), used to define the … | 2017/04/23 | 2017-04-23 05:58:00 |
| Lies, damned lies, and Eskom numbers |  | In apparent desperation Eskom has made a last-gasp application to the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) for a massive tariff hike, bringing into sharp focus the sorry state of affairs that threaten this country’s very fabric. Fortunately, Nersa has refused to be bullied into a hurried decision and postponed their decision for six weeks to permit proper interrogation of Eskom’s claim, no matter how outrageous. Eskom’s numbers simply do not stack up in support of their claim and appear to be without real substance. A large part of the claim is stated as compensation for contracting 800 megawatts from … | 2017/03/03 | 2017-03-03 06:17:00 |
| A Web of Political Cronyism at Play |  | AN Eskom conspiracy theory and stage 3 load shedding may finally have woken up the country to the realities of the utility’s meltdown. Late in 2014 the writing was on the wall: I assembled what little unplanned outage data Eskom had made public from time to time, and then I drew a trend line. The data predicts total grid failure, with less than 50 percent of generating capacity available, no later than early-mid 2016, irrespective of Lynne Brown’s ministerial mumblings to the contrary. However, the big question is why the situation is still deteriorating, instead of having begun to improve … | 2015/02/28 | 2015-02-28 06:49:00 |
| Eskom Ignorance just short of Criminal |  | THE COLLAPSE of the Majuba power station coal silo, aka a bunker, typifies the mess that Eskom has created over the years and indicates that they are truly inept. One suspects that Eskom management prefers the term “silo” to avoid any possible confusion when making one of their frequent trips to the golf course! For management to take no corrective action on such an obvious defect, irrespective of its cause, is nothing short of damning, and they are still waiting for proof of reports. One can almost forgive Eskom for being unable to deal with the intricacies of large turbo-generating … | 2014/11/10 | 2014-11-10 21:55:00 |
| Incompetence of Eskom steadily Disempowers SA |  | One would think that, with the passage of time and expenditure of countless billions, Eskom’s woes would be on the decline. Instead, there is an ever-growing pile in the chief executive’s “pending” tray, the latest item being the replacement of his chief bean-counter, despite Eskom not being in the bean business. Since Eskom became the definition of power politics, necessary competence has been replaced with so-called empowerment of well-connected incompetence, directly resulting in national disempowerment. The first thing that disappeared with competence was Eskom’s credit rating and its ability to raise capital on the international market at the best interest … | 2013/06/28 | 2013-06-28 22:05:00 |
